Andrzej Duda attacks the EU regarding KPO money. “Obvious political stunt”

The president said after the meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Vilnius that the condition for Poland to obtain funds from the National Reconstruction Plan was a change of government in our country.

There is no doubt in my mind what the blockade of the Recovery and Resilience Fund was. It was an obvious political ploy

– said Andrzej Duda. According to the president, current events confirm this. Duda also recalled the words of former Prime Minister Leszek Miller. The current MEP allegedly said that “the most important milestone in obtaining money is the change of power in Poland.” The president noted: “This is what the European Commission is about.” He added that the liberal-left circles ruling there are “party colleagues of Prime Minister Donald Tusk.”

Poland has met the conditions that will allow it to unlock EUR 76 billion from the European Union

“We have confirmation from the European Commission – Poland meets the last three conditions necessary for the full mobilization of structural funds – EUR 76 billion for the implementation of programs until 2027” –

The information appeared less than a week after the media reported unofficially that the European Commission expected specifics from Poland regarding changes that would unlock EU funds. Similarly to the KPO, the basic condition that Poland had to meet to receive funds for 2021-2027 , there was a reform. Without it, we would have almost no chance of receiving the payment of EUR 76 billion from the Cohesion Fund, RMF FM reporter Katarzyna Szymańska-Borginion reported on January 14. From that day to this day, we have not reformed the judiciary, and the EU funding – according to Minister Pełczyńska-Nałęcz – has been unblocked. This may be surprising, especially since President Andrzej Duda was most likely referring to this situation. Especially since we did not meet the other two conditions that, according to the RMF FM reporter, Poland was supposed to regulate. It’s about transport and health care.

– As usual in the Commission – there are processes and procedures. There is a green light for us to finally submit the documents – this is technically called self-assessment. These documents will be processed and after they are processed, consent will be given to submit applications for funding – Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz, Minister of Funds and Regional Policy.

The president will not block the KPO

There is still frozen money from the KPO, which we can unlock by meeting over 100 milestones. Andrzej Duda in Vilnius emphasized that the frozen funds from the National Reconstruction Plan would be very useful in Poland. He said he was open to negotiations to meet the conditions for their unblocking. The president also emphasized that he would not allow “verification of judges” from the period of his presidency.

The government’s conflict with Andrzej Duda had already raised questions about whether the president, by blocking the judicial reform, would also block the KPO. In January 2024, Vera Jourova, deputy head of the European Commission, carefully answered questions about whether the judiciary recovery plan alone was enough to pay out the money, or whether reforms must be implemented, which would require the president’s signature on laws adopted by the parliamentary majority. Jourova assured that Andrzej Duda would not block the KPO.

The plan I heard about from Adam Bodnar is realistic. Of course, one is the minister’s plan, and the other is political reality. We still don’t know how the president will behave and what he will do with the legislative proposals. And now I don’t want to predict anything

– emphasized Jourova in an interview with the Brussels correspondent of Polish Radio, Beata Płomecka.

She was echoed by the European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, during his visit to Poland on Friday. As he said, the EU will support the current government in its efforts to obtain the independence of the judiciary and, consequently, in unlocking almost EUR 60 billion frozen in connection with the “erosion of the rule of law” in Poland. – I hope that we will have the support of all authorities, including the president, to restore the rule of law in Poland – said Reynders.

Therefore, the European Commission could be satisfied with specific plans, without the need for immediate action, and apparently the EC considered those presented by the Polish side as such, as the funds were unblocked. This is what Bloomberg writes.