GENERAL
GOVERNMENT-PRESIDENT DISPUTE OVER EU DEFENCE LOAN
Political tensions escalated in early 2026 over Poland’s participation in the European Union’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defence financing scheme. Dubbed a “loans-for-arms” programme by commentators, SAFE is an EU financial instrument offering member states up to €150 billion in loans to finance defence procurement. The dispute primarily unfolded between President Karol Nawrocki, supported by the populist right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, and the pro-EU governing coalition led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Following the European Union’s approval of €43.7 billion (approximately 185 billion PLN) in SAFE loans for Poland to support defence and security spending, the Polish Parliament on 27th February 2026 adopted legislation enabling participation in the SAFE mechanism and forwarded it to the President for signature. However, two weeks later, on 12th March 2026, President Nawrocki vetoed the government bill and suggested using interest-free loans from the National Bank of Poland as an alternative, reiterating concerns over long-term debt, exchange-rate risk, and possible EU-imposed conditions, while warning that SAFE-funded contracts could favour Western European defence firms over domestic producers. The government had already rejected these claims, arguing that around 80 percent of the funding would remain in Poland and support the national defence industry.
The day after the veto, on 13th March 2026, lacking the parliamentary majority to override it, the government adopted a resolution to use EU defence funds under the SAFE framework. The decision limited funding strictly to military purposes, excluding civilian and border-security applications that would have been included under the original law if it had been signed by the President. In light of these developments, Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that President Nawrocki’s stance was fuelling concerns about a potential Polish exit from the European Union (“Polexit”), and associated him, along with elements of the Law and Justice and far-right Konfederacja party camps, with broader anti-EU political forces.
On 23rd April 2026, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the issuing of an agreement on Poland’s use of the SAFE funds.
POLITICAL-INSTITUTIONAL TENSIONS OVER THE JUDICIARY
On 19th February 2026, President Karol Nawrocki, an ally of the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, vetoed a government bill reforming the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS), the body responsible for nominating judges. The bill, introduced at the end of 2025 and passed by Parliament in January 2026, aimed to revise a system reshaped by the controversial 2017 PiS reform.
The 2017 changes replaced a system in which the majority of KRS members were elected by judges with one in which 15 of the 25 members are appointed by parliament. The remaining ten positions were already overwhelmingly political appointees, including four MPs, two senators, the Justice Minister and a representative of the President. Critics argued that the reform increased political influence over the KRS, contributing to a wider crisis over judicial independence and the rule of law in Poland.
Following the veto, which obliged the government to proceed with appointments under the existing framework, the Sejm (the lower house of Parliament) passed a resolution on 27th February urging judges to take part in the selection of candidates and pledging to rely on their recommendations in the process.
In March 2026, a further dispute emerged over the appointment of new judges to the Constitutional Tribunal, another institution plagued by rule of law concerns and widely regarded as having been politicised during PiS’s time in power. On 13th March 2026, Parliament elected six judges, rejecting PiS-backed candidates. President Nawrocki swore in two of them on 1st April 2026, while refusing to administer the oath to the remaining four. The decision drew criticism, with the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights arguing that administering the oath is a constitutional duty of the President. On 9th April 2026, the four judges were sworn in before the Sejm in the President’s absence, but Constitutional Tribunal President Bogdan Święczkowski stated that they could not be recognised as judges without a presidential oath.
The dispute escalated on 14th April 2026, when Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek ordered a criminal investigation into President Nawrocki’s advisors on suspicion of aiding and abetting abuse of office over their role in advising him not to administer the oath. In a further escalation, on 17th April 2026, the two judges sworn in by the President referred to prosecutors the Tribunal’s failure to assign roles and cases to the other four judges. On 22nd April 2026, the National Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into the matter.
