Tusk in Brussels

Prime Minister Donald Tusk will participate in an informal meeting of European Union leaders. The political leaders will discuss, among other things, the possibilities and priorities for deepening defense cooperation within the EU and defense financing.

The goal is to increase Europe's responsibility for its own security. The discussions will also cover deepening the partnership with NATO and key allies outside the EU. Therefore, the NATO Secretary General and the Prime Minister of Great Britain will be present at the meeting.

At 9:45 AM, the head of government will attend the NBIP8 coordination meeting, and at 10:45 AM, he will be welcomed by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. At 11:00 AM, Donald Tusk will meet with President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, and at 11:30 AM, he will participate in the first session of the EU27 meeting.

At 1:00 PM, the Prime Minister will meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, at 2:45 PM a family photo is scheduled, and at 3:00 PM – participation in the second session of the EU27 meeting. At 7:00 PM, a meeting with the Prime Minister of Great Britain, Keir Starmer, will take place, and at 10:00 PM – a press conference by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, President of the European Council António Costa, and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

Nawrocki in Silesia

Karol Nawrocki, the candidate for president supported by PiS, will visit the Silesian Voivodeship. A press briefing is scheduled for 10:00 AM in Jastrzębie-Zdrój, at 11:00 AM – laying flowers at the monument to the Jastrzębie agreements and a meeting with miners, and at 12:45 PM – lighting a candle in front of the Cross of Remembrance dedicated to deceased miners.

At 1:00 PM, Nawrocki will meet with mining and energy trade unions, and at 2:30 PM in Żory, he will visit a gardener entrepreneur. Meetings with residents are planned for 4:30 PM in Radlin and at 7:30 PM in Jastrzębie-Zdrój.

Hołownia in Estonia

Sejm Marshal Szymon Hołownia will participate in a meeting of the Speakers of the Parliaments of Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and Ukraine in Tartu. The start is scheduled for 8:30 AM, at 10:20 AM – joint statements by the parliament speakers for the press, and at 10:40 AM – a family photo. At 11:00 AM, a debate with students of the University of Tartu titled “How to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and Europe?” will take place with the participation of the parliament speakers.

At 12:15 PM, Hołownia will participate in a lunch hosted by the Speaker of the Riigikogu, Lauri Hussar. The last item on the agenda is the laying of flowers by the Sejm Marshal in front of the plaque dedicated to Stefan Batory, King of Poland, at 2:10 PM.

PiS Conferences

At 8:30 AM in Warsaw, a press conference will be held by PiS MEP Tobiasz Bocheński, PiS MP Anna Gembicka, PiS councilor Wojciech Zabłocki, and PiS deputy spokesperson Mateusz Kurzejewski. At 11:00 AM in the Sejm – a press conference by the leader of the parliamentary club Mariusz Błaszczak, PiS MEPs Patryk Jaki and Tobiasz Bocheński, and MP Marcin Przydacz.

Bodnar on Judges' Status

At 10:00 AM, a joint press conference will be held by the Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar and the chairpersons of the codification commissions. Topic: The situation of the Polish judiciary – legislative projects of the codification commission regarding neo-judges and the judicial system.

Pegasus Investigation Committee

At 3:30 PM, the Pegasus investigation committee is scheduled to question the former National Prosecutor Bogdan Święczkowski, followed by the former head of the Military Intelligence Service Andrzej Kowalski. At 6:30 PM, Kowalski's questioning is to be continued in a closed session.

– In an election campaign, there are always people who complain, who also want to help […] I have the impression that those who complain the most are the ones who are not involved in this campaign, I'm talking about those on Rafał Trzaskowski's side – said Agnieszka Pomaska in an interview with Arleta Zalewska on TVN24's "One on One".

– Honestly, I am shocked by what this main opponent of Rafał Trzaskowski is doing – Agnieszka Pomaska said on TVN24.

– No, it doesn't shock me, I go to the gym myself, I run myself, but the fact that this is his main asset, meaning, today his main asset is that he does push-ups, he does pull-ups, he runs somewhere, and it's not visible that [...] he is convinced about these fundamental issues – she continued, when asked if she was shocked that Karol Nawrocki goes to the gym.

– This week, Rafał Trzaskowski and I have been speaking intensively […] about how energy prices have risen under Mr. Morawiecki's government and what we are doing to ensure these prices are not the highest, or among the highest, in Europe, I'm talking about electricity prices – Agnieszka Pomaska said on TVN24.

– This shows the dishonesty and unreliability of Mr. Nawrocki […] I watch his appearances and I see that he lies at every turn. After all, it is Mr. Morawiecki who is responsible for not a single zloty being allocated to investments in changes in Polish energy, not a single zloty has been spent to ensure we have cheaper electricity today – she continued after being prompted by the host that energy prices are the main element of Karol Nawrocki's campaign and that he blames the current government for these prices.

– These funds were waiting for us in the European Union. […] They blocked renewable energy, they blocked EU funds for investments that would make this electricity cheaper today – she went on to say.

