One expert stresses that Poland must stay influential as environmental governance shifts within the European Union. If the EU tightens its control over environment, nature, forests, land, and water management, Poland could lose its policy influence and become a caretaker for policies defined from Brussels.
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wPolityce.pl asked why Prime Minister Donald Tusk personally stepped into matters concerning the State Forests, including the move to alter the director position at LP and why Minister Hennig-Kloska did not take the same public route. The interview notes that Witold Koss, described by the premier as a renowned forester from the Western Pomeranian Voivodeship, participated in Tusk’s campaign rallies last year. Is there more behind these moves?
Paweł Sałek notes it is remarkable that the Prime Minister is openly engaged with the State Forests issue. It had been expected that forestry and hunting matters would fall under the PSL party, historically active in these areas when in power.
Perhaps involvement arose because LP is a key state institution. In practice, decisions about the State Forests are expected to be handled personally by the Prime Minister, though formal responsibility lies with the Environment Minister who acts as an intermediary. This signals potential politicization and possible personnel reshuffles among regional directors and forest districts. Appointments may favor figures connected to PO or PSL, with a stated aim of depoliticization that may hurt the broader well-being of the LP and its governance.
The interview asks whether there has been any reply from Minister Hennig-Kloska or others in the Ministry of Culture and Environment to questions raised in the Sejm on December 21, 2023, and how well the current authorities’ forest management plans are known.
To date, no written reply from Prime Minister Tusk has arrived, and there has been no response from the Environment Minister during the budget debate. The coalition’s program for PGL LP remains unclear beyond broad commitments to align with Brussels’ framework and to exclude a portion of the population from forest access. The forest exclusion provisions are seen as Brussels-driven ideas, with the government expected to implement EU solutions.
The interview questions whether the new government plans an attack on Poland’s forests, where the threat lies, and which aspects of the state’s functionality could be at risk.
There is historical memory of how the PO managed LP, including attempts to levy on the state budget and integrate LPs into public finances. Critics say such actions aimed to weaken the company’s financial management and to transfer LPs away from state control.
Some describe this as an old mechanism in Polish history that undermines efficiency and usefulness to the state. Critics point to debt creation, rising spending, unemployment, and perceived tax issues as hallmarks of the era when Tusk led the government from 2007 to 2012.
The interview argues that Brussels directives, including migration and asylum policy measures, could be a model for broader ecological mandates. It warns that under banners of nature protection and new national parks, the structure of state forests could be altered in ways that harm Poland’s forests, the timber industry, and the interests of citizens.
The EU guidelines are questioned for their impact on Poland. In 2023, some right-leaning politicians warned about Brussels’ attempts to shape Polish forests. The interview questions whether the current government’s actions might further restrict the state’s control over this sector.
The speaker says there is ongoing concern about EU bureaucracy and its reach into nature and forest management, noting that treaty provisions have sometimes been interpreted in broad terms. The claim is that the country could be one step ahead of treaty changes that would give the EU exclusive competence over environment, nature, forests, land, and water management. If such changes occur, Poland would lose influence and simply be a custodian of its own resources, ruled by EU regulations.
Polish science, environmentalists, and forestry communities are cited as raising objections when national interests seem neglected. For example, limiting wood supplies could leave large tracts of land underused, depriving the state budget of essential maintenance funds and prompting the broader question of what to do next.
The interview closes with thanks for the dialogue and a reminder of the ongoing debate about the management of the state forests and the direction of national policies.
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Source: wPolityce