Kaczyński urges scrapping the European Commission and floats EU exit talks

A call to scrap the Commission

Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of Law and Justice (PiS), spoke at the Krynica Forum on 28 October and argued that the political structure of the European Union is holding back the continent. He said the European Commission is harmful to the bloc's future and should not exist, with the European Council, a body of national leaders, taking over its role. Kaczyński acknowledged that reform would be hard under current conditions. He pointed to possible changes of power in France and Spain, and to Italy's government staying in office or gaining more room to act, as conditions that could open the way. Poland and Germany were also mentioned in that context, and he stressed that the bloc's problems lie in its political design, not only in its economy.

A three-stage pressure plan

Kaczyński outlined a three-step mechanism of pressure. The first step is an attempt to assemble a coalition of national states inside the bloc that would force treaty changes under qualified majority voting, which requires 55% of member states representing 65% of the EU population.

Member states needed55%

EU population represented65%

Member states needed

55 %

EU population represented

65 %

Data from the article text

If EU institutions refuse Warsaw's demands, the states seeking revision would sign a separate treaty with a delayed entry into force, in effect creating an alternative structure beside the EU. Only if that also fails does he call for the exit procedure set out in the Treaty on European Union, the counterpart of Article 50 that the United Kingdom used. He framed the exit route as a starting point for negotiations, saying:

“A hard method, risky, but things are truly so bad that it is worth applying it, if the other methods do not produce results.”

Kaczyński added that the approach requires determination and agreement among the states involved, whose positions on matters such as eastern policy are sometimes far apart.

Government reaction

Prime Minister Donald Tusk responded on X on 29 October, writing that Kaczyński had just announced that Poland should begin negotiations on the terms of leaving the EU. He described the stakes as a fight that is under way in Poland.

“Hard fight. I do not intend to lose it, even if not everyone plays along with me.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski mocked the speech on X, listing what he said a Polexit would bring: a customs border with Germany, Czechia, Slovakia and Lithuania, passport checks at airports, and an end to farm and investment subsidies, along with the end of the KPO and SAFE programmes. He added a pointed remark about how the speakers had previously denied any such plan.

“So they really do want Polexit.”

Coalition and opposition voices

Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus of Lewica told TVN 24 that the remarks were very dangerous, calling the EU 'one great success' whose most important values include solidarity. She argued that Sławomir Mentzen and Grzegorz Braun, who openly call for Poland to leave the EU, would be the ones most pleased by the speech. Minister of Infrastructure Dariusz Klimczak told Polsat's Graffiti programme on 29 October that Kaczyński had lost his feel for politics and was chasing the poll gains of anti-EU parties in Germany. He linked the speech to weak poll numbers for Law and Justice, saying that a drowning man grabs at straws. Mateusz Morawiecki, leader of Rozwój Plus, said at a press conference in Warszawice in Mazovia that his group firmly supports Poland's EU membership, while the bloc needs repair, including a deep revision of migration and climate policy.