Finance Minister Andrzej Domański boasted on social media about the Polish delegation’s departure to Saudi Arabia for talks on economic cooperation. The post triggered sharp reactions from internet users, because during the PiS government, politicians from the Civic Coalition had strongly criticized trade cooperation with that country. Donald Tusk once even thundered about the “biggest scandal of the 21st century.”
Domański boasts about flying to Saudi Arabia. Uncomfortable facts were brought back to his attention
Finance Minister Andrzej Domański posted on X that a Polish delegation was heading to Riyadh to discuss economic cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Poland.
“We are flying to Riyadh. This will be the largest Polish economic mission in the history of relations with Saudi Arabia. Seventy companies are joining us. The energy sector, IT, cybersecurity, and dual-use technologies. We want Poland’s trade balance with Saudi Arabia to improve. We are the 20th largest economy in the world. Our companies are looking for new markets. This is how we understand modern diplomacy,”
Domański stated.
This marks a significant shift in the conduct of Civic Coalition politicians. During the PiS government, they repeatedly criticized Jarosław Kaczyński’s party. For example, in 2022, Donald Tusk, referring to the sale of part of the shares in the Gdańsk refinery to the Saudi company Saudi Aramco, claimed that it was allegedly “the biggest scandal of the 21st century in Poland.”
“The cost of the refinery will pay for itself for the Arabs in less than a year; its sale is a gift from the PiS government to them. I will not decide now whether this is just stupidity or major corruption, but I will not let it go,”
the Civic Platform leader added.
Internet users also recalled one of Adam Szłapka’s past X posts. At the time, the current spokesperson for the December 13 coalition government wrote: “Is it to these Saudis that Morawiecki wants to hand over Lotos? Those Putin’s buddies?”
The acquisition of shares in the refinery was a requirement of the European Commission
It is worth recalling that Saudi Aramco’s purchase of part of the shares in the Gdańsk refinery was an element of the merger process between PKN Orlen and the Lotos Group. Orlen’s takeover of the Lotos Group, like its earlier integration of the Energa Group and PGNiG, was part of a strategy to build a multi-energy corporation.
The aim of this strategy was, among other things, to strengthen competitiveness on international markets and to enhance Poland’s energy security. After obtaining the European Commission’s approval for the concentration, Orlen was able to finalize the merger with Lotos. One of the conditions set by the European Commission was the divestment of 30 percent of the shares in the Gdańsk refinery.
In accordance with the European Commission’s requirements, on January 12, 2022, PKN Orlen presented a package of remedial measures related to the planned takeover of the Lotos Group. Their purpose was to prevent excessive concentration and to protect competition in the domestic fuel market and in the refining sector.
Under these arrangements, the measures included the sale of 30 percent of the shares in the Gdańsk refinery to Saudi Aramco, the acquisition by the Hungarian company MOL of 417 Lotos fuel stations in Poland, and Orlen’s purchase from MOL of 144 fuel stations in Hungary and 41 stations in Slovakia.