Overview

• Karol Nawrocki rejected a government bill that would have extended child benefits for Ukrainian refugees to March 2026, saying payments and access to free healthcare should be limited to those working in Poland.
• The presidency outlined plans to criminalize promotion of Stepan Bandera, tighten naturalization by extending the citizenship path from three to ten years, and raise penalties for illegal border crossings.
• Ministers warned the veto stops automatic extensions of legal stay after September 30 and could add roughly 8 billion zlotys in costs, pressuring the budget and risking disruption for hundreds of thousands of workers.
• A dispute over Poland-funded Starlink support for Ukraine intensified, with Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski warning of a shutdown from October 1 and the president’s office insisting payments can continue if a presidential bill passes in September.
• Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski called Starlink spending one of Poland’s most effective investments for Ukraine’s defense, as employer groups cautioned of potential labor shortages if refugee status lapses.