Live Feed

03/24/2019

10:25

Szefernaker:

We've hit the ground, we have several thousand meetings to hold in a few weeks. PiS has a program, here is the European Declaration, where is your European Declaration?
- We've hit the ground, we have several thousand meetings to hold in a few weeks. Our lists were finalized long ago, the program has been presented and we are already implementing it, because the 13th pension is in May and 500+ from July. PiS has a program, here is the European Declaration, where is your European Declaration? - said Paweł Szefernaker at Woronicza 17.

10:13

Zandberg:

Zalewska is Already Packed for Brussels. The Person Responsible for Negotiations Needs to Change to Reset the Situation
- Dialogue means not offending people from the outset. Minister Zalewska has spoken with teachers like that for the past two years. She is already packed and heading to Brussels. The person responsible for negotiations needs to change to reset this situation - Adrian Zandberg said on Woronicza 17.

10:14

Rzymkowski:

Teachers' Main Problem is ZNP Defending the Teachers' Charter, a Feudal Regime Preventing Wage Growth
- The government has become a hostage to its success, to the narrative of economic success and an 8% wage increase in the private sector. People in the public sector have family members working in the private sector and they see these raises. Flaunting salary increases in the private sector has influenced the attitude of teachers, who are remunerated below their educational qualifications. But what has Mr. Broniarz been doing for years, with no raises, and now he's using an atomic weapon? The main problem for teachers is that ZNP is defending the Teachers' Charter, which is a feudal regime and prevents wage growth. After all, subsidies cannot be the only thing allocated to education, said Tomasz Rzymkowski in Woronicza 17.

10:14

Zandberg:

This is the Polish liberals' belief that if you mix it differently, the taste will change, but there's not enough sugar.
- Teachers are leaving the profession or not entering it at all, because it's impossible to make a living on these salaries. This is the Polish liberals' belief that if you mix it differently, the taste will change, but there's not enough sugar - said Adrian Zandberg on Woronicza 17.

10:25

Szefernaker:

Schetyna Spoke of a 2030 Program, Poland is Here and Now, and the 'Five' is Being Implemented Now
- Schetyna spoke of a program for 2030, Poland is here and now, and the 'Five' is being implemented now! - said Paweł Szefernaker at Woronicza 17.

10:36

Zandberg:

Higher Wages, Lower Rents, Free Prescription Drugs. Rents Devour 60% of Young People's Household Budgets. Pharmaceutical Corporations Exploit Their Position, Pocketing Public and Patient Money
- Higher wages, lower rents, free prescription drugs. We want a European minimum wage to level the playing field, because one person earns three times less than someone doing the same job 200 km away. We want social housing for rent. Rents devour 60% of young people's household budgets. Pharmaceutical corporations exploit their position, pocketing public money and patients' money. Joint EU drug projects will help introduce free subsidized medicines – said Adrian Zandberg at Woronicza 17.

10:45

Szefernaker:

This Year We Face Double Elections, Deciding Whether to Pursue Europeanization or Veer Off Course
- This year we face double elections, and we are deciding whether to move towards Europeanization, understood as improving the quality of life for Poles, or whether we will step off this path. The refugee issue is non-existent because PiS is in power. We have a double electoral leap this year, and Poles will be deciding - said Paweł Szefernaker on Woronicza 17.

10:50

Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski: The PSL is against this directive, our MEPs are against ACTA2. There is no consent for introducing censorship algorithms
- The PSL is against this directive, our MEPs are against ACTA2. There is no consent for introducing censorship algorithms. The PSL is for ensuring this – said Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski at Woronicza 17.

10:50

Szefernaker:

From the start, our PiS MEPs voted against this directive. Civic Platform says: maybe yes, maybe no. The EPP governs the EU, and these parties are responsible for documents like Acta 2 being created.
- This government grants more freedom than its predecessors. We are against the directive, which limits this freedom in Articles 11 and 15. For the development of a modern economy, there is no possibility of introducing a directive that restricts freedom. From the start, our PiS MEPs voted against this directive. Civic Platform says: maybe yes, maybe no. The EPP governs the EU, and these parties are responsible for documents like Acta 2 being created - said Paweł Szefernaker in Woronicza 17.

10:53

Rzymkowski:

Attacking the Right to Quote, as foreseen by ACTA2, will also hit science
- Attacking the possibility of quoting, as foreseen by ACTA2, will also hit science, even at a level such as writing master's theses and scientific papers - said Tomasz Rzymkowski at Woronicza 17.

11:10

Pasławska to Jaki: The Problem is You Disdain Teachers. You Have Another Enemy

- The problem is that you disdain teachers. You have another enemy, after refugees, after judges, now you've set your sights on teachers - stated Urszula Pasławska on Polsat News' "Breakfast" with Dariusz Ociepa, addressing Patryk Jaki.


