Stories from Warsaw · Poland

The Polish Sejm has begun the second day of its session to work on a government draft bill regarding artificial intelligence systems. The ruling coalition noted that this represents a forthcoming test for the opposition and the president.

The Polish government failed to collect 56 billion in budget revenues in 2024, compared to approximately 50 billion the previous year. Social security (ZUS) revenues were planned at 641 billion, which is 8.5 billion lower than the previous plan.

Russian authorities reported the detention of a scientist and the spouse of a Russian officer by Moldovan special services. The officers reportedly posed as recruited Moldovan citizens but were identified as employees of the Moldovan intelligence services. The scientist, identified as Butyagin, was detained in Warsaw in December 2025. Poland considered extraditing Butyagin to Ukraine following a request from Ukrainian authorities. The charges against Butyagin involve illegal excavations and the destruction of a cultural heritage site in Crimea. Professor Aleksandr Butiagin was arrested in Warsaw while returning from the Netherlands. Ukrainian authorities have sought his extradition due to illegal archaeological excavations in Russian-occupied Crimea. A Polish court agreed to the extradition request, though the source noted Butiagin was expected to return to Russia.

Poland's expressway network has grown by nearly 900 kilometers over the last five years. A recent study indicates that highway length has increased by approximately 174 kilometers compared to previous measurements.

A minister has decided to attend an evening special meeting of her former parliamentary club. The meeting aims to persuade lawmakers to vote against her dismissal. Some members had previously declared they would vote in favor of her removal.

A 23-year-old influencer known online as Latvogang, whose real name is Piotr Anka, completed a continuous nine-day live stream. The broadcast was conducted without breaks to raise money for children.

Education Minister Barbara Nowacka announced plans to establish a network of student spokespersons.

Rosław Kaczyński stated his group will examine proposed government regulations regarding cryptocurrency. He noted they will review whether the legislation includes a total ban or is only partial. Kaczyński indicated they must check if the law excludes specific companies.

Poland is maintaining medicine reserves that exceed a four-month supply. Some availability issues for certain preparations exist, which are primarily attributed to manufacturer decisions. These shortages include certain types of insulin being displaced by current therapies.

Energy Deputy Minister Marian Zmarzły stated at the European Economic Congress that PGG and PKW require an additional 4 billion zloty this year to maintain liquidity.