At 11:00 AM, the VAT investigative committee is scheduled to question Donald Tusk. The former Prime Minister's hearing, and that of the current Prime Minister, was originally planned for the end of May but was postponed due to the European Council President's schedule.

Also at 11:00 AM, the fourth round of talks at the so-called educational roundtable will take place at the National School of Public Administration named after President Lech Kaczyński, with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki among the participants.

Monday marks the last day of Andrzej Duda's visit to the USA. The President's agenda primarily includes a visit to Google's headquarters, a meeting with YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki and Google's Senior Vice President for International Relations, Kent Walker (at 9:00 PM Polish time), as well as a meeting with Polish engineers working for Google (at 9:50 PM).

At 12:45 PM in Sosnowiec, Civic Platform (PO) leader Grzegorz Schetyna will hold a press briefing. At 6:00 PM in Empik on Marszałkowska Street in Warsaw, there will be a meeting with the authors of the book "Lech, Leszek. To Win Freedom" - Katarzyna Kolenda-Zaleska, Lech Wałęsa, and Leszek Balcerowicz.

- As part of the agreement, we have reached an understanding that there will be six such locations where American troops will be stationed. We are discussing this matter. The agreement contains a clause stating that these locations will be established by mutual agreement of both sides - said Mariusz Błaszczak in an interview with Katarzyna Gójska on "Sygnały Dnia" on Polish Radio One.

I don't need to be a Member of the European Parliament, a Member of Parliament, or a local government official to do what I do. I also said that if I were elected to the EP, I would focus on pedophilia. Nothing changes here. During the campaign, thanks to Robert Biedroń, I had the opportunity to be part of a closed coalition with Frans Timmermans, who told me he was a victim of a pedophile priest and would help me address this issue internationally, and it will happen. Whether I am a Member of the European Parliament or not, it doesn't matter - stated Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus in an interview with Konrad Piasecki on TVN24's "Rozmowa Piaseckiego".

The weaker result for Wiosna is the effect of many factors, certainly also the very high turnout which works against smaller groupings and many other mistakes that were made. I don't want to flog Wiosna right now - stated Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus in an interview with Konrad Piasecki in "Rozmowa Piaseckiego" on TVN24. Generally, when I look at the political scene and the opposition as a whole, compared to what PiS achieved, the opposition side is currently a catastrophe. It's almost the end of June, PiS is mobilized, essentially very well prepared for the campaign, and on the opposition's side, talks are ongoing - she added.

- Discussions are currently ongoing within Spring with representatives of all these left-wing and progressive groups. Until the end of June. I know that Robert Biedroń has met not only with SLD, but also with other organizations and is talking with them. What will happen, will happen. I don't know that - stated Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus in an interview with Konrad Piasecki on TVN24's "Piasecki's Interview".

When asked about a scenario where Spring fails to form a coalition, the MP replied: - For now, they are meeting and talking. I believe that in that case [in the event of no agreement] it should run independently [in the parliamentary elections].

- The logic of the political system, the Polish one, is that it's more convenient to have a party than an association. Since 2016, we as Inicjatywa Polska (Polish Initiative) have operated as an association. We worked very well, but we knew that we were a strictly political association. This transformation into a party is because it facilitates coalition talks - said Barbara Nowacka in an interview with Beata Lubecka on the program 'Gość Radia ZET' (Radio ZET Guest).

- I remember Robert Biedroń clearly stating at the beginning of the year that he would resign his mandate as a Member of the European Parliament when he became a member of the Polish parliament. I remember. He said so - stated Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus in an interview with Konrad Piasecki on TVN24's "Rozmowa Piaseckiego".

- I know what decision I would make if I were in such a situation. I would resign that mandate, but Robert Biedroń is simply an honest person. From the very beginning, he spoke about this situation occurring. First, they resent him for doing it, then for not doing it. That's essentially it - added the MP.

- Donald Tusk will probably want to turn this hearing [before the parliamentary committee investigating VAT fraud] into a one-man show, but I hope the committee members will not allow him to do so. Because it's not about a show, but about explaining how it was possible that during his government's term, practically without any resistance from the government, and often – I have the impression, looking at the legal changes at that time – with the tacit approval of his government, over PLN 250 billion was leaked. This is money that was missing from the budget, for example, to propose social programs to Poles – stated Jacek Sasin in an interview with Wojciech Dąbrowski on Polsat News's "Graffiti".

- In the coalition, of course, I know this is a topic we won't discuss. However, as Inicjatywa Polska, we have pushed for "Save the Women" twice, and I will personally deal with it - Barbara Nowacka said in an interview with Beata Lubecka on the program "Gość Radia ZET".

- I would wish he remembers he was once a good Pole, a good patriot, loved his homeland, not just his party – said Barbara Nowacka in an interview with Beata Lubecka on the program „Gość Radia ZET”.

- This absolutely does not surprise me [that Donald Tusk is unlikely to run in the presidential elections]. It is rather proof of a sober assessment of the situation by Donald Tusk's entourage and by himself. Tusk, as shown in the last election campaign, is no added value for the opposition, quite the opposite. However, Tusk's appearance reminds people of what his rule was like, but that rule was rejected by Poles - stated Jacek Sasin in an interview with Wojciech Dąbrowski on Polsat News's "Graffiti".

Right around the time he announced the idea of joint lists in the media, he wrote to me asking if I'd join him for coffee. This happened on Saturday, June 6th. I replied: 'Okay.' He's been silent since, so I don't know if that can be treated as a serious invitation for political talks - said Barbara Nowacka in an interview with Beata Lubecka on the program "Gość Radia ZET," when asked about joint lists with Biedroń.

