Presidential Aspirant in Poland Suggests Introducing a Property Tax as a Solution to the Nation's Housing Shortage Issue
In the upcoming Polish presidential election, Magdalena Biejat, the candidate of the Nowa Lewica (New Left) party, has made a significant impact with her housing reform proposals. Biejat, who is aiming to tackle the housing crisis, has declared housing a basic right rather than a commodity for profit.
Biejat has assured voters that banks won't go bankrupt under her proposed policies, but they'll earn less. She has taken aim at her rivals, asserting that neither the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) nor Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski have successfully addressed the housing crisis.
One of Biejat's key proposals is to redefine housing as a fundamental right rather than an economic commodity. She has criticised developers and banks for prioritising profits over affordability and has promised to protect Polish families from excessive financial burdens.
To fund social housing development, Biejat proposes introducing a cadastral tax on third and subsequent properties. The cadastral tax, though long debated in Poland, remains absent from current policies. This tax bases its rate on the value of a property and aims to discourage speculative real estate investments.
Biejat also proposes "fair mortgage terms" with capped interest rates at 4% and bank margins limited to 1%. She has expressed strong opposition to government subsidies for mortgage loans.
Biejat's housing reform proposals are one of her most controversial proposals in the election. However, her focus on housing sets her apart as a distinctive voice in the presidential race. She has pledged to stand on the side of ordinary citizens and is the only candidate who puts housing as the number one priority.
Biejat has argued that successful examples of high-standard social housing projects in Włocławek could be replicated across Poland without relying on foreign examples from cities like Vienna or Berlin.
The first round of Poland's presidential election is scheduled for May 18, with a potential second round on June 1. Biejat's precise details of her housing reform proposals can be found in her official campaign materials, party publications, or recent news reports.
Despite limited information about Biejat's policy platform on housing or housing reforms in the current search results, left-wing parties in Poland, generally, emphasize affordable housing, increased social housing availability, and stronger tenant protections. However, without explicit details from the 2025 campaign, this remains an informed inference rather than a fact from the current data.
Biejat's focus on housing reform is a clear indication of her commitment to addressing the pressing issues faced by the Polish people. As the election date approaches, it will be interesting to see how her proposals resonate with voters grappling with rising costs and limited availability in the real estate market.
- Magdalena Biejat, the candidate of the Nowa Lewica (New Left) party, aims to redefine housing as a fundamental right in her proposed policies, differentiating herself from the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) and Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski who have failed to address the housing crisis.
- Biejat proposes introducing a cadastral tax on third and subsequent properties to fund social housing development, a proposal that, though long debated in Poland, remains absent from current policies.
- To ease the financial burden on Polish families, Biejat advocates for "fair mortgage terms" with capped interest rates at 4% and bank margins limited to 1%, expressing strong opposition to government subsidies for mortgage loans.
- Biejat's housing reform proposals, including the cadastral tax and fair mortgage terms, have become one of the most controversial factors in the presidential race, positioning her as a distinctive voice advocating for ordinary citizens rather than big developers and banks.
- Left-wing parties in Poland, generally, have emphasized affordable housing, increased social housing availability, and stronger tenant protections, although specific details about Biejat's housing reform proposals for the 2025 campaign can be found in her official campaign materials, party publications, or recent news reports.
