Rose, appointed by President Donald Trump but yet to begin his tenure in Warsaw, had urged Poland on social media to scrap the levy, calling it “self-destructive” and warning of repercussions for U.S.-Polish relations.
Gawkowski responded by saying that no foreign power, “even a friendly one,” can dictate Poland’s economic decisions, and insisted that the era of one state treating another “as a vassal” was over.
The digital tax, Gawkowski said, would channel revenue from global tech giants toward Poland’s digital sector, including startups, cloud services, and technology-based media.
“Why is it acceptable for other countries, like Spain, France, the U.K., and Austria, to introduce such a tax, but not for Poland?” he asked.
While pledging to maintain close ties with Washington—particularly on defense procurement—Gawkowski stressed Poland’s right to regulate tech firms that profit from Polish consumers.
The minister also hinted at broader legal proposals to protect citizen privacy against data-collection practices by large digital platforms.
Asked whether Prime Minister Donald Tusk endorsed the plan, Gawkowski said, “The prime minister always supports his ministers,” adding that he expects to finalize the digital tax proposal in the coming months.
(jh)
Source: PAP