BELARUS RELEASES JOURNALIST ANDRZEJ POCZOBUT IN MULTINATIONAL PRISONER EXCHANGE
Andrzej Poczobut, a Polish-Belarusian journalist and advocate for the Polish minority in Belarus, was released on 28th April 2026 after more than five years in prison as part of a multinational prisoner exchange. As previously reported by the CIVICUS Monitor, following his arrest in March 2021, he was sentenced by a court in Grodno in February 2023 to eight years’ imprisonment on charges including “inciting hatred”, “rehabilitating Nazism”, and “calling for sanctions against Belarus”. The European Union and human rights organisations widely condemned the case as politically motivated, citing his criticism of the regime of Alexander Lukashenko.
Poczobut’s release took place as part of a “five-for-five” prisoner exchange involving Belarus, Poland and other states, reportedly mediated with U.S. involvement. In return, Poland released Alexander Butyagin, a Russian archaeologist detained in Warsaw in December 2025 at Ukraine’s request over alleged unauthorised excavations in Crimea following Russia’s 2014 annexation of the peninsula.
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
RESTRICTIONS ON PRESS ACCESS TO STATE EVENTS
On 17th March 2026, the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights reported receiving complaints from journalists and photojournalists who had been denied access to public events organised by state authorities after failing unspecified security vetting carried out by the Government Protection Bureau (SOP). According to the Foundation, the reason for the refusals was not provided, and there is no clear legal avenue for appeal, leaving media workers unable to understand or challenge the decisions. The Foundation, supported by the Ombudsman's office, is providing legal assistance and warns that such practices can seriously hinder journalistic work and affect public access to information.
COURT RULINGS RESTRICT JOURNALISTS AND CIVIC GROUPS FROM PUBLISHING CONTENT IN ONGOING DISPUTES
At the end of February 2026, a regional court in Warsaw imposed interim measures in a lawsuit brought by 3S sp. z o.o. against local residents’ association “Stop! Zagłębie Śmieciowe” in Mszczonów, which runs community reporting platforms on a planned hazardous waste processing facility. Acting on the company's request, the court ordered the removal of online content, the blocking of a YouTube video, and the suspension of the association’s website and Facebook page, as well as a ban on further publications about the project. The decision, issued without written reasoning, effectively shut down the group’s main communication channels pending trial.
In a separate case on 23rd February 2026, the District Court in Wrocław imposed a similar injunction, prohibiting journalists Daniel Długosz from Nowa Gazeta Trzebnicka and Marcin Rybak from Gazeta Wyborcza from publishing information linking two hospital officials to alleged failures in handling sexual harassment complaints at a hospital in Trzebnica. The order was issued in a closed session without the journalists being heard, despite ongoing criminal proceedings in the underlying case. The journalists have appealed the decision, with press freedom groups warning that it amounts to a form of preventive restriction on reporting matters of public interest.
SOCIAL MEDIA ALLEGATIONS TARGET TVN24 JOURNALIST
At the end of March 2026, TVN24 reporter Mateusz Półchłopek became the subject of controversy after a low-quality video from 2016 was resurfaced and circulated online, amplified by some right-wing commentators.
The footage allegedly shows a TVN24 crew placing beer bottles in a waste bin near police accommodation during preparations for World Youth Day in Kraków. Marcin Dobski of the conservative TV Republika publicly questioned whether the person in the footage was Półchłopek, and alleged that the bottles had been planted in an attempt to discredit the police, who were providing security for the event.
Półchłopek denied any involvement, stating that he is not in the video and was not present at the location, and announced legal action against those spreading the claims. A spokesperson for TVN24’s parent company had already rejected the allegations in 2016, denying that the footage had been filmed in Kraków and confirming that Półchłopek was not depicted in it.
POLAND MOVES FORWARD WITH MEDIA REFORM BILL AFTER PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS
Minister of Culture and National Heritage Marta Cienkowska announced on 27th April 2026 that the draft media reform bill had completed the public consultations launched in December 2025, and would now move forward. The proposal aims to implement the European Media Freedom Act and overhaul the governance and funding of public media.
First presented in October 2025 as a plan to “depoliticise” public media, the bill would replace the licence fee (to be abolished in 2027) with state funding of at least 2.5 billion PLN annually, supplemented by advertising. It also proposes abolishing the National Media Council, established under the former Law and Justice (PiS) government, and transferring its powers to the National Broadcasting Council, along with stricter appointment rules.
