PiS presented program proposals. New thresholds, reliefs and exit from ETS
The largest opposition party begins pre-campaign preparations by putting concrete financial and economic proposals on the table. During Sunday's convention in Kalisz, representatives of Law and Justice presented the foundations of a new program, referred to as the "Czarnek Plan".
The 21-point project is intended to serve as a roadmap for the first hundred days of the party's potential rule after the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2027.
At this stage, the politicians revealed three pillars of the plan, two of which directly impact taxpayers' wallets, and the third concerns fundamental changes in national energy policy. Jarosław Kaczyński, the party's chairman, quoted by the Polish Press Agency, said during the meeting: "This is the first meeting in a series where we will present further proposals and promises that will affect the future of Polish taxes and economic law."
Higher tax thresholds for higher earners
From the perspective of personal finances, the most significant declaration is the announcement of a drastic increase in the second tax threshold. According to the proposal presented by Przemysław Czarnek, the threshold for entering the higher tax rate would rise from the current 120,000 złotys to 180,000 złotys annually. It is worth recalling that the current limit was introduced as part of the reform known as the Polish Deal, which at the time was a significant increase from the long-frozen threshold of just over 85,000 złotys.
The new proposal also includes preferences for couples filing jointly. In their case, the threshold for the higher tax rate would be 360,000 złotys annually. This change would provide significant relief for the middle class, whose incomes have nominally increased in recent years due to high inflation and wage pressure, bringing many employees closer to entering the second threshold. As Przemysław Czarnek declared, according to PAP: "This solution would come into effect on January 1, 2028."
"Silver work" as a remedy for labor shortages
The second element of PiS's economic puzzle is a response to the deepening demographic crisis and labor shortages. The party proposes introducing so-called "silver work," a package of financial incentives for people of retirement age who decide to remain professionally active.
This mechanism would involve a full exemption from income tax (PIT) and social security contributions for the earnings of working seniors, with a limit set at 2,500 złotys net. According to the program's creators, this move would on one hand improve the financial situation of the oldest citizens, and on the other hand relieve entrepreneurs seeking employees. Przemysław Czarnek assessed in Kalisz that such a solution would encourage employers to hire retirees, which in his view would help reduce reliance on labor migration from abroad.
A radical turn in energy policy
The third point of the program, which assumes Poland's complete withdrawal from the European Union Emissions Trading System (ETS), is the most controversial. This system, a key tool of EU climate policy, obliges greenhouse gas emitters to purchase special allowances, directly affecting the cost of energy production from fossil fuels.
The Law and Justice representative strongly criticized this mechanism during the convention. According to PAP reports, the politician called the ETS system an "absurdity" and "the biggest fraud to which Poles have been subjected." The party's argument is based on the diagnosis that high costs of emission allowances drive up electricity prices in Poland, depriving the domestic energy-intensive industry of competitiveness on global markets, especially in competition with economies such as China or the United States.
Transformation without emission fees
Withdrawal from the EU fee system would not mean abandoning environmental protection, but rather a change in the state's approach to green technologies. The target energy mix according to this vision would combine stable renewable energy sources, coal during a transitional period, and nuclear power. In this context, Przemysław Czarnek criticized the current pace of nuclear projects, pointing to the need to accelerate investments such as the one planned in the Konin and Pątnow area.
As assured during the convention, the draft law to pull Poland out of the ETS is already ready and would be the first decision of the government after a potential takeover of power. Such a step would mean entering an unprecedented collision course with European Union institutions, as the emissions trading system is regulated by EU law, and a unilateral withdrawal could entail enormous legal and financial consequences for the entire country.
Source: PAP
