As we wrote on 300POLITYKA, today, during a joint appearance by the President and the Prime Minister at ATM in Warsaw, the process of selecting a strategic advisor for CPK will be presented. A firm from South Korea (Incheon Airport) and Japan (Narita) is bidding for this role. "No airport of this scale has been built faster than in 20 years. We want it in 10," one of the ministers involved in the project tells us.

"No airport in Europe of this scale has been built faster than in 20 years. We want it in 10," one of President Duda's associates tells us. Today, a concentrated joint message from the President and the Prime Minister about investments is planned, as a counterpoint to what Rafał Trzaskowski is saying. "This means 150,000 jobs, so let no one say it's a virtual project," he adds.

After President Duda signed the so-called presidential election bill last night, which was immediately published in the Journal of Laws, today, Marshal of the Sejm Elżbieta Witek is set to officially announce the date of the presidential elections along with the election calendar, as announced by Ryszard Terlecki. As we wrote on 300POLITYKA, election committees will have until June 5th to register. The deadline for collecting 100,000 signatures will be June 10th. It is highly probable that the first round will take place on June 28th.

At 10:00 AM, the Senate will resume its deliberations. This is planned as the last day of the session. At 12:30 PM in Warsaw, Robert Biedroń will hold a press conference concerning the candidates' debate before the presidential elections. Meanwhile, at 1:30 PM in Izabelin C, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and local government officials will hold a press conference.

Szymon Hołownia will visit residents of the Opole Voivodeship. At 1:00 PM in Gogolin, he will meet with Mayor Joachim Wojtala, and at 1:30 PM – over coffee and cake – with representatives of the German Minority. At 2:30 PM, a press briefing will be held, and at 2:50 PM – a meeting with residents. At 4:15 PM in Górażdże, he will meet with farmers, and at 6:15 PM – with residents of Praszka.

Furthermore, at 10:00 AM, the parliamentary committee on public finance will convene to consider amendments to the draft act on subsidies for interest rates on bank loans granted to ensure the financial liquidity of entrepreneurs affected by the effects of COVID-19, known as Shield 4.0, which is expected to be adopted by the Sejm tomorrow.

– We need to mobilize significantly, and we know how difficult it will be to collect these signatures in likely 5-6 days, if Marshal Witek announces the elections today. Every signature collection effort is a serious undertaking. The timeframe is very short, and we also have to remember the time it takes for the forms and signatures to reach us. We know there's great enthusiasm, we know many people want to help us, but if we approach this too casually, it could lead to a certain demobilization, hence our appeal. Marshal Witek will probably announce the elections today. On the Trzaskowski2020 website, locations will appear where signatures can be collected and submitted from the moment of the announcement. Likely a major signature collection campaign across Poland today, on the streets, including in Warsaw with Rafał Trzaskowski, and we strongly encourage participation. Tomorrow at 4:30 PM, the same in Gdańsk. Rafał Trzaskowski will also be there – stated Barbara Nowacka in "Rozmowa Piaseckiego" on TVN24.

- The [presidential election] date, I suspect, will raise the fewest doubts. Far greater doubts are raised by the fact that, for example, Minister Szumowski has been given tools that allow him to manually shut down this or that municipality. In reality, at this moment, with the consultation of the National Electoral Commission (PKW), but it is known that the minister's voice will carry the most weight here. We know what this amendment is, because we also lobbied for it, but let's remember that the minister will still be able to exert pressure on the PKW, show such data, and start testing more in one place or another. Right now, we see what is happening in Silesia - stated Barbara Nowacka in TVN24's "Rozmowa Piaseckiego" program.

- We suspect that they will try to shut down a city or two, by testing more in one place or another, or the whole of Silesia or individual parts of Silesia, solely to achieve a better result in the second round. Because they are terribly afraid. Because fear has gripped them that Trzaskowski will win these elections, because no one else has such mobilizing power, such resources, and is also such a guarantor of the efficient functioning of the state - she continued.

