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08/27/2024

00:44

Tuesday's Political Schedule: Kosiniak at Campus, Błaszczak's Press Conference on ECP Decisions, Śliwka Ahead of Ministry of National Defence

At 11:30 AM in Warsaw, a press conference will be held by the head of the PiS parliamentary club, Mariusz Błaszczak, and Rafał Bochenek.

Earlier, at 9:30 AM, a press conference will be held by PiS MP Andrzej Śliwka.

At 5:00 PM - as part of Campus Polska Przyszłości (Poland's Future Campus) - a meeting will take place with Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Ministry of National Defence, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.


08:20

Łoboda on Abortion:

Despite the Prime Minister’s Words, We Won’t Stop Trying to Convince the PSL.
- Of course, there are differences of opinion within the coalition, which no one has hidden […]. That’s what democracy is about, the formation of different coalitions. These are not authoritarian governments like those of the United Right, where the leader decided everything and everyone had to subordinate themselves to it – Dorota Łoboda said on TOK FM’s Morning show. - These acts of disobedience and rebellions were usually stifled in the bud. Here, we rather try to reach agreements and convince each other of our reasoning, as I am doing – for now, unsuccessfully, I must admit – when it comes to the right to abortion. But I will not give up on this issue – she emphasized. - I know that, admittedly, the Prime Minister said it won’t succeed in this Sejm. However, my colleagues and I in the Coalition will not cease our efforts to persuade the Members of Parliament from the PSL to some form of new compromise. Moreover, I do not understand this term to mean the state of affairs that existed after 1993 and before 2020 – she continued.

08:23

Łoboda:

I Am Convinced This Coalition Will Not Fall Apart Until the End of the Term
- Of course, there are differences regarding the health contribution and civil partnerships. The widow's pension was also accepted with difficulty by part of the coalition. But we are moving forward. I am personally convinced that this coalition will not fall apart until the end of the term – said Dorota Łoboda in Poranek TOK FM.

08:56

Śmiszek on the Campus Party: 'This song is part of the 'cultural' heritage, it was very popular'
- The application of hate speech laws always depends on the specific context. I understand that it was a private event, and whether we like the song or not, it is part of the 'cultural' heritage, I don't know if you can call it that... But we cannot dispute the fact that it is a popular song and was very popular just a year ago - said Krzysztof Śmiszek in an interview with Marcin Fijołek on Polsat News' "Graffiti", referring to the controversial party during Campus Polska Przyszłości. - I have no intention whatsoever, and I am a strong libertarian when it comes to expressing one's views, and sometimes these expressions can even be harsh and border on vulgarity. That's part of artistic freedom too - he continued. He also noted: - I don't know if it is appropriate for us, now being part of the ruling coalition, to use the same methods of expression as we did when we were in opposition. But youth has its, let's say, rights... - I simply believe that on the one hand, we have freedom of speech, it was a private event, someone simply decided to sing such a song. On the other hand, I believe that when we are in government, in this setup, when we should be setting standards, then that has already burned out - he continued. When asked if the projected hate speech law would apply to the song in question and its performance at the Campus event, he replied: - I don't think so, because other circumstances are taken into account here: motivation, encouraging others to violence. It seems to me that the so-called artistic freedom defense also comes into play here.

09:14

Śmiszek:

Kosiniak-Kamysz is the last person who should lecture others on how to conduct a marriage
- It seems the PSL's conservative values have become mixed with intolerance. Secondly: there is a government bill [on registered partnerships], proposed by Minister Kotula, and it's on the government's legislative work schedule – said Krzysztof Śmiszek in the "Graffiti" program on Polsat News. - I expect that entering into such a union will be done with dignity. I don't see an element of dignity and recognition from the state if one has to sign such documents quietly, in a corner, at a notary's office – he assessed. - I completely fail to understand the PSL's stubborn stance that if two people of the same or different sex go to the Civil Registry Office and receive a document from an official on behalf of the municipality or the state, the Polish family will suddenly fall apart – he stated. - As it happens, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz is the last person who should lecture others on how to lead a real family life and care for a marriage – he emphasized.

