Environmental Decision for New Runway in Balice and Controversies Over Metro

Recent days have brought fundamental decisions for the future transportation of the capital of Lesser Poland. The Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection issued the long-awaited environmental decision concerning the construction of a new runway at Krakow-Balice Airport. This is a turning point for Krakow Airport, which has struggled for years with technical and legal issues regarding the current runway. The new runway is to ensure the airport's operational continuity without the need for temporary closure, which would be inevitable if the old surface were renovated. This investment forms the foundation for the further development of the route network and service of growing passenger traffic in the region. Simultaneously, the city obtained environmental approval for the metro project, which constitutes a formal green light for the start of design work. However, this project has become the source of a conflict between the local and national governments. Mayor Aleksander Miszalski announced that the city would receive 10 billion zloty in support from the central budget, which was immediately corrected by government representatives. Deputy ministers claim that no binding declarations regarding such a gigantic sum have been made, and the optimism of Krakow's mayor is premature. This confusion intensifies criticism from the opposition, which accuses the president of manipulating information to salvage his image ahead of a planned referendum. The construction of the new runway in Balice had been blocked for nearly a decade due to resident protests and procedural errors in previous environmental decisions, which were repeatedly overturned by administrative courts.The investment situation intertwines with a tense political atmosphere in the city. Opponents of Mayor Miszalski are pushing for a referendum on his recall. Prime Minister Donald Tusk came to the mayor's defense, suggesting that the recall initiative is politically inspired by PiS and Konfederacja. In the background, speculation emerges about Bogdan Klich's return to Krakow politics as a "plan B" for the Civic Coalition, though the person concerned firmly denies this. Concurrently, public opinion was shaken by the tragedy in the Tatra Mountains, where an avalanche swept away two well-known skiers, serving as a reminder of the extreme danger in the mountains despite apparent weather improvement. 10 mld zł — disputed funding amount for the metro in Krakow An additional element of the local debate is the voice of former mayor Jacek Majchrowski, who described the referendum efforts as "political chutzpah." Majchrowski, while critical of the pace of metro work, points to continuous attacks from the same circles that targeted him during his long mayoral tenure. The Ministry of Infrastructure announces that talks on financial arrangements for Krakow will continue, but they must be based on the state's real budgetary possibilities, not unilateral media declarations.