11:12

Jaki:

I wish teachers one thing: to earn as much as the head of ZNP, i.e., 12,000
- I wish teachers one thing: to earn as much as the head of ZNP, i.e., 12,000. I would like every teacher to earn that much - stated Patryk Jaki on Dariusz Ociepa's "Breakfast on Polsat News".

11:13

Spychalski to the Opposition on Teacher Protests: 'You Are Inflaming This Issue Solely for Your Own Partisan Interests. Nothing More.'
'You [the opposition] are doing everything to ensure that during the upcoming exams, these exams do not take place. It is you who are doing this, you are doing it, you are inflaming this issue solely for your own partisan interests. Nothing more' – stated Błażej Spychalski in Dariusz Ociepa's 'Breakfast at Polsat News'.

11:17

Leszczyna:

Teachers to receive a 1000 PLN raise from January 1, 2020, if we win the election

- Teachers will receive a 1000 PLN raise from January 1, 2020, if Civic Platform, Civic Coalition wins the autumn elections - stated Izabela Leszczyna in Dariusz Ociepa's "Breakfast on Polsat News".


11:19

Jaki on talks with teachers: There will be a proposal, I don't have the authority to present it now, because teachers should hear it first

- There will be a proposal, I don't have the authority to present it now, because teachers should hear it first (...) We will certainly look for a path that will make teachers feel empowered, because they deserve it - stated Patryk Jaki on Dariusz Ociepa's "Breakfast at Polsat News", referring to tomorrow's talks with teachers.


11:25

Neumann:

Our assurance that what is once granted will not be taken away is a state commitment

It is our assurance, saying that what is once granted will not be taken away, is a state commitment. This is obvious. Lies have short legs, and just a few weeks ago, PiS politicians swore that there was money in the budget for this invented fifth [benefit/program], that the budget didn't need to be amended, that everything was accounted for. Then it turned out that the Finance Minister wanted to resign when she heard about the challenge awaiting her. And for two weeks, no one has been able to locate her, like Falenta” – said the head of the Civic Platform – Civic Coalition (PO-KO) parliamentary club, Sławomir Neumann, on "Kawa na ławę" on TVN24.  


11:29

Spychalski on the so-called compensation for TVP and Polish Radio: Good public media are in everyone's interest

Good public media are in everyone's interest and they must function, and without this money [the so-called compensation], a lot of these media would not survive” – said the President's spokesperson, Minister Błażej Spychalski, on „Kawa na ławę” on TVN24.


11:37

Horała:

The Party That Gained the Most in the European Coalition is the PZPR. The "PZPR 1989" Reconstruction Group is Now Called the European Coalition

"The party that gained the most in the European Coalition is the PZPR. The PZPR has significantly better positions on the lists than Nowoczesna, even having Central Committee representatives in leading spots, on the 'ones', on the 'twos'. You have created a reconstruction group, 'PZPR 1989'. That is now called the European Coalition" - said Marcin Horała of PiS on TVN24's "Kawa na ławę" program. 


11:48

Długi to PiS: Let's Assume You Settle the Teachers' Issue Tomorrow. What Will You Do When the Railway Workers and Nurses Arrive on Wednesday?

"The expectations of individual professional groups have been provoked by the government. Let's assume you settle [the issue] with the teachers tomorrow. What will you do on Wednesday when the railway workers come, when the nurses come? Without a systemic approach, without a holistic approach, there will never be a solution to the problem," said Grzegorz Długi from Kukiz'15 on "Kawa na ławę" on TVN24. 


11:53

Zgorzelski:

No politician could incite such a crowd of teachers. Surely no one has heard a greater mockery than that Minister Zalewska is in constant dialogue with the teaching community.
“No politician would have been able to incite such a crowd of teachers to go on strike if they didn’t feel a personal degradation regarding their salaries, but also a collapse in the education system. We heard from the Minister of Education that she is in constant dialogue with the community. I think no one has heard a greater mockery. I think she confused dialogue with monologue, because she is in a monologue that deviates from the truth,” said Piotr Zgorzelski from PSL-UED on TVN24’s “Kawa na ławę” (Coffee on the Bench).

15:07

Political Week Ahead: European Parliament on ACTA2, Teacher Salary Talks, Hermeliński's Departure from PKW, Constitutional Tribunal on KRS, Poland's Rating Update, PiS and PSL Conventions, SLD Candidates

The upcoming week in politics will be dominated by talks regarding teacher salary increases. On Monday, the Presidium of the Labour Dialogue Council will convene, while a strike referendum in schools and other educational institutions concludes.