– What kind of civic candidate is this, who… even conducts interviews at the Law and Justice headquarters. He then goes out and lies, saying he hasn't met Jarosław Kaczyński, and Jarosław Kaczyński later says the opposite was true – said Agnieszka Pomaska on TVN24.

– Rafał Trzaskowski is and should be a motivator for the government. I would point out that Rafał Trzaskowski's approval ratings are higher than those of the Civic Coalition, and Mr. Nawrocki's are lower than those of Law and Justice – said Agnieszka Pomaska on TVN24.

– Rafał Trzaskowski is not meant to be a candidate for this or that government. He is meant to be a candidate chosen in a general election; in the second round, he must have over 50%. But I dream that in a year, after winning the election, Rafał Trzaskowski will enjoy the respect of an overwhelming majority of Poles. Today, I would set a goal of 70-80% for him – she continued.

– It is always the responsibility of the committee members what decision they make. I would not want to substitute their decision in any way, but we must be aware of how the entire story was orchestrated by Zbigniew Ziobro, how in many different ways he tried to avoid appearing before the committee earlier – stated Adam Bodnar on PR3.

– Even that day, that Friday, was prepared by him in such a way, just to make it difficult for the committee's work, and the committee absolutely had the right to make such a decision at 10:30 AM – he continued to speak.

– I think it's worth pocketing your political ambitions when you're part of the government – said Agnieszka Pomaska on TVN24, when asked about the discussion on X concerning housing between ministers Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz and Krzysztof Paszyk.

– I don't know if this applies to her or to a presidential candidate, I don't want to delve into that. Such disputes should certainly be resolved at government meetings – she continued, when asked if Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz has too great ambitions.

– That's a question for the minister, why she doesn't know what's happening [in the government] – she continued.

– Today, Mr. Zbigniew Ziobro, who has suddenly and miraculously recovered, is mocking the Polish state – said Agnieszka Pomaska on TVN24.

– Mr. Ziobro was a member of the investigative committee; he himself summoned people, and various individuals appeared there, regardless of the titles they held – she continued.

– We are all being drawn into some kind of political nativity scene where both sides want to chase the rabbit, not catch it. On one side, Zbigniew Ziobro and his entourage connected with PiS and the journalistic circles supporting PiS, I mean Telewizja Republika […]. The other part consists of politicians from the currently ruling coalition, who are working on this [Pegasus] investigative committee and have staged a second installment of the show – Krzysztof Bosak stated in an interview with Karolina Opolska on TVP Info's “Gość Poranka.”

– Zbigniew Ziobro did not want to come and testify before the commission that day, but he wanted to be detained by the police, and he achieved his goal. The commission, on the other hand, did not want to interrogate Zbigniew Ziobro, which is why it hastily suspended its meeting the moment it received information that Zbigniew Ziobro was already arriving at the Sejm. And it also achieved its goal, meaning it had its 5 minutes in the media, and didn't have to interrogate the former minister – he assessed.

– I have a fresh piece of information before me, I received information from the District Prosecutor's Office in Tarnobrzeg, information about the resumption of the investigation into the accident of former Prime Minister Szydło. This is a case from 2017. Together with [...] Cezary Tomczyk, we filed a notification that many irregularities were occurring there – said Agnieszka Pomaska on TVN24.

– The investigation has been reopened and is being conducted, I even have the case number here. [...] This report by Minister Bodnar, who analyzed 200 cases, is also the basis today for action, for holding every case accountable when irregularities occurred in the prosecutor's office – she continued.

– I think that [Zbigniew Ziobro], as has happened before, once again wants to achieve through such media pressure that judges do not feel free in making their decisions. Fear is one of the methods of exercising power. Please note that if we look back at the years 2016-2023, intimidating judges was one of the methods of exercising power – stated Adam Bodnar on PR3.

– I watched the press conference of the members of this [Pegasus] inquiry commission. These people leave a regrettable impression, as if they were not entirely emotionally balanced – said Krzysztof Bosak on TVP Info's "Gość Poranka" (Guest of the Morning).

He stated: – I think that serious, balanced, experienced politicians should be the ones to investigate abuses by special services, and this team that ended up there, I have the impression, is ridiculing itself.

– I think we are very close to preparing the indictment, sending the indictment, not even preparing it, but I think a lot more will happen in Mr. Romanowski's case, because on the one hand, there will be legal, political, and diplomatic actions related to his presence on Hungarian territory, and the procedure for executing the European Arrest Warrant is still ongoing, but this does not mean that the investigation into the Fundusz Sprawiedliwości (Justice Fund) is closed. This investigation is still being continued – stated Adam Bodnar on PR3, when asked about the Fundusz Sprawiedliwości and the case of Marcin Romanowski.

– We are satisfied that both our party, Konfederacja, is gaining support, and our candidate is gaining support. We are pleased that he has gained in the ranking of politicians in terms of trust and recognition. In fact, if we take the four main polling indicators – we are moving forward in all of them, and we are simply satisfied with that – said Krzysztof Bosak in “Gość Poranka” on TVP Info.

– We want more. To enter the second round with our candidate and win the presidential election. […] I believe Sławomir Mentzen is doing well. He is announcing a revolution of common sense in Poland, which Trump is currently leading in America – he continued.