During consultations, media freedom NGOs broadly supported the reform but described it as “a positive but incomplete initiative,” warning about reduced funding and the concentration of powers in the National Broadcasting Council if its independence is not ensured.
FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY
FARMERS’ PROTESTS IN WROCŁAW AND WARSAW
On 20th February 2026, farmers protested in Wrocław over low purchase prices, rising production costs, and large grain stocks ahead of the harvest. They also raised concerns over EU trade agreements with Ukraine and Mercosur countries. The farmers held a rally with support from some mining and steel industry representatives, and brought their agricultural machinery into the city centre.
On 17th April 2026, farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs gathered in protest in Warsaw outside the Ministry of Agriculture over investment deadlines under Poland's National Recovery Plan (KPO). They argued that shortened implementation timelines made it difficult to complete infrastructure projects such as storage and processing facilities, putting EU funding at risk and potentially requiring repayment of advances. The government extended the deadline to mid-June 2026, but protesters warned this remained insufficient and called for further extensions.
On 24th April 2026, the government announced that it would file a case before the CJEU challenging the EU-Mercosur trade agreement. Days later, it went further, announcing it would request the suspension of the deal while the proceedings are ongoing. The government argues that the agreement threatens food security, consumer protection and the competitiveness of Polish agriculture. The decision followed weeks of domestic pressure, including a parliamentary resolution adopted in March 2026 urging legal action and a letter sent by President Karol Nawrocki to Prime Minister Donald Tusk in April 2026 calling on the government to act.
ANTI- AND PRO-SAFE DEMONSTRATIONS OVER EU DEFENCE LOAN
On 21st February 2026, amid an ongoing political dispute, a demonstration titled “No to SAFE” was held in front of the Presidential Palace, where participants urged President Karol Nawrocki to veto legislation implementing the EU SAFE defence loan framework. The protest reflected concerns raised by President Nawrocki, supported by the populist right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, that the €43.7 billion EU programme could increase Poland’s dependence on EU financial conditions and external influence over defence policy.
Following President Nawrocki’s veto on 12th March 2026, a counter-demonstration was held on 15th March 2026 at the same location under the slogan “We want to be SAFE.” Participants criticised the decision, warning that blocking access to EU defence funding would weaken Poland’s security and international standing.
FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF RUSSIA’S INVASION OF UKRAINE
On 24th February 2026, large crowds gathered in Warsaw's Castle Square to express support for Ukraine and call for continued Western military and financial assistance. Separately, the Euromaidan-Warszawa civic initiative organised a symbolic street parade featuring a satirical sculpture of Russian President Vladimir Putin, which moved through central Warsaw, including near the Russian embassy, as an artistic protest against Russian imperialism and the war.
DISTRICT HOSPITALS PROTEST UNDERFUNDING
On 3rd March 2026, representatives of district hospitals and local governments protested outside the Polish Ministry of Health in Warsaw. Organised by the National Association of Employers of County Hospitals and the Union of Polish Counties, they criticised the government for poorly planned reforms and underfunding, and called for stable financing.
A larger, nationwide protest involving approximately 160 district hospitals took place from 20th to 24th April 2026, in what became known as a “black week.” Hospital staff wore black, displayed banners, and held symbolic actions to highlight financial problems, while continuing to provide normal patient care. Protesters warned that many hospitals are struggling: total debts exceed 1 billion PLN (over 230 million €), dozens of facilities risk closure, and up to a third could collapse without further funding.
WARSAW MARCH FOR INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY
On 8th March 2026, International Women's Day was marked in Poland with Manifa feminist demonstrations. In Warsaw, several hundred people gathered at Plac Unii Lubelskiej for the 27th Manifa march. Participants criticised capitalism, patriarchy, and broader inequalities, and highlighted issues such as healthcare, bodily autonomy, and housing. The Manifa is an annual feminist and left-wing rally in the capital organised by the informal “8th March Feminist Agreement” collective.
