Deputy Minister Piotr Malepszak has taken over oversight of civil aviation in Poland, but his authority does not extend to key state-owned companies such as PLL LOT and railway operators, casting doubt on his promised shake-ups. The new division of responsibilities, signed by Minister of Infrastructure Dariusz Klimczak, gives Malepszak control over the Civil Aviation Office and the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency, but leaves out the very entities he would need to implement changes.
The move comes two weeks after Maciej Lasek resigned as government plenipotentiary for the Central Communication Port (CPK) and as deputy minister. Lasek had overseen the aviation component of the megaproject. Now, Malepszak – already responsible for railways and the CPK – adds aviation to his portfolio. However, the formal document published in the ministerial journal on 3 July 2026 omits any mention of supervision over railway companies or the Polish Aviation Group, which controls PLL LOT.
Malepszak, widely regarded as a railway expert rather than a career politician, had earlier announced that he would „strongly ventilate” managerial offices in railway companies. „If someone has not delivered, not met their targets, such a person should be thanked,” he said on RMF FM on 24 June. But the new decree does not grant him direct oversight of railway firms, raising questions about whether he can follow through on that promise.
New responsibilities, old limits
Under the updated division of labor, Malepszak will supervise the Civil Aviation Office, the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency, and the State Commission on Aircraft Accident Investigation. He also gains oversight of the CPK company and, by extension, the Polish Airports State Enterprise (PPL), which includes Chopin Airport. In addition, he will coordinate parliamentary affairs and represent the minister in the European Affairs Committee.
Yet critics note that the position of secretary of state – which Lasek held – has not been granted to Malepszak. He remains undersecretary of state, a lower rank. The omission is seen as a signal that the minister wants to keep him on a shorter leash.
A clash over corporate control
The most striking gap is the lack of direct authority over Poland’s national airline and the railway companies. Malepszak acknowledged in the same RMF FM interview that „there is a difference of opinion on this matter between him and Minister Dariusz Klimczak.” This suggests internal friction within the ministry over how much power the deputy should wield.
In practice, without formal oversight of PLL LOT and railway operators like PKP PLK, Malepszak’s ability to drive changes in those companies is severely limited. The minister retains those levers. The situation creates an unusual dynamic where Malepszak is expected to coordinate the CPK project – which depends heavily on both aviation and rail – but cannot directly influence the key players.
WNP.PL has sent questions to the ministry asking whether Malepszak will receive broader supervision powers in the future. No reply had been received by the time of publication. For now, Poland has a super-deputy minister whose hands are partly tied by the very person who appointed him.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. PAP/Marcin Obara/Paweł Supernak
