- This summit was groundbreaking, if only because we managed to invite a very broad group of countries to Warsaw – including those that not only don't talk to each other on a daily basis, but actively fight each other. The best example is Israel and numerous Arab states, which met at such a high level for the first time in years. The very fact that countries that do not even officially recognize each other's existence not only sat at the same table, but also began to discuss, exchange arguments – this is a huge success. A success which, I hope, will prove to be the beginning of civilizing international relations with regard to this region of the world – stated Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in an interview with PAP. He added:

"Today we already know that the conference is not a one-time event, but the beginning of something bigger. This is very pleasing, it is good news for both the Middle East and the European Union. Because the Warsaw conference will give rise to seven working groups that will continue discussions at a more detailed level. Thanks to this conference, Warsaw has gained a permanent place on the map of the Middle East peace process, like Oslo or Madrid before. In some world capitals, people are already talking about the "Warsaw process" as an opening for new possibilities in strengthening peaceful relations in the world"

- Indeed, such information appeared on Thursday evening, and we immediately took action to clarify it. At my personal request, the Ambassador of Israel to Poland, Ms. Anna Azari, was urgently summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She explained that the information about this statement was completely untrue. In reality, Prime Minister Netanyahu was speaking only of individual cases of collaborators. Furthermore, he also confirmed that he fully upholds the joint declaration adopted by Poland and Israel in June of last year, which is a very important document strengthening our true narrative about the history of WWII. In this declaration, Prime Minister Netanyahu and I stated clearly: there is no consent to attributing guilt to Poland or the Polish nation for German crimes – stated Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in an interview with PAP, when asked about Prime Minister Netanyahu's statement.

- We are keeping a cool head in this matter and are using the appropriate tools in diplomacy. In this case, it is worth acting prudently and consistently refuting lies about us. We will react very decisively to all such statements. This matter is of fundamental importance to us; we cannot allow such insinuations and harmful accusations – added the head of the Polish government.

- We approach this matter very consistently and unequivocally, taking into account the entire historical context. We explain that the expectations for Poland to compensate for German crimes are based on a fundamental misunderstanding. Poland was a victim of both Germany and the Soviet Union. Germans destroyed our country, they wanted to exterminate almost the entire Polish nation, and turn the remainder into slaves. It is we who have the right to demand compensation - stated Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in an interview with PAP. He added:

"Furthermore, the matter of returning property to U.S. citizens of Jewish descent is fully resolved - we have had an indemnification agreement with the Americans on this matter for years, which exempts our country from this responsibility. I want to emphasize this clearly: this issue does not exist currently. Poland is completely secure in this regard."

- This seems like a coalition [European Coalition] of real dinosaurs (...) The program of this dinosaur coalition is, unfortunately, just one: to remove PiS from power, PiS, despite winning democratic elections, has no right to govern Poland - stated Mirosława Stachowiak-Różecka on Dariusz Ociepa's program "Śniadanie w Polsat News".

- This absorption of SLD by Civic Platform is a closing of the system 30 years after the Round Table. Just as it was with Nowoczesna, it will end the same way for SLD, meaning SLD will cease to exist - stated Stanisław Tyszka in Dariusz Ociepa's program "Śniadanie w Polsat News".

– Yesterday, Paweł Kukiz and I returned from Rome, and we formed a coalition with the Five Star Movement, which governs Italy. It will be a euro-realistic coalition, pro-European, but at the same time opposed to the current eurocratic elites – stated Stanisław Tyszka in Dariusz Ociepa's program "Śniadanie w Polsat News".

“Poland has become the United States' most important ally in Europe, which wasn't the case before. We are seeing tangible results from this. This is no longer just about rotational bases and another very important summit taking place in Poland, where world leaders gather, but also an increasing chance of permanent bases, which will enhance Polish security in an unprecedented way” - stated Deputy Minister Patryk Jaki on TVN24’s program “Kawa na ławę”. 

"It was a disgrace of Polish diplomacy, an absolute disgrace, a festival of humiliation. We don't even have the status of a waiter in Poland's relations with Israel and the United States. A waiter at least gets some tips. [We have the position] of a waiter's assistant. We didn't even get any declaration" - said Paweł Kukiz on "Kawa na ławę" on TVN24.

As the week begins, Prime Minister Morawiecki will launch a political offensive ahead of the weekend's PiS convention. The head of the Polish government will travel across Poland by bus to showcase the workings of the so-called Morawiecki's Five. Grzegorz Schetyna will address the "Kaczyński affair," and the Sejm will consider a motion to dismiss the Minister of Justice, as well as a PiS bill on compensation for public media.

