Polish President Karol Nawrocki signed the 2026 budget on January 19 while sending it to the Constitutional Tribunal and delivering sharp criticism of government policies.
NAWROCKI’S DECISION AND RATIONALE
On Monday January 19, President Karol Nawrocki announced the signing of the 2026 budget bill while simultaneously deciding to refer it to the Constitutional Tribunal for subsequent review. Despite his critical assessment, Nawrocki stated that “the constitution does not give him the right to veto” it.
“This budget is evidence of a deep crisis of credibility, effectiveness and agency of the current government. It is a budget that shows helpless capitulation to the challenges facing Poland,” Nawrocki wrote on platform X, emphasizing that he signed the budget to “protect the stability of the state.”
GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
Finance Minister Andrzej Domański announced that referring the bill to the Tribunal would not affect the government’s work. “The President signed the budget. A budget for investments and record defense spending. The rest, including referring the bill to the TK, is political theater without real effects. We continue to work,” the politician wrote on social media.
POLITICAL REACTIONS
Former advisor to President Andrzej Duda wrote that “Karol Nawrocki is right – this budget is a capitulation.” “But it’s more than that – it’s a brazen raid on Poles’ wallets in the name of saving party poll numbers. Record deficit and zero reforms,” stated Łukasz Rzepecki from Nowa Nadzieja.
Jerzy Materna from PiS assessed that “instead of answers to the critical challenges facing Poland today, this budget bill gives the impression of resignation from ambitions and responsible management of public finances.”
BUDGET CRITICISMS
“Incredibly. Nawrocki made an 8-minute video about the budget in which he went back even to Gierek’s times, but forgot about the 770 billion zloty debt left behind by Morawiecki,” wrote MEP KO Dariusz Joński.
Zbigniew Konwiński stated that “Nawrocki had to come to terms with reality.” “Although in the process he poured a ritual bucket of filth on the government and made a throw to the TK named after Kaczyński. We will survive this. Without much attention,” added the KO MP.
