Live Feed

07/14/2019

10:30

Sawicki:

It's High Time to Introduce a Third Force That Will Build a Community. We Definitely Closed This Soap Opera on Friday
- This is the PO-PiS (Civic Platform-Law and Justice) battle. It's high time to introduce a third force that will build a community. We definitively closed this soap opera on Friday. It's time to verify the Constitution, because much has changed. It's high time to adapt politics and the Constitution to these changes that have occurred - said Marek Sawicki on Woronicza 17.

10:13

Sawicki:

Schetyna Broke Off Talks. He Wants to Build a New Left. I Wish Him Luck, We're Staying in the Moderate Center
- On Friday, Grzegorz Schetyna, with his statement, broke off coalition talks. (...) In his Saturday address, he showed that he wants to build a new left. Poles will have a clear choice. I wish him luck, we're staying in the moderate center - said Marek Sawicki on Woronicza 17.

10:21

Woś:

SLD flatters Grzegorz Schetyna because he resurrected this deceased entity
- SLD flatters Grzegorz Schetyna because he resurrected this deceased entity – said Minister Michał Woś of Solidarna Polska on Woronicza 17.

10:25

Zgorzelski:

Lubnauer Came Begging Months Ago to Save Her Club from Absorption by Civic Platform
- I will respond to Katarzyna Lubnauer, who today is evidently a fervent fighter for the unity of the united opposition, but several months ago she came running to our club, begging us to transfer one MP to their club, wanting to defend her club from being absorbed by Civic Platform - said Piotr Zgorzelski regarding K. Lubnauer's statement, "anyone who stands in opposition to Civic Coalition will actually stand on PiS's side," on Polsat News.

10:27

Zgorzelski Attacks KO's Health Program: 'It's Simply an Unrealistic Program'
- It's simply an unrealistic program, primarily because the fundamental problem of healthcare is that the system is financially undervalued - said Piotr Zgorzelski about KO's health program on Polsat News.

10:34

Sawicki on Talks with Kukiz: Mixed Elections, Referendum Day, and a 30% Referendum Validity Threshold Are Acceptable. This Week Will Be Crucial for the Discussions
- Mixed elections, a referendum day, and a 30% threshold for referendum validity are acceptable, as is the case with recalling politicians at the same turnout threshold at which they were elected - Marek Sawicki stated when asked about an agreement with Kukiz. - This week will be crucial for the discussions - Sawicki replied when pressed by Ziemiec about deadlines.

10:36

Karski on the Prime Minister's Start from Silesia: It's a Demonstration of Silesia's Importance to Us, a Highlighting of the Region's Role
- It's a demonstration of Silesia's importance to us, a highlighting of the region's role. We are not swayed by polls; for us, they are merely a greater mobilization - said Karol Karski when asked by Krzysztof Ziemiec about the Prime Minister's electoral district.

10:49

Woś:

The Mayor of Katowice Isn't Attending These Conferences with Trzaskowski Because He Well-Prepared the City for the Reform
- In Katowice, a large city, we don't have this problem. The Mayor of Katowice isn't attending these conferences with Mr. Trzaskowski because he has well-prepared the city for the reform - said Michał Woś on Woronicza 17.

10:54

Stachowiak-Różecka on Civic Coalition: Your leader constantly changes his mind

- Your leader constantly changes his mind. One day he says there will be no ideology, then he announces registered partnerships. At one hour he says he will accept refugees, at another, that he will not - Mirosława Stachowiak-Różecka said on TVN24.


10:58

Hetman:

The Time for Talks is Certainly Over. We Are Building the Polish Coalition on Our Side, a Moderate, Christian Democratic, Centrist Political Force
- The time for talks is certainly over. We are building the Polish Coalition on our side, a moderate, Christian Democratic, centrist political force. We have very honestly stated our conditions. What Grzegorz Schetyna said prompted us to make a final decision. It's time to present a program offer to Poles. The center of gravity needs to shift towards people running businesses and farms - said Krzysztof Hetman on TVN24.

11:05

Czarzasty:

I will leave this coalition if Grzegorz Schetyna clearly states he does not intend to continue it and takes responsibility for it
- I will leave this coalition if Grzegorz Schetyna clearly states he does not intend to continue it and takes responsibility for it. I congratulate Platforma on this move, because 30% of children in Poland are born in civil partnerships - said Włodzimierz Czarzasty on TVN24.

