Today in Strasbourg, during the ongoing plenary session of the European Parliament, the 2024 annual report on competition policy was discussed. PiS MEP Marlena Maląg spoke on behalf of the ECR Group during the discussion.
Marlena Maląg recalled that Poland, her home country, knows the bitter taste of a centrally planned economy. “That is why I am watching with concern as the EU’s competition policy drifts toward EU-level economic planning,” she said.
The PiS MEP emphasized that central planning is diametrically opposed to what is most valuable for competitiveness: creativity, innovation, and grassroots initiatives. Even more troubling, in the Polish politician’s view, is the “ideological obsession with American digital companies.” As she noted, while monopolies are indeed a problem, they are currently the ones defending freedom of speech, whereas the EU is restricting it. She also stated that the unfortunate conclusion is that the report in question and the ongoing discussion are not driven by concern for competition, but rather represent a “geopolitical provocation aimed at the U.S.” “And today we need cooperation with the U.S., not an economic war. This report adds fuel to the fire,” Maląg argued, saying that she rejects “this harmful and short-sighted course.”
