At 8:00 AM, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz will meet with Canadian Minister of National Defence Bill Blair at the Ministry of National Defence headquarters. A press conference is scheduled for 9:00 AM.

At 8:40 AM, a press conference with Mariusz Błaszczak and Rafał Bochenek will take place in the Sejm.

At 12:00 PM, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz will visit the 3rd Warsaw Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade in Sochaczew during a systemic training exercise conducted by the 37th Anti-Aircraft Missile Squadron.

At 2:00 PM, a press conference will be held at Chopin Airport in Warsaw with the participation of the Minister of Infrastructure, Dariusz Klimczak, and the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure and Government Plenipotentiary for CPK, Maciej Lasek, regarding the airport's modernization.

At 3:00 PM, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz will meet with soldiers of Operation Phoenix at Centennial Hall in Wrocław. The head of the Ministry of National Defence is scheduled to give a speech.

Sikorski with British Foreign Secretary

On Wednesday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski will meet with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy. This marks the first day of an international visit. On the second day, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will travel to Albania.

Government Discusses Constitutional Crisis

A government session will commence at 10:00 AM. The Council of Ministers is expected to address, among other things, a draft resolution on counteracting the negative effects of the constitutional crisis in the judiciary.

The government is also set to consider a draft bill concerning the elimination of irregularities in the visa system and a draft regulation specifying entities subject to protection (this involves listing TVN and Polsat as strategic companies).

Nawrocki in Podlasie

On Wednesday, Karol Nawrocki, a presidential candidate supported by PiS, will be present in the Podlasie Voivodeship. A press briefing will begin at 9:30 AM in Minkowice. At 11:00 AM, a visit to the Orthodox Monastery of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos in Supraśl is planned, followed by a visit to the company Serowar Podlaski at 1:15 PM.

At 2:45 PM, a meeting with rural women's clubs and residents will commence in the town of Knyszyn. An open meeting with residents is scheduled for 5:00 PM in Sokółka.

Sejm and Senate Sessions Begin

Wednesday marks the commencement of the Sejm's three-day session, the last of the year. The lower house of parliament will consider, among other things, the report of the parliamentary investigative committee regarding the visa scandal. This item is scheduled for consideration at 2:15 PM.

Wednesday also signifies the beginning of the Senate's three-day session, during which members of the upper house of parliament will address, among other things, the budget law for 2025 and the law on the Fiscal Council. A press conference with the Marshal of the Senate, Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, is scheduled for 10:50 AM.

- I sent a letter to all those I mentioned. Its content is very similar, so we have published only one of these letters, but all of them have already been sent - stated Bogdan Świeczkowski in "Graffiti" on Polsat News.

- There has already been one return response from a judicial authority representative, whereas I am awaiting return responses from legislative and executive authority representatives - he continued.

- It's the pre-holiday period, there are holidays, I understand that politicians need to think, to talk. I believe these responses will come after the holidays rather than before. [I received a response] from the Supreme Court (SN) - emphasized the President of the Constitutional Tribunal.

- There is no such possibility. At the moment, there are 12 legally appointed judges serving in the Constitutional Tribunal, and there are 3 vacant judge positions that should be filled. Candidates for these judges should be selected by the Polish Sejm. Next year, another 2 judge positions will become vacant. I believe this is precisely the area for compromise. I encourage the legislative branch to select these new judges - stated Bogdan Święczkowski in "Graffiti" on Polsat News.

- This stage of the dispute, the constitutional crisis from 2015, has long passed. Currently, only legally elected judges are adjudicating in the Constitutional Tribunal. To be a judge of the Constitutional Tribunal, three aspects must be met. One must be elected as a judge by the Polish parliament, one must take an oath before the president, and one must appear and take office in the Constitutional Tribunal – stated Bogdan Święczkowski on Polsat News's "Graffiti" program.

