President Karol Nawrocki Signs Major Labor Reform and Refers Acts to Tribunal

Polish President Karol Nawrocki signed seven legislative acts on April 2, 2026, including a landmark reform of the National Labour Inspectorate (PIP), while simultaneously referring two of the signed acts to the Constitutional Tribunal for subsequent review. Presidential spokesman Rafał Leśkiewicz announced the decisions on the X platform. The PIP reform, described by Nawrocki as a difficult decision touching the foundation of the relationship between the state, the employee, and the employer, is among the most significant labor market reforms in years. The act on public collective transport was also signed and referred to the Tribunal under the same procedure. Nawrocki defended his overall record as a balanced arbiter, noting that he has signed far more legislation than he has blocked.

„In public debate, in the media, you often hear only one word: veto. But the truth is completely different. I have signed more than six times as many acts as I have vetoed: 184 acts signed, 29 vetoes. These are facts, not a political narrative.” — Karol Nawrocki via Do Rzeczy

184 (acts signed) — Total acts signed by Nawrocki since taking office

Nawrocki legislative record: Acts signed (before: —, after: 184); Acts vetoed (before: —, after: 29)

PIP reform grants inspectors sweeping contract powers The PIP reform, voted through by parliament in March 2026 and adopted by the Senate on March 12, 2026 without amendments, grants the National Labour Inspectorate the authority to convert civil law and B2B contracts into employment contracts by way of an administrative decision. If a labour inspector identifies irregularities, they will issue an order to the employer and employee to conclude an employment contract or adjust the legal relationship accordingly. If the order is not complied with, the district labour inspector may issue a decision establishing the existence of an employment relationship, or file a lawsuit to that effect, including with retroactive effect. Employers retain the right to appeal the inspector's decision to a labour court, and the decision becomes enforceable once the appeal deadline expires or a final court ruling is issued. The reform also introduces data exchange between the inspectorate, the Social Insurance Institution, and the National Revenue Administration for control and risk analysis purposes, and allows for remote inspections. According to the sources, the act constitutes one of the so-called milestones whose implementation is a condition for the release of funds from the National Recovery Plan.

„This was a difficult decision, because it touches the very foundation, the relationship between the state, the employee, and the employer. It enables the release of funds from the National Recovery Plan, it strikes at the pathology of the labor market, at practices that we all know: forced junk contracts, fictitious self-employment.” — Karol Nawrocki via Business Insider

President cites lack of social dialogue as core concern Despite signing the PIP act, Nawrocki stated he harbored doubts about it from the outset of parliamentary proceedings. His primary concern centered on what he described as a lack of proper social dialogue during the government's preparatory work on the legislation. He noted that before reaching his decision he conducted extensive consultations with both trade unions and employers' organizations. The trade union NSZZ Solidarność ultimately recommended signing the act, with one key condition: that a judicial appeal path be preserved. Nawrocki emphasized that in a state governed by the rule of law, an independent court, not an official, should have the final word. He also raised broader concerns about the scope of powers granted to the inspectorate toward entrepreneurs, warning against excessive state interference. The president framed the reform's pro-employment provisions as having a demographic dimension, arguing that stable employment with paid leave and financial security creates real conditions for young people to start families.

„I still have serious doubts regarding some of the provisions — especially those that grant very broad powers to the National Labour Inspectorate towards entrepreneurs. The state must be strong, but it cannot be excessive in its interference.” — Karol Nawrocki via pb.pl

Five other acts signed, covering energy, education, and monuments Beyond the PIP reform and the public collective transport act, Nawrocki signed five additional pieces of legislation on the same day. These included an amendment to the Educational Law, an amendment to the Energy Law aimed at strengthening energy security through provisions on trading connection capacities and streamlining investment in new electricity-generating installations, and an amendment governing foreign trade in goods, technologies, and services of strategic importance for state security. The president also signed an amendment to the Act on the Protection of Monuments and the Care of Monuments alongside provisions concerning the National Revenue Administration, as well as an amendment to the Act on investment funds and management of alternative investment funds. Nawrocki described the strategic goods act as digitalizing its regulatory area and introducing important technical regulations. In his broader statement, the president stressed that responsibility in the exercise of presidential powers means acting in the interest of citizens regardless of political considerations.

„Responsibility is not about signing everything, nor is it about blocking whatever is possible. Responsibility is acting in the name of the citizens' interest, regardless of whether it is politically profitable or not.” — Karol Nawrocki via Do Rzeczy