German media, following the narrative of the December 13 coalition, are extensively covering the alleged “Polexit.” The newspaper “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” explicitly writes that Law and Justice, which after the 2023 elections “became more radical,” is supposedly behind a course aimed at taking Poland out of the European Union. In an interview with Niezalezna.pl, PiS MP Michał Kowalski stated plainly: “The narrative about Poland leaving the EU is also fueled by German media friendly to Tusk, which only strengthens Tusk’s false message. However, it must be clearly said: the majority of Poles do not want Polexit, and neither do we.”
President Karol Nawrocki decided to veto the bill implementing the EU SAFE defense loan program. The justification cited, among other things, the risk of violating state sovereignty and transferring part of the country’s security competences to European Union institutions. SAFE is an EU defense loan program under which Poland would borrow approximately €44 billion. Following the veto by President Nawrocki regarding the SAFE loan, the ruling camp unleashed a massive wave of criticism and attacks against the head of state.
Since then, the government camp, led by Donald Tusk, has been desperately pushing a narrative that President Nawrocki and the Polish opposition aim to take Poland out of the European Union – the so-called Polexit.
Polexit – German Media Echo Tusk’s Narrative
This hysteria has also reached Germany, as evidenced by publications in local newspapers. One such article appeared in “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.”
At the very beginning of the commentary, author Reinhard Veser asks: “Polish Prime Minister Tusk accuses President Nawrocki of wanting to take Poland out of the EU. Nawrocki denies these accusations, but is he still credible?” The article continues, stating that “until recently, no notable party in Poland supported leaving the EU. Even the ‘Catholic-nationalist PiS’, which – while governing between 2015 and 2023 – was in constant conflict with Brussels, at least formally considers EU membership ‘an element of Poland’s raison d’état’.”
The author refers to Tusk’s warnings about a “real threat of Polexit.” “He accuses Nawrocki of being a patron of forces seeking to leave the EU. Politicians from the ruling camp claim that the 2027 parliamentary elections will be ‘a vote on whether Poland remains in the EU’,” writes “FAZ.”
Nawrocki and PiS reject these accusations as “a bad-faith lie being propagated.” However, according to the German commentator, PiS declarations about remaining in the EU “sound hollow.”
He also writes that “after losing power, PiS has become even more radical. Party propaganda has left its mark; nearly half of PiS supporters favor Polexit.”
“Tusk Is Looking for Distraction Topics”
On the issue of the alleged “Polexit,” the editorial team of Niezalezna.pl spoke with PiS deputy spokesperson Mateusz Kurzejewski.
“Donald Tusk has been scaring people with Polexit for about 15 years. This is nothing more than an attempt to divert attention from the incompetence of this government, which is indebting us by over one billion zlotys per day. There is no money for anything – for reducing fuel prices, energy shields, healthcare, or support for farmers,” he assessed.
As he added, “Tusk is leading us toward bankruptcy, he knows this perfectly well, which is why he is looking for distraction topics.”
It is worth noting that the only politicians speaking about Polexit are Donald Tusk and Grzegorz Braun. This shows that the leader of the Polish Crown Confederation is essential for the prime minister to create an atmosphere of fear and mobilize his disappointed voters, Kurzejewski concluded.
“Scaring Poles”
Niezalezna.pl also spoke with another PiS MP, Michał Kowalski. According to him, “Polexit today is primarily a political narrative used by the December 13 coalition.”
“Tusk scares Poles with the vision of leaving the European Union because it has become one of his main political tools – building a sense of threat instead of solving real problems. Meanwhile, the daily reality of many Poles looks different: rising prices, high cost of living, a record deficit, and a lack of effective actions to improve the economic situation. Instead of concrete results, we see more and more scaremongering – today about Polexit, previously about other things,” the PiS MP told TV Republika.
According to Kowalski, “the narrative about Poland leaving the EU is also fueled by German media friendly to Tusk, which only strengthens Tusk’s false message. It must be clearly stated: the majority of Poles do not want Polexit, and neither do we.”
“Poles want stability, development, and responsible governance. That is why, instead of scaring people with Polexit, another slogan is increasingly appearing – ‘tuskexit’, meaning a change from the current failed government to one that will focus on the real problems of citizens,” he concluded.
“We Want to Be in the EU – But Without Dictates”
Mateusz Morawiecki, former Prime Minister of Poland, also stated in a recent post on X: “Polexit is a scare tactic repeated by Tusk for years. It is an attempt to divide Poles.”
“Poland wants to be in the European Union. But as an equal partner. Without dictates from Brussels or Berlin,” he continued, adding: “It is time to change direction in the EU. A strong economy, technology, and development instead of ideology and bureaucracy!”