“The EU budget draft includes, among other things, a waste tax – revenue is expected from the disposal of refrigerators, washing machines, and electronics [a tax known as WEEE or e-waste]. Every one of you, when handing in an old fridge to buy a new one, will have to pay 2 euros per kilogram for its disposal,” said MEP Bogdan Rzońca on TV Republika.
On Wednesday, the European Commission presented a proposal for the EU budget for the years 2028–2034, amounting to 2 trillion euros. The new budget is set to focus sectoral policies within national plans. Despite widespread criticism of the draft, the government of Donald Tusk has hailed it as a success for Poland.
Commenting on the proposal today on Miłosz Kłeczek’s show on TV Republika, Bogdan Rzońca, MEP from Law and Justice (PiS), noted that the net amount allocated to Poland is not particularly impressive.
“We’re getting 123 billion euros for 7 years. If you break that down, it’s about 17.5 billion euros per year starting from January 1, 2028 – for everything. Multiply that by 4, and you get the full amount. Compare it to the Polish state budget, which is 900 billion złoty. During that time, we’ll be contributing to the EU budget every year – currently, we’re paying about 8 billion euros, and in two years that will increase to about 10 billion euros. So in reality, we’re getting less money than before. On top of that, Ursula von der Leyen will take revenue that currently goes directly to the Polish state budget from the so-called ETS 1. Today, when the government sells emissions allowances, that money goes to our budget. Under the new rules, 25% of that revenue will now be redirected to the EU budget. So, in practical terms, we’ll have less money. What’s happening with this 2028–2034 budget announcement is nothing more than cheap PRL-style propaganda,” Rzońca argued.
He added that the current government has halted investment, stalled economic development, and is relying on promises of EU funding.
“What determines a country’s strength? Not EU funds – although they are important. Seventeen billion euros multiplied by four is nearly 70 billion złoty. But our education, healthcare, and defense systems depend on the strength of the Polish state. The EU provides limited support. We’ll receive 17 billion euros, pay 10 billion, and be left with a net 7 billion,” said the MEP.
A Fridge Tax?
Rzońca also claimed that Donald Tusk’s position within the political group he once led – the European People’s Party – is weakening.
“That’s evident from informal, behind-the-scenes questions and the stance of Tusk’s colleagues. It’s becoming clear that this government is underperforming in Poland, and there’s considerable discomfort among Tusk’s fellow EPP members. In fact, one of them – Romanian MEP Siegfried Mureșan, the European Parliament’s rapporteur for the new multiannual financial framework – stated, ‘We do not agree with the budget prepared by Piotr Serafin [Poland’s EU commissioner] and Ursula von der Leyen.’ We in the ECR group have said the same – all political groups have criticized the proposed budget, as it goes against the interests of farmers and the economy,” the MEP explained.
“They’ve included, among other things, a waste tax that expects revenue from the disposal of refrigerators, washing machines, and electronics [the so-called WEEE or e-waste tax]. So when you go to replace your fridge, you’ll have to pay 2 euros per kilogram to dispose of the old one. This budget is based on guesswork,” he concluded.