- I see concern and frantic actions from Szumowski. Absurd statements regarding masks. First, they don't need to be worn, then we'll wear them for two years until a vaccine is invented. All to prove his political message that elections can be held in two years. Now masks don't need to be worn, and we can go to the polls normally at the end of June. There is also a need for clarification regarding the money pump. If the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Science have become a money pump for the Szumowski family, if the dream of San Escobar has come true, because these are the standards of the dreamed-of and longed-for San Escobar, then the state isn't made of cardboard, but is an illusion - said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz in an interview with Piotr Kraśko on TOK FM's "Poranek".

- We must work hard, nothing will be given freely. The whole of Poland to cover once again. I have done this several times already, but starting tomorrow I will be on a full campaign trail - said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on TOK FM.

- What the president did shows his complete unpreparedness. Not only for the office of president, but for understanding the problems in Poland. We have a hydrological drought, an atmospheric drought, and an agricultural drought. I don't expect 20,000 water ponds from the president. Do you know how much money they want to give for this program? Besides, it's ludicrously defined by the president. 100 million. That is 20,000 retention reservoirs, because that's how it should look. What are 20,000 for a 40-million country? - said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on TOK FM.

- I am saying this very clearly and directly. I was, am, and will remain a proponent of Civic Platform's grand project, especially today, when it can offer a chance for victory in the presidential election. Today, we must carry this out and we must do it. This is a challenge for all of us - said Grzegorz Schetyna in an interview with Robert Mazurek on RMF FM's "Morning Interview".

- Other candidates had more time to gather these signatures. I understand that PiS doesn't want these conditions to be 100% equal for all candidates, but we will manage. We will gather 100,000 signatures, over 100,000 signatures. I am convinced that this great energy that we see from people every day, which accompanies Rafał Trzaskowski's meetings, will allow us to gather a very large number of signatures - stated Marcin Kierwiński in an interview with Jacek Prusinowski on Radio Plus.

- We will inform you about this matter once the election campaign is mapped out and the elections are formally announced by Marshal Witek. Cezary Tomczyk will certainly be an important person in this staff. He has been working with Rafał Trzaskowski for many, many years. He was also one of the architects of his successful campaign in Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski's campaign, so he will certainly be an important person in the staff, and as for the structure itself, we will inform you. With one reservation. These are presidential elections in which we will be working for Rafał Trzaskowski. The campaign staff in these elections has a purely technical, organizational significance. The candidate is the most important - stated Marcin Kierwiński on Radio Plus.

- This is a beautiful project, an incredibly costly, incredibly expensive project. At the moment, it exists only on slides. We also conducted research. The research shows that over 70% of Polish society is in favor of redirecting these funds, abandoning, suspending this investment, and channeling these gigantic resources to help people who are losing their jobs due to the current situation, due to the coronavirus pandemic - said Paweł Olszewski during a press conference.

- Poles are capable of excelling worldwide, a fact we have repeatedly demonstrated throughout centuries of history and during difficult years of emigration. That is why the idea of building the Central Communication Port (CPK) was conceived. A communication port that will not only be a transfer hub on a European scale but will also be a huge developmental impulse for the Polish economy, integrating with the grand plan of the Three Seas Initiative. It will be the largest communication port in our region, connecting practically all regions of Poland through a developed railway network and a developed road network. Ultimately, it will give Poland global recognition and make Poland an attractive location for establishing great, global business – said President Andrzej Duda during an event about the CPK.

- It is estimated that the implementation of the Central Communication Port in Poland will create around 150,000 jobs. Approximately 40,000 directly at the port itself and 110,000 across all economic ventures that will surround it. This involves 1,800 km of new railway lines and 400 km of new roads. It will handle approximately 45 million passengers annually arriving in Poland due to the operation of this communication port - said President Andrzej Duda during an event about the CPK.

- Someone might say: wouldn't it be better to give the money to the people instead of carrying out this large investment. One can only smile and say: how can you give money from the EU, surely the Union will never allow that. But it will allow for investments. It will want these investments to be carried out because they serve the development of Europe - said President Andrzej Duda during an event about CPK.