13:28

Political Week Ahead: Sejm Before Summer Break, EU Commission Chief Vote, Tusk and Nowak Testimonies, Civic Platform Board, Government on PIT Cut

The upcoming week in politics will primarily feature the last Sejm session before the summer recess (unless an additional one is convened due to the upcoming election of a new NIK head), the European Parliament's selection of the European Commission chief, and continued preparations for the autumn parliamentary elections. This week, the Civic Platform's national board is set to convene, and the Peasants' Party will present details of the Polish Coalition project.

Tuesday has been scheduled for Donald Tusk's next testimony before the VAT parliamentary committee. It is currently unknown whether the former Prime Minister will appear in the Sejm, as his calendar for Tuesday includes a presentation of credentials. The committee also plans to question Sławomir Nowak next week.

The government will address the reduction of the personal income tax (PIT) from 18% to 17% – one of the promises from the so-called "Kaczyński's Fifth." The Sejm will also consider the anti-usury bill and the "500+ for the disabled" program. Meanwhile, Sejm committees will review the motion to dismiss Henryk Kowalczyk as Minister of the Environment and the motion to bring Krzysztof Kwiatkowski before the State Tribunal.

*****

Visit of the Slovak President. On Monday, the President of Slovakia, Zuzana Čaputová, will visit Poland. A welcome ceremony by President Duda is scheduled for 10:00 AM, followed by one-on-one talks between the presidents at 10:15 AM. Plenary talks of the delegations, led by the presidents, will take place at 10:35 AM, and a meeting with the media at 11:30 AM. The Slovak President will meet with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at 2:15 PM.

Election of the Chair of the Employment Committee in the EP. On Monday at 8:00 PM, the European Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social Affairs will hold another meeting, where an attempt will be made to elect a chairperson for the committee. Beata Szydło was the candidate for the European Conservatives and Reformists group, but she was not elected to the position of committee chair last week. The MEP was the sole candidate for this post.

Testimonies of Tusk and Nowak. On Tuesday at 10:00 AM, the VAT parliamentary committee is scheduled to question former Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Currently, it is uncertain whether the President of the European Council will appear in the Sejm, but his calendar shows a presentation of credentials scheduled for Tuesday at 11:30 AM. On Wednesday at 12:00 PM, the committee is to question Sławomir Siwy, the chairman of the PL Customs Officers' Trade Union, and on Thursday at 11:00 AM, Sławomir Nowak, former Minister in the Chancellery of the Prime Minister and head of the Prime Minister's political cabinet.

Government on PIT Reduction. "The government will address the reduction of PIT from 18% to 17%, which is a 6% reduction, 1 percentage point. This is the most noticeable broad PIT tax cut for 24 million Poles in many years. We will deal with this next week," said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at his last press conference at the Prime Minister's Chancellery. The agenda has not yet been published, as the Prime Minister's Chancellery has been publishing it at the very last minute for some time now, since Beata Szydło's departure. It is possible that the Sejm will consider the bill during its last session before the summer recess, which begins on Wednesday.

Vote on Ursula von der Leyen's Candidacy for EC President. On Tuesday, the European Parliament will vote on Ursula von der Leyen's candidacy for the position of President of the European Commission. An address by the candidate is scheduled for 9:00 AM, followed by a debate until 12:30 PM. The vote itself is scheduled for 6:00 PM.

Visit of the Lithuanian President. On Tuesday, the President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, and his spouse will visit Poland. A welcome ceremony by the Presidential Couple is scheduled for 11:30 AM, followed by a meeting of the Presidential Couples at 11:43 AM. One-on-one talks between the presidents will take place at 11:50 AM, and plenary delegation talks led by the presidents at 12:20 PM. A meeting with the media will be held at 1:05 PM. Subsequently, the Lithuanian President will meet with Sejm Speaker Marek Kuchciński at 3:40 PM, Senate Speaker Stanisław Karczewski at 4:15 PM, and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at 5:55 PM.

Committee on Bringing Kwiatkowski Before the State Tribunal. On Tuesday at 5:00 PM, the Sejm's Constitutional Accountability Committee will, in a session closed to the media, assess the evidence gathered in the proceedings regarding the preliminary motion to bring the President of NIK, Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, before the State Tribunal.

Committee on Dismissal of Kowalczyk. On Tuesday at 7:30 PM, the Sejm's Committee on Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry will consider and issue an opinion on the parliamentary motion submitted by Civic Platform-Civic Coalition to express no confidence in the Minister of the Environment, Henryk Kowalczyk. The date for the Sejm to consider the motion is not yet known.

