"We must, above all, focus on making Poland healthy. My first decision, my first legislative initiative as president, will be a law increasing healthcare funding to 6% of GDP. You will ask where the money for this will come from, as such questions are always asked. The money that is currently going to propaganda, to party television, should be redirected to health, to our hospitals" - stated the Civic Coalition's presidential candidate and Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, at a press conference.

„I hope this will be the beginning of a great wave of change in Poland, where the most important words – equality, justice, dignity – will regain their proper meaning. The world has recently turned upside down. All those who were doing well in reality today cannot be entirely sure of tomorrow. We have all lost our basic sense of security. All of this requires a completely new policy based on empathy and effectiveness, on courage and imagination, and also on responsibility” – said the KO presidential candidate and Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, at a press conference.

"Today, a completely new politics is needed, one that confronts a world where 'more' no longer means 'better,' where 'I' became more important than 'we.' A new politics where the most important values will truly be the most important, a new politics built on new solidarity" - said Rafał Trzaskowski, the Civic Coalition (KO) presidential candidate and Mayor of Warsaw, at a press conference.

„I have decided to enter this fight because I do not see a politician in Poland today who could prompt the government to truly effective action. Today, unfortunately, a white flag is flying over the Presidential Palace. The President of the Republic, who should be an example of caring for the needy, has unfortunately become merely a silent witness to all the events we are observing. He has become a silent witness to what is happening in Poland, including corruption and nepotism on a scale unseen for 30 years” - said the Civic Coalition (KO) presidential candidate and Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, at a press conference.

“The paradox of the current situation is that precisely those who sought power under the banner of a strong state have dramatically weakened that state. Precisely those who spoke of honesty have led to a situation where the state and its institutions, which guard independence and honesty, are today being dramatically weakened by the ruling party” - said the Civic Coalition's presidential candidate and Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, at a press conference.

„We are all worried today about whether we will have money for security, schools, hospitals, while PiS allocates 2 billion annually to its party television. It is simply painful. It is simply painful. Poland must be a country where everyone has the same rights, where institutions are strong by the strength of their citizens” - said Rafał Trzaskowski, the KO candidate for president and the Mayor of Warsaw, at a press conference.

Thirty-eight years have recently passed since the premiere broadcast of the Hit Parade on the Third Programme of Polish Radio. Few cultural events in our country represent such an important and intergenerational symbolic experience. This in itself is a value that must be cherished - wrote Jadwiga Emilewicz in a letter to the Chairman of the National Media Council, Krzysztof Czabański. - Yesterday's decision to remove Kazik's song, "Your Pain Is Better Than Mine," from the Hit Parade rightly provoked outrage among listeners and artists. The last time this type of interference, in something that can never be subject to censorship, occurred was in 1984. I was eleven years old then and I clearly remember the solitary drums from Maanam's "To Tylko Tango" in place of the band's songs censored by the authorities at the time - the Deputy Prime Minister further argues.

In Polish history, culture has a strong gene of reality contestation; it has always been an important barometer of social moods. Artistic freedom should never be fettered in any way, even when the creator has a different opinion and perceives reality differently. I hope that the National Media Council will take swift and decisive steps to clarify the incident and ensure the song's return to the airwaves of Radio Trójka. Let us remember that the virus we are fighting attacks the lungs, not common sense.

"A new public television will be established in place of the current one, without TVP Info, without "Wiadomości" [News], without political commentary, without all of that which poisons our public life today. Unfortunately, the television that was supposed to be public television has been completely discredited by PiS, which is why it should never tempt anyone again to use public television, which should educate us, support us in difficult times, for political purposes. May it never tempt anyone again," said the Civic Coalition's presidential candidate and Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, at a press conference.

„We're heading out to Poland today. Many of our compatriots feel left to their own devices. Poles feel that nobody is listening to them anymore. They often hear about incantations, large planes carrying aid, while they are left alone with their problems. We need to be with them, to listen, of course, taking into account the difficult times, health, and safety” - said Rafał Trzaskowski, candidate for President from the Civic Coalition and Mayor of Warsaw, at a press conference.

"The election campaign has not yet begun, but we are, of course, preparing for its launch. What is most important is that the opposition and local governments managed to ensure that the elections did not take place on May 10th. We hope that with each passing week, we will become increasingly safe. Fortunately, electoral lists will be able to be sent via the Internet, unlike election packages. I am absolutely calm that we will be able to ensure the security of this process" - said the Civic Coalition (KO) presidential candidate and Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, at a press conference.

