Representatives of the December 13 coalition are boasting about the launch of the Polish ferry Jantar Unity. Among those speaking about the government’s effectiveness in this matter was its head, Donald Tusk. The prime minister stated that the authorities are undertaking actions that will “help restore Poland’s maritime power in the Baltic.” The problem is that not only was the ship’s construction the responsibility of the previous government, but due to the sluggishness of the current rulers it will sail under a Cypriot flag.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Donald Tusk published a recording in which he praised the ferry Jantar Unity, which will soon operate the Świnoujście-Trelleborg route.
“Our government allocated over one billion zlotys to rescue this undertaking. We paid off the debts, completed the construction, and prepared a sensible business plan that will help restore Poland’s maritime power in the Baltic. Because we act, we don’t just talk!” the head of government says in the video.
“Polish power” under the flag of… Cyprus
However, the former minister of economy and inland navigation, Marek Gróbarczyk, had already reported several days earlier that Jantar Unity would sail under the flag of… Cyprus. This is because the ferry was registered in Limassol.
“This is what rebuilding the Polish flag looks like according to Tusk and Minister [Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Arkadiusz] Marchewka,” he stated, recalling the prime minister’s promises from May 2025.
The coalition failed to finalize the matter
The issue of a Cypriot flag on a Polish ferry caused considerable controversy. Why does Jantar Unity not officially belong to Poland? An answer to this question was provided by Left-wing MP Anna Żukowska.
“Because we have not yet passed the bill that Minister Arkadiusz Marchewka is working on,” she announced on X.
She was referring to the “Act on supporting shipping enterprises and creating conditions for their operation under the Polish flag (UD79).” As the deputy minister of infrastructure argues, it provides for attractive taxes for shipping companies, lower labor costs, and streamlining the ship registration process.
It is worth emphasizing, however, that this act is part of the Polish Sea program, which the prime minister announced in May 2025.
Who is behind Jantar?
It should be added that former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki responded to Tusk’s recording, pointing out that the current government is once again taking credit for someone else’s success.
“Regarding the ferry that Tusk and half of Platform are boasting about today, I have one question for them: when was the hull of this ferry launched? I’ll give you a hint: October 31, 2022. Was Tusk in power then? Of course not! So gentlemen, stop attaching yourselves to our projects and our successes,” he said.