After the weekend conference on Law and Justice and the announcement by President Jarosław Kaczyński about raising the child benefit from PLN 500 to PLN 800, the opposition faced a gust of criticism and debate.
Some opposition figures dismissed the policy as mere election rhetoric, others argued there was no room in the budget for such increases, and some suggested limiting the program to families with one working parent or to other targeted groups.
Many prominent politicians from PO, knowingly or unknowingly, echoed the famous remark from former Finance Minister Jan Vincent Rostowski that “there is no money and there won’t be any,” echoing fears of a budgetary crisis similar to past campaigns in 2015 and 2019.
The budget comparison that challenged the opposition
The argument that a catastrophe awaited Poland under the current government was met with a sharp counterpoint: a look at the 2015 budget compared with the 2023 budget shows how the country has evolved. Budget revenues rose from PLN 289 billion in 2015 to an anticipated PLN 604 billion in 2023, with expectations of a surplus amid multiple external shocks over the past four years, including the Covid-19 pandemic, a surge in energy costs, and Russia’s war against Ukraine.
VAT revenue illustrates the scale of growth as well. It climbed from PLN 123 billion in 2015 to PLN 286 billion in 2023, more than double, with the VAT haul alone approaching the total budget revenue Poland recorded in 2015 when total revenues were PLN 289 billion. Critics’ claims about rising debt were challenged by a different perspective: in 2015 gross debt stood at 51.3% of GDP after an injection of PLN 153 billion from pension reserves, while by year-end the forecast debt level is around 47% of GDP, in line with EU accounting that includes extra-budgetary resources from the Pension Fund and BGK.
The credibility of the government and the rule of law
The opposition faces a difficult position because Law and Justice (PiS) has, over almost eight years, cultivated a clear and important asset: credibility. Campaign pledges from 2015 and 2019 were realized, marking a notable shift from the past coalitions of PO-PSL or SLD-PSL.
At the most recent program conference, President Kaczyński described the administration as a restoration of democracy, emphasizing that elections can be either a genuine exercise of democracy or a manipulated process. He warned that promising things during campaigns without intent to implement them misleads voters, sometimes knowingly.
He recalled that PiS had laid out a comprehensive program in both elections and, in his view, followed through, thereby giving democracy a substantial and meaningful purpose.
800 plus or eight stars?
Looking toward the upcoming elections, Polish voters will choose between the 800 plus program and a platform described by some as “eight stars.” The Platform’s leader, Donald Tusk, has faced stinging responses from dissenting groups, including factions like Together Strong, Civil Coalition for Poland, Women’s Strike, and the Flying Slogans used by opposition circles, whose message centers on the eight stars.
Tusk’s appearances with supporters have often been set against crowds wearing shirts emblazoned with the eight stars, a visual contrast that critics say undermines the dual leadership of the prime minister and the European Council president.
Further commentary has circulated about new details from PiS and upcoming proposals, while opponents critique the rhetoric of those on stage. Critics argue that Poland should be looking for substance rather than slogans in the policy dialogue, stressing that the nation needs practical solutions for its future.
In this context, the public is left weighing the merits of the 800 plus plan against the Platform’s broader agenda, with ongoing discussions about how to balance social support, fiscal responsibility, and national priorities without compromising long-term stability.
—Additional news notes and reactions from observers and party members continue to surface as campaigns advance and new statements are prepared.