Warsaw – A Polish political debate has flared up over energy policy and the use of renewable energy sources, with a member of the Confederation party, Przemysław Wipler, publicly questioning the knowledge of a cabinet minister on the subject.
On March 18, 2026, Wipler stated in an interview, “I know what I’m talking about. I think Przemysław Czarnek sometimes doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” referring to Czarnek’s statements regarding renewable energy and the Emissions Trading System (ETS). The comments came during a discussion on the “Moveść Wydarzeń” program, according to Polsat News.
The exchange followed Czarnek’s earlier declaration that he would dismantle the solar panels installed on his home once they were paid off and their warranty expired. Czarnek had previously argued for abandoning the ETS, calling it a “Brussels swindle” and asserting that Poland should not be a “bankomat for EU climate policy.”
Wipler outlined his own vision for Poland’s energy future, advocating for a focus on nuclear power, including both conventional reactors and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), as well as a continued role for coal. This stance was described as “more subtle” than Czarnek’s by the program’s host, Piotr Witwicki.
Wipler further suggested that Czarnek hadn’t thoroughly analyzed the financial implications of solar energy. “I don’t think he sat down with a pencil and paper and calculated how much photovoltaic energy would pay for itself and in what time,” he said. The debate underscores the divisions within Polish politics regarding the country’s energy transition and its relationship with European Union climate policies.
The discussion also touched on the broader implications of EU regulations, with Wipler claiming they had diminished Germany’s technological and industrial prowess. A separate report from Wiadomości Onet details Czarnek explaining his own solar panel installation, stating he was “forced” into it.
Gazeta reported on a similar critique from Sikorski regarding Czarnek’s use of photovoltaic energy, labeling it as “grotesque hypocrisy.”
