Finance Minister Tadeusz Kościński steps down after dispute on tax reform

The Polish Deal, introduced in January, was a reform that was meant to benefit all Poles, barring the highest earners, but sparked an outcry when some lower earners, like teachers, received pay cuts rather than raises. The new rules remain unclear, even to tax experts, critics said. "The minister accepts political responsibility for certain shortcomings that occurred in the implementation of the new tax rules," PiS spokesperson Anita Czerwińska told a news conference. "Until a new candidate is selected, this function will be performed by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki." Kocśiński, a former deputy finance minister and an ally of Morawiecki, was one of the leading figures behind the reform and faced criticism along with some of his deputy ministers.