A judicial knockout blow for borrowers. “The situation is extremely black and white”
Rising interest rates and the shrinking Swiss franc mortgage loan market have prompted some law firms to attempt to capitalise on challenges to PLN-denominated loans based on the WIBOR index. Tadeusz Białek, President of the Polish Bank Association, provides an update on court cases in this area.
While interest rates in Poland fell steadily over the past decade, contributing to lower loan repayments, they rose sharply between 2021 and 2023. Although significant reductions have since been seen, rates remain elevated and above pre-pandemic levels. The higher cost of borrowing in Poland is also reflected in WIBOR rates, on which the interest rates for many mortgage loans are based.
In some cases, mortgage repayments increased by 80–100% at the height of the crisis, causing widespread dissatisfaction among borrowers – a situation that law firms looking for new areas of business are trying to exploit. However, according to Polish Bank Association representatives, the industry does not expect a significant increase in court cases challenging WIBOR, and notes that banks have so far prevailed in legal disputes.
Source: Business Insider
Can Poles breathe a sigh of relief? Here’s what interest rates look like across Europe
The conflict in the Middle East has once again caused a lot of uncertainty regarding interest rates. Here’s how Poland’s interest rates compare to those in other countries today. Interest rates are the main tool that central banks use to influence the economy. Their level determines inflation, the cost of borrowing, and the pace of economic growth, amongst other things. Therefore, decisions on this matter have a direct impact on the lives of all citizens. It is worth remembering that interest rates are a universal instrument used across the globe. The range of variation in this indicator is impressive.
Source: Business Insider
25,000 lawsuits, and it could get worse. Will ‘free credit’ block the courts?
The Polish Bank Association fears that the new version of the ‘free credit’ sanction could open a Pandora’s box. However, bankers’ concerns were not reflected in the latest draft of the Consumer Credit Act. The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) is also disregarding criticism from other institutions in the sector.
Source: Bankier.pl
ZBP: Customers switching from online banking to mobile apps
The ZBP has published the Netbank report summarising the fourth quarter of 2025, which focuses on users of electronic banking services. As the statistics show, customers are increasingly abandoning online banking on websites in favour of mobile apps.
Source: Cashless.pl
Polish banks are operating cautiously
We have the 20th largest economy in the world and the 6th largest in the European Union. However, relative to the size of our economy, the scale of our banking sector places us fourth… from the bottom among all 27 EU countries. I know it is hard to believe, but the ratio of banking sector assets to GDP reached 93.3% at the end of 2025. […] The ratio of loans to GDP at the end of 2025 was 31.2%, also placing us fourth from the bottom among the 27 Member States.
Source: Obserwator Finansowy
The European Commission: The EU financial sector remains resilient to shocks
In March 2026, the European Commission published a report on the resilience of the European Union’s financial sector. The document confirms that the EU financial system is prepared to function even in the event of serious disruption, including geopolitical tensions, cyberattacks and natural disasters.
Source: Bank.pl
Banks regain high levels of public confidence
Following a temporary decline in 2024, banks regained high levels of public confidence by the end of 2025, according to a survey commissioned by the Polish Bank Association (ZBP) and presented at a ZBP press conference. Three main factors contributed to the decline in Poles’ confidence in banks at the turn of 2024 and 2025. First and foremost was the negative political and media narrative that exploited the banks’ record profits for populist ends in the public debate. As the ZBP President explained, banks’ financial results have been and remain largely dependent on interest rates, which are the result of the National Bank of Poland’s monetary policy, which is beyond the control of banks. A second issue negatively affecting the public’s perception of banks was economic factors, including persistently high mortgage repayments, which caused customer dissatisfaction. The third factor was the activities of law firms challenging CHF loan agreements and attempting to challenge loan agreements indexed to WIBOR, as well as actions aimed at the unjustified use of the Free Credit Sanction.
Source: Bank.pl
NBP: Banks under cost pressure, with profit growth well below par
According to the National Bank of Poland, the banking sector’s net profit for January–February 2026 stood at PLN 6.08 billion, which is a 25% year-on-year decline. In February alone, net profit amounted to around PLN 3 billion.
Source: Bankier.pl
Another country is set to revolutionise access to cash
Providing cash services to their customers is part of the banks’ ‘social licence’. This obligation goes hand in hand with the flow of zero-interest liquidity into personal accounts. This view is set out in a document from the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, which proposes new obligations for lenders.
Source: Bankier.pl
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See also
Banking today and tomorrow | An overview of the banking sector | March 2026