“One of the things that motivates me in this choice is the fact that PiS treats local governments as enemy number one and will want to destroy them. Warsaw is important to me, but the whole of Poland is even more important. These local governments are being destroyed not only in Warsaw, but everywhere – in Sanok, Puck, everywhere where the authorities want to take over independent governance. I am convinced that PiS would strive to introduce [a commissioner] one way or another, but the President of the Republic from the opposition will not allow the office to be abused and for an appointed commissioner to destroy Warsaw, Wrocław, or Poznań. They will not destroy Warsaw in 3 months if the President is from the opposition, because he will not allow it” – said the Civic Coalition's presidential candidate, Mayor of Warsaw Rafał Trzaskowski, at a press conference.

„I am the Mayor of the Capital City of Warsaw and will remain so until the elections are won. The most important thing is that today, management is needed all the time. I manage Warsaw. President Duda will also fulfill his role, just like the Prime Minister. I will manage Warsaw all the time. If there's a day I'm away from Warsaw, I will take leave” - said Rafał Trzaskowski, the Civic Coalition's presidential candidate and Mayor of Warsaw, at a press conference.

- I would like to assure all families, miners, but not only them, families affected by this illness, those infected with coronavirus, those suffering from COVID-19, all those who are awaiting results, who are under quarantine, of my solidarity. Today, I stand in solidarity, we all stand in solidarity with the residents of the Silesian Voivodeship, Upper Silesia, with everyone who anxiously awaits news about the health of their loved ones, awaits their test results. I am here today to clearly state, as a presidential candidate: there is no tolerance for hate towards miners. There is no tolerance for hate towards the residents of the Silesian Voivodeship. There is no tolerance for insults, for any ostracism towards these people, for any bad behavior, for online slandering, for accusations, and for any fears of contact with residents of the Silesian Voivodeship. This is unacceptable, I say this as a doctor, but I think as every one of us, a citizen of the Republic of Poland. In such situations, solidarity and responsibility are fundamental - stated Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz at a briefing in Katowice.

"Hurry, TVP Info staff, to ask your questions, as only a few weeks remain" - says Rafał Trzaskowski, the Civic Coalition's presidential candidate, in response to questions from TVP Info cited by Jan Grabiec. 

- The medicine here is very good. I know that this medicine will cope. But it needs a chance and support from the government. I was waiting for the conference and for what Prime Minister Morawiecki wanted to say. I am enormously disappointed. Because it is unacceptable for a Member of Parliament, a Prime Minister, to approach the topic in such a trivial way, because that's how I perceive it. Today, I want to present my plan for these rescue actions, actions for healthcare, actions for rapid testing – stated Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz at a briefing in Katowice.

"Firstly, we need to launch laboratories not only in the Silesian Voivodeship, but also in surrounding voivodeships, which should serve the Silesian Voivodeship, particularly Upper Silesia, and be places where tests are performed quickly. Not only are too few tests being performed, but on top of that, there is the situation where one waits a very long time for the result. A week's wait for a result, or for a sample to be taken, is unacceptable. This creates a huge threat, but also huge anxiety, which it causes for families and loved ones.

Secondly – we are launching the sanitary inspectorate, which will not only be from the districts within the Silesian Voivodeship, but there will be hotlines available from all over the country. Today, all of Poland must support the Silesian Voivodeship. If the majority of cases, even based on today's data, that half of the cases announced this morning come from the Silesian Voivodeship, Silesia has passed the test many times, the Silesian Voivodeship has passed the test many times in economic and social terms. It can cope with difficult situations. But I know that today it needs solidarity from all of Poland, from medical workers and the sanitary inspectorate. So, we are redirecting the activities of sanitary inspectorates, the State Sanitary Inspectorate from various regions in Poland to provide telephone assistance, so that there is no situation where someone cannot get through for many hours

- We saw at the beginning of the fight against the coronavirus how Andrzej Duda opened production lines for disinfectant at Orlen. So, I hope that these disinfectants and masks will go in the largest possible quantity to Silesia, to the Silesian Voivodeship, will be provided free of charge and distributed in large companies, will be available in public places for the residents of the Silesian Voivodeship. There is such a need. And masks and hand sanitizers should be free. Orlen can get involved in this, state aid must have its part in this – said WKK.