- Today I wanted to inform you that I will be sending a letter to Marshal Kidawa-Błońska asking her to reconsider whether the Polish Senate wishes to participate in such an obvious violation of the Constitution and laws, meaning the restriction of the Constitutional Tribunal's ability to function - stated Bogdan Święczkowski on Polsat News's "Graffiti".

- On September 10, 2024, the Constitutional Tribunal ruled that the resolution establishing this [Pegasus] inquiry committee was adopted in violation of a number of constitutional provisions, and therefore, this resolution has lost its binding force. So, at the moment, we do not have a Pegasus committee - stated Bogdan Święczkowski on Polsat News' "Graffiti".

- The Polish Sejm had 4 months to adopt a new resolution establishing this committee. I will obviously not show up to the meetings of this group of people over coffee - the President of the Constitutional Tribunal continued.

- I am convinced that the National Electoral Commission will conduct the elections for the office of the President of the Republic of Poland, especially those elections that will take place in 2025 – stated Ryszard Kalisz on TOK FM.



- The elections will be held and we will elect a president, I am convinced that we will be able to swear him in – he added.

- There is no need [to implement legal changes before the presidential election], because there is no such possibility, as the President unfortunately does not want to sign laws concerning the Supreme Court and the judiciary in general, because he considers himself the author of all these changes, which were largely unconstitutional - said Ryszard Kalisz on TOK FM.

- The Electoral Code, which regulates the conduct of presidential elections, refers to the Supreme Court at two points. Later, the constitution, and by extension the Electoral Code, refers to the Supreme Court a third time in the case of the validity [of the elections] - stated Ryszard Kalisz on TOK FM.

- Secondly, this type of chamber, which is indicated only in the Act on the Supreme Court, does not exist because it is a special court, and the constitution forbids special courts - he added.

- The issue with Ms. Manowska [if she directs all matters to the Chamber of Extraordinary Control and Public Affairs]. Everything can be done, we truly cannot yield to dictates of unconstitutionality – stated Ryszard Kalisz on TOK FM.

- It is worth remembering and emphasizing that when the Polish government was fighting for the security of not only border houses but also the Polish state, we witnessed in Polish public life a theatre directed by Alexander Lukashenko, Belarusian and Russian services – a tragicomedy, in which people chosen by the votes of Poles, Polish MPs and public figures, played a role in a spectacle directed by Alexander Lukashenko - stated Karol Nawrocki in Minkowice.

- And two actors in this tragicomic theatre are also today among those who want to take away Poles' ability to choose a civic candidate for the office of president. I am talking about two individuals who wanted to take Poles' security away. It is worth remembering this - he continued.

- An chamber that does not exist cannot determine [the validity of elections], I repeat, if Ms. Manowska is sent, a chamber that does not exist cannot determine it – stated Ryszard Kalisz on TOK FM.

- Formally, it will come to August 6th, and the constitutional provision clearly states that in the event of the president's office becoming vacant, the Marshal of the Sejm takes over his role, and on the other hand, a provision of the Electoral Code states that if the Marshal takes over the role, they have 14 days to call new elections, but until then, they can change the [Supreme Court] Act – he continued.

- Thank you for Canada's commitment, the presence of Canadian soldiers is very important to us. Cooperation between the Polish army and the Canadian army is very good – stated Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz at a press conference.

- We want to sign an agreement on enhancing our skills and cooperation for the years 2025-2026, precisely outlining what Canada and Poland can do together in the field of security – he continued.

'Our Stance is Unambiguous'. Kosiniak-Kamysz on Polish-Canadian Support for Ukraine

- We have an unambiguous stance regarding support for Ukraine. Ukraine has been fighting for almost 3 years, and from the very beginning, Prime Minister Trudeau was one of those Western leaders who immediately declared far-reaching assistance, and Canada has been involved from the outset – he emphasized.

- The migration pact must be unilaterally terminated. As a civic candidate for President of the Republic of Poland, as the future President of the Republic of Poland, I guarantee you that I am for the unilateral termination of the migration pact - stated Karol Nawrocki in Minkowice.

