During the opening of the spring edition of the European Forum for New Ideas (EFNI), Prime Minister Donald Tusk unveiled a new economic policy focused on rebuilding and re-Polonizing the domestic economy. Under the new approach, Polish companies will be prioritized in public procurement, and the state administration will be tasked with safeguarding national economic interests.
“I believe we should primarily focus on who and how effectively supports Polish businesses and investments, because that’s what we truly need,” says Dr. Henryka Bochniarz, Chair of the Main Council of the Lewiatan Confederation.
At EFNI Spring 2025 under the theme “The Future of Work, Work of the Future,” Tusk declared that the era of naïve globalization is over, ushering in a time for rebuilding the national economy and reclaiming ownership of markets and capital.
“Part of this narrative clearly ties into the presidential campaign, which tends to favor strong, radical statements. We should wait calmly to see which specific measures will actually be implemented,” Bochniarz commented in an interview with Newseria.
The Prime Minister emphasized that Polish businesses need to be protected and supported through investments and public tenders. State institutions will be required to choose domestic suppliers when they offer comparable conditions. New mechanisms will also be introduced for reporting expenditures by state-owned companies and overseeing the structure of their procurement. Tusk noted that although Poland operates within international frameworks, especially the European Union, other countries have historically done a better job protecting their national interests. Despite having identical public procurement rules across the EU, domestic companies consistently win tenders in some countries—whereas in Poland, this happens only occasionally.
“Isolationist tendencies are increasingly common globally—just look at the U.S. But even within the European Union, countries often openly promote their own industries and services. There’s nothing wrong with that, as long as it stays within the generally accepted rules,” explains Bochniarz. “We’d like our Prime Minister to take Polish business leaders along on foreign visits, just like the French president or German chancellor does. National promotion has many legitimate aspects we should adopt. Competition happens on every possible front. Even though our companies are very entrepreneurial and can compete abroad, they would certainly benefit from stronger institutional support.”
Bochniarz argues that supporting domestic businesses also requires making it easier for them to operate. Without deregulation, she believes, economic growth will stall.
“We’ve arranged a meeting with the Prime Minister and business representatives to discuss what forms of support for the Polish economy are both necessary and effective. Now, with the global shift away from globalization and countries increasingly prioritizing their own interests, we need to examine what tools could be deployed. We must remember we are part of the EU, and that means abiding by common rules—but that doesn’t exclude exploring various support measures for Polish firms,” she adds.
The Lewiatan Confederation has compiled a “Black List of Barriers” hindering business activity. It contains nearly 300 deregulation proposals across seven key areas: taxation, employment, energy, healthcare, media, financial markets, and digitization. These are practical suggestions aimed at making it easier to do business in Poland, strengthening companies, and stimulating economic growth.
“Unfortunately, legal chaos, last-minute policy changes, and the administration’s frequent failure to interpret its own regulations are real problems—especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. I’d focus on these issues, which could genuinely help SMEs grow. Large multinational corporations can usually manage, but for smaller companies, legal unpredictability is devastating,” Bochniarz stresses.
She notes that while such political declarations may raise eyebrows among foreign investors, they are unlikely to alter investment decisions.
“Poland remains an attractive market for many reasons. First, it’s a large consumer market—not only Polish but also EU-wide. Second, there are still many unmet needs across various sectors. So I believe that genuine investors will weigh all these factors. Of course, political statements shouldn’t be dismissed, but serious investors will stick to their plans or assess them rationally,” Bochniarz says.
According to the Prime Minister, major upcoming infrastructure and energy projects will play a key role in supporting Polish businesses. Among them is the construction of Poland’s first nuclear power plant. The company overseeing the project is required to allocate over PLN 50 billion to contracts with Polish firms. Another example is the transshipment terminal in Sławków, a vital logistics hub long sought after by both domestic and foreign stakeholders.
