Daniel Obajtek, former head of PKN Orlen, spoke on Telewizja wPolska about actions aimed at ending reliance on Russian oil, avoiding Russian gas, expanding gas-fired power stations, and advancing Poland’s energy sector. He highlighted the construction of installations that he claimed German stakeholders opposed, the creation of wind farms in the Baltic Sea, and the audacity of building from a port in Swinoujscie without using other German harbors. He attributed to that stance the reason for political hostility and a push to jail him for 25 years.
Editor Aleksandra Jakubowska pressed him on whether dismissal was anticipated.
He replied that dismissal was not expected. He noted a contrast between such rumors and Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pledge that fuel prices would drop to 5.19, adding that statements claiming Orlen offered low fuel prices and that Poles could buy fuel cheaply had not materialized.
The second question concerned why the Orlen board could be denied discharge when the board’s performance is judged on profits.
He argued that in 2023 Orlen’s board delivered record profits exceeding PLN 20 billion. He recalled Moody’s and Fitch upgrading international ratings and described how Orlen’s activities were positively recognized, including Poland’s protection from Russian gas deliveries and the absence of Russian oil, followed by strategic acquisitions in Norway.
He asserted that today the management allows oil, supposedly from Kazakhstan, to flow via the Druzhba pipeline to the Swedish refinery at a lower cost, and he claimed TVN and the mainstream media accepted this. He noted that Polish energy stations operate across the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia, and entered Hungary and Austria under premium branding, implying a political double standard on discharge.
READ ALSO: Purges in Orlen. The Ordinary General Meeting did not grant discharge to 21 members of the executive committee and the supervisory board for 2023, with the meeting subsequently suspended.
Merger with Lotos
He recalled F4fara’s leadership of Orlen Lietuva from 2010 to 2018 and questioned whether discharge was denied then, pointing to a time when the Lithuanian arm faced difficulties as the Polish side pressed for a sale to Russia. He challenged today’s interview claims that the company failed to meet standards, asking what standards were meant.
The standard, he said, is earned profits, state budget billions, international ratings, and investments. He cited attempts to undermine the merger with Lotos, including talk of committees and what he called an international scandal.
He asked where the alleged scandal is today regarding the Orlen-Lotos merger, arguing that no scandal existed and describing it as political provocations aimed at those aiming to serve the country.
He asserted that Poland will operate under a single standard now: leadership would exist without decisive actions.
He questioned whether the board would propose not discharging individuals who oversaw gas at its cheapest, and fuel at its lowest prices.
He asked what the position would be on the merger, underscoring that the board should assess whether to preserve strategic interests rather than engage in unnecessary changes.
How will the December 13 coalition affect the national champion?
He described the coalition as aiming to dismantle Orlen. He argued that the proposed measures would involve selling parts of Orlen’s assets and separating PGNiG, Polskie Sieci Gazowe, to introduce a form of market liberalization with pseudo-competition. He warned that a strategic reserve storage would be moved aside and that German gas would be traded by other operators on the Polish market.
The gist, he claimed, was a model that would weaken the national champion through independence of operators handling German gas rather than PGNiG gas. He described this as a blueprint for disrupting a national energy leader.
President F14fara reportedly called Orlen a chaebol. While avoiding direct polemics, he challenged the comparison by pointing to European peers such as Italian, Norwegian, and Spanish companies with which Orlen competes. He warned that breaking up the company would hamper competitiveness.
He concluded that Poland would see a quiet, smiling export of energy burdens, with higher fuel costs and energy bills.
He also commented on Witold Zembaczy2ski, KO MP, reportedly threatening Obajtek with 25 years in prison. He questioned the reason behind this and tied the issue to broader European policy debates, expressing concerns about alleged links to the Green Deal and ETS2, and the potential impact on Poland and Europe.
Mr. Szczerba, described as an confident European law expert, was mentioned as pursuing Obajtek in the European Parliament on a perceived mission, with the speaker suggesting Poland and its smiling stance would bear the consequences.
READ ALSO: Orlen’s president seeks to sell Polska Press. The move was described as potentially signaling an investor search and questions about a possible collapse. (Source: wPolityce)
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Source: wPolityce