The Warsaw Wire Podcast

Conservative Law and Justice (PiS), Poland's main opposition party, is campaigning on a pledge to scrap the EU’s emissions trading system (ETS), branding it “Brussels’ cash machine.” However, most of the ETS funds that were spent under PiS’s own government were largely used to support the state budget. Just 1.3% went toward projects that would actually reduce emissions and ease costs in the long term.In this episode of The Warsaw Wire, energy reporter Patryk Strzałkowski unpacks the ETS dispute that could shape the 2027 election.

Poland is rethinking how it protects one of its most critical systems: the national power grid.As a NATO member bordering Ukraine and a key transit hub for Western military support, Poland has become increasingly concerned about hybrid threats - from drone incursions to sabotage of infrastructure. In this episode of The Warsaw Wire, Alicja Ptak speaks with Louisa Naks of The Wall Street Journal about her recent reporting on how Poland’s grid operator, Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne (PSE), is preparing for the possibility of war, drawing lessons from attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine.Watch Louisa’s documentary here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=np5EmxaSEYc

Poland will launch its first offshore wind farms this year, a historic step for a country that still generates more than half of its electricity from coal.The shift is not just technological but geographic: the centre of gravity of Poland’s energy system is moving from the coal-heavy south to the cleaner north, where offshore wind projects - alongside a planned nuclear plant - are set to anchor a new phase of the transition.In this episode of The Warsaw Wire, Alicja Ptak speaks with Marianna Sobkiewicz from the Polish Economic Institute (PIE) about how Poland’s offshore market compares with Western Europe, why foreign partners dominate early projects, and whether offshore wind can truly transform Poland’s economy and energy security.Poland may be 30 years late to offshore wind, but that “fashionably late” entry means it can benefit from mature European technology, experienced international partners and proven financing models. Combined with the size of its economy, this has allowed Poland to scale up faster than most of its Baltic neighbours, accounting for nearly 40% of offshore capacity auctioned in Europe last year.If you want to learn more, read Marianna's recent report on changing ownership models in offshore wind in Europe, with a particular focus on the Baltic Sea and Poland:https://pie.net.pl/morska-energetyka-wiatrowa-moze-odpowiadac-za-nawet-21-proc-produkcji-energii-elektrycznej-w-polsce-w-2040-r/

In this episode of The Warsaw Wire, host Alicja Ptak, deputy editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland, speaks with Paweł Wiejski, climate and energy expert, about how insights from the recent winners of the so-called “Nobel Prize in economics” can be applied to Poland’s shift away from coal.Drawing on the work of economists Philippe Aghion, Peter Howitt and Joel Mokyr, the conversation explores why innovation, institutions and creative destruction matter so much for Poland's energy future.To learn more, read Paweł's recent article for Instytut Zielonej Gospodarki (Green Economy Institute) on the subject:https://www.izg.org.pl/instytucje-innowacje-nobel-transformacja/Other articles featured in the video:https://notesfrompoland.com/2025/12/15/polands-president-signs-bill-facilitating-coal-mine-closures-and-compensation-for-miners/https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/eu-relent-combustion-engines-ban-after-auto-industry-pressure-2025-12-16/https://notesfrompoland.com/2021/05/31/polish-government-and-miners-reach-coal-phaseout-deal-but-doubts-remain-over-eu-approval/Thumbnail image credit: Greenpeace Polska/Flickr.com (CC BY-ND 2.0), Daniel Eliashevsky/Pexels, Easy-Peasy.AI, Collage created by Alicja Ptak

Poland is undergoing one of the most dynamic economic transformations in Europe. Ten of the EU’s 20 fastest-growing cities of the past 15 years are in Poland.Among them: Katowice. Located in the country’s south and long associated with coal and heavy industry, Katowice has rapidly reinvented itself as a hub for technology, gaming, and foreign investment, a shift increasingly recognised by international outlets, including the Financial Times.In this episode, we speak with the FT’s Central Europe correspondent, Raphael Minder, about why he chose to focus on Katowice’s transition in his recent story, what he learned while during his reporting , and how the city’s evolution reflects broader trends in Poland’s economy and energy transition.We also explore:Why Katowice stood out among Poland’s fastest-growing citiesHis first visit to Katowice under the communist regime, and how the city has changed sinceThe new gaming and tech hub rising in former coal minesPoland’s economic strengths, talent pool, and demographic challengesHow political continuity (or lack of it) shapes long-term developmentYou can read Raphael's story here:https://www.ft.com/content/6c28ddd1-0326-4b93-8214-e62ae57643af

Poland’s public debt is rising at one of the fastest rates in the European Union, but is the situation actually dangerous?In this episode of The Warsaw Wire, Alicja Ptak speaks with Aleksander Kieroński, an economic analyst at Polityka Insight, to break down what’s really happening with Poland’s finances, what’s behind the rapid increase in debt, and whether the country is heading toward a fiscal cliff.We discuss:- Why Poland’s debt is among fastest-growing in Europe?- Why the cost of debt - not just the level - is becoming the real threat?- How much defence spending and war-related pressures matter?- Whether political conflict between the government and President Karol Nawrocki is creating a fiscal deadlock?- Is "growing out of debt" possible?- Why unpopular reforms (tax changes, adjusting social benefits) remain politically off-limits?🎧 Watch or listen to the full conversation on YouTube and main podcast plaforms.

