At 11:00 AM, a press briefing by the Head of the President's Office, Krzysztof Szczerski, will be held in front of the Presidential Palace, focusing among other things on the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II.

At 12:00 PM, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki will participate in the II National Celebration of Gratitude to the Polish Countryside in Kolno.

“The main, international commemorations of the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II will take place in Warsaw, the capital of Poland. The ceremonies will begin at 12:00 PM at Piłsudski Square. We expect the presence of 40 foreign delegations. This amounts to approximately 250 guests from around the world, including presidents, prime ministers, parliamentary speakers, ministers of foreign affairs, ministers of national defense, as well as special envoys from European royal families,” stated Minister Krzysztof Szczerski during a briefing.

„It's not just about history. It's also about a lesson from history, so that these commemorations serve as a warning, so that the memory of World War II is a warning to the modern world. We want to connect the historical message with a message for the contemporary world about the necessity of peace, respect for the sovereign rights of all nations and states, about not changing borders by force, about not making deals over the heads of other countries or at the expense of other countries, and finally, about not yielding to the aggressive actions of some countries at the cost of prolonging peace, which later brings even worse devastation of war” – stated Minister Krzysztof Szczerski at a briefing.

„The President, in the morning, just after 4:00 AM, together with the President of Germany, will participate in ceremonies in Wieluń. This is an extremely important agreement that the Presidents made a year ago, that they would very much want to emphasize the civilian victims of World War II. Wieluń was one of the first cities to be bombed, a completely defenseless, innocent city, having no military or strategic significance for that war. Simply to sow terror, to show the total dimension of the war” - said Minister Krzysztof Szczerski at a briefing.

„On August 31st, the President of Ukraine will make his first bilateral visit to Poland. During full-fledged talks, the President will meet with President [Duda], the Prime Minister, and the Marshal of the Senate. This will be a comprehensive package of Polish-Ukrainian bilateral discussions” - said Minister Krzysztof Szczerski at a briefing.

„The first conversation [with Ursula von der Leyen] was very good. We then discussed the full panorama of European policy, the Commission's plans, the political message that the President expressed in the EP and which gained the support of the majority, including PiS MEPs. I expect that the conversation, which is planned for next week, will be clarifying, it will be a discussion about the scope of European policy that will fall to Poland” - said Minister Krzysztof Szczerski at a briefing.

„Therefore, we cherish Polish culture so much, we know it would be poorer, one might say it wouldn't be what it is today, without the traditions of the Polish countryside. What would Chopin's music be without folk inspirations? Our Nobel laureate Reymont without his 'Peasants'? This is the tradition upon which we are building our future. It is wonderful, it has built us up today, this tradition of the Polish countryside” – said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Kolno.

"Poland. This word comes from 'pole' (field) or from the people who cultivated the field. From the Polans. It's a beautiful melody so deeply rooted. That's why we so revere this tradition, why we respect Poland. Within the traditions of the Polish countryside, the sovereign Polish countryside, independence was preserved, the desire for independence. The tradition preserved by farmers is the leaven passed to future generations, a beautiful sheaf hiding Polish values" - said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Kolno.

"Our great king, Casimir the Great, after his many changes and reforms, led to economic revival, to what we today call an economic miracle. Today, through our actions, we also want to lead to a Polish village that will be modern, not a fifth wheel, as neoliberals see it, not a hindrance, but a pride of the Polish economy. Caring for the Polish countryside, for Polish agriculture, is in Poland's national interest," said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Kolno.

The coming week in politics is dominated by the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, attended by US President Donald Trump. The Polish Teachers' Union (ZNP) will decide on a teachers' protest, while the Sejm (lower house of parliament) will address the election of the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) president, the establishment of a pedophilia commission, and the reduction of personal income tax (PIT) – the latter being the final draft from the so-called "Kaczyński's Five" legislative package.

The government, meanwhile, will tackle the draft budget bill for the upcoming year, and Marcin Horała will present the final report draft to the investigative committee on VAT fraud. This week also marks the continuation of the election campaign – Monday is the deadline for registering election committees and appointing regional election commissions. Additionally, the President of Ukraine is scheduled for a visit this week.

Also this week, Krzysztof Szczerski, Poland's candidate for European Commissioner, is expected to meet with Ursula von der Leyen, the President-elect of the European Commission.

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Decision on Teachers' Protest. "We will discuss what form of protest will be preferred by teachers on Monday, August 26th," said Sławomir Broniarz, President of the Polish Teachers' Union, on Polsat News. A decision on the protest, its timing, and its form is expected on that day. According to Broniarz, all decisions regarding the forms of protest will be made in accordance with the teachers' will, based on a referendum.

