Poland 2050 is looking for a new self. The legislative offensive begins and the fight as a “clear center”

Increasing excise tax on alcohol, regulating short-term rentals, introducing a ban on smartphones in schools – among others. such projects were announced by the new leader of Poland 2050, Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz. The legislative offensive is intended to consolidate the party's position as a “clear center” and change negative trends in polls.

On Saturday, the National Council of Poland 2050, during the first meeting after the election of Pełczyńska-Nałęcz as the chairman of the group, appointed members of the new management board. The vice-chairmen of the party were Pełczyńska-Nałęcz's rivals in the election for the party leader – the head of the Ministry of Climate, Paulina Hennig-Kloska, and MP Rafał Kasprzyk, as well as the founder of Poland 2050, Szymon Hołownia, and MP Sławomir Ćwik. Earlier, on Tuesday, the new chairwoman appointed Ewa Schaedler as the party's first vice-chairwoman and Adam Rudawski as the second vice-chairwoman. Łukasz Osmalak remained treasurer, and Robert Sitnik remained secretary. The club's president, Paweł Śliz, was also on the management board.

The leader of Poland 2050 already has a strategy that, in her opinion, the party under her leadership should adopt. – Poland 2050 is a party of a clear center. A party that has and will continue to care for the interests of the majority of Poles, the interests of the middle class, emphasized Pełczyńska-Nałęcz during a recent conversation with journalists.

The party leader announced a legislative offensive. The new regulations that her party wants to prepare include, among others: assistance for people with disabilities, a ban on smartphones in schools and regulation of short-term rentals. Two bills concern alcohol.

– One concerns limiting the promotion of alcohol, so that it will never happen again in our lives that Santa Claus is shown drinking beer under the Christmas tree on Christmas Eve and children all over Poland can watch it – said Pełczyńska-Nałęcz. – We will also come up with a bill increasing the excise tax on alcohol. Such an act has already passed the Sejm with our support, but was vetoed by the president, who said that he expected a guarantee that all this money would be allocated to health care. So we are going with a bill that does exactly the same thing: increases the excise tax on alcohol, but it is specified that the entire increase goes to health care. So we are fulfilling the president's expectations, we hope that he will sign the bill – she added.

The politician assured that work on the project is being finalized and the results can be expected “literally within days.” Poland 2050 also has its own ideas for changes in the tax system. The middle class is to benefit from this, and the richest are to pay proportionally more.

– We are certainly in favor of making taxes more fair – said the leader of Poland 2050. In her opinion, today the middle class pays too much compared to much wealthier people “who (…) do not contribute to the common good.” – And some (…) politicians and millionaires run around the media and boast that they keep their money in family foundations and do not pay a single zloty from it. These are reprehensible things and we will definitely want to change them, she said. She added that it was still too early for details. – I would like to start big changes with coalition talks, because we are a loyal, responsible coalition partner – she added.

The legislative offensive is one way to increase the popularity of the party, which according to all recent polls is below the threshold. In 2023, Poland 2050 achieved over 14%. support, but then the party ran in coalition with the Polish People's Party as Third Way. Pełczyńska-Nałęcz emphasized that she was a supporter of an alliance with PSL in 2023. Then, the votes cast for this list resulted in the current coalition gaining a majority in parliament. However, she emphasized that she currently sees no chance to return to this type of cooperation with PSL.

Michał Torz, Patryk Barej (PAP)

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