- There are various polls; in some, Szymon Hołownia is in second place, in others, Rafał Trzaskowski is, and in some, I am in second place. It's clear that the race for who will advance to the second round with Andrzej Duda will be among our trio. One thing is certain – we will definitely reach that second round. This is already evident from today's sentiments, so there's a great chance for good to triumph over evil. I stand on the good side of the force, and not just for the last couple of days; I've been fighting for a better Poland since November. I was the first candidate to declare my candidacy, and I've been through various moments when Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska was supposedly 100% certain of reaching the second round, or when Andrzej Duda was predicted to win in the first round. Calmly, candidates change, but my vision for Poland remains constant. To restore brotherhood, rebuild community, build a secure state that seeks friends, not points fingers at enemies. It builds bridges of understanding, not walls of hatred. This is the unwavering idea for which I am running in these elections, and with this idea, I will win. I have the greatest chance of defeating Andrzej Duda in the second round, greater than Rafał Trzaskowski, greater than Szymon Hołownia, though I approach them with respect, because I know they also have interesting ideas, but they lack the strength and effectiveness that I possess – stated Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz at a briefing in Katowice.

https://twitter.com/MZ_GOV_PL/status/1262043067089068033

https://twitter.com/MZ_GOV_PL/status/1262043069286924289

"The whole world is fighting an unprecedented threat posed by the coronavirus. People are losing their jobs, health, and lives, and the global economy is slowing down at a pace not seen in decades. Despite the drama the world is facing, so-called 'diversionary topics' continue to emerge, sometimes causing us to miss the point," writes Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in a Facebook post. "And for me, the core of the journalistic frenzy and manipulation of the past few hours is not any musical piece. The core is how the Polish state, its representatives regardless of political affiliation, and finally all of us as a Community, relate to events that are pivotal in the life of our collective. Just as it would be incomprehensible if we did not worthily commemorate the 100th birthday of our Great Compatriot - Karol Wojtyła, John Paul II - tomorrow, it is difficult for me to comprehend questioning the dignified commemoration of the anniversary of the Smolensk Catastrophe. Both the recent - already the tenth - and any other," the Prime Minister continues. "Let me be very clear: YES, visiting the graves and monuments of the Victims of the Smolensk Catastrophe was, is, and will be our duty. Even during the epidemic. Without such gestures, the state becomes a group of people pursuing goals reduced solely to ensuring a minimum standard of living or some economic interests. And the nation becomes just a group of individuals speaking the same language. It becomes a nation without continuity, without a common attachment to what is important, great, and carries timeless values. I would not want to live in such a Poland. As Prime Minister and as a citizen, I believe that Poland and Poles will never be reduced to such a level," writes Morawiecki.

- We know that today health and safety are the most important things. We have learned that we need to focus on the most essential matters, specifically on building a community, and therefore the response to this must also be entirely new state actions. Today, most sadly, we have realized that the state being built by PiS is terrifyingly weak. This is a paradox because PiS came to power under the slogan of building a strong state, yet it has simply weakened this state immeasurably, weakened all state institutions, all democratic institutions. And that is why today we must consider what Poland and the world will look like after the coronavirus epidemic - stated Rafał Trzaskowski in an interview with Katarzyna Kolenda-Zaleska on TVN24's "Debata Faktów".

- Andrzej Duda unfortunately is not associated with any of his own initiatives, because these are all initiatives of the government and Jarosław Kaczyński. He is solely and exclusively a passive recipient of what the political party tells him. But what we want to do, what is most important right now, is precisely to talk to people, and they tell us what is most important. What is most important today? Jobs. It turns out that job security is much more important than issues related to, for example, market flexibility. And that's why we will focus primarily on defending jobs. Today we are considering declaring a 100% war on precarious contracts, not just talking about it, but doing it. Today, for example, we are considering how to save the entire creative industry - stated Rafał Trzaskowski in a conversation with Katarzyna Kolenda-Zaleska on TVN24's "Fakty Debate".

- What happened to TVP, which became a party television, is an attempt by PiS to build a propaganda machine that primarily poisons our lives. Therefore, I say clearly: TVP should remain, but it should be a new public television, stripped of TVP Info, of the news and information segments, because the temptation for the right to treat television as an instrument of political struggle all the time will unfortunately appear every time - stated Rafał Trzaskowski in an interview with Katarzyna Kolenda-Zaleska on TVN24's "Debata Faktów".