- There is no project at the moment, however, we are absolutely not backing down from this. We have just had the European Parliament elections. As a party, we have always advocated for transparency. Moreover, we have submitted similar projects in the past. At that time, they were heavily criticized by the opposition. Nothing stands in the way of such a law appearing. We are currently compiling a list of all these promises, in order to fulfill them by the end of this term - stated Jacek Sasin in an interview with Wojciech Dąbrowski on Polsat News's "Graffiti", when asked about the law on politicians' asset declarations.

"The Ministry of Family is currently working on this project [the so-called 500+ for people with disabilities]. Indeed, such a declaration [for September] was made. This benefit will be launched. We are doing everything to make it happen this year," said Minister Michał Dworczyk in an interview with Dominika Wielowieyska on TOK FM Radio's Morning Program.

„Kukiz, most frequently mentioned as our potential coalition partner, is falling apart. At the moment, MPs from Kukiz are coming to me and applying to be accepted into the PiS club. We haven't made any decisions yet. We are considering what to do, whether to somehow support Kukiz's existence or agree that a part of its political apparatus, including MPs, will join us” – said the Deputy Marshal of the Sejm, Ryszard Terlecki from PiS, on Radio Kraków.

“We do not want to be so optimistic or so convinced of our capabilities that we talk about a constitutional majority. For now, our primary concern is to have a secure majority, meaning one that will allow us to govern independently. This is also because the scene on the other side, the opposition, is very undefined. It's hard to spot serious politicians with whom one could sit down and plan government actions. Therefore, we would prefer to govern alone. That is what we are preparing for, and that will be the focus of our campaign to achieve it” – said Ryszard Terlecki, Deputy Marshal of the Sejm from PiS, on Radio Kraków.

“The Congress in Katowice will be for the purpose of discussion; for three days, we will be among several hundred people, experts, and professionals, talking about what is most important and urgent to do. Then we will formulate a program. It is clear that certain things are obvious: completing the reform of the judiciary or strengthening the system for translating economic success into the living conditions of all Poles” - said the Deputy Marshal of the Sejm, Ryszard Terlecki from PiS, in an interview with Radio Kraków.

The law is unequivocal. I am responsible for the banners' removal, and they were removed. As for advertising posts and billboards, the companies are responsible, and it is in the companies' interest not to pay fines. So, within the next few days, I believe, these companies will remove the billboards and posters - stated Ryszard Czarnecki in an interview with Jacek Prusinowski on Radio Plus.

“A whole series of questions for the head of special services, for a significant part of the time, the prosecutor's office, the ministry of finance. The entire executive branch was subordinate to the Prime Minister. Furthermore, informally, as the head of the political camp, he decided what was on the agenda and what laws would be adopted,” said Marcin Horała of PiS, the chairman of the commission investigating VAT fraud, in an interview with journalists in the Sejm.

“If things went wrong, if these actions were not taken or were taken extremely sluggishly, it remains to be determined at which level of the state apparatus, where the awareness was, where there was a lack of knowledge, or a lack of diligence, or a lack of oversight,” he added.

- As Poland, we must be a very diplomatic partner here. We must say, emphasize that American bases in Poland are not an alternative to American bases in Germany. I'm talking about our narrative, about what we should be saying. We do our part, the Americans decide where their soldiers will be stationed, but it's certainly not in our interest to conflict with Germany, because it is, after all, our largest economic partner - stated Ryszard Czarnecki in an interview with Jacek Prusinowski on Radio Plus.

- I didn't push for this hearing [by the parliamentary inquiry committee on VAT], but I will try to meet Mr. Sasin's expectations too - stated Donald Tusk in a conversation with journalists in the Sejm. - I expect all sorts [of questions] - he added. The President of the European Council also announced a meeting with journalists after the hearing.

- The situation that took place in Poland is happening and is also happening today in many other EU countries. The varying intensity of this phenomenon is characteristic due to the system prevailing in the EU and the specifics of VAT. Therefore, it is difficult to speak of the situation in Poland, of VAT fraud, as a specific event of exceptionally massive scale. We have had, we have, and I fear we will continue to have such events in the future, both in our country and in the EU - stated Donald Tusk before the VAT parliamentary committee.

- I can say with full responsibility that awareness of such procedures as fraud, tax scandals, tax evasion has accompanied, I believe, everyone active in politics, regardless of their position, for a long time, as this problem has existed and has been ongoing - he continued. - The intensification was related, for obvious reasons, to Poland's accession to the EU, and also to the Schengen Area - the former prime minister emphasized.

- There's also a problem with the narrative you've proposed as a commission, which is a consequence of the political narrative, because no one doubts that the commission is working on political orders from today's ruling party. The problem, and it's rather a problem for the commission and the client of this work, is that if we were to assume that we were dealing with a specific, exceptional phenomenon of VAT fraud on a European and historical scale, then we would also have to accept this cliché, this way of thinking, of naming this problem also in relation to the last 3 years. I want to emphasize, because the Sejm, the parliamentary majority, decided not to deal with the period before my government, nor the period after my government, so perhaps I will relieve the commission of this duty – stated Donald Tusk before the parliamentary investigation committee on VAT.

“If you have the conviction and are trying to instill it in the Polish public opinion that extraordinary, and therefore suspicious from the perspective of power logic, events occurred between 2007 and 2015, then how will you assess the so-called VAT gap during the Law and Justice governments – 114 billion PLN, if I recall the data correctly, which has also been presented here in the work of this commission. I want to firmly emphasize that it would never have occurred to me in my life to formulate judgments, opinions, and often invectives, that appeared in the public sphere against my government, based on data that is also available to you today, and to the wider public. If you have a serious problem with correctly defining the phenomena of 2007-2015, it is because these phenomena today do not differ particularly clearly in either scale or character. Only I, in my life, would never have come up with the idea, in connection with this, to conclude that Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and President Jarosław Kaczyński are engaged in plunder and are stealing billions of zlotys from Poles. I have repeatedly heard similar epithets directed at me and my government. I believe that in this way, you are preparing a rather fatal future for your current patrons” - said the head of the European Council, Donald Tusk, before the commission investigating VAT fraud.

