The first major event organized by the political circle of Mateusz Morawiecki, following his split from Law and Justice (PiS), is set to take place in Warsaw’s Praga district.

The gathering comes just days after the former prime minister and dozens of his allies severed ties with the national-conservative PiS.

The move also led to Morawiecki’s resignation from the presidency of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament.

Organized by his Rozwój Plus (Development Plus) movement, the conference—dubbed “Morawiecki’s barbecue” due to the prominent inclusion of charcoal-grilled kiełbasa sausages—will mark a significant moment in Polish conservative politics.

The event will bring together key figures from the emerging movement alongside featured guests, including former world chess champion Garry Kasparov and General Rajmund Andrzejczak, the former chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces.

The gathering will offer Morawiecki’s camp an opportunity to present a political vision distinct from that of the current PiS leadership.

“Poles care about the fight for a strong Poland, their wallets, their jobs, housing, development, identity, culture, the Christian faith, and the defense of the cross hanging in the Sejm,” Morawiecki said this week. “These are our principles; this is our faith.”

Discussions will focus on demographics, security, and the politics of memory—topics that have grown increasingly sensitive amid recent tensions in Polish-Ukrainian relations.

While Morawiecki describes Rozwój Plus as an “expert group and think tank,” its political ambitions are becoming increasingly clear.

A new parliamentary group established on Wednesday brings together 40 deputies and one senator, providing his allies with an official platform in parliament and a base from which to challenge PiS.

“This is a threat to us,” Mateusz Kurzejewski, a PiS politician and spokesperson for Przemysław Czarnek’s prime ministerial campaign, told Euractiv. “After all, this is an initiative that reduces our chances of victory, though it does not eliminate them entirely. Therefore, we will continue to work hard.”

However, whether Morawiecki can successfully reshape the Polish right remains uncertain.

An SW Research poll commissioned by Onet revealed that 32.9% of respondents would consider voting for a party led by the former prime minister.

The strongest potential support comes from voters who already align with the right. Among respondents currently close to PiS, 14% said they would consider supporting Morawiecki, while 7.1% of those aligned with the further-right Confederation held the same view.

The initiative could also draw limited support from the ruling camp. Approximately 7.4% of voters currently supporting Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s pro-EU Civic Coalition, The Left, Poland 2050, or the Polish People’s Party indicated they would not rule out voting for a party led by Morawiecki.

Sources within Tusk’s government believe the split in PiS could benefit the ruling coalition in the short term.

“Particularly because this situation helps soften the impact of the hospital scandal,” one source told Euractiv. “Today, no one is talking about it anymore, and fortunately, no new statements have been made.”

The controversy revolves around allegations that a Warsaw hospital operated a preferential admission system for politicians belonging to the governing Civic Coalition, allowing them to enter a VIP lounge and receive medical treatment ahead of other patients.

Questions have also been raised regarding the salary of the doctor heading the hospital’s emergency department, who is reportedly linked to Tusk’s party.

Yet the same source warned that Morawiecki’s departure may have little long-term impact on the Civic Coalition.

They argued that PiS possesses a fiercely loyal electorate, whereas enthusiasm for Rozwój Plus could prove temporary.

“Look at the IBRiS poll for Rzeczpospolita,” another source said. “70% of PiS voters say they are voting for their ideal party. This core electorate accounts for about 70% of PiS’s current voters.”

A similar perspective prevails within PiS, where politicians contend that Morawiecki is chasing a voter base that may be too small to sustain a new party.

Speaking to Euractiv, Kurzejewski said:

“People do not want to vote for politicians who have been excluded from PiS. As for Law and Justice voters, they do not want to vote for those who betrayed them. That is why this project means Rozwój Plus will fail to clear the electoral threshold.”

Today’s event will therefore serve as an early test of whether Morawiecki can translate curiosity and institutional support into lasting political clout—or whether his departure will become merely another short-lived fracture on Poland’s crowded right wing.

Italy is delaying the execution of a €14.9 billion loan agreement under the European Union’s SAFE defense program, a hesitation that is preventing other member states from accessing unallocated funds.

The Italian government has failed to finalize the exact amount it intends to borrow due to an ongoing energy crisis and internal political debate, effectively holding other European nations “hostage” ahead of a year-end deadline for fund redistribution, according to a report by Euronews.

Rome had previously requested €14.9 billion in loans—an application that was swiftly approved by both the European Commission and the Council of the European Union. However, the administration has yet to issue a final decision regarding the exact amount it will draw down.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated this week that his country has “reserved” the full €14.9 billion as a maximum threshold.

Tajani noted that the government will only determine the final loan volume toward the end of the year, adding that he expects the eventual figure to range between €6 billion and €9 billion.