09:26

Hennig-Kloska on next year's budget:

It is difficult.

- First and foremost, this is a very difficult budget because we took over the state with very high debt. Debt hidden in various budget funds. I would like to remind you that we invested a lot in citizens at the beginning of this term, such as raising salaries for the administration, in many areas, in social assistance, and teacher pay raises. Today, of course, we must keep all of this within limits and fulfill further promises – stated Paulina Hennig-Kloska in the program ,,Jeden na jeden” on TVN24.

“We will firmly demand the fulfillment of electoral promises.” Hennig-Kloska on Poland2050’s stance

- We, as Poland 2050, have been saying from the beginning that we will, of course, firmly demand the fulfillment of electoral promises contained in the coalition agreement, but of course, we will also be a stable partner in this coalition and a stable pillar. Therefore, we negotiate firmly, but always with reason, taking into account the possibilities of the Minister of Finance – she continued.

- We have discussed this, but it is not my role to present the final assumptions of the budget; they may still change. Therefore, we will stay within the limits of a budget probably similar to the current year’s – she emphasized.


09:36

What's Next for the Wind Turbine Act? Hennig-Kloska: It Will Reach Parliament by Year-End

- The act will go to public consultations in September, and I believe it will reach parliament by the end of the year. The fact is, to lower energy prices, we need more RES in the energy mix, and we are rebuilding this mix. Of course, this involves not only reducing distances and increasing the area of the country where such energy capacities can be built, but also accelerating the investment process, which in Poland takes quite a long time. Making many simplifications and facilitations so that RES can be built faster in Poland, and this is exactly what is in this comprehensive act. The act is ready, it is going to consultations, and inter-ministerial agreements are concluding – said Paulina Hennig-Kloska on TVN24.


09:49

Petru:

The Left Will Not Be Able to Block the Health Contribution Cut

- The Left will not be able to block the health contribution cut - wrote Ryszard Petru.


12:10

PiS writes to the National Electoral Commission:

We hope it won't yield to the pressure of the ruling party.

Today, a [multi-page document] was submitted to the National Electoral Commission (PKW). We remind you that Article 7 of the Constitution of the Republic of Poland stipulates the legality of actions by state organizations, meaning the PKW can only act based on and within the limits of the law. The Electoral Code clearly states the exclusivity of an electoral committee when it comes to conducting an election campaign. This is a principle that has been legally adopted and confirmed in judicial decisions, including those of the Supreme Court (SN) - stated Mariusz Błaszczak at a press conference.

The PKW Should Not Divide Political Parties

- We want to say frankly that the PKW should not divide political parties into those that are more equal and those that are subject – as Ryszard Kalisz put it – to different control. All entities should be controlled in the same way, on the same principles, based on the same legal provisions in force in the Republic of Poland.

We Hope the PKW Will Not Yield to the Pressure of the Ruling Party

- We hope that the PKW will not yield to the pressure of the ruling party. Ryszard Kalisz once listed the names of those exerting pressure on the PKW. These are ministers, and also the all-powerful MP from Civic Coalition (KO), who began his political career in Młodzież Wszechpolska, and now holds a strong position in the KO club because he was only symbolically punished for not participating in the vote on abortion.


15:53

Nowacka's Regulation on Religion Lessons Challenged in Constitutional Tribunal

The First President of the Supreme Court, Małgorzata Manowska, has filed a motion with the Constitutional Tribunal to examine the constitutionality of the Minister of Education's July regulation concerning the conditions and methods of organizing religion lessons – as announced by the Supreme Court.

Manowska requests the issuance of a precautionary measure, meaning the suspension of the challenged provisions, which are set to take effect from September 1st.

What provisions are in question?

According to the regulation signed by Barbara Nowacka on July 26th, preschools and schools are to organize religion classes in groups comprising children from a given cohort or students from a given class, provided at least seven individuals have registered for religion lessons within that specific cohort or class.

If fewer than seven individuals from a given cohort or class register for religion lessons, the preschool or school will organize religion classes for them in a cross-cohort or cross-class group.


