It was supposed to be the pride of national infrastructure. Instead, the Central Communication Port (CPK) is increasingly beginning to look like a project tailored to foreign corporations. Former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki sounds the alarm: “This is pathological repolonization.” In strong words, he reveals the behind-the-scenes details of a tender process that shuts out Polish companies. The CPK company responds with a counterattack, but Morawiecki stands firm: “I’m putting a bottle of Polish wine in the fridge. If the contract goes to domestic firms, I’ll gladly gift it to you.”
A Tender That Excludes Poles?
“Pathological repolonization” – that’s how Mateusz Morawiecki described the terms of the tender for the construction of CPK’s passenger terminal. The requirement of 4 billion PLN in revenue over the past four years sets a bar that none of the largest Polish companies can meet. Meanwhile, foreign entities such as Budimex, Strabag, and PORR easily fulfill it.
While consortiums are formally allowed, the second stage of the selection process limits the pool to five of the largest players with experience in multi-million-dollar infrastructure and airport terminal projects. This effectively eliminates smaller, domestic contractors.
“You need 4 billion in revenue just to apply on your own. No Polish company has that kind of turnover,” said the former prime minister and head of the ECR group, expressing his outrage.
“I’m Putting a Bottle of Polish Wine in the Fridge”
CPK’s response was swift and scathing. They accused Morawiecki of either lacking the facts or intentionally misleading the public. The former prime minister did not hold back.
“Clearly, the truth stings—that’s why the reaction was so sharp. Dear CPK team: I’m putting a bottle of exquisite Polish wine in the fridge. If this contract goes to Polish companies, I’ll be happy to gift it to you,” he wrote.
This wasn’t just sarcasm from the former prime minister but a bitter reflection on the fate of Polish enterprises, which in this national airport project are expected to play only a subcontractor role. The promises of “repolonizing” the economy, made by Prime Minister Donald Tusk—Morawiecki notes—remain vague, and their implementation increasingly elusive.
CPK: A Project Facing Delays and Risk?
Meanwhile, representatives of the current government are “managing expectations,” speaking of possible delays in the investment’s timeline. Professor Michał Wolański, a member of CPK’s supervisory board, admitted in an interview with money.pl that “we must also be prepared” for the possibility that the airport construction could be delayed by one, two, or even three years. The terminal project is already six months behind schedule.