Eastern bloc frustrates over indecision

Rome’s reluctance is causing growing irritation across Europe, Euronews reported. While 17 EU member states have completed their formal agreements with the European Commission, they remain unable to access unclaimed funds because of Italy’s position.

Eastern flank countries, including Poland and Lithuania, are facing particular constraints as they seek additional resources beyond their initial allocations.

Under SAFE framework regulations, all unspent resources must be redistributed by the end of the year. Euronews reported that if Italy continues to delay, the European Commission could formally restrict Rome’s application in September, opening the remaining pool of approximately €10 billion to applications from other member states.

The Security Action for Europe (SAFE) operates as an EU financing mechanism designed to provide low-interest loans to help member state governments bridge gaps in their military capabilities and maintain continued support for Ukraine.

Approved by EU ambassadors in May last year to support the bloc’s rearmament, the SAFE loan facility has a total capacity of €150 billion.

The program forms part of the broader €800 billion “ReArm Europe” initiative announced by the European Commission in March.

Energy crisis and domestic politics stall progress

Italy’s cautious approach stems from a combination of domestic political pressures and economic factors. The country is contending with the impact of rising energy costs linked to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, leading the Italian government to request fiscal flexibility from the EU to handle energy expenditures.

Concurrently, Italy’s ruling coalition—comprising Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy), Lega (League), and Forza Italia—faces intensifying pressure from its far-right wing, which has criticized increased defense spending ahead of upcoming elections. Italy must hold its next parliamentary elections no later than Dec. 22, 2027.

Euronews previously reported in May that despite reserving €14.9 billion under the SAFE program, Rome subsequently decided to request only €4 billion to €5 billion to cover existing signed contracts.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Foreign Minister Tajani justified the move by emphasizing the need to prioritize the energy crisis. Rome missed the deadline to submit its SAFE projects after requesting budget flexibility from Brussels for energy spending.

“We cannot tell our citizens that there is only money for defense,” Meloni said regarding the situation.

Italian daily La Repubblica also reported persistent disagreements between Meloni and other EU leaders concerning Ukraine. At the end of June, Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) reported that a draft text intended for consensus at the NATO Summit in Ankara envisioned maintaining annual support for Kyiv at €70 billion through 2027, matching the 2026 commitment level.

However, Italy withheld its approval for the draft, objecting to long-term financial commitments of that scale for Kyiv.

Germany is completely overhauling its world-renowned support program for wind and solar power as the federal government re-evaluates its two-decade-old energy transition policy.

Introduced under the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) passed in the mid-2000s, feed-in tariffs guaranteed households and commercial operators 20-year contracts worth hundreds of euros per megawatt-hour of electricity generated, designed to kickstart the deployment of green energy capacity.

Although the generosity of these contracts has diminished since the late 2010s, a “lock-in effect” means the program still costs Berlin approximately €15 billion per year.

This financial burden is set to persist in the coming years, as solar panel owners are routinely paid prices significantly above market rates for their electricity, regardless of the time of day.

Following an agreement reached late Tuesday within the governing coalition, amendments to two key pieces of legislation—the EEG and separate statutory rules governing electricity grid access—are expected to fundamentally transform the sector.

Blow to rooftop solar installations

Speaking in Berlin on Wednesday, Energy Minister Katherina Reiche said: “We are embarking on a paradigm shift. We are putting an end to the EEG as an all-encompassing, seamless package.”

Fixed subsidies for rooftop solar panels will be phased out over the next 36 months and replaced by “contracts for difference,” the new European Union norm for renewable energy support.

Under this framework, minimum and maximum earnings will be capped. The new system will take effect for all new contracts beginning in January 2027.

To prevent overloads in the electricity system, smaller solar installations with a capacity of up to 100 kilowatts will be prohibited from feeding more than 50% of their output into the grid during peak hours. Failure to restrict generation would otherwise force grid operators to implement costly intervention measures.

Revisions to grid connection regulations will also penalize companies installing solar panels or wind turbines in areas where the grid is already congested.

“Costs previously borne by taxpayers will now have to be covered by grid operators,” Reiche stated.

Initially, a draft proposal put forward by the Christian Democratic energy minister would have exempted renewable energy operators from compensation if their wind turbines or solar panels were shut down for grid stability—for the first ten years following installation.

Following intense backlash from the renewable energy lobby, the rule will remain in effect but will apply to fewer regions, for a maximum duration of six years, and will not exceed 20% of annual production.

Green sector voices strong opposition

The renewable energy lobby swiftly criticized the reforms, arguing that they establish a subsidy framework hostile to the industry.

BEE, the umbrella organization representing wind, solar, and bioenergy companies, described the package as “disappointing for a progressive, resilient, and affordable energy system.”

Solar power association BSW, whose members stand to suffer the greatest financial impact, stated that the “proposed cuts jeopardize billions of euros in investment and put tens of thousands of jobs across the solar value chain at risk.”