Poland’s new President Karol Nawrocki proposed revamping a project to build one of Europe’s biggest airports, located near Warsaw, rejecting changes to scale down the plan made by the country’s government.
Nawrocki said on August 7 that he seeks to force the government to restore the mega hub CPK Airport
plan to its previous incarnation, which included high-speed rail links with a number of smaller Polish cities.
The conflict comes a day after Nawrocki was sworn in, and signals a tough cohabitation between the opposition-backed nationalist head of state and the pro-European ruling coalition of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Nawrocki has vowed to start his term with a flurry of legislative proposals, several of which will clash with Tusk’s agenda.
Hours before Nawrocki’s speech, Tusk said that Poland’s constitution made clear that it’s the government that effectively runs the country, while the president has some sway over defense and foreign policy. He told Nawrocki “not to obstruct” his cabinet, which is halfway through a four-year parliamentary term.
Last year, Tusk’s cabinet amended the 131 billion zloty ($36 billion) airport project, which was drawn up by his nationalist predecessors, scaling down rail investments to ensure there’s ample demand for the lines that end up being built.
The planned airport, set to be located about 50 km (31 miles) west of Warsaw, would be capable of handling 34 million passengers annually. Flights are expected to start in 2032, according to the government’s plan.
