A majority of Poles consider President Karol Nawrocki’s proposed referendum question regarding European Union climate policy to be biased, according to a recent IBRiS survey conducted for Rzeczpospolita.
Public Perception of the Referendum Question
The proposed referendum asks citizens whether they support EU climate policies that have led to increased living costs, energy prices, and operational costs for businesses and farmers. An IBRiS poll for Rzeczpospolita found that 57.9 percent of respondents view this phrasing as biased, while 37.4 percent consider it neutral, and 4.8 percent held no opinion. The survey was conducted on May 8–9 among 1,067 people.
Nawrocki Defends the Vote as a Matter of Sovereignty
President Karol Nawrocki emphasized that the referendum is not an attack on environmental protection or EU membership but a defense of the Polish right to determine the pace, scope, and costs of changes. He described the initiative as an expression of normalcy and sovereignty, stating that democracy requires citizens to influence state direction rather than merely being informed of decisions.
Context of the European Green Deal
The European Green Deal is a long-term strategy aiming for EU climate neutrality by 2050 while decoupling economic growth from resource consumption. Proposed by the European Commission in 2019, the goal was approved by the European Council’s 27 member states. Poland, represented by then-Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, was among the signatories of the agreement.
Approval Ratings for the Presidency
A separate poll by United Surveys for Wirtualna Polska, conducted in April among 1,000 adults, measured public sentiment toward Karol Nawrocki’s presidency. The results showed that 47 percent of respondents evaluated his performance positively, while 49.5 percent gave a negative assessment, and 3.5 percent remained undecided.