Campaign Continues. On Monday, according to the election calendar, the deadline for appointing regional election commissions passes. Also, by Monday, the National Election Commission (PKW) is accepting applications for the formation of committees – the deadline, according to the calendar, was August 24th, but since it falls on a Saturday, the practical deadline is Monday. The Law and Justice (PiS) party announced several days ago that they would register their lists this week. "We have about half a million signatures nationwide, and as soon as the election commissions, the regional commissions, are constituted – which we understand will happen no later than Monday – we will begin registering the lists from Tuesday. We want to submit documents to the regional election commissions to register the lists, and after the lists are registered, we will shift into third gear, focusing solely on the election campaign, which we want to base on direct contact with Poles," stated Krzysztof Sobolewski at a press conference.

VAT Investigative Committee Report. A session of the investigative committee on VAT fraud will be held on Monday at 12:00 PM, where Chairman Marcin Horała will present the draft final report of the committee. A second, closed session for the media will take place at 4:00 PM.

Government on the Budget. The Council of Ministers will consider the draft budget bill for 2020 at its session on Tuesday at 10:00 AM. According to the Constitution, the government should submit the budget for the next year by the end of September – although, due to the end of the parliamentary term, it is unclear whether it will be passed before the elections. In such a case, the new government will have to re-adopt the bill.

Sejm on the Pedophilia Commission. On Thursday at 11:00 AM, the Sejm's legislative committee will consider the draft law on the so-called pedophilia commission, announced during the European Parliament campaign by Jarosław Kaczyński. The following day, at 2:15 PM, during a plenary session, the second reading of the government's proposal will take place. As we reported on 300POLITYCE, the Sejm was slow to establish this commission, but work has accelerated following its publication. If the legislative period is shortened during parliamentary work, there is a chance the commission could be established during this term.

Election of NIK President. The election of the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) president is scheduled for Friday morning, between 9:00 AM and 9:30 AM, according to information from 300POLITYKI. PiS's candidate is Marian Banaś, and Civic Platform's (PO) candidate is Borys Budka. On the same day, the Senate is expected to approve the appointment of the NIK president, allowing for the oath to be taken before the Sejm immediately. This might occur during the evening session, between 8:30 PM and 10:30 PM. The day before, on Thursday at 4:00 PM, the Sejm's state audit committee will issue an opinion on the matter.

Sejm on PIT Reduction. In the aforementioned Friday session – which will be a continuation – the Sejm will also address the government's draft bill reducing the PIT from 18% to 17%. The first reading will take place at 9:30 AM, and a session of the public finance committee on this matter is scheduled for 11:30 AM. The second reading will occur at 5:15 PM, so it can be assumed that on Friday evening, during the aforementioned block, the Sejm will adopt the final draft from the so-called "Kaczyński's Five." The Sejm may also consider a draft law concerning the flights of key state officials, should it be submitted to the Sejm.

Visit of the President of Ukraine. On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife will pay an official visit to Poland. The exact schedule of the visit is not yet known, but it is confirmed that meetings with the President, Prime Minister, and Marshal of the Senate are planned.

Commemorations of the Outbreak of WWII. "The President, in the morning, just after 4:00 AM, will participate in ceremonies in Wieluń together with the President of Germany. This is a very important arrangement that the presidents made a year ago, that they would very much want to emphasize the civilian victims of World War II. Wieluń was one of the first cities bombed, a completely defenseless, innocent city, with no military or strategic significance for that war. Simply to sow terror, to demonstrate the total dimension of war," said Minister Krzysztof Szczerski at a briefing.

Visit of Donald Trump. Over the weekend, US President Donald Trump will begin his visit to Poland, and on Sunday in Warsaw, he will participate in the ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II. "On Piłsudski Square, speeches will be delivered by the Presidents of Poland, Germany, and the United States. There will be three speeches at these ceremonies. The guiding theme is the words 'Memory and Warning.' These words will be on a white ribbon attached to the wreath that all leaders will jointly lay at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. These words will also be on a special bell, cast for this occasion, which will be gifted to the city of Wieluń. Each leader, paying tribute to the victims of World War II, will symbolically strike this bell," said Minister Krzysztof Szczerski at a briefing.

Szczerski's Meeting with von der Leyen. "The first conversation [with Ursula von der Leyen] was very good. We then discussed the full panorama of European policy, the Commission's plans, the political message that the President expressed in the European Parliament and which gained the support of the majority, including PiS MEPs. I expect that the conversation planned for next week will be more detailed, a conversation about the scope of European policy that will fall to Poland," said Minister Krzysztof Szczerski at a briefing.

Photo: Jakub Szymczuk/KPRP