If Poland’s Populists Are So Anti-EU, They Should Give the Money Back

This is the hypocrisy at the heart of Poland’s populist movement: demonising the very Union that helped lift the country out of poverty and isolation.

By Sean Ash

On June 1, 2025, Poland narrowly elected Karol Nawrocki as its new president. With just 50.89 percent of the vote, this wasn’t a wave or a revolution. It was a near miss. And for millions of decent, progressive, forward-looking Poles, it was a gut punch.

This wasn’t a victory built on hope or policy. It was built on fear, scapegoating, and selective memory. A campaign that turned away from truth and leaned into division won, but just barely. It should worry every European who still believes in democracy, dignity, and decency.

Nawrocki positioned himself as a defender of Catholic values, but stripped them of their essence. Catholicism, in its truest form, is rooted in compassion, humility, and free will. Jesus said do not judge. Yet this campaign judged harshly. It targeted minorities, immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, and anyone who didn’t fit into a narrow vision of what Poland should be. Faith became a shield for exclusion, not a call for love.

Poland is a net beneficiary of the EU budget. Net beneficiary means Poland receives more from the EU than it contributes. This has been consistently true since Poland joined the EU in 2004. The country gains far more than it gives, and yet, the political narrative tells a different story.

Poland also receives more EU support than any other member state. Since joining the Union, it has received over €180 billion in funding. EU money has helped build its roads, modernise hospitals, and transform its economy. And yet, Nawrocki and his allies treat the EU as the enemy. Why? Because the EU insists on basic democratic standards. An independent judiciary. Freedom of the press. Respect for human rights. That’s not foreign interference. That’s the foundation Poland agreed to when it joined.

Then there’s the question of migration. In 2015, Poland was asked to accept just over 6,000 refugees as part of a Europe-wide response to the Syrian crisis. It refused. Despite being a large, prosperous country, Poland shut its doors. And while it later welcomed millions of Ukrainians, that too became part of the nationalist narrative. Help was extended to those considered like us. The rest were cast as a threat. It was never about capacity. It was about identity politics.

And what of Germany? Poland’s number one trading partner. The country that buys its goods, invests in its factories, and supports its growth. Instead of gratitude, Germany became the villain. The old wounds of war were reopened and weaponised. Meanwhile, the far deeper and longer-lasting damage inflicted by the Soviet Union is rarely mentioned. Why is that? Perhaps because Germany today represents liberal democracy, openness, and inclusion. And perhaps because Russia’s current model of authoritarianism feels more ideologically aligned to the populist right.

All of this points to a broader tactic. The politics of us versus them. Patriots versus elites. Locals versus outsiders. Real Poles versus imaginary threats. It’s strategic. It’s emotional. And it’s effective. But it also corrodes. It divides neighbour from neighbour, turns truth into a nuisance, and replaces policy with paranoia.

Millions of Poles voted against this. They voted for Europe. For decency. For justice. They came within a whisker of protecting the values that lifted Poland out of dictatorship and into a modern, respected democracy. They should hold their heads high. The world saw the margin. The world sees them still.

This election was not a mandate. It was a warning. A country this evenly split does not need more division. It needs leadership that unites. What it got was something else entirely.

And here’s the question we must ask: why didn’t they learn from Brexit?

Britain’s decision to walk away from the European Union wasn’t about solutions. It was about resentment. Fear dressed as pride. The promise of control became the reality of chaos. Prices rose. Influence collapsed. Opportunity shrank. It wasn’t liberation. It was slow self-destruction. Romania could see this, why not Poland? 

Poland should have seen Brexit as a warning. But nationalism is rarely rational. It doesn’t study consequences. It feeds on emotion, scapegoats, and the fantasy that going backwards is the same as standing strong. Hate always devours its host. And if Poland follows the same path, the cost won’t just be political. It will be moral. Cultural. Human. But mostly, economic disaster. 

The only way to beat populism is with truth. Compassion. And memory that refuses to be manipulated. To those who feel heartbroken, don’t lose heart. You are not alone. Poland deserves better. And with time, truth, and courage, it will find its way back.