This week also features a vote on ACTA2 in the European Parliament. The directive, according to a growing number of critics, will introduce de facto internet censorship. The VAT investigation committee will interrogate further individuals, a parliamentary committee will address the impeachment of the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) president before the State Tribunal, and Fitch will update Poland's credit rating.

The Constitutional Tribunal (TK) will announce its ruling on the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS) act, and Wojciech Hermeliński will step down from the National Electoral Commission (PKW) at the end of the week. Meanwhile, as every week, the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party will hold a regional convention, and the Polish People's Party (PSL) will convene to approve its candidates. The Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) will also finalize its candidates for the European Coalition lists.

*****

Teacher Salary Talks. An extraordinary session of the Presidium of the Labour Dialogue Council will be held at 12:00 PM. The agenda item is a discussion on the situation in the education sector. A government delegation, most likely including Minister Elżbieta Rafalska and Minister Anna Zalewska, will participate in the meeting. Additionally, the strike referendum in schools and other educational institutions concludes on Monday.

Constitutional Tribunal on KRS. The public announcement of the ruling on the KRS act is scheduled for Monday at 12:00 PM. In essence, the matter concerns the Sejm's election of KRS members from among judges, as well as an appeal against a KRS resolution regarding the appointment of individuals to judicial office. The hearing was originally set for January 3rd but was cancelled. The TK's ruling was meant to be announced before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) hearing, but this also did not happen and was postponed.

Morawiecki-Czerwińska Talks. "The Minister of Finance is, to some extent, the country's chief economist and chief accountant simultaneously. These are two roles that are not easy to reconcile, but Minister [Czerwińska] certainly fulfills them very well," Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told Radio Wrocław. When asked about reports of the Finance Minister's resignation, the head of government stated that "there was nothing of the sort, and it is, of course, a storm in a teacup." He also revealed that Ms. Czerwińska is currently on sick leave and that he is tentatively scheduled to meet with her on Monday for "further discussions."

VAT Investigation Committee. On Tuesday at 12:00 PM, the VAT investigation committee will question Jerzy Martini, a former member of the Tax Law Advisory Council at the Ministry of Finance. The following day, Wednesday at 9:00 AM, the committee will question Anna Cyrańska, former Deputy Director of the VAT Department at the Ministry of Finance, and Dariusz Łuczak, former head of the Internal Security Agency (ABW).

Vote on ACTA2. On Tuesday, the European Parliament will vote on the directive on copyright in the Digital Single Market, known as ACTA2. This will be the final vote on the directive, which, according to a growing number of critics, will introduce de facto internet censorship. "PSL is against this directive; our MEPs are against ACTA2. There is no agreement on introducing censorship-enforcing algorithms. PSL is committed to overseeing this," stated Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski on TVP Info. The voting block in the European Parliament will commence at 12:30 PM and last until 2:30 PM.

Presidential Visit to Lower Silesia. On Monday at 12:00 PM, President Andrzej Duda will present the Order of Polonia Restituta to Poles who saved Jews during World War II at the Presidential Palace. On Tuesday, the Presidential Couple will participate in the third edition of the "Action to Help Poles in the East" Summary. Also on Tuesday, President Duda will visit Wrocław and Wołów.

Committee on Kwiatkowski. On Tuesday at 4:30 PM, the parliamentary committee on constitutional responsibility will convene. The agenda includes a point on "assessing the evidence gathered in the preliminary motion to bring the President of the Supreme Audit Office, Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, before the State Tribunal for constitutional responsibility," as well as current matters. The session will traditionally be closed to the media.

Poland's Rating Update. Fitch, one of the three major rating agencies, has scheduled two reviews of Poland's rating for this year. The first will take place this week, on Friday. The next is scheduled for September 27th.

Hermeliński's Departure from PKW. Wojciech Hermeliński's term as head of the National Electoral Commission (PKW) expires on Friday, when he turns 70. The term of a PKW member is nine years, but membership may expire before the end of the term, for instance, upon reaching the age of 70. The President of the Constitutional Tribunal designates Hermeliński's successor, not as head of the PKW, but as a judge. Julia Przyłębska has already informed Polsat News that this candidate is Grzegorz Jędrejek.

PiS Regional Convention. Another regional convention of the PiS party is planned for Saturday. We understand that the final March event within the European Parliament campaign will likely take place in Gdańsk or Gdynia. The ruling party continues its offensive in this manner, with similar events being organized weekly. Previous conventions were held in Wrocław, Katowice, and Rzeszów.

PSL Convention and SLD Candidates. "On March 30th, we will have our election convention, and it will finally confirm our candidates," informed Adam Struzik at a briefing. March 30th falls on the upcoming Saturday. The following day, Sunday, the SLD will approve its candidates for the European Coalition list.

Photo: Facebook PiS