Parliament accepts government's road funding pledges

Minister of Regional Development Elzbieta Bienkowska: photo - PAP/Jakub Kaminski

Friday's vote followed a debate in Poland's lower house of parliament on Wednesday, during which Minister of Regional Development Elzbieta Bienkowska assured MPs that the funding was forthcoming.

The EC blocked some 3.5 billion zloty (837.7 million euro) after Polish prosecutors began investigating an alleged price-fixing cartel concerning three road construction projects.

Late last month, opposition party Solidarity Poland threatened to apply for a vote of no confidence in Transport Minister Slawomir Nowak over the affair.

On Wednesday, Nowak highlighted that with the investigation ongoing, Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) has now indicated that only in one instance is there a suspicion that laws were violated.

As cited by the Polish Press Agency (PAP), Nowak argued that if anyone was guilty of wrongdoing it was “dishonest contractors,” but that the case would have to be proved in court.

Following a meeting in Brussels last week with European Commissioner Johannes Hahn, Minister Bienkowska made assurances that funds would be released within two weeks of the EC being provided with necessary documentation.

During Wednesday's debate she insisted that this would be submitted by 15 February.

All in all, 261 MPs voted to accept the government's pledge, while 181 rejected it, and one member abstained. (nh)