At 10:00 AM in Łódź, an "event with the participation of Civic Platform (PO) chairman Grzegorz Schetyna and European Coalition (KE) leaders" will take place. Similar events are planned for 1:00 PM in Zielona Góra and at 3:00 PM in Nowa Sól at the European Picnic. At 1:20 PM, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will participate in a family picnic celebrating Firefighter's Day in Rypin. Meanwhile, at 5:00 PM, in the courtyard of the Presidential Palace, President Andrzej Duda and his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda will attend the "Narodowe Granie" (National Playing) event, held on the 200th anniversary of Stanisław Moniuszko's birth.

- PiS tells us constantly that if we come to power, we will abolish all their social benefits and everything they have given to society. I think these words are as credible as the claim that Prime Minister Morawiecki brought Poland into the EU - stated Włodzimierz Czarzasty in Łódź.

- I want to say a few words about social promises. I'll start with what is currently being repeated, and I'll say honestly, I am its humble author. We will give you what PiS is giving you, and we will return what PiS has taken away - he added.

- These won't be ordinary elections. It will be a great choice about the Poland we want. Do we want the PiS's shoddily built state, one in which the Constitution is disregarded, education is distorted, healthcare is destroyed, democracy is undermined, and a certain sick vision of the country is realized? Or do we want a Poland of the European Coalition, which is strong and wants to build Poland's development through entrepreneurship, which is a leader in Europe. Do we want to move towards a creeping Polexit, or do we want a Poland that becomes a leader in the EU again? We will make such a great choice on May 26th – stated Katarzyna Lubnauer in Łódź.

"A very efficient, very important [speech] in the context of Polish challenges, but much more important are civilizational challenges, concerning the consciousness of young generations and their consequences. If we recover that 100 billion [that PiS lost], it will be precisely for European healthcare, for everything that concerns people, for the fight against smog, for energy policy. This needs to change" - said Andrzej Halicki from Civic Platform (PO) on TVN24's "Kawa na ławę" - "An important address that will be recalled for many subsequent months, perhaps even years".

“It was an important address, speaking about the past, the present, and the future. Perhaps that's why it pains commentators from the right side of the political scene so much, because for years you have feared Donald Tusk. That debate from 2007, PiS's subsequent defeats by Donald Tusk, weigh heavily on you. The most important thing was a warning to all of us that we need to build community. Not to build it on 'either/or,' but on 'and/and'” – said Monika Rosa from Nowoczesna on TVN24's "Kawa na ławę." 

„Donald Tusk is preparing for the role of a retired politician, because retired politicians are the ones who travel the world and give such speeches about the problems of the modern world. In my opinion, his speech was simply boring, rambling, majestic nonsense. Donald Tusk should return to the country, not necessarily to Polish politics, he should return to the country to face the [State] Tribunal for the plunder of 150 billion Polish pension savings from the Open Pension Funds (OFE)” – said Deputy Marshal Stanisław Tyszka from Kukiz’15 on the TVN24 program “Kawa na ławę” (Coffee on the Table).

"This demonstrates the shallowness the opposition presents when it comes to leaders, if they have to await the arrival of Donald Tusk from Brussels like a savior to be able to engage in a real fight to win the elections in Poland, this shows the state of the opposition. Indeed, things must be bad, and Donald Tusk likely assesses the European Coalition's condition as such, if he felt the need to come to Warsaw for rescue a few weeks before the election and deliver such a speech to the gathered opposition politicians" - Minister Jacek Sasin said on TVN24's "Kawa na ławę". 

“The organizer, who was the gentleman preceding [Donald Tusk], clearly stepped out of his role. Personally, I did not [like Jażdżewski’s speech]. I am speaking on my own behalf” – said Andrzej Halicki from Civic Platform (PO) on TVN24’s “Kawa na ławę” program.

“Mr. Jażdżewski’s views are well-known. We know what his views are. The fact that Donald Tusk is coming at Jażdżewski’s invitation and delivering this lecture did not happen out of the blue. He knew exactly who was inviting him, what views this person represents. There is no coincidence here. Mr. Leszek Jażdżewski played his role. He said what Donald Tusk wanted to say, but it wasn't proper for him to say it” – said Minister Jacek Sasin on “Kawa na ławę” on TVN24. 

„In my opinion, it's no coincidence that a guy like this [Leszek Jażdżewski] is allowed to speak before Donald Tusk's address, which everyone is waiting for” – Eugeniusz Kłopotek from PSL said on „Kawa na ławę” on TVN24. „Today I am so pissed off. Pal, don't show your face to me, because I am considering, with my son, who is a lawyer, whether, as a Pole, a Catholic, albeit a sinful one, I shouldn't report the case to law enforcement, to the prosecutor's office, whether what this guy said, especially about those pigs, does not constitute hate speech.”

Just after the long weekend concludes, Frans Timmermans will arrive in Poland to support Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz in the European Parliament elections. The VAT investigative committee will question Grzegorz Schetyna, and the Senate will address the expansion of the 500+ program to the first child. Towards the end of the week, Donald Tusk will receive the 'Gazeta Wyborcza' Man of the Year award.

