Polish president seeks national referendum on EU climate policies

May 7, 2026 | Energy & Climate, 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 Karol Nawrocki has launched an initiative to call a national referendum on whether Poland should continue implementing the European Union’s climate policies, which he argues have hit households and businesses with rising costs.

However, it appears unlikely that the president, who is aligned with the right-wing opposition, will succeed in his effort given that, for a referendum to be called, he needs the approval of the Senate, where the more liberal and pro-EU government has a majority.

On Thursday, Nawrocki announced that he is submitting a request to the Senate to hold a referendum, which would take place on 27 September and ask Poles the question:

Are you in favour of implementing EU climate policy, which has led to an increase in citizens’ cost of living, energy prices and the cost of running business and agricultural activity?

In his statement, the president emphasised that his initiative was not intended to oppose environmental protection in general, nor Poland’s membership of the EU. Rather, he wants to “support the right of Poles to decide on the pace of change, its scope and the costs they incur”.

He argued that EU policies such as its flagship Green Deal and the Emissions Trading System (ETS) “mean higher energy prices, a decline in economic competitiveness and a decline in agricultural production”.

 

During his campaign for the presidency last year, Nawrocki regularly criticised EU climate policies and supported Poland’s continued reliance on coal.

The issue has recently returned to the political agenda, after the national-conservative opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, which supported Nawrocki’s presidential candidacy, in March demanded that Poland unilaterally withdraw from the ETS.

However, the government notes that, as the ETS is part of EU law, failing to comply with the system would mean Poland facing large fines. The only other way to avoid it would be to leave the EU entirely, something the government accuses PiS and Nawrocki of wanting to happen.

Instead, the government says it is lobbying the EU and other member states to soften climate policies. It has claimed success in recent weeks, with some changes to the ETS already announced and others due to be unveiled later this year.

Poland’s constitution grants the president the right to call a referendum. However, for him to do so, the proposal must receive the support of a majority of members of the Senate in a vote conducted with at least half of all Senators present.

Given that the ruling coalition has 63 members of the 100-seat Senate, it appears almost certain that Nawrocki’s initiative will not receive approval.

“This proposal will end up where it belongs: in the bin,” wrote deputy Senate speaker Magdalena Biejat on social media. “It is drought and addiction to coal and oil that are driving up the prices of food and electricity. Not the EU.”

If a referendum is held, its result is only binding if at least half of eligible voters take part. Previous referendums have struggled to meet that barrier. One held in 2015 on reforming the electoral system saw turnout of just 7.8%.

In 2023, PiS, which was then in power, organised a referendum that took place at the same time and in the same polling stations as parliamentary elections. However, while turnout in the elections was a record 73.4%, only 40.9% voted in the referendum, with many people boycotting it.

Poland continues to rely on coal for around half of its electricity production, by far the highest proportion in the EU, while around one third of homes also burn coal for heating.

Both the former PiS government and the current administration, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, have committed to transitioning towards lower- or zero-emission sources, in particular nuclear, gas, wind and solar.

However, they have also argued that Poland, with its historical reliance on coal and legacy of communist-era industry, requires particular support and understanding from Brussels to undertake the difficult energy transition.

Poland has among the highest electricity prices in the EU when adjusted for cost of living. However, analysts note that, while EU climate policies do contribute in part to those costs, a variety of other factors are also involved.

Poland’s coal supplies are among the most expensive in the world to extract, with billions of zloty spent annually in state subsidies to support unprofitable mining operations.

The country’s reliance on fossil fuels has also increased its exposure to external energy shocks, including those triggered by the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Another factor in high prices is that Poland’s relative share of taxes in electricity prices is the second-highest in the EU, just above 40%, behind only Denmark (47.7%). Across the EU as a whole, taxes and fees accounted for 27.6% of electricity bills in the first half of 2025.


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: Alicja Stefaniuk/KPRP

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