“Polish citizens have decided to spend less on the holidays because they are afraid of their future. And they are afraid because they see information about rising unemployment. Compared with the end of 2023, today we have around 100,000 more unemployed people,” said Piotr Müller, a Member of the European Parliament from Law and Justice, during a press conference.
Contrary to the narrative promoted by the December 13 coalition and media outlets sympathetic to it, this year’s Christmas holidays will be more expensive than last year. The cost of a basket of food products used to prepare Christmas Eve dishes will hit Polish households harder.
According to a report by the PanParagon app team, carp prices in particular have risen sharply—by as much as 22 percent. And that is not the end of it.
The holidays were supposed to be cheaper…
Politicians from Law and Justice also challenged the December 13 coalition’s narrative of supposedly cheap holidays. First, they spoke with citizens; second, they organized a press conference earlier today.
“Poles will spend less, but not because things are cheaper—simply because they are saving. Those are the official messages. Citizens look on with alarm at how municipal budgets are being constructed,” said Anna Zalewska, a PiS MEP, during the briefing.
She went on to list specific issues: “The change in budgeting and the overhaul of public finances, which was supposed to result in higher revenues for local governments, has turned out to be a disaster. That is why local authorities—something residents in various towns already know—are preparing very large increases. Nearly 30–40 percent. The same applies to district heating systems and heating plants; they too are announcing major hikes. And at the same time—water. It may seem trivial—bus fares.”
“These are all enormous costs. But this is only the beginning. The consequences of all these decisions will unfold and take effect next year. I remind you that construction will also change. From 2026, the building directive will apply. You will not be able to construct a public building or put it into use if it does not have at least photovoltaic installations. That also means additional costs,” she explained.
She added: “Therefore, we will do everything to show how bad this government is, how poorly it governs, and how dramatically it fails to identify with the everyday lives of Poles.”
“Poles are afraid of their future”
Piotr Müller also said: “It is telling that one of the first decisions of this government, when it took power in Poland, was in fact to dismantle the shields that had protected Poland in many areas. The PiS government left in place shields related to energy and heating, as well as VAT on food, which had been reduced to the minimum. This government decided to withdraw from that. And we are now seeing the effects of these increases.”
“Polish citizens have decided to spend less on the holidays because they are afraid of their future. They are afraid because they see information about rising unemployment. Compared with the end of 2023, today we have around 100,000 more unemployed people. One hundred thousand people are out of work—more than two years ago. Everyone can see this around them. And it makes them feel uncertain. Entire families feel insecure because they do not know whether they might soon be affected by mass layoffs. They also see the geopolitical situation, compounded by the government’s poor economic policy. As a result, we see investment being curtailed in some places. And because local governments will have fewer funds for investment, local companies will also receive fewer orders. That will translate into higher unemployment,” he emphasized.
In his view, “all these facts show that the government’s economic policy is being conducted poorly and irresponsibly. When we add to this the critical state of public finances—the largest state budget deficit in history since Poland’s systemic transformation—it unfortunately paints a very bleak picture for the holidays. I hope this government leaves power as soon as possible, so that we can begin to pursue an economic policy that is responsible and, above all, balanced—one that supports those who need it.”