Poland defiant over big tech tax plan in latest spat with US

Poland's deputy prime minister vowed on Tuesday to stick with plans to introduce a new tax on big tech, hitting back at a threat of retaliation from the incoming United States ambassador amid a deepening war of words between Warsaw and Washington.

The dispute intensified after Thomas Rose, the incoming US ambassador to Poland, took to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday evening. In his post, Rose described the proposed tax as “not very smart” and warned that it would hurt Poland and its relations with the United States. “A self destructive tax that will only hurt Poland and its relations w/USA. President Trump will reciprocate as well he should. Rescind the tax to avoid the consequences!” he wrote.

In an interview with Radio Zet, Gawkowski, who also serves as minister of digital affairs, dismissed Rose’s criticism as an overreach. “It’s sick for somebody to tell another country what legislation it can pass,” he said, adding, “This is standing democracy on its head.”

Meanwhile, Polish Funds Minister Katarzyna Pelczynska-Nalecz, representing the centre-right Poland2050 coalition partner, questioned the timing of the tax. Speaking on state TV, she acknowledged that taxing big tech could be beneficial but called the current timing “incomprehensible” given the potential risks of igniting a trade war.

Gawkowski provided few specifics about the new tax but indicated that it would target profits made by big tech firms in Poland and aim to support the growth of domestic technology companies. His remarks came amid an already volatile atmosphere in US-European relations, fueled by President Donald Trump’s hard-line security and trade policies, which have strained Washington’s ties with traditional allies in the region.

The spat adds to a series of recent high-profile exchanges between US and Polish officials. Last weekend, a public disagreement involving US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, tech billionaire Elon Musk, and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski erupted after Sikorski suggested that Poland might need to find a new provider for Ukraine’s internet services if Elon Musk’s Starlink were to become unreliable. Poland currently funds Ukraine’s Starlink subscription, a move that has sparked further debate.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also weighed in on social media, cautioning Poland’s “friends” against “arrogance” in their dealings, while the nationalist opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) criticized the government’s approach, arguing that it was harming relations with Poland’s most important ally.

As the situation develops, Poland’s resolve to implement its big tech tax underscores a broader clash over economic policy and national sovereignty, set against the backdrop of an increasingly complex transatlantic relationship.

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