Potential coalition in agreement on taxes and Sunday trade, energy issues may yield conflict

While the three political groupings likely to form a government: Civic Coalition (KO), The Third Way and the New Left, share a common stance on several key economic issues, some areas will require compromise. 

One common ground among the parties is the focus on tax reforms. Civic Coalition advocates for PIT reduction and the elimination of Belka’s capital gains tax, a view shared by Third Way, albeit with the introduction of family PIT. The Left, however, aligns on a different path, suggesting a reduction in the VAT rate and introducing greater progression in PIT, coupled with taxing big tech. KO and the Third Way also propose a reduction in Social Security contributions for entrepreneurs. 

There seems to be unanimous support for pay raises in the education sector and on the child subsidy program, where both KO and the New Left support increasing the subsidy to PLN 800 per child. All three parties agree on the need for providing affordable social housing, with the Third Way specifying the number of apartments required at 1 million within the four-year term. Pension indexation is where Civic Coalition’s views coincide with the New Left, both advocating for additional indexation if inflation exceeds 5%.

All three groupings also agree that the ban on Sunday trade should be relaxed, proposing two trading Sundays per month and KO advocating double pay for Sunday workers. 

The emphasis on renewable energy is another shared aspiration. Civic Coalition and Third Way advocate for a transition to green energy (KO specifying a goal of 68% of RE in the energy mix by 2030), while The Left takes a step further, aiming for a zero-emission energy mix.

However, challenges arise in several domains. The development of subsidized electricity and heating, as well as replacement of old furnaces is an issue only raised by the New Left. Similarly, the Left is the most vocal of the potential coalition partners in the issue of expanding national parks and eliminating caged farming.  

The future of the Central Communication Port remains a contentious issue, with KO planning to revise the fundamentals of the planned airport and the other two parties expressing opposition to the scheme.