Poland’s deputy prime minister vowed on Tuesday to stay with plans to introduce a brand new tax on Large Tech, hitting again at a risk of retaliation from the incoming US ambassador amid a deepening confrontation between Warsaw and Washington.
US President Donald Trump’s insurance policies on safety and commerce have shaken relations between Washington and its conventional allies in Europe, and an awfully public social media spat over Ukraine between Washington and Warsaw’s prime diplomats over the weekend encapsulated the souring temper.
On Monday night, the incoming US ambassador to Poland, Thomas Rose, issued a recent broadside to Warsaw, writing on X that plans introduced by deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski to impose a brand new tax on large know-how corporations had been “not very good”.
“A self-destructive tax that may solely harm Poland and its relations w/USA,” Rose wrote. “President Trump will reciprocate as effectively he ought to. Rescind the tax to keep away from the results!”
Requested throughout an interview with non-public broadcaster Radio Zet on Tuesday about Rose’s feedback, Gawkowski, a member of the Left social gathering, which is a junior associate in Poland’s coalition authorities, mentioned it was “sick” for anyone to inform one other nation what laws it may possibly cross.
“That is standing democracy on its head,” he added.
Polish funds minister Katarzyna Pelczynska-Nalecz, a member of one other junior coalition associate, the centre-right Poland2050, questioned Gawkowski’s plan to herald the tax now.
She informed state information channel TVP Information that whereas she thought that normally taxing large tech was a good suggestion the timing was “incomprehensible” given the dangers of a commerce warfare.
Dispute
Gawkowski has given few particulars in regards to the deliberate tax, however mentioned it may goal income made by Large Tech companies in Poland and assist the event of Polish tech corporations.
The feedback from Gawkowski, who additionally serves as minister of digital affairs, got here after a dispute on Sunday between US secretary of state Marco Rubio, tech billionaire Elon Musk and Polish international minister Radoslaw Sikorski.
Learn: Trump free speech assault on Europe units up Large Tech battle
Rubio accused Sikorski of “making issues up” and steered he was ungrateful, after he steered that Poland might must search for a brand new supplier of web companies for Ukraine if Elon Musk’s Starlink turns into unreliable.
Poland pays for Ukraine’s Starlink subscription.
On Monday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk additionally weighed in to the social media skirmish, cautioning Poland’s “buddies” in opposition to “conceitedness” in a publish on X.
Poland’s nationalist opposition social gathering Regulation and Justice (PiS) has criticised the federal government’s strategy, saying it’s damaging relations with Poland’s most necessary ally. — Barbara Erling and Pawel Florkiewicz, (c) 2025 Reuters
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