- Rafał Trzaskowski suggests that building CPK (Central Communication Port) along with railway lines is not worthwhile, that we shouldn't overcome the historical inertia in development. On this occasion, he points to the port in Berlin. And ladies and gentlemen, it must be emphasized here that just as the port in Berlin is not a port for Poland, it is a port for Germany, intended to serve the German economy, in the same way that the Berlin metro, of course, will not alleviate passenger traffic in Warsaw. Likewise, we, Poles, Poland, need our new grand programs, development programs, which the government is discussing with the President. The President sets the directions for development, and I am convinced that these are the best possible directions for development - said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki during an event about CPK.

„Yesterday in the Sejm, we voted on the Senate's amendments to the act concerning the special rules for conducting the presidential elections in 2020. I said at the last conference that I would not delay announcing the election date. I want to do it today. I would like to say that I have received information from the National Electoral Commission (PKW) on the positive opinion of the electoral calendar that I presented. Electoral law is one of the fundamental rights of every citizen, and it cannot be the case that any political party decides that it has the right to decide whether presidential elections will take place and by what date, and we have been dealing with this more or less since the beginning of March” - said the Marshal of the Sejm, Elżbieta Witek.

“The campaign was ongoing the whole time and the elections on May 10th should have taken place. We were prepared for it. At the same time, we were drawing attention to two issues. The first, and most important, was ensuring the health and lives of Poles, because that was the most important thing from the very beginning of the epidemic, and on the other hand, we are trying to act quickly and effectively, effectively enough to counteract employee layoffs, to support entrepreneurs, to protect our industry and economy,” said Sejm Marshal Elżbieta Witek.

„PO, and other opposition parties, worked not on laws, but on how to prevent the May 10th elections from happening. I myself received letters from city mayors, from the Union of Polish Metropolises, which urged me to postpone the election date. They tried to persuade me to do something unconstitutional. The election date cannot be arbitrarily postponed, and the government had no intention of declaring a state of natural disaster” – said Sejm Marshal Elżbieta Witek.

"The destabilization of the state and constant chaos and rowdy behavior from the opposition continues. Today, we learn from Marshal Grodzki's statements to PAP that if an opposition candidate wins the presidential election, early elections are possible. If one cannot win against PiS in fair competition during the campaign at the ballot box, it is evident that the opposition is grasping at all possibilities to seize power," said Sejm Marshal Elżbieta Witek.

„Based on Article 128, Paragraph 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland of April 2, 1997 (...) I hereby call for the election of the President of the Republic of Poland. I set the election date for Sunday, June 28, 2020” - said Sejm Marshal Elżbieta Witek.

- My husband's program also includes the idea of allocating not one, but two percent [of taxes] to all kinds of public benefit organizations. We all know that revenue from our taxes will be significantly lower this year, which is why we are appealing and coming forward with this initiative to allocate not one, but two percent to all kinds of non-governmental organizations, and we deeply believe we are capable of doing it - said Paulina Kosiniak-Kamysz during a press conference. 

- Today, Civic Platform, the party of Mr. Budka, Mr. Trzaskowski, Mr. Schetyna, today supports 500+, today supports pensions, our programs. But just 4-5 years ago, they very sharply opposed these programs, our social programs, our investment programs. They called them a catastrophe. We don't have another 5 years, because perhaps in another 5 years Platforma will once again be convinced about CPK, but we don't have time. The European economy train is moving, it's departing. Yesterday I discussed this with Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and our great chance lies precisely in entering into major investment programs, programs that will build new jobs in Poland. And only in agreement, in compromise, and only based on the assumptions we present, can we create such jobs, for the here and now, but also for next year, for two years, for the perspective of modern development for Poland for the next 2, 4, 6, and 10 years. Poland's economic policy, fortunately, has already grown out of its infancy and today it is taking bold steps into the future, for the security of jobs in Poland and for the modernization of the entire Polish economy - said Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki during an event about CPK.

As we hear, on Saturday Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz will speak at the amphitheater in Tarnów. Our interlocutors from the PSL leader's campaign team argue that Kosiniak is a Member of Parliament for Tarnów, and in the parliamentary elections, the number of votes cast for him was greater than the sum of the results of the first two candidates from Civic Platform. It is in Tarnów that he is expected to talk about his vision for the presidency and his Plan for Poland.