The General Affairs Council will once again address the issue of the rule of law in Poland, and the VAT parliamentary committee will question Paweł Graś and Jacek Kapica. The PSL will decide on the format for the European Parliament elections, and a Sejm committee will review the candidacies of two deputy ministers for ambassadorial posts. Meanwhile, a Visegrad Group summit will take place in Jerusalem.

*****

Morawiecki's Tour. As reported by 300POLITYKA, Monday marks the start of an initiative tentatively titled "10 Hours with Prime Minister Morawiecki." The event is scheduled to begin in the morning from the location where the so-called Morawiecki's Five was announced last year. Following this, the head of the Polish government will tour the country, demonstrating the effectiveness of the aforementioned Five through five examples in five locations. Organizers assure that the entire event will be conducted in a campaign style, even though the formal campaign has not yet begun, and Mateusz Morawiecki will travel across Poland by bus. Ministers are also expected to accompany him to present the government team.

Schetyna's Press Conference. On Monday at 9:30 AM in Wrocław, Platforma Obywatelska leader Grzegorz Schetyna will issue a "statement regarding the Kaczyński affair." The opposition leader was initially scheduled to meet with journalists on Saturday, but his statement has been moved to the beginning of the upcoming week.

Trzaskowski Signs LGBT+ Declaration. On Monday, the signing of a declaration in support of the LGBT+ community in Warsaw will take place at the City Hall. The event will be attended by the Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, the Coordinator for Culture and Social Communication, Aldona Machnowska-Góra, and representatives of organizations representing the LGBT+ community. The declaration outlines areas that, in the opinion of the LGBT+ community, require action.

V4 Summit in Jerusalem. On Monday and Tuesday, the first Visegrad Group summit to be held outside of V4 member states will take place in Jerusalem. Prime Ministers Mateusz Morawiecki, Viktor Orbán, Andrej Babiš, and Peter Pellegrini have confirmed their participation. The meeting of the "Visegrad Four" will be held at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Israel.

General Affairs Council on Poland. On Tuesday, the EU's General Affairs Council will convene, addressing, among other issues, the current situation regarding the rule of law proceedings initiated under Article 7(1) of the Treaty on European Union in Poland and the respect for Union values in Hungary.

Sejm on Compensation for Public Media. On Tuesday at 3:00 PM, the Sejm's Committee on Culture and Media will review the bill submitted by PiS to amend the act on subscription fees, introducing compensation for public media, which was reported on by 300POLITYKA in January. According to the current schedule, the second reading of the bill will take place on Thursday at 4:45 PM. Although it is a contentious point, evidence suggests that the Sejm will adopt the proposal on the same day, within the block between 9:00 PM and midnight.

Interrogation of Graś and Kapica. On Tuesday at 11:00 AM, the VAT parliamentary committee will question former Deputy Minister of Finance Jacek Kapica. The following day, on Wednesday at 12:00 PM, the committee will question former Minister in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, Paweł Graś.

Sejm on Vote of No Confidence in Ziobro. On Wednesday at 3:15 PM, the Sejm will consider the PO-KO motion to dismiss Zbigniew Ziobro from his position as Minister of Justice, according to the preliminary schedule. The debate is planned to last until 5:00 PM, after which a vote on the motion will take place. Earlier, on Monday at 6:00 PM, the Sejm's Committee on Justice and Human Rights will provide its opinion on the motion. Originally, according to a previous version of the schedule, the plenary debate was planned for Wednesday morning.

Cichocki and Szatkowski's Candidacies for Ambassadors. On Wednesday at 2:00 PM, the Sejm's Committee on Foreign Affairs will review three candidates for the post of Polish Ambassador, including Deputy Minister of National Defence Tomasz Szatkowski, who, according to unofficial information, is to head the Permanent Representation of Poland to NATO in Brussels. On Thursday at 5:00 PM, the same committee will review the candidacy of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bartosz Cichocki for the post of Polish Ambassador to Ukraine, a move confirmed by President Andrzej Duda at the end of last year.

Sejm on NBP Salaries. On Thursday evening, between 9:00 PM and midnight, the Sejm will vote on an amendment to the so-called NBP salary act, which will formally conclude the legislative process, meaning the act can then be sent to the President's desk. The Senate introduced a minor amendment to correct an obvious error, but this effectively delayed the process by several weeks.

