Polish Zloty: PLN comes under pressure against Euro amid political uncertainty – Commerzbank

EUR/PLN has moved above 4.40, while the zloty’s performance continues to lag that of other CEE currencies. Commerzbank’s Tatha Ghose sees Poland-specific uncertainty as the main factor, with no clear catalyst for a near-term turnaround. Ghose highlights mounting institutional tensions surrounding Poland’s National Bank, where questions over board membership and legal issues are creating a grey area as inflation risks increase.

NBP board uncertainty weighs on zloty

"Local media coverage of PM Tusk’s standoff with NBP management heated up in recent days, with an article yesterday published on Onet.pl citing several insider reports that NBP governor Adam Glapinski is reportedly preparing for a major face-off in early November, when deputy governor Adam Lipinski’s term will expire (4 November). This would leave NBP’s management board with only 5 members, fewer than the statutory 6 officially required for legally valid NBP decisions, and create a grey zone around a key institution. The board will lose a further member on 1 January."

"The State Tribunal process against Glapinski could also return in November it appears, although the voting rights on this issue remain legally disputed. This leaves investors facing several possible institutional configurations, none of which offers immediate clarity just as the macroeconomic environment is shaping up in a distinctly pro-inflationary direction, requiring prompt action by the central bank."

"EUR/PLN breached the 4.40 level this week, and the zloty is extending its underperformance of other CEE currencies. Global risk sentiment may be an unhelpful factor at present, but Poland-specific uncertainty is probably dominant. It is difficult to envisage a near-term trigger which will reverse the zloty’s underperformance."

"President Karol Nawrocki has re-submitted four nominations for Tusk’s countersignature, but Tusk has not revealed his plans. One option would be to accept only selected candidates, possibly forcing Glapinski to work with rivals such as Ludwik Kotecki. A more confrontational possibility would be to allow the Board to fall below its statutory size, creating legal exposure if Glapinski were to convene meetings regardless."

(This article was created with the help of an Artificial Intelligence tool and reviewed by an editor. Know more.)