Furthermore, Kosiniak-Kamysz is constantly on the road – this week's schedule includes Mazovia, Lublin Voivodeship, and Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, as well as a debate on healthcare on Thursday at 11:00 AM in Warsaw, in which Szymon Hołownia and Robert Biedroń will also participate.

- I invite all candidates running in these elections to a conversation about Poland. I present five programmatic points that I would like to discuss - said Robert Biedroń during a press conference in the Sejm.

- I would like to ask my opponents, if they are elected President of the Republic of Poland, whether they will introduce fiscal cash registers for priests. Will they finally tax the wealthy Church fairly. The second question concerns the construction of one million apartments, which are lacking in Poland - Biedroń continued.

- The third issue also concerns housing, the privatization bill, which successive governments have not passed, and the effects of this wild privatization we see today in Warsaw, where successive presidents bury their heads in the sand, and people are evicted - he continued.

- The fourth issue concerns safe termination of pregnancy up to 12 weeks. Poland, alongside Malta and the Vatican, has the most restrictive law in Europe. Today, women cannot decide about their lives and bodies. Therefore, we must finally liberalize the law on termination of pregnancy - he stated.

- The last question concerns healthcare. Another fundamental matter. Will there finally be a president who will stand on the side of the people, will not privatize hospitals, will not be a spokesman for all those who say that healthcare will manage somehow. Will not stand idly by as nurses and doctors leave Poland. Will we finally have the strength and determination to allocate these 140 billion PLN, i.e. 7.2% of GDP, to healthcare - added Biedroń. 

"7 days [to collect signatures] is obviously enough for us, though I must clearly state that in the history of free Poland, there has never been such a short time to collect signatures, but we expected this, didn't we?" - said the KO candidate for president, the Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, at a press conference.

“I don't understand it at all. The design of the ballot paper is determined by law. The moment the Marshal announced the deadline for collecting signatures, I got the impression that the signature collection had already begun, at least many minutes ago. The templates have been sent all over Poland, because it was possible to do so, it was possible to prepare for collecting signatures, and we are collecting signatures. I do not understand this government's approach, which is trying to prevent truly free, democratic elections again through legal loopholes,” said the Civic Coalition's presidential candidate and Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, at a press conference.

“I have been to many places in Poland and nowhere have I heard the word ‘form’. This is precisely the complete detachment of today's government from the citizens. They are constantly thinking about how to throw a spanner in the works for all their opponents, instead of concentrating on holding free elections,” he added.

- Tomorrow, we will submit the documents related to the formal confirmation of the willingness to participate in the elections scheduled for June 28th, both from the electoral committee of presidential candidate Andrzej Duda and, of course, from the candidate himself - stated Krzysztof Sobolewski at a press briefing.

- Tomorrow, as the election staff, we will begin the distribution of materials, thawing 40 regional, 380 district, and several hundred municipal headquarters, which from tomorrow will receive campaign banners, leaflets, billboards, and as they say, we are returning to the campaign trail. We will continue with the hope that this will be a journey towards victory and re-election for Andrzej Duda - he continued.

„We are going into these elections aiming for victory. Our competition may have better ideas, mountains of money, but they lack what we have. We have the best candidate. President Andrzej Duda will continue over the next three weeks what he has done for the last 5 years – he will continue his dialogue with the nation and his tour of the country. I would like to remind you that President Duda is the first president in history to have visited all 380 counties. He will continue this intensive tour of the country in the coming weeks. We, the campaign staff for the president, will work very hard to ensure the president's re-election” – said PiS MEP Adam Bielan, spokesman for Andrzej Duda's campaign team, at a press conference.

- From what I hear, some candidates-to-be, because that's how it should be put at the moment, have already started collecting signatures. I'm just asking on what form and on what basis, because the documents, the National Electoral Commission (PKW) has not yet published them, which of course does not exclude another possibility. If this candidate-to-be, the so-called 'doubler,' as some call him, has problems, we are at your disposal, if help is needed. They have our phone numbers, so if help is needed in collecting signatures, we present ourselves as available. They can call the numbers, ask. We will then respond - stated Krzysztof Sobolewski at a press briefing.

