Jantar Unity already in Szczecin. And there are disputes in the background. Success of the PiS government or private business?

The most modern Polish ferry Jantar Unity has arrived in Szczecin. The unit was built at the shipyard in Gdańsk, and its construction is causing political controversy and questions about the flag under which the ferry will fly.

On Thursday, January 15, Jantar Unity moored at Wały Chrobrego in Szczecin. Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Arkadiusz Marchewka boasted about this event on emphasizing that the unit was built in a Polish shipyard for a Polish shipowner.

Two years of intense work. We delivered! pic.twitter.com/vyAk9iIcZ7

— Arkadiusz Marchewka (@A_Marchewka) January 15, 2026

The setting of a political narrative

An entry on this matter was also published by former Minister of Maritime Economy Marek Gróbarczyk from PiS, claiming that The ferry is the first Polish ferry from the PiS program. However, this information was questioned by journalists and experts who pointed out that the ferry was built in a private shipyard in Gdańsk, not in Szczecin.

On the 10th, Minister of Energy Miłosz Motyka commented on this issue:

What nonsense. The ferry was built by a private shipyard, not a public one, as the “talent” below and the entire PiS party assumed. It was created… in Gdańsk, not in Szczecin. https://t.co/Y0Lns11vPG

— Miłosz Motyka (@motykamilosz) January 15, 2026

Journalist Dominika Długosz also supported Motyka's entry:

This is an unprecedented level of belief that voters can be told anything and they will accept it without blinking an eyelid. A private shipyard in Gdańsk proved that it is possible to do what PiS failed and couldn't do for 8 years, and the minister still wants to do it. https://t.co/l4dTgvKohD

— Dominika Długosz (@domi_dlugosz) January 16, 2026

The history of the construction of the Jantar Unity ferry

The Batory program, under which Jantar Unity was created, was initiated in 2017 by PiS. The 2021 Supreme Audit Office report showed that the project had no secured financing. The Gdańska Stocznia Remontowa financed the construction from its own funds for about 10 monthsbefore the new government implemented a plan (last May) to ensure PLN 1.3 billion to complete the project – we read in nextgazeta.pl

Miłosz Motyka pointed out that the ferry was built in Gdańsk, not Szczecin, correcting Gróbarczyk's earlier information. However, in the current version of the former minister's entry there is no mention of construction in Szczecin. Gróbarczyk, who had a premium account, could edit his entries within an hour of publication. In 2024, however, the platform discreetly gave up the ability to view the edit history, so it is impossible to clearly check it. However, Motyka reacted two hours after publishing the entry, when editing was no longer possible.

Why not the Polish flag, but the Cypriot one?

The problem of foreign flags in Polish shipping is not new. The largest Polish shipowner, Polska Żegluga Morska, has 60 ships, but none fly under the Polish flag. The choice of a foreign flag results primarily from tax and credit optimization.

Since 1991, PŻM has been successively registering ships under foreign flags. Attempts to return the units to the Polish flag were hampered, among others, by: by unfavorable regulations and differences in remuneration of crews compared to seafarers from foreign units.

At the conference “Maritime merchant fleet under the national flag. Polish raison d'état!” in 2024, it was emphasized that Poland loses PLN 8 billion annually because domestic ships are registered abroad.

In December 2025, the Ministry of Infrastructure started activities aimed at restoring Polish ships under the Polish flag. The project is scheduled to come into force in 2028 and assumes the creation of stable operating conditions for shipowners in the country.

Marchewka said that this was a priority for the government – Shipowners must have appropriate operating conditions, because although they are based in Poland, they compete on the global market. On the other hand Darius Doskoc with PŻM indicates that if the regulations were “good and stable, the Polish flag would be a natural choice”.

It is worth referring here to the draft act on ship registration under the Polish flag (UDER84)which is intended to increase the attractiveness of the Polish ship register. By simplifying procedures, digitizing the register and reducing administrative costs, shipowners will be able to register ships in Poland more easily. The aim of the changes is to increase the number of ships flying the Polish flag, which will strengthen the maritime economy, improve budget revenues, improve the conditions of seafarers and allow for better use of the fleet for defense purposes.

Baptism and multimedia show

The ferry's baptism is scheduled for Saturday, January 17 at 3:00 p.m. at Bulwar Chrobrego. On the same day, there will be a multimedia show with a mapping projection and a laser show, emphasizing the modern character of the unit.

On Sunday, the ferry will be open to visitors from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Entries are planned in groups of about 20 people, with rotation every 8 minutes. The tour takes place in the order of arrival and does not require prior registration.

prepared by WM

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