Timmermans' Visit. On Monday, Vice-President Frans Timmermans will pay a visit to Poland – another one recently. "He supports all forces he considers reasonable. I am pleased that he supports the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD). This is his last visit before the EP elections. He is personally supporting Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz, and that's why he's coming," Włodzimierz Czarzasty said on Polsat News. The Timmermans-Cimoszewicz-Kwaśniewski debate on the future of the European Union and social Europe will begin at 1:00 PM. A press briefing is scheduled for 2:00 PM. Afterwards, Timmermans will support Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz's campaign at Castle Square.

Further EP Election Campaigning. The coming days in politics will primarily be another stage of the campaign for the European Parliament elections, which will take place in three weeks. Wiosna Biedronia plans to hold a European Brainstorming session in Gliwice on Monday and in Kielce on Tuesday. The European Coalition will organize a regional convention over the weekend, likely in Płock – in Włodzimierz Czarzasty's constituency. Additionally, starting Saturday, the free distribution of election broadcasts on public radio and television channels, prepared by electoral committees, will commence.

President of Georgia in Poland. At the beginning of the week, the President of Georgia, Salome Zourabichvili, will pay an official three-day visit to Poland. The exact schedule is not yet known. On Wednesday at 12:00 PM, at the Presidential Palace, President Andrzej Duda will present statuettes and diplomas to the winners of the 4th edition of the Architectural and Urban Planning Competition "Accessibility Leader." The following day, Thursday, President Duda will participate as a special guest at the Brdo-Brioni Process Leaders' Summit in Tirana, Albania. On the sidelines of this meeting, the President will also hold bilateral talks with the President of Albania.

Swearing-in of a Constitutional Tribunal Judge. At the beginning of the week, the swearing-in of the new Constitutional Tribunal judge, Wojciech Sych, should take place. He was elected at the end of April by the Sejm and will replace Sławomira Wronkowska-Jaśkiewicz on the Tribunal. Her 9-year term ends on Monday.

Schetyna Before the Investigative Committee. On Tuesday at 12:00 PM, the VAT investigative committee will question the Civic Platform (PO) leader, Grzegorz Schetyna. The following day, Wednesday, former Minister of Finance Jacek Rostowski will be questioned – partly in a closed session at 10:00 AM and in an open session for the media at 2:00 PM.

Senate on Expanding 500+. The Senate, in a three-day session beginning on Wednesday, will address the expansion of the Family 500+ program to cover the first child. It is almost certain that the upper house will adopt the bill without amendments, so that President Duda can then sign it. The Senate will also consider a bill reducing the copper tax by 15%.

Informal Meeting of Heads of State and Government. The European Council will meet on Thursday for an informal summit in Sibiu, Romania. The host will be Klaus Iohannis, President of Romania, which currently holds the presidency of the Council. The meeting will be chaired by the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk. The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, will also be present. EU leaders will discuss the next EU strategic program for 2019-2024. They will exchange views on the EU's challenges and priorities in the coming period.

Teacher Negotiations. On Friday, another meeting dedicated to education is scheduled, organized as part of the so-called educational roundtable, proposed by Prime Minister Morawiecki, which took place at the National Stadium.

'Gazeta Wyborcza' Man of the Year Gala. On Friday, Donald Tusk will receive the "Gazeta Wyborcza" Man of the Year award. The award ceremony will be held at the Agora headquarters in Warsaw. According to Wirtualne Media, the laudation in honor of Tusk is to be delivered by American historian Timothy Snyder.

Photo: SLD

It remains unknown when the government will address one of the elements of the so-called "Kaczyński's Fifth," namely the restoration of bus connections. Minister Adamczyk had announced that work on the bill would conclude by mid-April, with the president signing it by mid-May. However, the project has not even been approved by the government and sent for parliamentary work, thus there is no longer any chance of the new regulations coming into effect as planned.

Ministers were supposed to deal with the bill on the Fund for the Development of Public Utility Bus Transport on April 9th, but this item was ultimately removed from the agenda. On April 8th, the Standing Committee dealt with the project, and on the same day, a new version of the project appeared, which, among other things, reduced expenditures for this year from 800 to 400 million PLN (the regulations will not be in effect for the entire year; in subsequent years, it will be 800 million PLN).

With the current parliamentary schedule, there is no chance for the law to be passed before the European elections, even if an express pace of work were assumed. The Sejm convenes in mid-May, but the Senate would only deal with the bill at the end of the month, two days after the EP elections – unless an additional session were convened. In any case, there is no longer any chance for the president to sign the law by mid-May, as the ministry had assumed.

PiS has so far managed to complete one project from the "fifth," namely "Emerytura plus," also known as "Jarkowe." Parliament is concluding work on extending the "Rodzina 500+" program to the first child – on May 8-10, the Senate will deal with the bill, and it will likely be adopted without amendments. It is currently unknown what will happen with the remaining two projects – reducing labor costs and zero PIT for young people. The Ministry of Finance has presented assumptions, but information from the government suggests they will be modified.

Photo: *KPRM*