- I don't want to pass any particularly personal judgments here, but I get the impression that most doubts concerning reverse VAT in general appeared rather within the ranks of our opponents and that this situation persisted for quite a long time. Perhaps even up to 2015 - stated Donald Tusk before the VAT parliamentary inquiry committee.

- I would not formulate any ambiguous insinuations, let alone accusations, against those who rule Poland today, who quite zealously opposed, including in specific votes, the so-called reverse VAT. Because they also had certain arguments - he emphasized.

- Out of innate decency and respect for the law alone will I seriously consider what is happening here, but indeed, with every minute, I am becoming more convinced, although my intuition had already told me this earlier, that the commission's objective is to implement what has already been planned, not to find the truth - stated Donald Tusk before the VAT investigative committee.

- No one was more interested, for obvious reasons, in swiftly eliminating VAT fraud, because my government's financial capabilities also depended on it. Whatever you and the high commission and the parliamentary majority think of my government, you certainly don't assume that my government was interested in minimizing budget inflows, because that would be absurd - Donald Tusk stated before the parliamentary investigative committee on VAT.

„Mateusz Morawiecki was quite close then, both in a formal role as a member of the economic council, and also in exceptionally close relations with the head of the economic council. To be honest, his presence at the time was so intense and inspiring of my trust that I didn't even rule out offering him the position of finance minister in my government” – former Prime Minister Donald Tusk said before the VAT committee. 

- Your joke, Mr. Deputy [Smoliński], about burying, that it's not so easy to bury billions of zlotys. Do you know what, since it turned out that 50,000 PLN fits in an envelope, I would be cautious with those jokes about how many billions someone can bury where - stated Donald Tusk before the parliamentary committee investigating VAT fraud.

Today we are starting a whole week of consultations and meetings. We are talking with local government officials, but we are also meeting in Polish schools, like here in Sosnowiec. We are discussing the program with local government officials, such as with Mayor Chęciński, because we believe that it is worthwhile to discuss and build from the theses prepared by local government officials and signed by many of them in Gdańsk on June 4th, as well as the program of the Civic Platform, Civic Coalition, into a single line of democratic, civic agreement. We want to build a coalition that will effectively fight for the most important, basic, fundamental things. For democracy, the rule of law, Poland's presence in Europe, security, but also for good healthcare, Polish schools, higher wages, for everything that is most important today. We will talk about this and reveal it during the election campaign, that's obvious, but also on July 19th and 20th we will present it in an adopted election program at the program convention that we will organize in Warsaw - stated Grzegorz Schetyna at a press conference in Sosnowiec.

- Together with Minister Piontkowski, we will strive to transform all our ideas in as consensual a manner as possible into proposals, be they legislative or various regulations, that can change actions in the area of national education. For example, in such an important field as the quality of teacher training, which we discussed extensively during previous sessions in the area related to methodology, the enforcement of training quality, and the alignment of remuneration mechanisms with this training quality. These are, of course, very difficult topics, but we must also face them - stated Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki during another of these discussions within the framework of the so-called education round table.

- We talked a great deal about parents, about their perspective, and here too we will have some new proposals, which Minister Piontkowski will talk about, but of course, this sphere is extremely important because it is parents who look through the prism of their children, their youth, and very much want to participate, they want to take part in the educational process, in improving the entire system - emphasized PMM.

“It was one of the most difficult moments of my tenure as Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, because I clearly remembered my commitment and I knew precisely that we had to seek all possible ways to avoid financial collapse right in the midst of the crisis. For me, it is still a headache today that I had to abandon not only my pledge from the exposé, but also my deeply held conviction, as my whole life I've believed that raising taxes is the stupidest way to organize life for the state and its people. However, you remember the situation I'm referring to,” said former Prime Minister Donald Tusk before the VAT investigative committee.

„When we returned to the path of growth and when the economic situation in Poland and Europe returned to a sufficiently high and satisfactory level, the decision to lower this VAT rate was not made. There was no reason not to return to the rate as we planned and stipulated in the law, and those who took office after us maintained this rate. I will allow myself a little pleasure and say, quoting a classic, that I raised it, but I wasn't happy. However, I completely do not understand why it was not possible, as we wrote and planned in the law, to return to the lower VAT rate” - said former Prime Minister Donald Tusk before the VAT investigation committee.

- In accordance with the principle of an independent prosecutor's office and an independent Prosecutor General, we have avoided, for obvious reasons, any interference in the actions of the Prosecutor General. Our meetings were rather exceptional events. I adhered to this very strictly. Today, I have the impression that more and more people understand how good it is to have an independent prosecutor's office, not a politically appointed minister at its head - stated Donald Tusk before the investigative committee for VAT.

The government will on Tuesday consider draft bills concerning anti-usury measures and a system of compensation for energy-intensive sectors and sub-sectors.

“I thought about it before making such a decision. Secondly, I spoke with Minister Rostowski, that the execution, the collection of taxes must be more effective, and he knew that well too. Why didn't you lower this VAT today, if you have such excellent results? Because I got confused. If Mr. Chairman Horała recalled his views on retirement from the times when Janusz Korwin-Mikke was rather your idol, not Jarosław Kaczyński…” - said former Prime Minister Donald Tusk before the VAT investigative committee.

"You only needed one night to seize public television in its entirety or to rape the constitution. Two years of Kaczyński and Marcinkiewicz's rule weren't enough to address VAT fraud. Sometimes, two days are enough for you to rape the most important legal provisions in Poland, while two years are not enough to even begin thinking about how to start combating VAT mafias" - said former Prime Minister Donald Tusk before the parliamentary committee investigating VAT fraud.