Sejm on "500+ for the Disabled" and Anti-Usury Bill. On Wednesday at 10:00 AM, the Sejm will consider the draft law on the "500+ for the disabled" program, and at 11:00 AM, the draft anti-usury bill – according to the preliminary Sejm agenda seen by 300POLITYKA. The current version of the agenda indicates that PiS intends to pass the "500+ for the disabled" program in a single session. The second reading is scheduled for Thursday at 4:45 PM, leaving no obstacles for the bill to be adopted in the Friday morning block – which will likely be moved, as usual, to Thursday evening.

Civic Platform Board Meeting. "We are talking today, we will be talking next week. The final decision I want to make will be a decision of the National Board of Civic Platform made next Wednesday. This will be the end of this construct of forming an electoral coalition for the 2019 elections," said Civic Platform Chairman Grzegorz Schetyna during the Civic Coalition Program Forum. It is possible that a meeting of the National Council will also take place this week, as Schetyna announced some time ago.

Presentation of the PSL-Polish Coalition Project. "In the coming days – in terms of program and personnel – the PSL-Polish Coalition project will be presented," announced Piotr Zgorzelski on Polsat News. As the prominent PSL politician emphasized, the programmatic postulates of the Civic Coalition show that by boarding the Christian Democracy bus, PO is getting off at the Left stop.

Photo: Sejm


17:49

Kaczyński:

A Discussion Took Place in Katowice. We Will Announce a Concrete Program in August, Perhaps Early September

- We will strive to ensure that life in rural Poland and in smaller towns is the same as life in large urban centers, that there are no differences here. And I repeat: there are many ideas and plans at the moment. But we want to discuss them, discuss what you [the public] wish for. We want to know that when we announce our program, this already concrete program, because what some of you have heard about, what took place in Katowice, was just a discussion. We will announce a concrete program sometime in August, perhaps in early September. So that it is truly consulted, so that we can know that we are heading in the direction indicated by society - stated Jarosław Kaczyński at a family picnic in the Gózd municipality.


17:57

Kaczyński:

We Don't Want War. We Want to Reach an Agreement

- We want it to continue like this [for Poland to develop]. But this requires social consent, an end to this war that is ongoing in Poland. We too will move in this direction. We do not want war. We want to reach an agreement, like for example, Ireland did once. Ireland was poor for Western Europe. Today it is much richer than Germany. Not just a little, but much richer. Much richer than England, and it was always much poorer. Can this happen to Poland? It can happen. But what we need is this agreement, this consent - stated Jarosław Kaczyński at a family picnic in the Gózd commune.


18:00

Kaczyński:

An Agreement is Needed

- An agreement is needed. A situation is needed where we can together seize this great opportunity that exists for Poland today. Because Poles have shown that they can. There were those who, at the beginning of this period after 1989, believed that Poland was a country that would always trail behind. This is completely untrue. We are a capable, efficient nation. We can achieve enormous successes. It just also requires the right conditions in the state, political conditions. And we will strive for that too – stated Jarosław Kaczyński at a family picnic in the Gózd commune.


18:05

Kaczyński:

We're Being Drenched in Mud, They Shout About Some Dictatorship. It's Simply Nonsense. If There Were a Dictatorship, There Wouldn't Be an Opposition

- We know that we are being drenched in mud, that they are shouting about some dictatorship, etc. Anyone with common sense knows that this is simply nonsense. If there were a dictatorship, there would be no opposition, or at least not one like it is now. There wouldn't be what's happening against us. We are an island of freedom in Europe today. And we want to remain so, but we also want to be an island of very rapid development, and I repeat, it's possible. And possible with the participation of everyone – stated Jarosław Kaczyński at a family picnic in the Gózd commune.


18:10

Kaczyński:

I believe that in four years, someone standing in this place, because I'm already old, so it probably won't be me, will be able to say: we kept our word again.
To achieve this, we don't have to resemble those who are there, in the West. We don't have to stand under the rainbow flag. We can stand under the white and red flag - stated Jarosław Kaczyński at a family picnic in the Gózd commune. And this is our program. I came to you with this. And I believe we will gain support for this program. And I believe that in four years, someone standing in this place, because I'm already old, so it probably won't be me, will be able to say: we kept our word again. And we have taken a big step in the direction my predecessor spoke of - continued the PiS chairman.