President Karol Nawrocki has not abandoned his plan to hold a referendum on the European Union’s climate policy, but it is already clear that he will face resistance in the Senate. Senate Deputy Marshal Magdalena Biejat announced that The Left will not support the president’s initiative. “We will not agree to the referendum proposed by President Nawrocki,” she stressed, accusing him of “stirring up emotions instead of taking action.”
It is worth recalling that in February 2025, Karol Nawrocki – then a presidential candidate – signed an agreement with the Independent Self-Governing Trade Union “Solidarity”. In the document, he pledged, among other things, to submit a motion to the Senate of the Republic of Poland calling for a referendum on the implementation of the European Union’s climate policy.
On May 7, 2026, President Nawrocki formally submitted the promised motion to the Senate.
“The decisions made today will affect our lives for many years to come. This is particularly true of European climate policy, whose negative consequences we are already experiencing. The Green Deal and the ETS mean higher energy prices, reduced economic competitiveness, and the decline of agricultural production. This is of particular importance for the Polish state,” the president argued.
President Nawrocki proposed that the referendum question read:
“Are you in favor of implementing the European Union’s climate policy, which has led to higher living costs for citizens, increased energy prices, and higher costs of doing business and farming?”
Two weeks later, the Senate rejected the president’s motion. Sixty-two senators voted against it, while 32 supported it.
President to Submit the Motion Again
On Saturday, Head of the Chancellery of the President Paweł Szefernaker announced that President Nawrocki would make another attempt.
“In line with President Karol Nawrocki’s earlier announcement, the President will resubmit to the Senate next week a motion for a referendum on the future of the European Union’s climate policy,” Szefernaker wrote on X.
The Left Already Announces Its Position
During a New Left (Nowa Lewica) press briefing in Olsztyn on Sunday afternoon, Senate Deputy Marshal Magdalena Biejat commented on the president’s decision to resubmit the referendum proposal.
“Let’s have no illusions. President Nawrocki is not interested in stopping climate change or making sure we do not literally overheat, that we do not face water supply interruptions, which have already occurred in Poland, or power outages,” she said.
She added: “If the president truly cared about these issues, instead of stirring up emotions and spreading falsehoods about the European Union’s climate policies, he would do everything possible to support the government in measures aimed at lowering electricity prices.”
On Friday, lawmakers rejected at the first reading a presidential bill designed to reduce electricity costs, including by lowering VAT on electricity. The proposal envisaged financing the measures, among other sources, through revenue from the sale of CO2 emission allowances. The entire December 13 coalition voted to reject the proposal, while the opposition voted against its rejection.
According to Biejat, “the president wraps it in attractive language, claiming it is about protecting people’s interests.” She argued that it is the government that is looking after Polish citizens and their household budgets.
“Not only by implementing climate policies that will make us less dependent on fossil fuels, which are driving up electricity and food prices, but also through tough negotiations on new climate targets and the ETS system,” she said.
Biejat also stated that Poland had recently formed a coalition of 10 European Union member states seeking to ensure that the next phase of the bloc’s climate policy takes into account the differing needs and circumstances of individual countries.
“This is what we are fighting for today. These issues are not resolved through referendums – they are resolved through difficult negotiations and by ensuring that further investments move forward, including those financed through the National Recovery Plan, which we succeeded in unlocking. That is what needs to be done instead of creating confusion. That is why we will not support the referendum proposed by President Nawrocki – not because, as he claims, we do not want to listen to the people, but because we know perfectly well what the president’s real objective is. I appeal to all of you: do not let yourselves be deceived,” she concluded.