Ryszard Petru, the founder, former leader and recently re member of Nowoczesna, spoke with Radio Wrocław about whether housing is a right or a commodity.
Housing – a right or a commodity?
Asked whether slogans like Housing is a right, not a commodity and ideas such as a 0 percent loan for the first apartment promoted by Donald Tusk as PO president are realistic, Petru offered a different view.
He argued that housing should be treated as a commodity that individuals purchase with a loan or savings. He noted that in Poland and across much of Western Europe many people rent rather than own, which affects how markets influence homeownership.
Living in large cities remains a heavy expense, he observed, and therefore taking out a loan is often the practical path to ownership.
Petru pointed to current high interest rates driven by persistent inflation. He suggested that in the future rates should be kept low so that another loan would be easy to obtain when needed.
He described housing as a normal market product that can be supported by the state in specific ways. In the past there were deductions for credits, construction and renovation, he recalled. He added that he does not favor state interventions that would push loan costs down because such actions in the 2000s contributed to the financial crisis marked by the Lehman Brothers collapse. When rates were ultra low and lending was abundant, many failed to repay as prices rose.
You have to work or take out a loan
The economist reiterated his view that housing is a commodity and must be earned or financed through a loan. He noted that the state could still support the construction sector to smooth out cycles so volatility would not be as pronounced.
He pointed to a construction boom two years earlier followed by a slowdown as loan accessibility tightened and lending criteria grew stricter. He attributed the drift in lending standards to delayed rate adjustments by the central bank.
Opposition idea for elections
On returning to Nowoczesna, Petru described himself as a former leader who remains a member in name but has been largely inactive. He said he is now more of an economist commenting on politics than an active participant and he is unsure of Nowoczesna’s current stance within the Civic Coalition.
Questions about the collaboration between Poland 2050 and PSL arose. Could such an alignment become a formal partnership before the election? Petru suggested a possible alliance before the election but not a lasting, long term merger. He noted PSL has entered similar arrangements during prior election periods and then tensions followed after voting. He felt Poland 2050 is conservative on worldview issues and, economically, closer to PSL’s social approach than to his liberal outlook.
He opined that a joint electoral list could happen, but a broad coalition list is unlikely because the parties would prefer to maintain a distinct program. The aim would be to avoid a large, unwieldy coalition while still presenting a coherent platform to voters.
Regarding the Senate Pact, Petru viewed it as a solid idea for coordinating letters to the Senate. The arrangement would function in a majority voting framework where the winner takes all. He stressed that while the parties had agreed in principle, no specific candidates or constituencies had been announced. He considered the arrangement effective based on past elections.
Petru warned that ideological differences could hinder the formation of a broad opposition coalition. Voters expect the Sejm to form a government rather than the Senate, and a broad list would need a relatively coherent program, which he judged unlikely in the current landscape.
The question of whether Petru would seek to rekindle ties with his former mentor Leszek Balcerowicz arose. The proposals from the Civic Platform faced scrutiny for not fully matching the expectations of Balcerowicz, who remains a respected figure for many in this political circle.
New directions in housing policy continue to be debated in public discourse, with observers noting shifts in both political rhetoric and market dynamics. These discussions highlight how macroeconomic factors, lending conditions, and party strategy intersect in shaping the housing outlook for Poland and its neighboring regions.
Source insights reflect ongoing coverage from wPolityce and related media discussions in Poland during this period.