21:17 29 June 2026
Government in the hole to maintain optimism in Polish consumers
Consumer sentiment in Europe is recovering after the fuel crisis, helped by falling fuel prices. In Poland, confidence has remained stronger because retail fuel prices barely rose and consumers were largely shielded from the effects of the Middle East crisis. The cost, however, was borne by the state budget. The government cut fuel taxes, adding around PLN 5 bln to public debt to prevent a fall in public sentiment. The text contrasts Poland’s more populist approach with the more orthodox policies of Western Europe, where higher fuel prices were allowed to signal the need for lower consumption. As a result, Polish consumers are happier, but the country faces higher debt and a future challenge in stopping its growth.
(pb.pl)
