POLAND: Against the EU-Mercosur Deal & more – 31st Dec 2025

Witam from BA! This is the Rorshok Poland Update from the 31st of December twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Poland.

Kicking off this edition, on Tuesday, the 30th, Polish farmers across the country protested the EU–Mercosur trade deal.

They want the Sejm to take a firm stand against the agreement, which would lower tariffs on products like beef, poultry, dairy, sugar, and ethanol from Mercosur countries such as Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, while letting European goods into their markets.

The EU plans to finalize the agreement on the 12th of January, but Poland and France are opposing it, which could block the deal.

PM Tusk said Poland is still against the agreement and the delay of the signing gives the EU time to add extra protections for European farmers.

Speaking of deals, On Monday, the 29th, Poland signed a four billion dollar deal with a Polish–South Korean team to make over 10,000 rockets for its HOMAR-K artillery system in Poland.

The deal covers precision rockets that can hit targets up to eighty km away, around fifty miles, with deliveries planned from twenty thirty to twenty thirty-three.

Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, the Defence Minister, said it’s the third HOMAR-K contract and a major step toward producing rockets in Poland, with technology transfer and local manufacturing now becoming a reality.

Paweł Bejda, the Deputy Defence Minister, said it’s the first time Poland will make artillery rockets at home, demonstrating the country’s military capabilities.

On Tuesday, the 30th, Katarzyna Kotula, the Equality Minister, said the government is going ahead with a relationship bill, with the first reading in the Sejm, the lower house of parliament, planned for January.

She said that the cabinet has approved a draft law that would create a new legal status for both same-sex and opposite-sex couples who live together but don’t want or can’t get married in Poland. Partners would be able to sign a civil agreement, file taxes together after a full tax year, and avoid inheritance and gift taxes.

Kotula said the bill already has enough support in both the Sejm and the Senate, adding that no earlier attempt to regulate informal relationships has ever made it this far.

Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister, said that the big uncertainty now is whether the president will approve the bill or veto it.

Switching gears to new investigations, on Monday, the 29th, Maciej Wróbel, Deputy Culture Minister, said the ministry has reported suspected financial mismanagement at the Polish Filmmakers Association to prosecutors.

An audit covering twenty twenty–twenty twenty-four found the association lost over thirteen million złoty, around three million dollars, through overspending, suspicious contracts, misuse of funds, and poor management.

The investigation, targeting the former president, the previous office director, and a few other officials, also found that the social and cultural fund spent over one million złoty, around 280,000 dollars, on alcohol over four years.

Jacek Bromski, the former president of the association, criticized the report, saying it unfairly damaged the association’s reputation. He’s also considering suing the ministry over leaking the report to the media.

In another investigation, on Tuesday, the 30th, prosecutors sent four people involved in the big visa controversy to court, including Piotr Wawrzyk, the former Deputy Foreign Minister.

A quick recap: Edgar Kobos, Wawrzyk’s right-hand man, used his connections at the Ministry and consulates to speed up visas for money and favors, while Wawrzyk went beyond his authority, leaked confidential information, and interfered with visa decisions between February, twenty twenty-two and May, twenty twenty-three.

This is the second batch of charges, after six other people were charged back in August.

Next up, on Tuesday, the 30th, Włodzimierz Czarzasty, the lower-house Speaker, met with Thomas Rose, the US Ambassador, to talk about the US-Poland partnership and major security issues like Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Czarzasty said the US is Poland’s top partner, praised its role in helping Poland join NATO, and added that Europe is realizing it needs its own military strength, with Poland leading the way in defense spending and policy.

Rose said Poland plays an important role in Europe and that the US wants to strengthen ties with the country, working both with the government and the opposition.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the 30th, Adam Szłapka, the government spokesperson, said some videos popping up on TikTok, showing young Polish women criticizing the EU and even pushing for Poland to leave it, are AI-made Russian disinformation.

Szłapka added that Poland’s cyber and AI institute will step in to stop the videos from spreading and encouraged people to report anything suspicious they see online to help fight the campaign.

Meanwhile, Dariusz Standerski, the Deputy Digital Affairs Minister, asked the EU to investigate TikTok, warning that these AI videos are a real threat to public order and democracy in Poland and across Europe.

He also suggested TikTok should be forced to reveal what they’ve done to remove them.

Still in the media world, on Tuesday, the 30th, Agora, one of Poland’s biggest media groups that runs media portals Wyborcza, Gazeta.pl, and Eurozet Consulting, announced plans to cut up to 166 jobs, about six percent of its workforce, as part of a major restructuring.

Wyborcza plans to let go of up to sixty people by the end of February, twenty twenty-six, which is roughly thirteen percent of its staff.

Gazeta.pl will cut around sixty-three positions, over a quarter of its team, while Agora itself will reduce about twenty roles.

More about the media, on Tuesday, the 30th, Telewizja Polska, Poland’s public broadcaster, said it’s officially taking down a Christmas beer ad featuring Santa Claus. This comes after Agnieszka Glapiak, the head of the National Broadcasting Council, told all TV stations to immediately stop airing the commercial and review it closely.

The ad caused a stir because many felt using Santa, a symbol everyone links to kids and Christmas, was totally inappropriate. Some argued it clashed with traditional values and portrayed Santa in a way that could upset viewers.

Magdalena Biejat, Deputy Speaker of the Senate, also spoke out on Instagram, saying the ad could bring up painful childhood memories for people whose holidays were negatively affected by alcohol-related family issues.

On Monday, the 29th, Donald Tusk held the second urgent meeting with regional officials to review the latest updates on the winter storm.

Strong winds, heavy snow, and rising rivers are still hitting northern Poland, making travel difficult and causing flooding.

Local authorities kept flood warnings up, added extra barriers and sandbags, and told people to be careful and avoid risky areas if they can.

Meteorologists warn that the snowstorms and strong winds will keep going, so people in the north and northeast should prepare for rough conditions over the next few days.

On Sunday, the 28th, Tomasz Chlasta, Vice-Chairman of the Nowy Port District Council in Gdańsk, northern Poland, published an essay in Polish on Nowy Ład, a Polish opinion and commentary website, discussing the current state of public debates in Poland.

He said free speech has gotten twisted. Chlasta stressed that real free speech means sharing your views responsibly and with ethics, not just going along with what’s popular or politically correct.

He also noted that in Polish law, hate speech rules are often applied against some people or groups but ignored for others, depending on who’s in power.

Chlasta thinks any changes to the law should aim to stop real attacks on people or groups, not to shut down political opponents, and that the rules need to be clear and fair.

And to finish off this edition, on the 6th of January, Poland will celebrate the Feast of the Three Kings, a public holiday. The day, also called Epiphany, marks the visit of the three wise men to baby Jesus and is deeply rooted in Polish traditions.

People bless chalk and incense, marking their doors with C+M+B, which stands for Christ bless this house.

Communist authorities had removed the holiday from the calendar, but citizen campaigns brought it back in twenty eleven. Today, Poles enjoy religious rituals, festive parades, and a long weekend.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

Before we head out, we just want to wish you an awesome twenty twenty-six! Thanks so much for listening, sharing the show, and being part of the Rorshok community.

Do zobaczenia!