- We are all waiting for a national, civic referendum on the issue of illegal migration. I have personally signed the petition to organize such a referendum. Poles have the right to feel and have the duty, and the Polish state has the duty to guarantee the safety of Polish citizens - he continued.

Odzyskujemy kontrolę nad polskimi granicami! Rząd przyjmie dziś nowe zasady dotyczące wiz i wniosków o azyl. Prawo azylowe nie będzie więcej wykorzystywane do nielegalnego przekraczania polskiej granicy. Mam nadzieję, że PiS i Prezydent zmienią zdanie i nie będą blokować ustawy.

— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) December 18, 2024

- As a citizen, I am concerned that we are descending into chaos in our Poland, in the Republic of Poland. We are in a situation where Article 7 of the Constitution on the rule of law is regularly being violated, and subsequent articles of the Constitution seem to be violated every week - stated Karol Nawrocki in Minkowice.

- Now, these public declarations, the non-recognition of Supreme Court and Constitutional Tribunal rulings – this is what Poland is living through today, showing that we are in the greatest judicial chaos that I, as a 41-year-old person, have had to live through. We are in deep judicial chaos - he continued.

- At this session, and I'm drawing attention to this, we have as many as 3 bills submitted by the opposition. Two bills from Konfederacja, one from PiS. This is the new standard I am trying to adhere to, that at every session there is at least one opposition bill, and if for some reasons it's not possible, as we had a budget Sejm recently, then there are more at the next one - stated Szymon Hołownia at a press conference in the Sejm.

- The NCEC's resolution is dramatic in its tone. This means the NCEC states that it is unable to conduct the election and pre-election process because it lacks a partner in the form of the Supreme Court, which it must, and they must always work in tandem, the NCEC and the Supreme Court, because that is what the legislator intended, a partner on the other side. And it doesn't know what to do - stated Szymon Hołownia at a press conference in the Sejm.

- I appeal to politicians to sort this out, because it is politicians who should decide how the judiciary in Poland is structured, on what foundations it is supported. This is a cry of despair - the Marshal of the Sejm continued.

- If we don't do something about this now, which the NCEC is signaling to us, in six months we will wake up with our hand in the constitutional chamber pot, in a few months - he said.

- The solution I would like to propose, and which I hope to discuss with the President and the Prime Minister in the coming days, is a draft law that would designate the entire Supreme Court, all its judges, as those who can and should make decisions regarding the validity of the President of the Republic of Poland's elections - stated Szymon Hołownia at a press conference in the Sejm.

- Of course, I don't know [where Marcin Romanowski is] - stated Jarosław Kaczyński in a conversation with journalists in the Sejm.

- I don't know at all if he's hiding, or if, for example, the authorities are pretending he's hiding - he continued.

- Thank you, Mr. Ambassador, as this is our next meeting. I have been Minister of National Defence for a year, and you have been the Ambassador [of the USA to Poland] for much longer. This mission has had immense significance for Poland, as it falls during the most difficult trial, aid to Ukraine, and a direct threat to security and freedom, which is a shared sensitivity and, in fact, the greatest value that Poland and the United States will care about – said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz at a press conference.

- Many of these orders would not have been achieved, and I want to state this very clearly, if not for the personal commitment of Mr. Ambassador as well – he added.

- I hope there will be referrals to the prosecutor's office because this is something unbelievable. On the one hand, PiS demonized refugees, attacked them, and also attacked us, yet they did not effectively secure the border – said Rafał Trzaskowski in a conversation with journalists.

- In a corruption procedure, as everything indicates, visas were handed out. This is an example of PiS's behavior, a kind of extreme hypocrisy. They say one thing, they do another, but the most important thing is that those who participated in the corruption procedure, which weakened our state's security, should face deserved punishment – he continued.

- I would prefer Karol Nawrocki to ask what the NBP President, President Glapiński, was up to, who significantly contributed to this unbelievable inflation that has driven up butter prices over the last few years. Please compare the prices of butter from the beginning of PiS rule to today, and you will see how this price has increased and who is responsible for it – stated Rafał Trzaskowski in an interview with journalists.

