The Contradictions of PiS Poland

Since 2015, the Law and Justice (PiS) party has led Poland toward Euroscepticism and the erosion of the rule of law. The author argues that PiS's worldview creates critical contradictions: while seeking to reduce dependence on Russian gas and oil, the government has increased imports of cheaper Russian coal and lacks a strategic plan for renewable energy, leading to a rise in carbon emissions. Simultaneously, while opening the labor market to Ukrainian workers for economic reasons, PiS has overseen a deterioration in bilateral relations with Ukraine and tightened citizenship laws, potentially priming the country for a nationalistic backlash.

• Under the PiS government, Poland's share of renewable energy in its total primary energy supply began to decrease after 2015, and the country has become the second largest polluter in the EU after Germany.
• Despite a general goal of decreasing dependence on Russian imports, the PiS government significantly increased the import of cheaper Russian coal between 2015 and 2018, with Russian coal accounting for nearly 80% of Polish coal imports in 2018.
• Poland was the only EU member state to stay out of the December 2019 agreement on a 2050 climate neutrality target, though the government claims it will be the largest beneficiary of the associated Just Transition Mechanism.
• Bilateral relations between Poland and Ukraine have reached a modern low, driven by disputes over historical memory and the demolition of Ukrainian monuments in Poland.
• While the number of Ukrainian workers in Poland grew from 400,000 in 2015 to around 800,000 in 2018-19, the PiS government has tightened citizenship and permanent residence laws and failed to implement serious integration programs.
• The PiS government has undermined the rule of law to the extent that the EU triggered Article 7 disciplinary measures in 2017 and the European Court of Justice has ruled against Poland regarding judiciary reforms.

APA

Balcer, A. (2020). The Contradictions of PiS Poland. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-contradictions-of-piss-poland/

Chicago

Balcer, Adam. The Contradictions of PiS Poland. Green European Journal, 2020. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-contradictions-of-piss-poland/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Balcer |first1=Adam |title=The Contradictions of PiS Poland |publisher=Green European Journal |date=26 March 2020 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-contradictions-of-piss-poland/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{balcer2020contradictions, author = {Balcer, Adam}, title = {{The Contradictions of PiS Poland}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2020}, month = mar, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-contradictions-of-piss-poland/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }