At 12:00 PM in Warsaw, the SLD National Council will convene to approve candidates for the European Parliament running on the European Coalition's lists, as recommended by the SLD. The event will open with a speech by Włodzimierz Czarzasty, followed by addresses from list leaders: Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz, Marek Belka, Leszek Miller, and Bogusław Liberadzki.

At 1:15 PM, the closed part of the SLD convention will begin, during which the party will carry out statutory procedures to approve the candidate lists. At 2:20 PM, a press conference will be held to present the alliance's candidates for the European Parliament.

At 12:00 PM in Warsaw, President Andrzej Duda will present a military banner to the Ceremonial Regiment of the Polish Army. At 1:00 PM in Puławy, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will participate in a review of the 3-year period of the 500+ program.

On the last day of March, the Prime Minister's Chancellery is organizing an event in Puławy dedicated to the third anniversary of the government's "Rodzina 500+" program. To mark the occasion, three video materials will be presented – the first of which we are publishing exclusively on 300POLITYCE.

As one of Prime Minister Morawiecki's closest advisors emphasizes, this is another event, following the VAT conference and the Village Headman's Day, where Mateusz Morawiecki is setting the agenda from the very beginning of the ongoing election campaign. – Introducing the 500+ program to the first child neutralizes the opposition's criticism of the program, and the European Commission itself is not speaking with one voice on this matter – he says.

Our sources explain that today's event – like previous ones with Morawiecki's participation – will be prepared in a relaxed atmosphere. – It will be a kind of picnic for children, where the speeches by Morawiecki and Rafalska are intended to be just a small accent – they argue. 

The event is to be heavily promoted on social media, which the KPRM team – and PiS more broadly – is clearly focusing on in this campaign. To date, over 67 billion zlotys have been allocated from the state budget to the "Rodzina 500+" program.

https://youtu.be/ar9r3_Cx8NU



Photo: KPRM

- We are dealing with the intimidation of teachers, because teachers are coming to my office saying they are even willing to appear in the media and explain how they were intimidated. We are dealing with inciting against teachers, because in public media right now there is a whole campaign discrediting teachers - stated Joanna Mucha during Dariusz Ociepa's "Breakfast on Polsat News".

- I have a complaint against the Law and Justice government for one thing. For deliberately postponing negotiations by a week in order to try, by force, by brute strength, to soften up the trade unionists and teachers - stated Krzysztof Gawkowski on Dariusz Ociepa's "Breakfast at Polsat News".

- I believe this is solely press speculation [about a faster government reshuffle]. I believe the elections will show that Minister Zalewska will receive significant support - stated Patryk Jaki on TVN24's "Kawa na ławę".

- If I wanted to fairly assess what "Superwizjer" showed yesterday, I fear it would have to end in another, separate discussion, because it's disheartening - stated Patryk Jaki on TVN24's "Kawa na ławę".

- There's one hub of the biggest hate in Poland that has ruined public debate. It's called "Sok z buraka", where they lie from morning till night - he continued. - There are many leads, specific ones pointing to Civic Platform as the biggest platform of hate in Poland - he added.

Today in Kielce, a townhall is taking place – likely the first of this campaign – with the participation of Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Adam Jarubas.

https://twitter.com/nowePSL/status/1112287924509437952

https://twitter.com/nowePSL/status/1112288901715103749

https://twitter.com/nowePSL/status/1112291582684868608

This will be a very political week – the Sejm will convene for an additional session to adopt the "Emerytura plus" (Retirement plus) bill, address the opposition's motion to dismiss the Minister of Agriculture, and discuss the so-called anti-corruption bill.

At the beginning of the week, talks will be held regarding the teachers' demands. The weekend will feature the European Coalition's convention, PiS's traditional regional convention, and a meeting in Warsaw between Robert Biedroń and Frans Timmermans.

Also this week, Civic Platform will file a motion to dismiss Anna Zalewska from her post as Minister of Education, and the VAT investigation committee will question further witnesses. Furthermore, the deadline for registering electoral committees for the European Parliament elections falls at the end of the week.

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Talks on Teachers' Demands. On Monday, discussions about the situation in the education sector will continue. "We are starting at dawn, of course, not at seven in the morning, so that social partners can also reach Warsaw, as not everyone is from Warsaw, so we are starting these talks at 9:00 AM. Prime Minister Beata Szydło asked that various trade unions, as ZNP is represented by its president Broniarz, the Forum of Trade Unions was present, and representatives of Solidarity were there, although it's worth noting it was without Piotr Duda's full authorization, but they were there, and there was a request for the unions to prepare a joint, unified proposal," Elżbieta Rafalska said on Polish Radio.

President Duda in Gorzów Wielkopolski. On Monday, President Andrzej Duda will visit Gorzów Wielkopolski, where he will meet with residents at 5:30 PM. On Thursday at 11:00 AM, an international conference titled "How Communism Fell. 1989 in Central-Eastern Europe" will begin at the Presidential Palace, with the participation of President Andrzej Duda, organized to mark the 30th anniversary of the Round Table talks.

Government on Sunday Trade. "At the next government session, I will present a report [on the ban of Sunday trade] that we have prepared in the ministry. We have investigated what Poles do on their free Sundays, whether the funds they spent in stores remain in savings accounts," Jadwiga Emilewicz stated in an interview with Łukasz Kijak on Gazeta.pl. "This is very interesting data that strongly contradicts the information currently available on the market, which is commissioned by large retail stores. I don't think there will be a legislative revolution," she added.

Civic Platform's Motion to Dismiss Zalewska. "First, we will hold Minister Zalewska accountable for the destruction of Polish schools. Next week, Civic Platform will submit a vote of no confidence against her in the Sejm," announced Grzegorz Schetyna at a convention in Wrocław.

Sejm on "Emerytura plus". On Tuesday at 6:00 PM, the social policy and family committee of the Sejm will hold the first reading of the government's bill on a one-time financial benefit for pensioners and annuitants in 2019. The second reading in the Sejm plenary session is scheduled for Wednesday at 11:00 AM. Therefore, it is highly likely that on Thursday, during the morning voting block, MPs will adopt the "Emerytura plus" bill.

Sejm on Anti-Corruption Law. On Wednesday at 2:30 PM, the Sejm will hold the first reading of the anti-corruption bill proposed by Kukiz'15 – according to the preliminary Sejm schedule seen by 300POLITYKA. As we wrote last week, the MPs' proposal received a swift opinion from BAS and was directed for its first reading at an equally rapid pace.

Sejm on Dismissing Ardanowski. On Wednesday at 8:15 PM – according to the preliminary schedule – the Sejm is to consider the opposition's motion of no confidence in the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski. The debate on this matter is scheduled to last until 9:45 PM. A vote will likely take place during Thursday's morning voting block.

Sejm to Elect President of UODO. During Thursday's morning voting block, the Sejm will also elect the new president of the Office for Personal Data Protection. Earlier, on Tuesday at 6:00 PM, the parliamentary justice and human rights committee will provide an opinion on the motion. The PiS candidate nominated for this position is Jan Nowak.

Spring Convention. "This coming Thursday, we will announce Spring's program for Europe. We need to introduce European standards into our daily lives: in healthcare, education, work, social policy. It's time for Europe for you," announce the organizers of Thursday's convention, which will take place at 1:00 PM in Warsaw.

Pawlak's Interrogation. On Tuesday at 12:00 PM, the VAT investigation committee will question Piotr Perkins, former director of the Tax Intelligence Department of the Ministry of Finance. On Wednesday at 10:00 AM, the committee will question Tomasz Tratkiewicz, former director of the Goods and Services Tax Department of the Ministry of Finance, and on Thursday at 10:00 AM – former Minister of Economy Waldemar Pawlak and former permanent advisor to the extraordinary "Friendly State" committee on issues related to reducing bureaucracy, Karol Jędrysiak.

Deadline for Registering Electoral Committees. On Saturday, the deadline expires for notifying the National Electoral Commission by the governing body of a political party about the establishment of an electoral committee, or by an electoral representative about the establishment of a coalition electoral committee or an electoral committee of voters. The registration deadline is April 16th at midnight.

PSL's Amendment to the Constitution. "We will put you to the test. Because you say that your credibility today, the rulers say that their credibility is the best brand. So we will check your truthfulness. Do you really want lasting prosperity for Poland and security for Polish families? We will submit a bill next week and collect signatures for it. This will be a test of your credibility, truthfulness, and your intentions. We will submit an amendment to change the Constitution and include EU membership in the Polish Constitution. This is a credibility test, a verification. Those who do not support this amendment, who do not sign it, will want to lead Poland out of the EU right after the elections on May 26th," said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz at the PSL convention. As we hear, on Friday, before the European Coalition convention, a meeting will take place in the Sejm with the participation of Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Jarosław Kalinowski, and Władysław Bartoszewski.

European Coalition Convention. On Saturday – as we wrote on 300POLITYKA – the European Coalition's convention will take place. "On April 6th, we are scheduled for a large election convention, which will truly kick off the European Coalition's campaign. We will all be there. And then we will reveal subsequent things and subsequent milestones of this campaign to you," stated Grzegorz Schetyna in an interview with journalists.

PiS Convention. On Saturday, another regional PiS convention will take place with the participation of the party's leaders. As we hear, the location of the event is not yet 100% confirmed, but it is possible that this time – after Gdańsk, Katowice, and Rzeszów – it will be Lublin.

Confederation Convention. According to media announcements, a convention of the Confederation, a coalition for the European Parliament elections fronted by, among others, Janusz Korwin-Mikke, Robert Winnicki, Grzegorz Braun, Piotr Liroya-Marzec, Marek Jakubiak, Jacek Wilk, and Jakub Kulesza, is scheduled to take place in Warsaw on Saturday.

Biedroń-Timmermans Meeting. On Sunday at 4:30 PM in Warsaw, a European brainstorming session will take place with the participation of European Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans and Robert Biedroń. "Let's meet to talk about the future of the EU," the organizers encourage. We already wrote about the April meeting between Biedroń and Timmermans on 300POLITYKA.

Photo: *Sejm*

„We want Poland to be respected in the European Union. Respect isn't losing a 27:1 vote. They tell us that the European Coalition is a rare, unprecedented project, that one cannot be diverse and unite for an important cause. This is untrue” - said Włodzimierz Czarzasty, the chairman, during the National Council of SLD.

„The Law and Justice party (PiS) forms the United Right. There are three parties within it. Does anyone know their names? Is it perhaps the case that the leaders of all these parties are Jarosław Kaczyński, who is simultaneously the prime minister, the president, and the First Secretary of all these parties? But at the same time, they claim to have three structures, yet they are one party. They dream of diversity, but they don't have it. They dream of many leaders, but they have one. They accuse us of reaching agreements across divisions. They accuse us of what is our - Civic Platform (PO), Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), Nowoczesna, Polish People's Party (PSL), and Greens' - advantage and victory” - said Włodzimierz Czarzasty, the chairman of the SLD, during the National Council meeting of the SLD.

"They accuse us of uniting, among other things, to remove PiS from power. But what kind of accusation is that? We are uniting to remove PiS from power. I will repeat it for the third time. We are uniting to remove PiS from power. Why? Because we want a Poland that is tolerant, law-abiding, respects the constitution, is social yet democratic, tells the truth about history, is not in conflict, free from 'Misiewicze' [a derogatory term for individuals appointed to public office due to political connections rather than merit], and free from governing banks with a single phone call from the chairman. This is our war, a war for the Poland of our dreams. Therefore, what is the accusation that we are different yet have joined forces in the fight for important goals and that we are fighting PiS? Yes, we are also uniting precisely to remove PiS from power, and we should be proud of it, not ashamed." - stated the chairman Włodzimierz Czarzasty during the National Council of SLD.

The Chancellery of the Prime Minister is organizing an event in Puławy dedicated to the third anniversary of the introduction of the government's "Family 500+" program. Just before the speech of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Dawid Kwiatkowski – a popular Polish singer – performed on stage.

“It is written in the constitution that it cannot be broken and the rule of law cannot be violated. There is one method of guaranteeing that Poland will be in the European Union whenever it wants and that it will always be in NATO whenever it wants – removing PiS from power, not changing the constitution. It is not the constitution that needs to be adapted to the current political situation. The rule of law should operate on the basis of the constitution, and to achieve this, we cannot be wondering every three months what new thing to put into the constitution so that PiS does not break the law in Poland,” said Włodzimierz Czarzasty, the chairman, during the National Council of SLD.

- The 500+ program is not only a pro-family program, but it is also a pro-state program. Because a Polish state that sidelines its families is not a state with a heart. And we are building a state with a heart. A state for all families – stated Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at a family picnic in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister (KPRM).

- To sum up our pro-family program, I am convinced that we have created a new space for the development of our country, for all children, for all young people. And this expansion that we are now undertaking, which allows for even broader pro-demographic actions on the one hand, and on the other hand, we are placing full trust in the hands of parents. We trust families, we trust parents. This shows the state's attitude towards families. We want it to be as partnership-based as possible, and it is. This program is like that. It is a partnership, developmental program, which we will not abandon, which we will not change. Some say they will change it, take it away, cut it, shred it. That these are some kind of fantasies, or even worse, but I won't quote that here. We will build on this foundation moving into the future, because the future of Poland lies with our children, our youth, the development of the country, economically, demographically, and socially – stated Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at a family picnic at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister.

"The National Council unanimously placed candidates on the lists in positions that we negotiated with our partners," stated SLD Chairman Włodzimierz Czarzasty at a press conference following the National Council meeting. "I thank our partners for the difficult but fair talks. SLD, together with its leftist partners, has 3 'ones', 3 'twos', and 6 'threes'. I believe these are good, fairly negotiated positions."

- It's hard to speak about Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski without a smile on my face. I propose that you vote for him, that you vote for a man who certainly is not and will not be a diplomatic weasel - says Andrzej Grabowski in a clip that the PSL candidate for the European Parliament published on social media.

https://twitter.com/WTBartoszewski/status/1112251947875209217

- It depends on the details. There are many countries that do not implement various directives into their law. While working in the European Parliament, I was a member of the Internal Market Committee. As an MEP, I worked in the committee, and every year we assessed how countries were implementing various directives deepening economic cooperation within the common market. There are many countries, especially in Western Europe, that resist greater freedom, for example, in the flow of services. This directive, this law, which was adopted by the European Parliament last week, is very dangerous, dangerous for freedom on the internet. Besides, Platforma [Civic Platform] declared before the vote last week that it would be strongly against Article 13, and then, with votes from Platforma... Your party [to Michał Boni] was divided, and with the votes of your colleagues, this bad, dangerous law, even in your opinion, was implemented. In the first procedural vote, only 5 votes were missing, while 4 PO deputies voted against, and 7 did not participate. If they had voted in favour, as they committed just days earlier, the law would not have been implemented in such a drastic form - stated Adam Bielan in an interview with Diana Rudnik on TVN24's "Fakty po faktach".

- I will not forgive the European Parliament members from Civic Platform who voted for this directive. That is my personal opinion. Secondly, it must be said clearly that I was among those who fueled the whole issue to vote again. It was a mistake that Article 13 remained, it was a mistake that this directive is in this form, and now we need to think more broadly about how to implement it - stated Michał Boni in an interview with Diana Rudnik on TVN24's "Fakty po faktach".