“The housing problem for Poland is not new. The PO-PSL coalition was able to show what it was capable of when in power. Today, any image that the platform puts forward is a false one,” said Minister Olga Semeniuk-Patkowska, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Development and Technology, about the announcements of “housing facilities” by Donald Tusk in an interview with the portal wPolityce.pl .
wPolityce.pl: Donald Tusk promises a 0% loan for all young Polish women and men, young and middle-aged up to 45 years old who want to own an apartment. How does the minister assess the likelihood of implementing this announcement if Tusk comes to power?
Olga Semeniuk-Patkowska: The ideas of Donald Tusk or the PO-PSL coalition are easy to analyze and evaluate because this coalition was already in power. Their rule lasted at a time when people worked illegally and received 5 zlotys an hour. Mr Tusk was not announcing any housing projects at the time. He did not say he would increase the potential of the housing supply. He was not concerned with society at all, but with the establishment. As we all know, history likes to repeat itself.
If we talk about real projects, first of all, Tusk and his formation do not know what their election program should look like and what should be in this program for one simple reason: they do not talk to Poland.
What if they were talking?
They would learn that equalizing the relationship between supply and demand in the housing context is so difficult that various tools and mechanisms have to be activated.
One of these mechanisms is access to a fixed interest rate of 2 percent. within the framework of the project prepared by the Law and Justice and United Law formation. We are talking here about the availability of the program for every person up to the age of 45 who is not a co-owner and does not own an apartment. This is a project that we believe will reach the widest circles of young people who have problems entering the housing market.
Tusk trying to imitate PiS?
He tries to make an impromptu copy of projects we prepare and carry out. But in the case of the Civic Platform, the preparation of projects for the public usually ended in the preparatory phase and were not implemented.
How does the minister assess the announced zero interest on loans?
This is a huge financial risk. We have to keep in mind the state and the budget of the state, as well as the banks. I know that a stable system is one in which banks have their security and guarantees. That’s why I’m proposing something that would be such a heavy burden on the state budget – I’m talking about the 0% rate. for people up to 45 years – it’s an unrealistic idea. One of many that would sooner or later go out of circulation due to social dialogue, constant legislative process, assessment of the effects of regulations and financial risks.
Tusk also announced a grant of PLN 600 for renting flats. This is a reference to the 2009-2014 PO program principles.
We are primarily looking at people who want to own a flat because the vast majority of Poles do. And that is why we try to familiarize ourselves with the supply policy, but also the relationship between supply and demand in this context.
When considering the rental policy, keep in mind that there are often different types of arrangements. A large part of this lease concerns an investment, entrepreneurial or economic fund, so any ideas in that direction should of course be discussed, but they are not the main ones. The most important element is the removal of barriers to accessing loans for owning a flat.
Is Tusk credible to the Poles in his announcements? We remember the wild re-privatization during his reign, in which thousands of people were thrown onto the streets of the capital…
These are examples of cases many of which remain unsolved to this day. And this is an example of an absolute lack of concern for the social interest, contact with society, only concern for one’s own establishment. This will always be the flagship of Civic Platform.
The housing problem for Poland is not new. The PO-PSL coalition was able to show what it was capable of when in power. Today, every image the Platform puts forward is a false one.
The first year of the program announced by Tusk assumes the loan will be 0 percent. costs PLN 4 billion. If Tusk’s announcement went through, would that amount be enough?
We do not have the data on which these calculations were made. The amount of PLN 4 billion seems completely unrealistic. Also, the society that will become acquainted with the assumptions of the project will have the opportunity to assess the feasibility of its implementation.
The interviewer was Radoslaw Molenda
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Source: wPolityce