“It can already be announced. Tomorrow is the first effect of the campaign being unfrozen. There will be a meeting of President Andrzej Duda in Chełm, and the Dudabus will appear on the route there. As for further campaign activities, we had a strategy planned and we will consistently implement it and inform about the actions we will be taking. We have [them] planned until June 28th” - said Krzysztof Sobolewski from PiS at a press conference. 

The Decree of the Marshal of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland of June 3, 2020, on calling the elections of the President of the Republic of Poland was published after 4:30 PM in the Journal of Laws.

This confirms yesterday's information from 300POLITYKA regarding the main elements of the election calendar: electoral committees will have until June 5 to register. The deadline to collect at least 100,000 signatures will expire on June 10.

https://twitter.com/MZ_GOV_PL/status/1268203336051953669

„If Rafał Trzaskowski didn't know, and what's more, if as he or his entourage claims, such signatures weren't being collected, then he shouldn't worry about anything. In the aforementioned parliamentary debate, representatives from all sides of the political dispute repeatedly stated the significant role of the PKW, and the trust placed in this body. It's difficult for me to delve into the competences of the PKW, which deemed it necessary to update the form in some way. Perhaps media reports, suggesting that some bad people, whom Rafał Trzaskowski doesn't know, were collecting signatures for his candidacy, influenced this. Perhaps it was the PKW's caution, wanting to clearly differentiate the forms before and after the election announcement, to prevent Rafał Trzaskowski from accidentally submitting illegally collected signatures” - said PiS Deputy Spokesperson Radosław Fogiel in an interview with Adrian Klarenbach on Polish Radio 24. 

"[The campaign will be] short. This is something we can state with a fair degree of certainty, and – consequently – I believe it will be intense. It is difficult for me to predict the campaigns of our opponents, but in the case of President Andrzej Duda, candidate Andrzej Duda, because the presidency involves the daily duties of the head of state, we are dealing with hard campaign work. It will be a campaign close to the people, intense," said PiS Deputy Spokesperson Radosław Fogiel on Polskie Radio 24. 

A presidential draft law on the solidarity supplement, designed to counteract the negative effects of COVID-19, has been submitted to the Sejm. The proposal concerns financial support for individuals who have lost their source of income due to the economic situation caused by the crisis triggered by the COVID-19 epidemic.

The solidarity supplement will be a benefit granted for a maximum of 3 months, between June 1 and August 31, 2020, and its amount will be PLN 1400 per month. The supplement will be available to individuals employed under an employment contract, whose contracts were terminated by the employer after March 31, 2020, or expired at their term.

The condition for eligibility for the solidarity supplement is having been subject to social insurance in 2020 due to employment for at least 90 days.

- Rafał Trzaskowski and the Civic Platform's campaign team were given over five days to collect signatures. This time would have been longer if Tomasz Grodzki, Mr. Rafał Trzaskowski's party colleague, had not held onto this bill for two weeks longer than necessary. This bill could have easily been considered in the first week after its passage by the Sejm, and then Civic Platform would have had not five days, but 25 days. Secondly, we collected signatures at a rate of 100,000 per day. We gathered over 2 million signatures within 21 days for President Andrzej Duda's candidacy. I am convinced that Civic Platform is also capable of collecting these signatures within five days – said Adam Bielan in Polsat News.

- The National Electoral Commission (PKW) also has a representative from Civic Platform (PO). Every major club has its representative in the PKW, so this will certainly not be any arbitrary decision [regarding postal voting in specific locations]. We will do nothing that administratively hinders competition with President Andrzej Duda - said Adam Bielan in Polsat News.

“The opposition aimed for chaos, for destabilization. They failed because we set strict conditions with our May 12th law, and this process has been concluded, the elections have been announced. Let us focus on the election campaign, and not say, as we heard yesterday in the Sejm, that something is being rigged” - stated Przemysław Czarnek from PiS in a conversation with Edyta Lewandowska on “Gość Wiadomości” on TVP Info. 

- I am convinced that Rafał Trzaskowski, if he became president, which I hope he doesn't, I will do everything to prevent it, would veto all important laws sent to his desk, one after another - said Adam Bielan on TVN24.