So far, about 110 million złoty (€25.8 million) have been paid out, leaving most of the program’s budget frozen.
The HoReCa scheme, part of Poland’s long-delayed EU Covid recovery plan, was intended to help small tourism and hospitality businesses diversify after the pandemic.
Brussels had withheld the wider recovery fund, worth €59.8 billion for Poland, for years over rule-of-law disputes with the previous government, making its eventual release a signature win for Prime Minister Donald Tusk after his 2023 election victory.
But an interactive online map of recipients, published last week, instead lit up social media with eyebrow-raising purchases ranging from boats and luxury furniture to a grant registered to the address of a swingers’ club.
PiS has seized on the controversy to accuse Tusk’s government of cronyism and waste, and to highlight cracks within the government coalition.
“These funds were meant to rebuild Poland after the pandemic and create new jobs,” said PiS spokesperson Rafał Bochenek in statement on Tuesday. “Tusk promised development that everyone would feel. What we feel is a gigantic stench — and a huge debt we will all have to repay.”