Governing energy while neglecting health – The case of Poland

Abstract

The present article discusses Poland’s continued reliance on coal power and the consequent impacts on public health. Concrete aspects of the energy infrastructure and political priorities are shown to compromise as compromising public governance and leading to deteriorated health standards among the general population. To make this case, this study juxtaposes the most recent developments in the Polish energy sector with current measures in EU energy policy and reforms in other EU Member States. Special attention is paid to developments in Poland following the political shift in October 2015, when a new government came to power. The ruling conservative party’s direct involvement in the management of the mining and utility companies and its strong political ties to miners’ unions are particularly discussed. Theoretically, the article relies on the TAPIC framework for governance. The framework rests on five integral principles of good governance: Transparency, Accountability, Participation, Integrity and Capacity; TAPIC allows scholars to study the impact of governance on public health in any policy area. Methodologically, this study relies on secondary sources, including academic publications, national and international reports, and statistical data on a range of energy and health factors in Poland and Europe.