The Polish prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, responded to remarks by Zbigniew Ziobro during an interview with the weekly Do Rzeczy by invoking a proverb widely used in political discourse: a cow that moans a lot gives little milk. This remark was addressed during a press briefing held at the Turów mine, where the government addressed concerns about the ongoing debate on energy and climate policy.
Ziobro warned that the cost of the so-called Fit for 55 framework could fall heavily on Polish taxpayers. He quantified the burden as roughly 2 trillion Polish zlotys, describing it as the price of maintaining nearly two full national budgets. The minister signaled a willingness to back the prime minister in substantive efforts to disengage from EU commitments, but only if the prime minister demonstrates a concrete path to deviating from those obligations. Otherwise, the financial impact on Polish households would be substantial, he argued, urging careful consideration of national finances in any decision making that affects the public purse.
Ziobro stressed the importance of acting in a way that protects everyday Poles from bearing excessive costs. He framed the issue as a matter of national sovereignty and called for a serious, policy-focused debate on how to prevent EU-imposed requirements from translating into higher living costs for citizens across the country. The emphasis was on ensuring that public funds are used to safeguard livelihoods rather than expand expenditures under external mandates.
The minister suggested that the priority should be to protect Polish wallets and to rethink EU commitments that could translate into higher prices for energy and goods. He argued that a constructive, substantive dialogue with the prime minister could yield a plan to adjust or override certain components of the EU program, so long as such plans are grounded in solid policy justification and national interests.
The exchange reflected broader tensions surrounding the Fit for 55 package and its reception in Poland. The discussion highlighted concerns that expedited or forced adoption of EU rules could lead to a deterioration in living standards for a large portion of the population. The debate was framed as a choice between maintaining national policy autonomy and adhering to EU-wide targets, with emphasis on protecting the budgets and incomes of ordinary citizens.
Observers noted that the dialogue between members of the government and senior ministers would be crucial in shaping any potential deviations from agreed EU obligations for 2020. In this context, Ziobro indicated a readiness to back a substantive, high-stakes inquiry into alternative approaches, while urging a focus on the practical consequences for Polish households rather than rhetorical confrontations.