Polish president vetoes government’s reduction in health contributions by business owners

May 7, 2025 | Business, Law, Politics, Society

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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

President Andrzej Duda has vetoed a government bill that would have lowered health insurance contributions paid by business owners. His office says that the law would have significantly cut revenue for public healthcare and was contrary to constitutional principles of social justice.

However, figures from the ruling coalition have criticised the decision and argued that it emphasises why it is so important that, at this month’s presidential election, voters choose a new president who, unlike Duda, is aligned with the government.

The legislation in question was passed by parliament last month despite a junior member of the ruling coalition, The Left (Lewica), joining the national-conservative opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party in voting against it.

The finance ministry estimated that the measures would cut health contribution payments for 2.45 million out of 2.6 million affected business owners.

They calculated this would reduce revenue for the National Health Fund (NFZ), which finances Poland’s public healthcare system, by approximately 4.6 billion zloty (€1.1 billion) in 2026. But the ministry pledged that the shortfall would be made up for from other parts of the state budget.

However, as well as the opposition the bill faced in parliament, it was also criticised by Poland’s two largest trade union groups, Solidarity and the All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions (OPZZ).

At a meeting of the Social Dialogue Council called by the president this week, the head of Solidarity, Piotr Duda (no relation to the president), said that it would be unfair and unrealistic to expect salaried employees, who would continue paying health contributions at the same rate, to sustain the public healthcare system.

On Tuesday, President Duda’s office announced that he was exercising his right to veto the bill. A presidential veto can only be overturned by a three-fifths majority in the Sejm, the lower house of parliament, something it would be impossible for the government to obtain.

 

Explaining Duda’s decision, the head of his chancellery, Małgorzata Paprocka, pointed to the fact that the healthcare system is already facing “a multibillion [zloty] deficit” and said that the government had indicated no clear way to cover the further shortfalls created by the proposed law.

Paprocka also said that not only trade unions but also employers’ organisations, many of which supported the proposals, had criticised the fact that the legislation was passed without social consultation.

“In a democratic state governed by the rule of law, this is absolutely unacceptable,” she said. “This law raises very serious doubts in terms of social justice. It is directly contrary to constitutional principles.”

As an example of the unfairness of the proposed new system, Paprocka said that, in cases where a business owner earns up to 13,000 zloty a month, they would pay a lower health insurance contribution than employees earning the minimum wage of 4,666 zł a month, reports news website Rynek Zdrowia.

Duda’s veto was welcomed by figures from The Left. “NO to starving the healthcare system. The wealthier must also contribute to the common pot,” tweeted Krzysztof Śmiszek, an MEP from The Left.

However, figures from other parties in Poland’s ruling coalition criticised the decision and argued that it showed why voters at this month’s presidential election should choose a candidate aligned with them. Duda is allied with the opposition PiS party.

“Business owners should think about whom they give their vote to on 18 May and 1 June,” tweeted Katarzyna Kierzek-Koperska of the centrist Civic Coalition (KO), Poland’s main ruling group, referring to the dates of the first and second rounds of the election.

“The president’s veto means there is still a high contribution for 2.5 million small and medium-sized business owners,” wrote deputy prime minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, leader of the centre-right Polish People’s Party (PSL).

“It is a blow to those who are one of the pillars of our economy,” he added. “Right after the election of the new president, we will submit the bill to the Sejm again. We will not give in!”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Donald Tusk commented: “PiS increased the health insurance contribution for business owners. I proposed lowering it. President Duda vetoed the reduction. They are doing harm because they still can. There are 91 days, 9 hours and 2 minutes left [of Duda’s presidency].”

Duda himself then responded to Tusk’s tweet, writing, “They are annoyed because they can’t give to their own [people] except at the expense of the majority of people.”

“Don’t allow them to!” he added, in an apparent reference to the presidential election, in which he has endorsed Karol Nawrocki, the candidate supported by PiS.


Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

Main image credit: Łukasz Błaskiewicz/KPRP

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