During a televised interview, President Andrzej Duda defended Poland’s State Forests, describing them as a national treasure still in public hands and not privatized, and warning that some parties want to seize them.
The discussion also touched on development projects, including the Central Communication Port (CPK). He emphasized the importance of creating CPK rather than relying on a network of local airports to drive growth. Poland needs both regional ports and a large central facility that can serve as a transfer hub, a supply port, and a base for military logistics, a view he referenced from conversations with American and NATO officials in light of current security concerns involving Russia.
He added that there should be a gateway to the world, an airport system that allows Poles to travel without excessive layovers. He questioned why Germany maintains multiple such hubs while Poland struggles to build its own.
President: The government is delaying the CPK as long as possible
He described the project as a historic investment and a realization of Polish ambitions. He noted that Poland is becoming stronger economically and socially, with more people traveling for tourism and doing business worldwide. Faster, better connectivity would create jobs and opportunities across regions, and he urged timely implementation, warning that the project has faced repeated delays and inconclusive analyses that have not produced concrete results.
He insisted that many analyses have already been completed and that professional institutions have affirmed the investment’s justification and necessity. He warned that delaying the port could cause future regrets, suggesting that if a port is built in Budapest or Vienna first, arguments would arise about its profitability and harm to Poland’s prospects.
In discussing the nuclear power plant, he noted that the current government appears to have paused a project initially pursued with U.S. cooperation in mind. He referred to reports from Seoul that a key developer had pulled back, raising questions about the pace and timing of bringing the plant online, and stressed that the crucial step is advancing the project in partnership with the United States.
“Investments, investments and more investments!”
He underscored the centrality of investment to Poland’s future. He argued that ongoing prosecutions against political opponents aim to suppress dissent and mislead the public, claiming that the ruling coalition has used legal actions to deter alternative viewpoints. He warned that halting investment plans endangers Poland’s long-term prosperity and emphasized the need for a stable, predictable investment climate.
He spoke about the justice reforms promised since the early days of his presidency, noting that expectations were high and that reform was necessary for the rule of law. He stressed that reforms were meant to restore public trust and fix perceived deficiencies in how the judiciary operated.
Hennig-Kloska’s attack on the national forests
Duda commented on the state forests, portraying Staatsbosbeheer as a dynamically operating organization with rational management. He described the forests as a valuable national asset and argued that a strategy of planting hundreds of millions of trees annually could support sustainable forestry and national wealth, all while avoiding privatization of these resources.
This management includes planned harvesting consistent with forestry principles and an ongoing effort to recover and preserve this resource. State forests, he argued, represent a major national treasure that should stay in Polish hands.
“Clear lawlessness committed by Donald Tusk’s government”
The guest from Telewizja Trwam was asked about the public prosecutor’s office. He described what he viewed as illegality by the government led by Donald Tusk, including interference in the work of senior prosecutors. He asserted that appointing a National Prosecutor outside the legal framework undermines the rule of law and harms the state and its citizens. He criticized the actions and decisions of the prime minister, arguing they eroded public trust in justice.
He reflected on the period after the 2015 elections, noting that the discourse around democracy in Poland had been misrepresented by some who claimed the system was beyond repair. He believed that when he became president, the promised reforms of justice were set on course to address a previously terrible assessment of the judiciary and to restore essential changes.
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