Donald Tusk commits 10 billion euro national transit program priority to Kraków subway

Mayoral campaign and subway commitment

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk arrived in Kraków on 20 August 2026 to endorse Monika Piątkowska, a senator running for city mayor under the Komitet Ponad Podziałami banner with backing from the Civic Coalition and the Polish People's Party. Appearing outside the ICE Kraków congress centre near Grunwaldzkie roundabout, Tusk addressed long-standing transit demands stemming from a 2014 local referendum in which city residents voted in favour of constructing a subway. Tusk confirmed that the Ministry of Infrastructure prepared a 10 billion euro national investment program to finance urban metro systems in Polish cities, designating Kraków as the top priority.

The Ministry of Infrastructure prepared many months ago a program worth 10 billion euros financing metro projects in Polish cities.

Financing mechanism and environmental prerequisites

Tusk outlined the project's financial architecture, explaining that funding will not draw directly on central state budget resources to avoid friction with other municipalities. The structure relies on a combination of European Union funds, loans from state lenders such as Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, and public-private partnerships.

It is not about the central budget, but about a financial assembly that will not arouse negative emotions in other cities, but will effectively implement the financial side of this venture.

Disbursement of funding remains contingent on securing necessary administrative permits, including environmental approvals, geological assessments, and site readiness. Piątkowska, who presented her platform in Bednarski Park a day earlier, argued that rapid documentation is critical to retain access to the funding stream. In July 2026, the municipality allocated 188 million PLN in a tender for pre-design documentation on the first subway line to prepare the engineering framework for subsequent construction permits.

If we want this investment, we must have the courage, boldness and ambition, not postpone it in time, because that may involve the risk of falling out of this financial perspective.

Project schedules and administrative debate

The initiative follows a period of municipal transition after voters recalled former mayor Aleksander Miszalski in a May 2026 referendum. Acting mayor Stanisław Kracik stated in June that actual construction might only begin between 2040 and 2045. Tusk rejected that timetable during the press conference, characterising Kracik as overly cautious and advising residents not to rely on that estimate.

I am pleased to inform you that we already have ready analyses of the metro construction. I will present their results at the beginning of September during the Economic Forum in Karpacz.

Minister of Infrastructure Dariusz Klimczak announced that ministerial analyses of the Kraków subway project are complete and scheduled for presentation at the Economic Forum in Karpacz in early September 2026. Municipal plans target completion of the first metro line within 10 years, with a long-term design featuring two lines spanning approximately 29 kilometres.

Municipal tourism levy and upcoming vote

Tusk also addressed local fiscal measures, announcing plans for a statutory municipal tourism tax. The tax is designed to funnel revenue directly into the city budget, with potential yields estimated at up to 100 million PLN annually, and is slated for implementation ahead of the next summer tourism season.

The visit occurred ahead of the snap mayoral election set for 27 September 2026, where Piątkowska faces competing candidates from parties including Law and Justice, whose representatives Beata Szydło and Małgorzata Wassermann have also mobilized in the city.