17:31

Kosiniak-Kamysz Booed at Campus. Crowd Chanted: "Where is Abortion?"

A meeting with Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Rafał Trzaskowski took place at Campus Polska Przyszłości. As the politicians entered the stage together at the beginning of the event, shouts of "Where is abortion?" were heard from the audience.

When Trzaskowski was welcoming his guest, the Deputy Prime Minister was booed. The event host asked the audience for respect.

- Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz has always been here, he is the most loyal Campus attendee... He has always stood before you, answered all your questions, and he deserves respect for always answering your questions and always speaking openly about his views. So now I very much ask you for respect and for a conversation, which we are accustomed to at Campus. It is our tradition to respect our guests - said Rafał Trzaskowski. Towards the end of his speech, applause erupted.


17:39

Kosiniak-Kamysz, When Asked About Abortion at Campus, Repeats the Idea of Calling a Referendum:

I Won't Surprise You with Anything.
"I won't surprise you with anything today. On these matters, my party, which I value greatly, and that's why I've been in the same party for over 20 years – you rarely find such politicians these days – offers freedom of choice on worldview issues. When it comes to the principles of abortion, it's a law that is established and strictly defined. There are various proposals to change this law," stated Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz during Campus Polska Przyszłości. "In the 2023 elections, as the entire Third Way, we presented two aspects – a return to the principles from before the Constitutional Tribunal's ruling, which took away security from women and therefore led to mass protests. There weren't protests on such a scale before; they occurred immediately after the Tribunal's ruling, which I disagree with and believe must be reversed as soon as possible. We have submitted such a draft," the Deputy Prime Minister continued. "The second step is to call a referendum so that not a majority of men among 460 MPs can decide, but millions of women can vote. And if it concerns the law, which it does, as various groups are submitting bills in this regard, i.e., changes to the law, then votes are held on changes to the law," he added.

17:45

Kosiniak-Kamysz Responds to Booing at Campus:

I am the only politician outside of Civic Platform who always came here.

- I am the only politician outside of Civic Platform who has always come here, regardless of whether we are in power or in opposition, and probably the politician furthest to the right who comes here today. I come here so that the slogan of democracy, constitution, and dialogue, the issues that united us on October 15th, can always resonate, that in my beloved homeland, our beloved homeland, everyone has the right, according to the constitution, to their views and to represent them, to express them, to present them publicly, and to talk about them – stated Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz at Campus Polska Przyszłości.


18:07

Kosiniak-Kamysz on Changing the Electoral System:

I Would Be a Proponent of a Mix.

- What I would be a proponent of is a mix – a majority system mixed with a single-member constituency system. This is capable of changing the current system because it is the system that causes these blocs to be formed. Perhaps we should change the electoral system as a whole, let’s think about the division of constituencies, because today it is unfair – said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz at Campus Polska Przyszłości.


19:56

Sikorski:

Putin Pretends This Is Not a Major Crisis

- I think Russia is in shock, that it's starting to disbelieve official propaganda. It seems to me that President Putin is pretending this is not a major crisis because he wants at all costs to reach the Luhansk and Donetsk oblast borders further south, but this is an informational, political, psychological crisis for Russia, and it seems to me that the Ukrainians are cleverly and very bravely executing an operation that has already achieved some objectives, and may achieve this tactical objective, as I see it, to force the Russians to redeploy their forces - stated Radosław Sikorski in an interview with Dariusz Ociepa on Polsat News' "Gość Wydarzeń".


20:01

Sikorski:

Belarusians Don't Want to Die for Putin
I do not have information from our verified sources. I see what you see. Those forces [of Belarus] do not seem significant, and moreover, one must doubt the readiness of Belarusian soldiers to fight against Ukraine. Belarusians have better access to information about what is happening in Ukraine and they absolutely do not want to die for Putin – stated Radosław Sikorski in "Gość Wydarzeń" on Polsat News.

20:03

Sikorski on Poczobut's Release:

We're Doing Our Best.