- I am very glad that the head of the National Security Bureau (BBN) is sensible, this should reassure all of us – stated Rafał Trzaskowski in a conversation with journalists.

- This cynical game played by PiS politicians around this catastrophe, which was a catastrophe for all of us, because we lost friends there, has been a display of extreme cynicism over the past few years. I am glad that there are officials in the President's Palace who do not succumb to this type of conspiracy theories and simply maintain basic sobriety of mind – he continued.

- The key question now is whether there will be a majority and whether President Duda will not veto it. As you recall, when I first announced this readiness to tighten asylum law, the reactions from the PiS opposition and the president were not encouraging - stated Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw.

- I was actually in shock when I heard the words of those who brought hundreds of thousands of people to Poland, who allowed themselves to be controlled by mafias smuggling illegal migrants, and then in the Sejm I heard them complaining, grumbling that asylum law should continue to be applied as it was during their time. There is no question of that - he continued.

- I have further reasons, following further conversations with various leaders from this part of Europe, I have further reasons to believe that the intentions of those who have waged these various hybrid wars against Poland were serious, truly serious - stated Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw.

- I know that not everyone will like this, that someone will again, Kaczyński will again mumble something about the Tusk regime, etc., but in reality, I think none of us, and I believe the PiS opposition too, would want media outlets, operators, or private companies crucial for energy or defense to end up in the hands of enemies of the Polish state - he continued.

- No one can guarantee that butter prices will drop significantly, although this is quite a massive intervention. However, we have a justified hope and, in my opinion, a justified expectation that it will certainly make things more difficult for potential speculators, and butter should not be more expensive before the holidays. We want to protect all families in this way using the tools at our disposal - stated Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw.

- We also adopted a government resolution. It directly concerns the issue of Supreme Court and Constitutional Tribunal verdicts. In accordance with this resolution and current practice, we have lacked sufficient time to thoroughly analyze what to do with Supreme Court verdicts, especially when those who, according to Polish law and the Constitution, should not be sitting there are making rulings. Supreme Court verdict publications will always be accompanied by such an annotation whenever they are flawed from the perspective of the Constitution and Polish law, so that every reader will know that, in accordance with the Sejm's resolution concerning the Constitutional Tribunal, and the government's resolution concerning the Supreme Court, this situation, institution, or its verdicts are flawed from the perspective of the Polish state - stated Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw.

- I also welcomed Marshal Hołownia's initiative with great satisfaction. I spoke with him before our meeting at the airport, and it seems to be a valuable idea and a valuable initiative to enact such a law incidentally. I hope that Marshal Hołownia will convince President Duda of this. I am okay with this idea. This incidental law would help avoid any doubts after the presidential elections - stated Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw.

- Wednesday, midday, a week before Christmas. Karol Nawrocki was scheduled to meet with the Rural Women's Circles (KGW), and so many residents turned up for the meeting! Some people couldn't fit in the hall. Thank you for being with us! There's power! - wrote Paweł Szefernaker on social media.

?? Knyszyn (woj. podlaskie). Środa, środek dnia tydzień przed Świętami Bożego Narodzenia. @NawrockiKn mial spotkac sie z KGW a na spotkanie przyszło tak wielu mieszkańców! Część osób nie zmieściło się w sali. Dziękujemy, że z nami jesteście! Jest moc! #Nawrocki2025 pic.twitter.com/tNp2hqey9N

— Paweł Szefernaker ?? (@szefernaker) December 18, 2024

- The evil of inflation and high prices affects everyone today, ahead of Christmas. And even if there are those who pretend for political reasons that this issue does not concern them, I guarantee you that when they go to the grocery store and look at the prices of orange juice, butter, even wafers, because those are the biggest increases, and the prices of apples, I do not believe that it doesn't cross their minds, and yours, that something is wrong with our public finances, that there is a problem that wasn't there before - stated Karol Nawrocki in Sokółka.