Visit of the President of Lithuania to Poland. On Thursday and Friday, Dalia Grybauskaitė will pay an official visit to Poland. The schedule is not yet known, but it is confirmed that the President of Lithuania will visit Warsaw on Thursday and Lublin on Friday. On Tuesday at 6:00 PM, President Andrzej Duda and his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda will attend the opening of a painting exhibition titled "Faces of Poland - Faces of Poles" at the Presidential Palace.

PiS Convention. - "At this convention, we will discuss our general programmatic proposals for the next term, including for the parliamentary elections," Adam Bielan said on "Sygnały dnia" on Polskie Radio Jedynka, announcing the PiS convention, which is most likely to take place this Saturday. - "The programmatic convention will not solely concern the European elections. The campaign for the European Parliament will begin with the announcement of the election date by President Andrzej Duda, and I believe this will happen after February 23rd," said the Deputy Speaker of the Senate.

PSL National Council. Also on Saturday, the National Council of the PSL will convene to make a final decision regarding the party's participation format in the European Parliament elections. It is highly probable that the agrarian party, similar to the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), will decide to join the European Coalition.

Fot. PiS

“It’s so ridiculous it’s hard to comment on [the criticism of Jarosław Kaczyński’s visit to the Ministry of Justice]. If we have two leaders of coalition parties that are currently governing the country and – as I understand it – we are saying they shouldn’t meet. When Zbigniew Ziobro goes to Nowogrodzka [PiS headquarters], he’s carrying files and that’s bad. If we do the opposite, it’s also bad and an even bigger scandal” - said Deputy Minister Patryk Jaki on TVN24’s “Kawa na ławę”. 

“I am convinced that there were more of them [meetings], and it is absolutely natural” - he added.

"You [PiS] would like to present Srebrna as a factory of percussion caps and crystals, but it is, unfortunately, the head of a corruption octopus surrounding the state. If today someone said that an envelope with 50,000 zlotys was handed over in a Civic Platform politician's office, the CBA [Central Anticorruption Bureau] would raid it immediately, at 6 AM. But at your place? The CBA doesn't raid President Kaczynski; instead, the president visits the Minister of Justice – the Prosecutor General" – said Sławomir Neumann from Civic Platform on "Kawa na ławę" on TVN24. 

"What is most beautiful, what we've been seeing on the streets for several weeks, I feel that people are kinder to each other. I would very much like Gdańsk to be a place where everyone lives well. Today we are on such a path. We cannot turn back from it. I very much want Gdańsk to be a city where people come, stay to have children, raise them, and grow old, so that they feel good here at every stage of their lives" - says Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, the acting mayor of Gdańsk and candidate for the city's president, in her first election spot.

"On March 3rd, we will be deciding on the future of our city, on whether we want an open, solidary, friendly, but well-managed city, because the team I am part of consists of people who have proven they have an idea for the city, know how to implement that idea, and effectively realize it, because you can see how much our city is changing every day. My dream is for us to be better to each other, to have an outstretched hand and a smile for our fellow human beings, because it costs nothing" - she adds.

Besides Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, Grzegorz Braun and Marek Skiba are also running for the presidency of Gdańsk. The snap elections will take place on March 3rd.

https://www.facebook.com/A.Dulkiewicz/videos/313422682858943/

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will not attend the Visegrad Group and Israel summit in Tel Aviv, which begins tomorrow. Minister Jacek Czaputowicz will represent Poland – reports the portal wpolityce.pl.

Morawiecki informed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of the delegation change in a phone conversation. This is a consequence of the Israeli Prime Minister's statement on Thursday, who reportedly said that no one had been punished for the theses regarding Polish complicity in Nazi Germany's crimes during the Holocaust.

On Friday, Ambassador Anna Azari was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Initially, the ministry considered Israel's explanations "unclear" and demanded clarification on what Netanyahu meant. In an interview with PAP today, Prime Minister Morawiecki stated that Azari conveyed that the media reports about Netanyahu's statement were untrue.

The Prime Minister's Office considers the matter closed. According to information from 300POLITYKA, as a consequence of the Prime Minister's absence in Israel, the itinerary for Morawiecki's route tomorrow will change.

The decision was announced on Twitter by Marek Mosakowski, and Grzegorz Schetyna has also commented on it.

https://twitter.com/KossakM/status/1097157929235595264

https://twitter.com/SchetynadlaPO/status/1097157929235595264