Poland Launches $1.1 Billion Investment Drive to Boost Trade in Africa

Poland’s state-owned development bank, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK), has unveiled a $1.1 billion program designed to help Polish companies expand their operations across Africa.

The initiative aims to increase trade with the rapidly growing continent, which currently represents only about 1.2 percent of Poland’s total exports. BGK has already provided financing for a $70 million railway project in Tanzania and hopes this will encourage more firms to explore African opportunities.

Strategic Expansion

Through the government’s financial support for exports programme, BGK is assisting both large corporations and small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs). The bank’s strategy through 2030 allocates a total of $3 billion for international expansion, with over half—$1.1 billion—specifically dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs in African markets.

While BGK supports Polish businesses in 89 markets worldwide, 17 of them are in Africa. This focus comes despite the continent currently receiving a mere 1 percent of Poland’s national exports.

Tusk’s Controversial Remarks on Human Rights Convention

In a separate development, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has sparked controversy following an interview with a British newspaper, where he suggested that if a major reform of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) is not undertaken, it would be reasonable to withdraw from it.

Tusk specifically criticized how the ECHR is often used to prevent the deportation of foreign criminals. His remarks drew immediate criticism from human rights groups and legal experts, though a government spokesman later clarified that Poland has no plans to withdraw from the convention.

Migration as a Key Threat

During the interview, which focused on the migration crisis and Europe’s response, Tusk identified migration as a primary threat. “When we are talking about the biggest threats, maybe not for Poland, but first of all, for the West, and for the EU as a whole, it is migration,” said Tusk, whose government last year launched a stringent new migration strategy that included suspending the right to asylum for migrants who cross the border irregularly.

He pointed to “more and more difficult ethnic and cultural relations inside our societies—not in Poland, maybe, but for sure in your country, in France, in Germany.”

Call for Urgent Reform

Tusk identified the ECHR as a key obstacle, stating that countries often cannot deport “convicted criminals, rapists or terrorists” due to court verdicts prioritizing human rights over security. He revealed he had discussed convention reform with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, telling them bluntly, “We cannot wait for these changes. We have to act now.”

Backlash from Human Rights Groups

The comments prompted a strong backlash from Polish human rights organizations. The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR) described Tusk’s remarks as “astonishing and concerning,” warning they could normalize arguments previously associated with extremist movements.

Warsaw human rights lawyer Monika Gąsiorowska cautioned that withdrawal from the convention would align Poland with countries like Russia, which left in 2022 following its invasion of Ukraine. She advised the prime minister to “familiarize himself with the values and goals of the founders of the Council of Europe.”

Government Clarification

Government spokesman Adam Szłapka later sought to clarify the prime minister’s comments, stating unequivocally that “there are not any plans to withdraw Poland from the ECHR.” He explained that Tusk’s words “did not refer to Poland, but were a response to a question posed by British journalists concerning the ongoing discussion in the UK.”

Earlier this year, Tusk joined eight other European leaders in calling for a “conversation” on interpreting the ECHR, arguing it should allow more flexibility for countries to expel foreign criminals and prevent “hostile states instrumentalising migrants.”

Source: Original reporting from news agencies. Credit to the original journalists.