President Nawrocki signs windfall-profits tax for fuel firms, sends law to Constitutional Tribunal

Karol Nawrocki signed a government bill that creates a tax on the surplus profits of petroleum companies and immediately submitted the act to the Trybunał Konstytucyjny for a constitutional review, allowing the provisions to take effect pending the court’s decision. In a televised address, he declared that price reductions at fuel stations would be implemented right away, targeting a drop of over 2 zł per litre, fulfilling a campaign promise.

The move follows his September submission of the “Fuel Costs Normal” bill, which aimed to exempt fuel sales from VAT, allow flexible excise cuts, and cap refinery and wholesale margins. Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak criticized the president’s timing, calling the action a display of political calculation rather than substantive analysis. He highlighted the president’s week-long hesitation after the Sejm and Senate passed the measure and suggested the president acted only to avoid public backlash. Nawrocki accused the government of preferring tax revenue over price reductions, noting that higher diesel prices benefit the state budget and companies like Orlen.