- Prime Minister Morawiecki wasn't the most active or, shall we say, creative person on the Economic Council. He was rather reserved in expressing his opinions. That was my impression. However, even though we were on good terms at the time and he had no trouble sharing his views, including political ones, with me, I never heard any diagnosis or prognosis from him on this matter. But I also never had any expectations of him. Please don't misinterpret this. I had no expectations, and Mateusz Morawiecki, my then-advisor, didn't undertake this type of action, but he wasn't obligated to - stated Donald Tusk before the VAT investigation committee.

- The campaign, dubbed "Poland in Ruins," has begun. A campaign intended to convince Poles that those taking power believed they would seize power, and they did. I'm speaking of PiS and President Duda. They took power by convincing Poles that we, their predecessors, had brought Poland to ruin. Yet, simultaneously, at the very same time, Poland was able to, and indeed Europe's economic boom was just beginning, to pay out the first 500+ child benefits. There was a lack of logic here. Why, then, did this legend of billions of zlotys being plundered from the VAT gap arise? Because it was necessary to somehow explain. I remember the slogan from those days as if it were today: If Poland can afford one of the most expensive social programs today, yet it was supposed to be in complete ruin, how do you explain to Poles – because Poles won't be fed such nonsense – that money was found? So, they had to invent this legend that they were plundering from VAT, and we are guarding that VAT, and that's why the money was found. It turns out to be quite effective in convincing people. Only it is built on a fundamental lie – Donald Tusk stated before the parliamentary committee of inquiry into VAT. He added:

"This lie has far worse consequences than us all wasting time on this undertaking called the VAT committee. These consequences are incomparably more dangerous for Poland and its future, because you, the parliamentary majority, and thus the ruling party, have initiated a cycle that may have no end in Polish politics. In six months, four years, someone else will invent another slogan, worth 500 billion, find their statistics, their slides, and you will chase each other to such an extent that you will chase yourselves to death in this spiral of who can strike harder at whom. Therefore, my advice at the end, at least of this hearing, is for you to consider that manipulation and lies can be very useful in an election campaign, but they have their long, long consequences. They are like smog in the air; such actions in the public sphere will poison minds for years to come. Today, your predecessors may be the victims, tomorrow you will be the victims of this thinking, but in reality, Poland will be the victim of this constant chasing of each other, and a pretext will always be found. And this is my observation, dedicated to all of you."

- I will not participate in this witch hunt. I know the truth in this whole situation, but you will get your turn as witches, because someone else, not me, will emerge who will use the method you have developed here, and Poland and all of Polish public life will suffer, regardless of how much Jacek Kurski lies about it on that television station you like so much, completely regardless of that – the former Prime Minister emphasized.

I think everyone could see that when a specific question was asked, Mr. Donald Tusk either knew nothing at all or offered some general reflections, saying that laws take a long time to work on. So I ask why this particular one, which deregulated, removed safeguards in imports, was worked on very quickly and for a very short time - said Marcin Horała in an interview with TVP Info after Donald Tusk's hearing. Another hearing will probably take place. I don't know if we'll manage to schedule it with such a tight calendar, but not even all MPs have had a chance to ask questions yet. I still have quite a few questions left after my round. So we will try to set another hearing date - Horała added.

- The Falenta affair, the wiretapping scandal, clearly demonstrates that in this regard, Mariusz Kamiński is tireless, meaning in using wiretaps, tapes, and planted agents in the fight against political competition. In a way, I'm no longer surprised by the subsequent reports. If I am surprised by anything, it's that you will continue to run these opposition-hunting commissions for a long time, and meanwhile, a conspiracy so sick, that even crime novel authors wouldn't dream it up, is growing before your eyes. And the matter of Russian coal, legal or otherwise, illegal wiretaps, Russian influence on what happened in the wiretapping scandal – it will sooner or later see the light of day, and then you won't be able to believe that you participated in such activities which, de facto, have only one goal. To hide the real problems that, like a person needs air, demand real investigative commissions, because with your prosecutor's office, they have no chance of being explained, and they threaten the fundamental, absolutely fundamental, foundations of state security, and I have no doubts about that – stated Donald Tusk before the VAT investigative committee.

- I am very impressed with today's interrogation and the manner of the interrogation. I disagree with many of the theses, but that's a completely different matter. So I hope that Chairman Horała will nevertheless lead to the interrogation of a very important person in this matter, who is Mariusz Kamiński - stated Donald Tusk before the VAT parliamentary committee.

I believe I expressed myself quite clearly regarding the assessment of the commission's intentions. I truly appreciate the goodwill and the manner in which this hearing was conducted, politely and courteously, but that does not change the essence of the problem we are facing. This is not the first time we have a government in Poland today that, possessing the prosecutor's office, public media, the entire apparatus of repression, and now even reaching for the judicial apparatus, also uses parliamentary procedures, so-called investigative commissions, to attack the opposition, the former government, as in my case. The essence of an investigative commission is for those who do not hold power to be able to control power. What is happening here in Poland, in my assessment, is unprecedented – a government that holds all possible instruments to formulate accusations, conduct investigations, and on top of that, also utilizes the Sejm - Donald Tusk stated in a conversation with journalists, after being questioned by the investigative commission on VAT. This issue of VAT fraud is perhaps the most obvious example of this political abuse. Four years have passed since PiS came to power. As far back as during the campaign, four years ago, they formulated these rather vile and absurd accusations of my government, among others, plundering billions of zlotys. Four years have passed since they have been in power, and I have not received any signal that the prosecutor's office has shown any interest in anyone regarding this matter for 4 years. This is not about seeking justice at all. They don't even believe what they are saying, the accusations they are formulating. Everything is subordinated solely to propaganda, and it's a very unpleasant picture. I am convinced that this will have dire consequences for Polish politics for years to come, because sooner or later someone will want to retaliate, and there will be a cycle of constant hunting for each other - he emphasized.

