POLAND: Investigation into a Red Cross Branch & more – 30th Oct 2025

Witam from BA! This is the Rorshok Poland Update from the 30th of October twenty twenty-five. A quick summary of what's going down in Poland.

Let’s start off with politics. On Friday, the 24th, Jarosław Kaczyński, the Law and Justice party leader, said at the party’s gathering in Katowice, in southern Poland, that Germany and the EU could take away Poland’s sovereignty.

He said postwar European developments were a great victory for Germany and hinted that Germany, together with France, wants to control Poland, while the US does not.

The gathering also had a dart game where attendees threw darts at a board with the German flag and a red devil, which sparked a lot of criticism online.

Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, the Defense Minister, responded, saying Poland’s real threat is on the east, not Germany, because of Russia’s war in Ukraine. He added that stirring up anti-German, anti-Ukrainian, and antisemitic feelings is dangerous for Poland’s security and that supporting Ukraine is the right thing to do.

Also on Friday, the 24th, prosecutors reopened an investigation into whether stolen money from the Red Cross branch in Wrocław, southwestern Poland, funded the Law and Justice party’s election campaigns, including Anna Zalewska’s, the ex-education minister. Investigators closed the twenty eighteen probe because they didn’t have enough evidence to charge her.

The theft dates back to the twenty tens, when people connected to the Wrocław Red Cross branch, including some former Law and Justice officials, took millions of zloty through fake companies and by reselling donated clothes.

Prosecutors had already convicted some of the people involved earlier this year, and old evidence from the twenty fourteen and twenty fifteen campaigns triggered the renewed investigation.

Next up, foreign affairs. On Monday, the 27th, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz signed a letter of intent with Alexander Karp, CEO of the US Palantir Technologies, to cooperate on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and IT systems.

Kosiniak-Kamysz praised Palantir as a leader in AI and data management for the military, saying that in today’s world information has become as valuable as money. He added that Poland wants to boost its use of AI through a new AI Implementation Center and that modern defense depends on smart data systems, not just tanks and planes.

Officials haven’t shared any financial details yet, but the cooperation has already sparked discussion. Palantir faced criticism in the past for its work with intelligence and security agencies, and some experts worry that relying too much on US technologies could be risky for Poland’s data security.

On Thursday, the 23rd, Radosław Sikorski, the Foreign Minister, arrived in Islamabad, Pakistan, for a two-day visit to discuss migration, security issues, and to show support for international peace efforts in Gaza.

He met his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, signed a cooperation deal between their foreign ministries, and set up regular talks between Polish and Pakistani research institutes.

Sikorski said Poland supports the recent Gaza peace plan and told Pakistani officials about the migrant situation at the Polish-Belarusian border, noting that some Pakistani citizens were stuck there and unable to enter legally. He added that Poland accepts legal migration but blocks illegal entry.

He also talked about the opportunities for cooperation in trade, water, and energy projects, including Polish companies working on natural gas in Pakistan.

Switching gears to new policies, On Monday, the 27th, the Council of Ministers approved the personal assistance bill, marking a step toward creating a modern, permanent support system for people with disabilities.

Right now, the Solidarity Fund runs a temporary program that gives short-term help to people with disabilities and renews every year. The new law will replace it with a permanent system, providing personal assistants to help with daily tasks, social life, school, work, and cultural activities, while respecting people’s independence and choices.

The bill will now move to the Sejm, the lower house of parliament, for committee review and voting, then to the Senate, and finally to the President for signature.

Łukasz Krasoń, the government representative, called the approval a milestone in building an inclusive and supportive Poland that addresses the real needs of people with disabilities.

Following that, on Tuesday, the 28th, EU agriculture ministers agreed on the twenty twenty-six fishing limits for the Baltic Sea. They raised the sprat quota from 140,000 tons in twenty twenty-five to over 200,000, giving Polish fishermen about 60,000 tons. The central herring quota increased from 84,000 tons to 96,000 tons.

The bans on cod fishing and on recreational cod catches remain the same because the stocks are still in bad shape.

Each year, the EU sets limits for herring, sprat, cod, salmon, and plaice, trying to protect the environment while also helping people who work in the fishing industry.

Jacek Czerniak, the Deputy Agriculture Minister, called the deal a win for Polish fishermen.

Speaking of agriculture, on Tuesday, the 28th, Gazeta Wyborcza, a major independent Polish daily newspaper, reported that Tomasz Obszański, a farmer and agricultural advisor to President Karol Nawrocki, has been ordering and receiving fruits, veggies, and legumes from farmers all over Poland for years, but he still hasn’t paid many of them. Farmers say they’ve tried everything, including calls, reminders, lawsuits, and even dumping manure in front of his company, but nothing worked.

One farmer said he’s been waiting almost a year for 100,000 złoty, more than 27,000 dollars, for 100 tons of vegetables. Even Małgorzata Gromadzka, the new deputy agriculture minister from the Civic Coalition, says she spent three years trying to get paid for a few gooseberry deliveries.

When talking to journalists, Obszański didn’t say why he hadn’t paid and instead tried to figure out which farmers were complaining.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the 28th, Dariusz Standerski, the Deputy Minister, announced that Poland’s mObywatel app, an official government app where citizens access all their official documents, now lets users sign documents like rental agreements or car sales contracts with a qualified electronic signature.

Poland is the first EU country to offer this feature, and during the one-year pilot, each user can sign up to five documents per month for free by choosing one of four officially certified digital signature providers.

Standerski said that the electronic signature works like a handwritten one, keeping documents secure and legally valid, and lets people handle official paperwork digitally from anywhere, without printing or storing paper.

On Monday, the 27th, the spokesperson of the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime said that over the weekend, nearly 200 Santander Bank customers reported unauthorized withdrawals from their accounts.

The criminals put skimming devices on ATMs to copy card details and PINs, then stole cash using cloned cards or by making digital transactions across Poland. The total loss reached about two million złoty, about half a million dollars, affecting 400 cards and 600 transactions.

Santander spotted the suspicious activity, blocked further withdrawals, and refunded the affected customers.

The Bydgoszcz District Prosecutor’s Office, in northern Poland, together with the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime, is now investigating the case further.

Let’s go back to migration for a second. On Tuesday, the 28th, Omiko Ejibia, a historian on the Caucasus and Georgia, wrote in the Polish magazine New Eastern Europe the reasons why so many Georgians choose to move to Poland.

Poles and Georgians have a long history together, mostly fighting for independence against Russia. Poles went to Georgia as exiles or soldiers, later for work. Georgians started moving to Poland more when Soviet rule and economic problems hit.

Poland joining the EU in two thousand four changed everything. Jobs popped up, bureaucracy was reduced, and Georgians were welcome. Communities grew with businesses, schools, and social life, plus universities and direct flights made it even more appealing.

Today, over 10,000 Georgians live in Poland, mostly for work or study.

Check out the piece with the link in the show notes!

And to close this edition, On Saturday, the 1st of November, Poland will celebrate All Saints’ Day, a public holiday honoring loved ones who have passed away. People usually go to church, then head to cemeteries to clean and decorate graves, light candles, and pray. Schools and businesses will be closed.

Many cities run extra buses straight to the cemeteries so people can get there easily. Thousands of candles light up the graves, creating one of the most beautiful and unique sights in Poland on that day.

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

Did you know that we talk about many places besides Poland? We’ve got nine country updates! We also have three non-sovereign shows, about the Ocean, the Arctic and Multilateral organizations. Interested? Check out the link in the show notes. Got any feedback? You know how to contact us.

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