Next Suspect movements around the National Reconstruction Plan again lead to questions about how EU funds are managed in Poland. This time the case has a much larger scale than erstwhile controversy around tourism. It is about PLN 2 billion, which according to media reports may be threatened. The case has already reached the D.A.'s office, meaning that suspicions are not limited to administrative errors, but may concern major irregularities.
There's a fresh KPO scandal in the lead. To the D.A. I got the notice. about the anticipation of committing a crime in a tender for “AI laboratories” in Polish schools. According to the prosecution's findings, there is simply a suspicion that the starter company submitted 2 certificates which were falsified.
It is crucial to find whether action has been taken to the detriment of the public interest or whether there are systemic gaps in the distribution mechanism. Any confirmation of irregularities may consequence in a return of funds, a suspension of payments, or even a weakening of Poland's position in negotiations with the EU institutions.
The scale of possible problems suggests that this is not just about isolated cases, but about possible errors in the plan of the strategy of supervision of spending money from KPO. This is peculiarly crucial due to the fact that the fund is 1 of the key tools for financing investment and restoring the economy, and its credibility is not only national but besides European.
However, the current situation is not the first case of controversy over these measures. As early as 2025, there was a loud scandal over grants to the HoReCa manufacture to support companies after the pandemic. At the time, the public was amazed by the list of expenditures which – although formally included within the programme – raised serious doubts about their relevance. These included purchases of luxury yachts, investments in saunas, and modernisation of recreational facilities.
The biggest outrage was caused by the case of a company taking a subsidy for a swinger club, which received crucial money under the pretext of developing catering activities. Although formally the projects met the criteria of the programme, their real value for the economy, as well as its moral legitimacy, was widely contested. As a result, the prosecution besides dealt with the case, and the government announced checks and the resulting consequences. Personnel changes have besides occurred in institutions liable for distributing funds.
In particular, that scandal revealed the problem of besides widely formulated rules for granting grants that allowed financing projects far from the first objectives of the programme. However, the current situation seems more serious due to the fact that it concerns much larger amounts and possibly deeper irregularities - not only controversial expenditure, but possibly besides the allocation process itself.
If the investigation into the AI labs for schools confirms the allegations, it will confirm the systemic failure of the Tusk government to operate KPO. Not only the criminal work of individuals, the political work of the current ruling camp, but besides the reputation of the state as a reliable partner in the usage of EU funds. Or is that the last one?
We besides recommend: Rafał Gaweł returns to Poland to service his sentence. "Time to close a chapter"