“Even when I was Prime Minister, I warned that the Russian trace in this entire affair was evident. Today, we know more. Back then, some looked at me as if I were exaggerating. There was not a word of exaggeration in it. If we have such a noose today, a very dangerous one, where on one side is the President, on the other side are high-ranking PiS officials, on the third side is a criminal, and somewhere in the background are billions for Russian coal and Russian services, and no one wants to explain it, then there is truly a serious reason for all of us to start fearing for Poland's security in such a situation,” said the Head of the European Council, Donald Tusk, in an interview with journalists in the Sejm.

"For obvious reasons, I will not comment on court verdicts. Whether a court rules favorably or unfavorably for me or my friends, I will always maintain that it is the court's role to rule, but I have the right to express my opinion because I know what Tomasz Arabski did when he was the head of my Chancellery. In the Smoleńsk matter, he was a man who not only adhered to the provisions of the law, but did much more than required by the regulations and his official obligations, even when he traveled to Moscow immediately after the catastrophe itself. Tomasz Arabski was an excellent Head of Chancellery in every respect and bears no responsibility whatsoever for the catastrophe" - stated the Head of the European Council, Donald Tusk, in an interview with journalists in the Sejm.

- I realize that these kinds of spectacles can be effective and are not staged by accident. I am not blind or deaf, I may not have too much time to follow Polish media on a daily basis, but I have enough overwhelming reports about what the so-called public television does with these types of spectacles. Therefore, I realize that today's hearing is also aimed at strengthening the ruling party, including before the elections, and I know that it can be effective in the short term. But I also know how intelligent and defiant my compatriots are. Perhaps for another month, a year, such aggressive propaganda will bring results, but I am too old and have lived in Poland for too long not to know that sooner or later people will open their eyes and see what is propaganda, what is lies, and even if you have all the prosecutors, judges, and public media in one hand, it won't last in the long run. I am convinced of this – stated Donald Tusk in a conversation with journalists after his hearing by the VAT parliamentary committee.

„[Trzaskowski and Zdanowska] are great names, in my opinion. The 'exchange,' as it is on the exchange, interesting things are happening. You cannot drag me from the mood of someone being questioned by a parliamentary committee to someone running for president. If I remember correctly, we have national parliamentary elections ahead of us in Poland. I have very important elections to conduct, as I am responsible for them, also for my position in the European Union. For now, that's what I'm dealing with. You won't get any declaration from me on this [running for Polish president] matter” - said the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, in an interview with journalists in the Sejm.

„Some people like Grzegorz Schetyna, others don't. He certainly built a coalition, stood at its head de facto, and won 38.5% of the votes in very difficult conditions, and that is a good result. There's no reason to complain. I've always held the position, and I've done it myself twice in life. Either you respect someone's leadership, or you change it. I can't stand situations where I accept someone as the boss, but simultaneously criticize them. If you don't like it, change them. Step up to the plate. I'm wholeheartedly on the side of today's opposition, so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for Grzegorz Schetyna as the leader of Platforma too. No one is perfect. I wasn't perfect either. Maybe close to ideal. I'm joking, of course” - said European Council President Donald Tusk in an interview with journalists in the Sejm.

I am the last person to consider Mr. Falenta credible. It is not my role, nor yours, to determine the truthfulness of Mr. Falenta's letters, but this is an unprecedented situation that demands clarification. However, this is not the first instance where, instead of an obvious intervention by the prosecutor's office or perhaps a parliamentary investigative committee, we receive assurances from the ruling party that it's nothing important and there will be no case. Jarosław Kaczyński's envelope, whether true or not, is not for me to judge, but to say that the prosecutor will not deal with it, simply because, is the most stark example of where law and justice have ended up in Poland. At the very bottom. I'm not just talking about the party, but I'm talking about law and justice. In the case of Falenta's letter, I would prefer it not to be true, because these letters would clearly indicate that the practice of illegal wiretapping was not only accepted, but co-organized by those currently governing Poland – stated Donald Tusk in a conversation with journalists, after being questioned by the investigative committee on VAT.

Po dzisiejszym posiedzeniu sztabu PiS mamy nakreślone kierunki działania i ustalony plan na najbliższe tygodnie. Robimy swoje i idziemy do przodu

– When asked why I'm talking about a threat to the freedom of public media in Poland, I answer simply. Because I know how public television functions. If this model, let's call it journalism, though I say this with pain, as I was a journalist myself. This model of practicing propaganda, perhaps a better term, which we see today on public television, will obviously be extended to all existing media in Poland, if PiS has the opportunity – said Michał Kamiński in an interview with Karolina Lewicka on TOK FM's "Political Interview."

Let's wait for the final report. Once the committee concludes its work, we will certainly be able to responsibly and precisely state whether any conclusions and notifications should indeed be sent to the prosecutor's office - said Michał Dworczyk in an interview with Magdalena Uchaniuk-Gadowska on Radio Trójka.

- Joachim Brudziński has very precisely divided tasks among the staff members. I do not wish to discuss details. If the chairman deems it appropriate, he will speak about it himself. In any case, the staff has already begun regular work - said Michał Dworczyk in an interview with Magdalena Uchaniuk-Gadowska on Trójka radio.

- It is very difficult for me to imagine the Union of European Democrats party in a coalition with Paweł Kukiz and the PSL, which will de facto, even with the beautiful name that I hear colleagues are proposing – Koalicja Polska (Polish Coalition) – be a coalition that weakens the chances of defeating PiS – said Michał Kamiński in an interview with Karolina Lewicka on TOK FM's "Political Interview."

- We live in the reality we live in and we adapt to the international conditions we have, which Poland has accepted and acknowledges. Therefore, the discussion at this moment about whether to reintroduce the death penalty or not is certainly not for these times. However, a real tightening of the Penal Code, including the introduction of an absolute life sentence, which is not even an exception on a European Union scale despite Brexit, but an example here is Great Britain, which has such an absolute life sentence in its regulations, shows that we can also realistically protect society, because punishment must also protect society - stated Michał Woś in an interview with Piotr Witwicki on the program "Wydarzenia i opinie" on Polsat News.