- Poland should be a powerhouse. The Polish economy should be a powerhouse. Today we need economic patriotism. Enough with misguided globalization. The world has changed, and we need to focus on regaining Poland's economy's competitiveness and making it as strong as possible - says Rafał Trzaskowski in a new clip, using a fragment from the Civic Coalition convention.

- There is no reason why our companies in various sectors, agri-food, furniture, machinery, cannot compete with the best companies worldwide. This is what's most important today, economic patriotism, because only then! All of Poland forward! - he emphasized.

Mój priorytet - patriotyzm gospodarczy.#CałaPolskaNaprzód pic.twitter.com/xDswi5ARs6

— Rafał Trzaskowski (@trzaskowski_) December 18, 2024

?? Karol Nawrocki: Wzywam rząd, aby przywrócił 0% VAT na żywność. Natychmiast. Można to zrobić jeszcze przed Świętami. Do roboty! #StopDrożyźnie #Nawrocki2025 pic.twitter.com/wIpaSk8nkK

— #Nawrocki2025 (@Nawrocki25) December 18, 2024

- Of course [I oppose Ukraine's NATO membership], not only I but every person who has Poland's interests at heart should oppose it. This is very bad foreign policy; Polish foreign policy should be conducted in Poland's interest, and no other, and it is absolutely not in Poland's interest for Ukraine to join NATO – stated Sławomir Mentzen on the program "Gość Wydarzeń" on Polsat News.

- If Ukraine were now a member of NATO, Poland would have the following choice: either send troops to Ukraine to fight the Russians and attack a nuclear power, or we ourselves would show that Article 5 of NATO has no meaning because we would not have helped Ukraine, and then we could not expect anyone to help us – he continued.

- We are not an ally, fortunately, of Ukraine, because if we were, we would have to fight the Russians now. I wouldn't want any Polish soldier to die in Ukraine; Polish soldiers should not die for Crimea or Donbas – Sławomir Mentzen said on Polsat News.

- I think the campaign is going very well, I've already had over 70 meetings, but in January I'm shifting into 6th gear, with another 40-something meetings planned just in January. And, very importantly, these are open meetings, where voters can come and find out about them in advance – stated Sławomir Mentzen on Polsat News.


- In contrast, Rafał Trzaskowski is hiding from voters, just like Romanowski from the police, and you can't find out in advance where he's even having a meeting. Evidently, he doesn't want to meet with voters. Frankly, I'm not surprised, because he travels to the countryside to convince people he's not a big-city dweller, but he knows perfectly well what people in the countryside think of him – he continued.

- The executive branch has no authority to control the judicial branch; this is contrary to Polish law, this is contrary to the Polish constitution, there is no such possibility. Moreover, resolutions of the Council of Ministers are not a source of law. At this moment, unfortunately, we are on the verge of anarchy, on the verge of lawlessness, in fact, we have crossed that line of lawlessness – Sławomir Mentzen said on Polsat News.

- The problem lies in the decision of the National Electoral Commission (PKW), dominated by representatives of the current majority coalition, who stated that they will not recognize the Supreme Court. What's more, they are very inconsistent in this, because the same chamber of the Supreme Court, which they are now questioning, validated the elections won by the current coalition, and after that victory, they delegated these people to the PKW – he emphasized.

- Me: Rafał - maybe economic patriotism throughout Poland?
- Rafał: We have economic patriotism in Warsaw.

- Meanwhile, economic patriotism in Warsaw — former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki published a meme featuring Rafał Trzaskowski.

Ja: Rafał - może patriotyzm gospodarczy w całej Polsce?
Rafał: Mamy patriotyzm gospodarczy w Warszawie.

Tymczasem patriotyzm gospodarczy w Warszawie: pic.twitter.com/LwQkd3VAqs

— Mateusz Morawiecki (@MorawieckiM) December 18, 2024