More than 600 local government officials from across Poland, active in the Yes for Poland movement, sent a letter to President Andrzej Duda requesting active participation in negotiations on the Krajowy Plan Odbudowy (KPO). The letter included a list of a thousand proposed investments to be funded with KPO resources, targeting areas such as kindergartens, nurseries, hospital retrofitting, and the modernization of the public transport fleet with low-emission options.
Local authorities in several cities held press conferences to announce the letter and emphasized their wish for President Duda to be directly involved in discussions about KPO. The signatories hail from various regions and expressed hope for presidential involvement, highlighting Duda’s past willingness to intervene in matters affecting Poland and local self-government, as seen in prior actions such as Lex Czarnek.
Local government officials write to the president about KPO
During a series of public forums, officials within the Yes for Poland coalition explained that the letter to President Duda urged him to participate actively in negotiations on KPO. The correspondence was signed by hundreds of municipal representatives nationwide and presented a catalog of one thousand investments to be financed through KPO funds. Planned projects include expanding early childhood education facilities, upgrading healthcare infrastructure, and renewing the public transport fleet with low-emission vehicles.
Izabelin Municipality Mayor Dorota Zmarzlak acknowledged that local officials count on the president’s support, citing his demonstrated ability to influence matters important to Poland and to local governance, similar to past interventions on other major issues.
The movement’s leader, Sopot Mayor Jacek Karnowski, also indicated a desire for a face-to-face meeting with President Duda on the matter. Karnowski noted that a constructive roundtable discussion could yield practical solutions, and the mayor of Wojkowice, Tomasz Szczerba, echoed this sentiment during a conference in Katowice.
The analogy was drawn by Karnowski, who compared KPO funds to the Marshall Plan of 1947, emphasizing the potential for a significant impact on regional development. The discussions were framed around the notion of a direct and collaborative approach to securing European funds for local communities.
A critical metaphor was used to describe the situation: the government was likened to an ATM whose pin is European values, with local leaders urging that European standards be upheld and that funding be accessible without unnecessary delays. Karnowski underscored the call for concrete European principles to guide local growth when discussing KPO investments.
Trzaskowski attacks the government
In the capital, Warsaw, Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski stressed the urgent need for immediate KPO funding. He cautioned against ongoing government disputes and lack of a clear stance on the money, urging the president to participate actively in negotiations. Trzaskowski warned that any delay could result in the money not being used, describing the situation as a serious setback for Poland while highlighting that the European Union continues to invest billions in development, making Poland’s lag particularly painful for the country’s growth.
Investment list
Officials stressed that the proposed investments are designed to benefit local communities directly. In the voivodeship, the plan calls for around PLN 15 billion to fund the revitalization of post-industrial areas, support development, and create business opportunities. The proposal suggests supplementing rolling stock purchases with KPO funds to complement the regional program, according to a deputy marshal from the Silesian region, Anna Jedynak.
Plans in Wojkowice include the construction of a 20-megawatt photovoltaic plant, and a similar project has been prepared for Lądek Zdrój. Lądek Zdrój Mayor Roman Kaczmarczyk stated that local energy would be supplied to local companies to help achieve energy independence.
Officials noted that some cities had financed investments with loans that were intended to be funded by KPO, a point highlighted in Olsztyn. The local government leader, Mayor Piotr Grzymowicz, commented that it would be unacceptable for residents to bear the cost of these investments without EU funds negotiated and stored in Brussels, due to milestones tied to the rule of law. In Olsztyn, planned KPO projects include utilities in an industrial park, a nursery designed for disabled children, thermal modernization of schools, hydrogen technology for municipal transit, and a new municipal hospital. The total value of these projects is about PLN 709 million.
Karnowski added that there was no scheduled appointment yet for a possible meeting with President Duda, underscoring that dialogue remains open and ongoing.
wkt/PAP