- For a former Prime Minister and someone widely considered highly adept at such skirmishes, Chairman Tusk performed surprisingly poorly. That is, he clearly lost on points, but as I said, that's not the most important thing. The most important thing is that, for example, we learn that the Prime Minister of Poland did not see a problem that the European Commission did notice – stated Marcin Horała in an interview with Piotr Witwicki on the program "Wydarzenia i opinie" (Events and Opinions) on Polsat News.

- I absolutely disagree with that assessment [by Marcin Horała]. It was also an opportunity to recall a series of actions taken by the PO and PSL government regarding the tightening of the tax system in Poland. Regarding the first solutions we adopted in 2011, the reverse VAT in 2013, or the Standard Audit File for Tax (JPK) in 2015, the hypocrisy of those currently in power lies in the fact that when we introduced these solutions, they didn't support us, to put it mildly. They voted against, they abstained, but they didn't support us – stated Zbigniew Konwiński in an interview with Piotr Witwicki on the program "Wydarzenia i opinie" on Polsat News.

-- SEVERAL HUNDRED PEOPLE ATTENDED THE DISCUSSION SURROUNDING KATARZYNA KOLENDA-ZALESKA'S BOOK WITH LECH WAŁĘSA AND LESZEK BALCEROWICZ. Among those present were Bożena Walter, Daniel Olbrychski, and Piotr Korycki. -- 300POLITYKA PUBLISHED AN EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK: https://300polityka.pl/news/2019/06/06/walesa-balcerowicz-musi-odejsc-balcerowicz-zupelnie-mnie-to-nie-dotyka-fragment-ksiazki-katarzyny-kolendy-zaleskiej-lech-i-leszek/ -- WHAT POLES WERE CONCERNED WITH IN JULY AND AUGUST 1939 - an excerpt from Marcin Zaborski's book on 300POLITYKA. https://300polityka.pl/news/2019/06/17/czym-zyja-polacy-w-lipcu-i-sierpniu-1939-roku-upalne-lato-ostatnie-tygodnie-poprzedzajace-wojenny-dramat-ich-zapach-i-smak-zapamietane-w-zapiskach-doniesieniach-prasowych-fotografiach-fragment/ -- 300POLITYKA LIVEBLOG: Woś: The discussion on whether to reinstate the death penalty is certainly not a discussion for these days. Horała: For a former prime minister, and for someone widely considered to be extremely adept at these kinds of skirmishes, Tusk performed surprisingly poorly. Kamiński: It is very difficult for me to imagine the United European Democracy (UED) in a coalition with Kukiz and PSL, which would effectively be a coalition weakening the chances of defeating PiS. Dworczyk: The campaign headquarters has already begun regular work. Brudziński has precisely divided tasks among the members. Fogiel: Following today's PiS campaign headquarters meeting, we have outlined the directions of action and established a plan for the coming weeks. We are doing our work and moving forward. https://300polityka.pl/live/2019/06/17/ ***** POLSAT NEWS -- HOURS-LONG INTERROGATION OF DONALD TUSK BY THE VAT COMMITTEE AND REPEATED VERBAL CLASHES WITH COMMITTEE MEMBERS - preview. -- IT WASN'T POSSIBLE ON THE FIRST SCHEDULED DATE BECAUSE DONALD TUSK WAS IN ASIA AS THE HEAD OF THE ECR, BUT IT WAS DONE TODAY - Dariusz Ociepa. -- REGARDLESS OF THE OCCASION, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER REMAINS CLOSELY SURROUNDED BY JOURNALISTS AND CONTINUES TO EVOKE EMOTIONS - Ociepa continues: This was also the case today. -- TUSK CLASHED MULTIPLE TIMES WITH PIOFS MEMBERS - Ociepa: He did not exercise his right to free speech but answered questions for 4.5 hours. -- TUSK ARGUED THAT MANY EU COUNTRIES HAD AND HAVE PROBLEMS WITH VAT FRAUD - Ociepa continues: And this is a consequence of the single market. -- TUSK DISAGREED WITH THE THESIS THAT THE PROBLEM OF VAT FRAUD WAS AS SIGNIFICANT DURING THE 7 YEARS OF HIS GOVERNMENT - Ociepa. -- THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER ADMITTED THAT THE SITUATION WORSENED TOWARDS THE END OF HIS TERM, I.E., IN 2014 - Ociepa continues. -- THE SKIRMISHES WERE COMMENTED ON IN REAL-TIME ON TWITTER - Ociepa: Tweets by Krystyna Pawłowicz and Roman Giertych. -- TUSK POINTED OUT THAT THE COMMITTEE IS ONLY CONCERNED WITH THE REDUCTION OF VAT REVENUE DURING THE PLATFORM'S GOVERNMENT, I.E., UNTIL 2015 - Ociepa continues. -- TUSK'S INTERROGATION WAS NOT COMPLETED TODAY - Ociepa. -- THE COMMITTEE HAS NOT YET SET A NEW DATE FOR THE INTERROGATION - Ociepa continues. ***** TVN FACHTY -- AFTER THE INTERROGATION, HE ASKED A QUESTION HIMSELF - in preview: He patiently answered questions for several hours, although he admitted he had no illusions that the VAT committee was intended to reveal the truth. After the interrogation, Donald Tusk himself asked a question: if billions were plundered, why are neither he nor his ministers being prosecuted? -- SHARP CLASH BETWEEN THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER AND THE HEAD OF THE COMMITTEE - Krzysztof Skórzyński. -- ACCORDING TO PIOFS, THE PO GOVERNMENT WAS TOO SLOW IN INTRODUCING REGULATIONS THAT COULD HAVE CURBED VAT FRAUD - Skórzyński. -- THE OPPOSITION TRIED TO FORCE THROUGH A MOTION TO INTERROGATE MORAWIECKI AS PART OF TUSK'S ADVISORY GROUP - Skórzyński. -- AN EXCERPT ABOUT RAISING THE RETIREMENT AGE CAPTURES THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE INTERROGATION - Skórzyński. -- THIS IS NOT ABOUT SEEKING JUSTICE AT ALL, THEY DON'T BELIEVE WHAT THEY ARE SAYING, EVERYTHING IS SUBORDINATED TO PROPAGANDA - TUSK. -- MAREK FALENTA WILL BE INTERROGATED REGARDING A LETTER HE SENT TO THE PRESIDENT - in which he wrote that he helped win the elections, that he expected a medal, and that he was exploited. However, this does not mean that the prosecution will initiate an investigation into this matter. The interrogation will take place as part of the so-called small wiretapping affair. -- THERE WILL BE NO PARDON - SAYS THE PRESIDENTIAL MINISTER - Maciej Knapik on Dera's words. -- HE COULD NOT GRANT A PARDON BECAUSE HE WOULD HAVE ADMITTED THAT PIOFS PARTICIPATED IN A CONSPIRACY - Jan Grabiec. -- A GROUP OF PEOPLE RECORDING POLITICIANS