Poland's Solidarity union stages massive Warsaw protest against EU green policies

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in Warsaw on May 20, 2026 in a protest organized by Solidarity, Poland's largest trade union. The march, backed by the right‑wing opposition and President Karol Nawrocki, targeted the European Union’s Green Deal, particularly the Emissions Trading System (ETS), which the ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk defends.

Solidarity leader Piotr Duda criticised the government, warning Poland has become a "German colony" and urging a national referendum to reject EU climate measures. President Nawrocki’s deputy chief of staff, Paweł Szefernaker, thanked the crowd for defending Poland against the EU’s climate agenda. Law and Justice (PiS) figures, including deputy leader Przemysław Czarnek, echoed the sentiment, accusing the European Commission of imposing a "climate religion".

The proposed referendum requires Senate approval, where Tusk’s pro‑EU coalition holds a majority, setting up a political standoff over Poland’s future relationship with EU environmental policy.