BELARUSIAN DIASPORA MARKS FREEDOM DAY WITH MARCH
Hundreds of Belarusians gathered on 28th March 2026 in Warsaw to mark Freedom Day, an unofficial democratic holiday celebrated annually on 25th March to commemorate the 1918 Belarusian declaration of independence and to symbolise resistance to authoritarian rule. The march, organised by Belarusian diaspora groups and democratic activists, moved through central Warsaw under slogans such as “Belarus will be free,” with participants carrying a 330-metre-long white-red-white flag as a powerful symbol of unity and national identity.
PRESIDENT ATTENDS ANTI-ABORTION “MARCH FOR LIFE”
On 19th April 2026, thousands of people took part in the National March for Life in Warsaw, an annual anti-abortion demonstration organised by Catholic and conservative groups. The march, held under the slogan “Faith and Fidelity 966–2026,” called for the protection of life, family, and marriage, and marked the 1,060th anniversary of the “Baptism of Poland” – the introduction of Christianity to Poland through the baptism of the first ruler of the Polish state. President Karol Nawrocki briefly addressed the crowd near the Presidential Palace, praising the event as a response to Poland's demographic crisis.
The demonstration took place against the backdrop of Poland's highly restrictive abortion law, tightened in 2021 under the then Law and Justice (PiS) government, which limits legal abortion mainly to cases where the woman's life or health is at risk, or where the pregnancy results from sexual violence.
LGBTQI+ GROUPS CALL FOR RECOGNITION OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGES CONDUCTED ABROAD IN LINE WITH CJEU RULING
LGBTQI+ organisations protested outside the Chancellery of the Prime Minister in Warsaw on 25th April 2026, demanding implementation of a CJEU ruling of 25th November 2025 requiring Poland to recognise same-sex marriages concluded in other EU member states and to transcribe such marriage certificates into Polish official records. Protesters criticised the government for delaying implementation of the ruling and for failing to issue the regulations needed to enable the entry of same-sex marriage certificates into the Polish civil registry. Organisers, supported by the Campaign Against Homophobia, said the rally was a response to months of inaction despite binding court decisions.
On 20th March 2026, Poland’s Supreme Administrative Court ruled that civil registry offices must recognise and transcribe into official records the German marriage certificate of two Polish men, despite Polish law not permitting same-sex marriage. The decision was based on a 25th November 2025 ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in the same case, which held that EU member states must recognize same-sex marriages legally concluded in another member state when citizens exercise their right to free movement. The CJEU ruling drew criticism from the President’s Chancellery, which argued that it conflicted with Poland’s constitutional definition of marriage.
On 21st April 2026, after delays in implementing the court’s decision, 109 NGOs, including Amnesty International and the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, urged Prime Minister Donald Tusk to take action, criticising official claims that the ruling applies only to the specific couple involved.
ANIMAL RIGHTS PROTEST AND MEMORIAL MARCH FOR MP LITEWKA
A demonstration held on 26th April 2026 in Poland was initially planned as part of the “Let's Break the Chains” animal welfare campaign but was transformed into a memorial march following the death of MP Łukasz Litewka, who was widely known for his animal rights and social activism. Litewka was killed on 23rd April 2026 after being struck by a car while cycling. Participants gathered near Parliament and marched towards the Presidential Palace carrying candles, flowers, and portraits of Litewka. While largely commemorative, the march also featured renewed calls for stricter animal protection laws, including related slogans and banners.
SOCIAL INSURANCE EMPLOYEES PROTEST OVER PAY, WORKLOAD, AND UNDERFUNDING
On 27th April 2026, thousands of employees of Poland’s Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) from across the country took part in a protest in Warsaw in front of the Ministry of Finance, demanding real pay increases, staffing adjustments to match workload, and better funding for the agency.
The demonstration, organised by trade unions including Solidarity, was the culmination of an occupation of ZUS headquarters that had been ongoing for over two weeks, involving rotating delegations from different cities arriving each day to demonstrate in the capital before returning to their workplaces. Solidarity actions spread to branches across Poland, including in Koszalin, Toruń, Białystok, Sosnowiec, Częstochowa, and Legnica, among others. According to the union, in Koszalin alone, 319 out of 440 ZUS employees signed a protest petition in a single day.