CAUSED A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT; ALL THOSE MENTIONED IN THE LETTER SHOULD BE INTERROGATED - Cezary Tomczyk. -- KOSTRZEWSKI WILL NOT BE INTERROGATED - Knapik. -- THE NATIONAL PROSECUTOR SUGGESTS THAT FALENTA SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY - Knapik. -- BEFORE YOUR EYES, A SYSTEM IS GROWING SO SICK THAT THE CREATORS OF CRIME NOVELS WOULDN'T DREAM OF IT - Tusk. -- THERE WILL BE NO LAWSUIT, PIOFS DOES NOT WANT TO OPEN NEW FRONTS - in preview: There will be no lawsuit filed by the Ministry of Justice against professors at Jagiellonian University. Zbigniew Ziobro withdrew this idea, although the professors have not retracted their criticism of the amendment to the Penal Code. During the election campaign, PiS does not want to open new fronts. -- THE PRESIDENT AND GOWIN ARE BEHIND THE UNEXPECTED CHANGE OF DECISION - ARLETA ZALEWSKA: According to unofficial information, the unexpected change of decision was due to Jarosław Kaczyński on one hand and Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Gowin on the other. Prosecuting professors from Jagiellonian University simply for criticizing the amendment to the Penal Code was considered an idea, to put it mildly, unserious and compromising by Kaczyński and Gowin. -- THE AUTHORS OF THE OPINION ARE CONSIDERING FILING A LAWSUIT THEMSELVES - Zalewska: The authors of the opinion have not only not retracted it but are themselves considering a lawsuit against Minister Ziobro for accusing them of deliberate lies. -- JKB WANTS TO SUE PJK: If Jarosław Kaczyński does not apologize, the matter will go to court. Jan Krzysztof Bielecki is offended by the statement that as prime minister he wanted to dissolve the Polish army. He recalls that he was the one who signed the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and declared in Washington that Poland wanted to join NATO. -- PAWEŁ PŁUSKA ON KACZYŃSKI'S WORDS IN SPAŁA: In 1991, the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Poland was still a dream. It was also a shared dream of these three figures: President Lech Wałęsa, his chief of staff, Jarosław Kaczyński, and Prime Minister Jan Krzysztof Bielecki. At that time, these three people cooperated, but now, almost thirty years later, the PiS leader is presenting his own history of those times. A history in which Prime Minister Bielecki allegedly secretly offered him the liquidation of the Polish Army. Poland was to be a country without an army, with only self-defense forces. PiS leader claims that Bielecki told him that Poland, as a subject of foreign policy, was to be liquidated. Jarosław Kaczyński said all of this during the XIV Congress of "Gazeta Polska" Clubs in Spała on Saturday, June 15th. Jan Krzysztof Bielecki is still giving Jarosław Kaczyński time for reflection, apology, and correction. If the PiS leader does not do so, there will be a lawsuit. -- JKB: I never spoke about the liquidation of the Polish Army, I never spoke about depriving Polish foreign policy of sovereignty. In September 1991, I went to Washington. First, I gave a lecture to the Foreign Policy Council, where I was the first Pole, the first Polish Prime Minister, for the first time in history, to say that we want to join NATO. -- LESZEK BALCEROWICZ: Seriously speaking, truth does not matter to this man. Let people remember this. ***** TVP WIADOMOSCI -- TUSK SAID THAT KNOWLEDGE ABOUT FRAUD WAS WIDESPREAD AND HE HIMSELF HAD UNLIMITED TRUST IN THE MINISTER OF FINANCE, TUSK ON THE BACKGROUND OF THE PLUNDER - HEADLINE. -- POLAND IS SAFER THAN EVER BEFORE - in the previews on the headline. -- PAD IN CALIFORNIA. -- BANNON IN CONVERSATION WITH M. RACHON ABOUT HOW THE POLISH DIASPORA'S VOTES WERE KEY TO TRUMP'S VICTORY. -- PAD WILL MEET WITH THE HEAD OF YOUTUBE AND THE VICE PRESIDENT OF GOOGLE. -- HISTORIC AGREEMENT ON PERMANENT AMERICAN PRESENCE IN POLAND - Karol Jałtuszewski. -- THE RESULTS OF THE VISIT ARE NOT LIKED BY RUSSIA, AND IN POLAND, THE OPPOSITION'S CRITICISM CONCERNS THE PRICE OF AIRCRAFT, EVEN THOUGH NEGOTIATIONS HAVE NOT YET BEGUN - Jałtuszewski. -- TRUMP CITES POLAND AS AN EXAMPLE, CLINTON SPEAKS OF POLAND'S SUCCESS, HOWEVER, NOT EVERYONE LIKES IT, NOT ONLY RUSSIA BUT ALSO PART OF THE OPPOSITION CRITICIZES THE EFFECTS - Michał Adamczyk from SF. -- SENYSZYN'S STATEMENT TO SPUTNIK. -- SCHETYNA'S TWEET STATING THAT POLAND SHOULD BE AN ALLY, NOT A CLIENT. -- IN A SEGMENT ABOUT PBK'S BIGOS, HUNTING, AND A VISIT TO JAPAN. -- HE WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITHOUT AN INTERPRETER, BUT HE IMPRESSED WITH HIS KNOWLEDGE OF RUSSIAN PROVERBS - Maszenda. -- THIS VISIT IS UNDOUBTEDLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT; COOPERATION IS EXPANDING - Adamczyk. -- HE ADMITTED HE KNEW ABOUT THE FRAUD; THE INTERROGATION WAS NOT WITHOUT CONTRADICTIONS - in Edyta Lewandowska's preview. -- IT IS DIFFICULT TO TALK ABOUT ANY FINANCIAL CAPABILITIES OF TUSK'S GOVERNMENT WHEN OBSERVING HIS POLICIES AND THE RAISING OF THE RETIREMENT AGE - Damian Diaz. -- 1/3 OF VAT REVENUE LEAKED FROM THE BUDGET; THE DEFICIT BEGAN TO SHRINK AFTER THE CHANGE OF POWER - Diaz. -- TUSK IS CURRENTLY THE HEAD OF THE ECR ON GERMAN RECOMMENDATION AND WILL RECEIVE APPROXIMATELY PLN 1.5 MILLION IN SEVERANCE PAY AFTER HIS TERM ENDS - Diaz. -- STATEMENT BY PMM DURING THE EDUCATION ROUNDTABLE. -- DEATH OF ZBIGNIEW NOWEK. -- HELPING THE OPPOSITION? - banner. -- QUESTIONS ABOUT THE SEKIEŁSKI BROTHERS' FILM - in preview. -- CONCERN FOR VICTIMS OF PEDOPHILE PRIESTS OR A DESIRE TO INFLUENCE ELECTION RESULTS - Wolski. -- QUESTIONS ARE ARISING AS TO WHY CONNECTIONS BETWEEN PRIESTS AND THE SECURITY SERVICES WERE NOT MENTIONED; INTERNET JOURNALISTS ALSO DOUBT WHETHER THE PUBLIC COLLECTION COULD HAVE RAISED AS MUCH AS HALF A MILLION PLN OR WHETHER IT WAS SUPPORTED BY A FOUNDATION ASSOCIATED WITH SOROS - Wolski. -- PJK ON VEGA'S FILM. -- THE QUESTION IS WHETHER THIS IS PROMOTION FOR THE FILM OR PART OF THE OPPOSITION'S ELECTION CAMPAIGN - Wolski.