"The Prime Minister is focusing this week on promoting the Shield and further meetings with entrepreneurs who have received assistance to defend jobs and their competitive position" - 300POLITYKA learns from Mateusz Morawiecki's associates. We are hearing that the head of government will participate in two major events surrounding the Shield - the first already on Tuesday. We have seen a promotional video showcasing the scale of the PFR Shield and a testimonial from a family business the Prime Minister visited last week. In the video, Agnieszka Flis, the CEO of one of Europe's most modern confectionery companies, which she and her husband founded when they were both 22 years old, speaks. The company received almost 2 million PLN from the PFR Financial Shield. According to her account, the application submitted through PKO BP was filled out in 7 minutes, and the funds were transferred to the company's account within 24 hours. Thanks to the subsidy from the Shield, the company secured funds for employee salaries until the end of the year, as their turnover dropped by 35% following the crisis triggered by the epidemic, due to the collapse of exports. "To defend Polish companies, the government swiftly prepared an anti-crisis and financial shield. The shields are working" - says the narrator in the video, while Agnieszka Flis talks about how her company quickly received assistance. "Almost 120,000 small and medium-sized enterprises have received help. Jobs have been saved and companies have time to rebuild their market position. Poland has avoided an unemployment spiral, and thanks to further elements of the shield, we will save over 3 million jobs" - we hear in the video. "Global media, analysts, and the European Commission believe that Poland today has the most effective tools for fighting the crisis. This is the work of the entire government. We will save the Polish economy" - the video concludes.

- I'm not leaving Warsaw because I'm going to fight for Poland, and if anyone becomes the president of Poland, it is to take care of Warsaw and of big cities, of small, medium-sized ones, also of villages, and to take care of the idea of self-governance, because today, and this is my motivation, why did I go to fight in these elections? Because everything has changed. The world has changed and we have all seen with our own eyes how weak a state, a dramatically weak state, PiS has built - stated Rafał Trzaskowski in an interview with Katarzyna Kolenda-Zaleska on TVN24's "Fakty Debate".

Phase III Easing of Restrictions. We are entering the third, penultimate phase of lifting coronavirus-related restrictions. Starting Monday, we will be able to visit hairdressers and beauty salons, as well as dine in restaurants and cafes. Reaching these places will become quicker, as the passenger limit in public transport will be increased. PM Morawiecki Promotes the Shield. This week, the Prime Minister is focusing on promoting the economic shield and further meetings with entrepreneurs who have received support to protect jobs and their competitive position – 300POLITYKA learns from Mateusz Morawiecki’s associates. As we hear, the head of government will participate in two major events related to the shield – the first already on Tuesday. We have seen a video showcasing the scale of the PFR shield and a testimony from a family business visited by the Prime Minister last week. President Duda's Schedule. On Monday, on the 100th anniversary of John Paul II's birth, President Andrzej Duda will be in Wadowice and Krakow. On Tuesday and Thursday, the President will hold phone calls with the leaders of three countries. On Wednesday, on the occasion of Family Day, President Duda will visit Pułtusk, and on Thursday, he will be at a foil factory – it can be assumed that the aim is to build a narrative about protecting jobs. Another event is planned for the coming week, but the campaign staff are unwilling to reveal details at this time. Plans for Kosiniak-Kamysz and Hołownia. On Monday, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz will be in Krakow. The PSL candidate's campaign staff state that he will be traveling across the country and this week will focus on economic topics. Szymon Hołownia will also be on the road. On Tuesday, he will visit Kielce and Starachowice; on Thursday, Łódź and Pabianice; and on Saturday, Poznań and Gniezno. Senate Committees to Discuss the Presidential Election Bill. On Thursday at 13:00, the Senate committees for local government and public administration, human rights, rule of law and petitions, and legislation will consider the bill on special rules for organizing the general presidential elections called in 2020, with the possibility of postal voting. For now, it is unknown when the Senate will consider the PiS proposal. Resumption of Supreme Court General Assembly Sessions. In accordance with the decree of the new acting First President of the Supreme Court, Aleksander Stępkowski, the sessions of the General Assembly of the Supreme Court Judges, tasked with selecting candidates for the new First President of the Supreme Court, are scheduled to resume on Friday. Photo: *KPRM*