Law and Justice (PiS) has announced its full support for President Karol Nawrocki’s initiative to hold a referendum on the European Union’s climate policy. Przemysław Czarnek, the party’s candidate for prime minister, argued that Poles would reject “Ms. von der Leyen’s absurdities” and warned that if the Senate blocks the referendum again, he will introduce his own bill to withdraw Poland from the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). “Remaining in the ETS any longer will lead to the ruin of the Polish economy,” he said.
On Saturday, the Head of the Chancellery of the President of Poland, Paweł Szefernaker, announced that President Karol Nawrocki will once again submit a request to the Senate for a referendum on the future of the European Union’s climate policy.
“As previously announced by President Karol Nawrocki, next week the President will once again submit to the Senate a request for a referendum on the future of the European Union’s climate policy,” Szefernaker wrote on X.
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 (NSZZ “Solidarność”). Among its commitments was a pledge to submit a request to the Senate for a referendum on implementing the European Union’s climate policy.
On May 7, 2026, President Nawrocki formally submitted the promised request. He proposed the following referendum question:
“Do you support the implementation of the European Union’s climate policy, which has led to higher living costs, increased energy prices, and higher costs of doing business and farming?”
Two weeks later, the Senate rejected the request. A total of 62 senators voted against it, while 32 supported it.
Czarnek: We Will Support the President’s Initiative
Speaking at a press conference outside Tauron’s headquarters in Będzin on Sunday morning, Professor Przemysław Czarnek, Law and Justice (PiS)‘s candidate for prime minister, pledged his party’s support for the President’s initiative.
“We want to support President Karol Nawrocki’s initiative, which he will present to the Senate next week. A referendum on the European Union’s climate policy is essential. We are convinced that if the Senate allowed the Polish people to vote, an overwhelming majority would reject Ms. von der Leyen’s absurdities, the European Commission, and this entire climate policy that is destroying the European economy, especially Poland’s,” Czarnek said.
He also recalled that “last spring we heard Donald Tusk and many others speaking about major reforms to the ETS system, claiming that it would be changed, that Ms. von der Leyen – Donald Tusk’s friend – would prepare a package of reforms that would stop the ETS from burdening European economies and prevent Europe from losing its share of global industry. Let me remind you that within just 10-15 years, Europe’s share of global industry fell from 25 percent to 17 percent. All because of energy prices.”
“This is precisely what has made the European economy uncompetitive on global markets,” he added.
According to Czarnek, the problem affects Poland in particular because energy-intensive Polish businesses pay the highest electricity prices in Europe.
“On average, they pay 17 euro cents per kilowatt-hour, compared with the European average of 11 euro cents. What is causing this? The disastrous ETS, under which Poland pays proportionally more than anyone else because our energy sector is based on coal – and will remain based on coal. Coal is our resource and our national wealth. We see no reason to give it up simply because someone who has no coal tells us to do so. If others do not have coal, that is their problem. We do. Of course, we will continue diversifying our energy mix, just as we did during the Law and Justice (PiS) government,” he said.
He stressed that “coal must remain the foundation of Poland’s energy system because every Polish citizen wants affordable district heating, every household wants cheap electricity, and every business depends on low energy costs to remain competitive. Without leaving the ETS, this will simply not happen. Remaining in the ETS will ruin the Polish economy. That is why we fully support President Karol Nawrocki’s initiative for the Senate to approve a referendum on the European Union’s climate policy. A nationwide vote would provide a strong mandate to challenge Brussels and say: enough is enough. We will not allow Poles or Europeans to be exploited.”
Czarnek added that “we want a prosperous Europe, not an economic museum. We want a developing Poland, not an economic museum.”
Referendum or Bill? Czarnek Has a Backup Plan
Czarnek declared that if the Senate’s December 13 coalition majority rejects the referendum once again, he will submit his own legislative proposal.
“If the Senate refuses to approve this referendum, I will present a ready-to-go bill on Poland’s withdrawal from the ETS and on exempting Polish businesses from the ETS,” he announced.
He concluded by saying:
“These are enormous sums of money. This is an absurdity beyond all absurdities, and Poland will no longer accept it. Once again, we support the President’s initiative and call on the Senate to let the Polish people decide. As for Ms. von der Leyen and Brussels – thank you, but no thank you. They want to increase the share of ETS funds allocated to decarbonisation from 5 percent to 50 percent. We are not interested in decarbonisation. Down with the European Union’s absurd climate policy.”