I'm not surprised that Donald Tusk, knowing what was happening, could consistently say that he never intended to give the 500+ program. What Mrs. Ewa Kopacz and Mr. Rostowski said. They couldn't give the 500+ program if they allowed mafia bosses to take this 500+, not 500 [zloty] per person, but 500 million [zloty] - said Zbigniew Ziobro in an interview with Edyta Lewandowska on the program 'Gość Wiadomości' on TVP Info.

- We've driven these gangs out. These gangs have fled Poland and are stealing elsewhere. This is very clearly visible - said Zbigniew Ziobro in a conversation with Edyta Lewandowska on the TVP Info program “Gość Wiadomości”.

- What is a Prime Minister for? To know or to act? It seems to me, to act. We had the knowledge and we began to act - said Zbigniew Ziobro in a conversation with Edyta Lewandowska on the program "Gość Wiadomości" on TVP Info.

“I think he [Antoni Macierewicz] managed to establish quite a lot. Primarily, he debunked the theses in the so-called reports, convincingly so, in the Russian report by Ms. Anodina and the Polish reports by Mr. Lask and Miller. I don't know [if there is evidence of an explosion] because investigations into this matter are not concluded. It is a certain hypothesis that the chairman of the committee investigating this matter, Minister Macierewicz, and the members of this committee have formulated, but this thesis needs to be proven. All of this would have taken less time if the services had acted professionally immediately after the disaster and if Prime Minister Tusk had not handed the investigation over to the Russians” – said Deputy Prime Minister Jacek Sasin in an interview with Monika Olejnik on "Kropka nad i" on TVN24. 

“I trust the statement [of President Kaczyński] regarding Prime Minister Bielecki, that it was so. If Prime Minister Bielecki has evidence that this is untrue, then he should present it. Everyone has the right to their own assessments. President Kaczyński also has the right to his own assessments, even strong ones, even emotional ones” – said Deputy Prime Minister Jacek Sasin in an interview with Monika Olejnik on ‘Kropka nad i’ on TVN24. 

„The President [Kaczyński] absolutely did not meet [Marek Falenta]. This is absolutely untrue information. I know, because I asked the President about it. The President clearly stated that no such meeting took place. There is no evidence for this” – said Deputy Prime Minister Jacek Sasin in an interview with Monika Olejnik on "Kropka nad i" on TVN24. 

Next Wednesday, June 26th, an additional, one-day session of the Senate will be held, most likely dedicated, among other things, to the amendment of the electricity act, which the Sejm passed last week at an express pace. In the justification for the act, PiS argued that the amendment should come into force before July 1st. It is also possible that the Senate will address changes to the Teachers' Charter and the election of a new Deputy Speaker of the Senate. Originally, the next session of the upper house was planned for mid-July.