- Andrzej Poczobut has been in prison for 3 years on completely fabricated charges; the previous government tried to release him for 2.5 years. We are continuing, trying new methods, but he is being held by Lukashenka, who is also incapacitated by Putin. So the situation is not easy. We are doing our best - stated Radosław Sikorski on Polsat News' "Gość Wydarzeń".


20:04

Czarzasty on Abortion:

I'm Not Accusing Tusk of Any Bad Decisions – I Have a Different Opinion.
- The fight for women's civil rights has always been a hallmark of the Left. I'm not accusing Prime Minister Donald Tusk of any bad decisions – I have a different opinion. […] We will always fight for this, it cannot be let go – said Włodzimierz Czarzasty in an interview with Piotr Kraśko on TVN24's “Fakty po Faktach”. “The role of the Left is to cross boundaries” - I generally believe that the role of the Left is to cross boundaries. To tell people that there can be more. Robert Biedroń, my friend, at one point informed the whole world that he is gay. This information was not popular in Poland. Currently, it's no longer a big deal. We say: we will always fight for abortion – he continued.

20:06

Sikorski on the Campus Party:

A Typical Cucumber Season Scandal.

- I consider myself a mature person, but youth has to blow off steam - stated Radosław Sikorski on Polsat News' "Gość Wydarzeń" (Guest of Events).

- I very much liked Prime Minister Tusk's speech; tomorrow, the President of the European Parliament and my special guest are expected. However, I do believe this is a typical cucumber season scandal - added the Minister of Foreign Affairs.


20:12

Czarzasty on a Joint Presidential Candidate for the Entire Coalition:

There Are No Such Talks
- There are no such talks. I am a rational politician and I do not refer to things that are being said […] in the corridors, somewhere on the stairs. When a leader, male or female, comes and says: there is a topic – then I will address it – Włodzimierz Czarzasty said on TVN24’s „Fakty po Faktach” (Facts after Facts), when asked if he saw a possibility for the entire coalition to field one presidential candidate. - The Left fields a candidate, male or female. We have always done so. It’s about media presence, the opportunity to present one’s views […]. I believe the Left should field its own candidate. I am not aware of any other opinions anyway – he continued.

20:15

Sikorski:

The President Refuses to Appoint Even Those to Positions Where a PiS Government Appointee Cannot Be Recalled, Such as in Israel

- It is incomprehensible that the president refuses to appoint even individuals to positions where a PiS government appointee cannot be recalled, for example, in Israel. There has been a vacancy there for 3 years. We have rapidly granted consent from Israel, we have recommendations from the foreign affairs committee, and why does the president not want to help himself and the Polish state? - stated Radosław Sikorski on Polsat News's "Gość Wydarzeń".


20:20

Sikorski on Trump:

It’s not a black-and-white picture, we just don’t know what he’ll do.
I’m talking to Trump’s people, and some of them think that Trump's policy would be to threaten escalation against Putin, and that this could lead to peace, but we don’t really know what Trump’s policy would actually be. To be clear, Trump imposed sanctions on Nord Stream, he gave permission to send the first anti-tank missiles even before the war in Ukraine, so in these matters between him and his rivals, it's not a black-and-white picture, we just don’t know what he’ll do – stated Radosław Sikorski on Polsat News's “Gość Wydarzeń”.

20:20

Czarzasty on Next Year's Budget:

This Discussion Won't Break Up the Coalition.
- This is a very important meeting [Monday's informal meeting of the Council of Ministers with the participation of coalition leaders], it is this coalition's first budget. Therefore, we were there to say: "this is important," "we must reach an agreement," "this discussion will certainly not break up the coalition" - Włodzimierz Czarzasty said on TVN24's "Fakty po Faktach" (Facts After Facts). - Each of us four showed our intentions. Włodzimierz Czarzasty fought for the same thing as always - that is, firstly, to secure funds for widow's pensions […], 15 billion annually. Over the term of office, that's 60 billion. […] Housing - that's the second matter […]. Next year, it should be up to 5 billion zlotys, because that is the demand. What kind of housing? For low-rent housing - he stated.