Poland receives EU advance of five billion euros
Following the change of government, Poland has received an advance of five billion euros from the EU's long-blocked coronavirus aid.
"First European transfer already in the account of the Polish state! Over 20 billion zlotys! Done as promised," wrote the new Prime Minister Donald Tusk on the social network X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday. The money is intended for the expansion of renewable energies in Poland, announced the Minister for Regional Development, Katarzyna Pelczynska-Nalecz.
The EU Commission had previously withheld money for Poland because the national-conservative government had undermined the judicial system. During the election campaign, Tusk promised the Poles a rapprochement with Brussels in order to free up blocked aid.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki of the national-conservative PiS party, who left office in mid-December, claimed that the flow of money from Brussels would continue during his term in office. The decision by the EU finance ministers to pay out the funds had already been made before Tusk took office, he wrote on X.
The release of the funds is seen in Brussels as a vote of confidence in Tusk's pro-European tripartite coalition. However, this government is also obliged to withdraw the controversial judicial reforms. Otherwise Poland will have to repay the advance.
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- Despite previous withholdings due to judicial system concerns, the EU granted a billon-euro advance to the newly elected Polish government, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
- The change of government in Poland led to a considerable change in relations with the EU, as the new administration received a Euro billion advance for the expansion of renewable energy sources.
- The EU has shown its confidence in the pro-European tripartite coalition in Poland by releasing a five-billion-euro advance, despite the need for Poland to withdraw its controversial judicial reforms.
Source: www.ntv.de