Thirteen years ago, “Poland Can Into Space” was just an internet meme, a joke about ambition and national pride.As it turns out, underdog success stories aren’t only for the movies. Sometimes they happen in real life, and Poland’s booming space industry has proven the internet jokesters wrong.In this episode of The Warsaw Wire, Alicja Ptak speaks with Wojciech Brzeziński, science journalist and Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT, about how Poland went from having almost no space industry to becoming one of Europe’s fastest-growing space players.They discuss how ambition, smart public investment, and growing technical expertise helped Poland build satellites, join international missions, and send an astronaut back into orbit after nearly 50 years.

Ahead of COP30 in Brazil, Poland’s lead climate negotiator, Katarzyna Wrona, outlines the country’s strategy: calling for action from major emitters, emphasising just transition, and balancing economic growth with environmental responsibility.

Poland is Europe’s most coal-reliant country and despite political promises, it still burns more of the fuel than any other EU member. In this deep-dive video essay, Alicja Ptak explores the history, politics, and economics that keep coal at the heart of Poland’s energy mix, and why moving away from it has been so difficult.From miners’ political power in Silesia to EU climate rules, carbon taxes, and stalled wind energy laws, we unpack the forces shaping Poland’s energy future and ask whether the country can really quit coal by 2035.You can read the text of the essay on Notes from Poland website and watch a video essay on YouTube.

Poland says it will largely exit coal by 2035, but will it really? And can it make the clean energy shift fast enough to keep energy prices down, meet EU targets, and avoid another political backlash?In this episode, Alicja Ptak speaks with Tobiasz Adamczewski, Vice President of Forum Energii, about the future of Poland’s energy transition. They unpack the country’s coal legacy, the political contradictions slowing change, and the latest update to the national energy plan.Topics include:⚡What’s inside Poland’s new energy & climate plan⚡ Why wind power is still stuck in limbo⚡ The economic case for exiting coal — fast⚡ The risks of ETS2 becoming a political flashpoint in 2027Available also on YouTube.

In this debut episode of The Warsaw Wire, journalist Alicja Ptak speaks with economist Marcin Piątkowski, author of Europe’s Growth Champion, about Poland’s extraordinary transformation over the past three decades.Together, they unpack the country’s long struggle with inequality and underdevelopment, the paradoxes of communism, the impact of EU membership, and the risks that could now threaten its success. Piątkowski also reflects on current political tensions, the rule of law, and whether Poland’s “economic miracle” can last.🎧 Listen for a compelling, historically grounded deep dive into how Poland escaped the extractive trap and what other countries can learn from its journey.📌 Topics discussed:Why Poland’s past held it back and how it finally broke free?What made Poland’s transition to capitalism unique?The role of institutions, education, and EU accession?Why some of today’s political trends risk repeating history?🔊 Available also on YouTube.

In 1989, Poland was broke, exhausted, and on the brink of collapse. Three decades later, it has become one of Europe’s fastest-growing economies and perhaps its most surprising success story.This audio feature, written and read by Notes from Poland senior editor Alicja Ptak, tells the story of how Poland went from post-communist turmoil to “an unprecedented economic miracle”.Based on an interview with economist Marcin Piątkowski, author of Europe’s Growth Champion, it traces Poland’s transformation from a feudal oligarchy through communism to an inclusive, high-income society and explores the risks that could bring this golden age to an end.🎙️ Want more? The full interview with Marcin Piątkowski on The Warsaw Wire podcast will be available in next episode.

Welcome to The Warsaw Wire — a new podcast exploring the forces shaping Poland’s economy, energy and business landscape.Hosted by Alicja Ptak, senior editor at Notes from Poland, this series brings you smart, accessible conversations with economists, entrepreneurs and decision-makers about Poland’s rapid transformation — and the tensions behind it.In upcoming episodes:- How Poland went from post-communist collapse to an EU growth champion- The political fault lines of the energy transition- Can Poland innovate its way into the future, or risk stagnation?Each episode features a written deep dive and an extended expert interview.Follow The Warsaw Wire on Spotify and YouTube, and don’t miss a story that could shape Poland’s future.