Kaczyński Floats EU Exit Talks as Leverage to Force Reforms, Drawing a Sharp Rebuke from Tusk

A year before Poland’s general election, the country’s main opposition leader has suggested that countries led by nationalist parties could open negotiations to leave the European Union — not, he insists, as a goal in itself, but as a lever to force the bloc to return powers to its member states. Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the national-conservative Law and Justice party (PiS), made the remarks on Wednesday at an economic forum in southern Poland, arguing that the EU’s institutions have accumulated too much power and that the bloc needs fundamental change.

“The European Union must be changed. This is my deep conviction, shared by my party and, I believe, very many Poles,” Kaczyński said at the Krynica Forum 2026 in Krynica-Zdrój, according to reports of his address. He argued that upcoming elections in France and Spain, which could bring far-right politicians to power, may open the way for a different kind of debate about the EU’s future — one that shifts power back toward national capitals.

What Kaczyński Actually Proposed

Kaczyński offered several ideas for change before reaching the exit lever. He proposed having national parliamentarians monitor how often EU bodies break EU law, and drafting a new treaty that would take effect at a later date. As a last resort, he said, countries seeking reform could conclude such a treaty while simultaneously opening EU withdrawal negotiations — presenting that as a way to pressure other countries and EU bodies to accept changes. He acknowledged the approach himself, calling it a “hard and risky” course of action.

He also repeated his long-standing criticism of the European Commission, the EU’s executive body, arguing it holds too much influence and should be scrapped. On policy, he said reform should help lower energy prices, strengthen security, ensure a responsible migration policy, and support ambitious economic and agricultural policies, while reducing unnecessary bureaucracy. His stated goal, in his party’s words, is to “return the European Union to citizens” — a union that benefits ordinary citizens rather than elites.

The European Union must be changed. This is my deep conviction, shared by my party and, I believe, very many Poles.

Tusk’s Response and the Political Fight

The reaction from Poland’s government was swift. Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who leads the pro-European government, wrote on X: “Jarosław Kaczyński has just announced that Poland should begin negotiations on the conditions of leaving the European Union.” Kaczyński accused Tusk of misrepresenting his intentions, replying: “We want the union to benefit not the elites, but the ordinary citizens.”

Within PiS itself, the message was quickly softened. Deputy leader Przemysław Czarnek said on Thursday that the party was not planning to take Poland out of the EU and that its priority is reforming the bloc. Mateusz Morawiecki, leader of the Rozwój Plus group, said his group firmly supports Poland’s EU membership, while arguing the bloc still needs repair, including a deep revision of migration and climate policy. The exchange shows how the debate over the EU’s future is playing out not just between governments, but inside national politics across the continent.

• Kaczyński spoke at the Krynica Forum 2026 in Krynica-Zdrój, southern Poland, on Wednesday, October 28.
• Poland’s general election is about a year away.
• PiS led Poland between 2015 and 2023, a period marked by major conflicts with EU institutions over the rule of law and human rights.
• Four of the EU’s five largest countries — Spain, France, Italy and Poland — are due to hold general elections by the end of 2027.
• PiS deputy leader Czarnek says the party’s priority is reforming the EU, not leaving it.

Why Poland Matters in the EU Debate

Poland is not a marginal voice in this argument. It is a key country on NATO’s eastern flank and one of the EU’s fastest-growing economies, and it has gained strategic importance in recent years, partly through its crucial role in supporting Ukraine — a role underscored as Ukraine’s war with Russia continues to dominate the region’s security agenda. Any Polish debate about the EU’s future therefore carries weight well beyond Warsaw, especially when it touches on the balance between Brussels and national capitals.

The timing matters too. Kaczyński argued that a “window of opportunity” may be opening, with governments in France, Spain, Italy and Germany potentially changing in the coming years. Whether that window produces real reform or simply sharper rhetoric will depend on elections that have not happened yet — which is why his proposal is best read as an opening move in a campaign, not a settled plan. It also lands as EU partners are already testing how far they can act together on issues from international justice to sanctions.

What to Watch Next

What to watch next is whether PiS turns the exit-talk lever into a formal election platform, how Tusk’s government answers it in the months before the general election, and whether the elections Kaczyński is counting on in France and Spain actually produce governments willing to renegotiate the EU’s balance of power. The other test is whether the “hard and risky” proposal gains traction with voters or remains campaign rhetoric — and whether Poland’s debate sharpens into a genuine argument about membership, or stays where Czarnek placed it: a demand for reform, not an exit.