– There is enthusiasm and strength, there is persistence. We also have the highest turnout at election rallies. It is evident that Poles want political change, they are tired of the futility of the PiS and Platforma dispute. They are tired of the futility of the new government – well, not so new anymore, a government over a year old – he assessed.

– We are approaching Karol Nawrocki very cautiously, because he actually has a short tenure in politics, virtually none, we don't really know him – said Krzysztof Bosak on "Gość Poranka" (Guest of the Morning) on TVP Info.

– We don't know what his detailed views really are on all the issues that we have been discussing with PiS for the last 15-20 years and have differed on, such as the Lisbon Treaty, climate policy, the Green Deal, and bringing Ukraine into the European market – he indicated.

– I don't fully trust it, to be honest, when I see a candidate put forward by PiS, for whom PiS is conducting a campaign, currently declaring views different from what PiS implemented when it governed for 8 years – he emphasized.

– PiS politicians say such things to lift their spirits and those of their voters – said Krzysztof Bosak on TVP Info's "Gość Poranka" (Guest of the Morning), referring to statements by PiS politicians that, following Nawrocki's victory, it's possible to form a new majority in the Sejm.

– No arithmetic new majority is possible without one of Donald Tusk's government forces. None of Donald Tusk's government forces [...] are going anywhere – he indicated.

He added: – I can say from my interactions with PSL politicians: I don't see any interest from them in leaving Donald Tusk's government [...] and forming any kind of alternative majority.

"We are interested in bringing a large number of MPs into the next Sejm, significantly more than currently. And then we will see what the arithmetic options are, and we will present our programmatic demands, and simply talk tough with anyone who wants to implement pro-Polish, not pro-Ukrainian, pro-Brussels, pro-German, pro-Russian, or any other agenda," said Krzysztof Bosak on TVP Info's "Gość Poranka" (Guest of the Morning).

– They have invented a category of so-called 'neo-judges' which does not exist, there is nothing like that in the Western system at all, in order to erase the entire period of Andrzej Duda's rule from history. All decisions, all promotions during that time were simply to cease to exist – stated Patryk Jaki on the program 'Graffiti' on Polsat News.

– They are ready to go so far in this matter that they are massively releasing criminals from prison or overturning their sentences. We are currently collecting all these cases. Today, shocking material will be published on my social media about how thousands of criminals, rapists, murderers, drug dealers, have made an agreement with PO judges and PO politicians to massively release them and overturn their court sentences – he continued.

– Currently, we have an absolutely exceptional situation where Bodnar and his entire team, along with Tusk, are manipulating judicial panels. This is unprecedented in Western civilization. It involves, and this is hard to believe, simply dividing judges in criminal divisions based on who they like and who they don't. Some are being stripped of the ability to adjudicate altogether, even though they are not permitted to do so. They have also essentially suspended a part of the law. This is all to create political divisions and to convict politicians. They likely already have the verdict in the Ziobro case predetermined – stated Patryk Jaki on Polsat News.

– The facts are, they took the money and ran, they are not doing their job. There is a Constitutional Tribunal ruling that the commission's scope is flawed. The commission can operate, it's enough to amend the law in the Sejm – said Patryk Jaki on Polsat News.

– We might not like a particular judge, but that doesn’t mean we can just switch off a part of the constitution. We must remember all of this. Let's recall that politicians from Civic Platform also sat in the Constitutional Tribunal before. This happens all over the world; perhaps it needs to be discussed institutionally, but it does not change the fact that when Donald Tusk then comes and says, ‘well, in that case, we will not adhere to the rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal without a legal basis,’ that is the destruction of the state – stated Patryk Jaki on Polsat News.

– When we return, we will do as Donald Trump did, meaning we will settle these matters in a month. First, we will change one thing: it will no longer be the case, as it is now, that a huge part of the judiciary or the state’s law enforcement apparatus is dedicated to destroying the opposition – said Patryk Jaki on Polsat News.

– The people who, and it is a narrow group of people, are responsible for this chaos, we will settle their case within a month. This means that those who question the status of other colleagues, those who are currently involved in rigging judicial appointments in the appellate and district courts, will be very severely punished – he added.

– We will not participate in any government that is formed unless it involves the status quo [bringing Bodnar and Korneluk to court] and all those who are helping them – he emphasized.

– For now, Trump's announcements are paradoxically beneficial for the European Union. This is because what Trump is doing right now is forcing the European Union to take rapid action in the most important part of the economy, when it comes to the green economy. Now the European Commission, if leaks in the European press are to be believed, is preparing to withdraw from significant elements of the Green Deal, and this will be good for entrepreneurs – stated Patryk Jaki on Polsat News.

– The European Union, when it comes to the economy, is currently a sick child. What Trump is doing, meaning, he is introducing shock therapy, could be good for the Union. I'm not saying it will be, but it could be good for the Union – he continued.

– If in Poland we are to punish politicians for being late, I say this as a joke, of course, because I think this special committee and its session will go down in the history of Polish politics, and not in a positive way. I believe this committee is working very hard to prove that it is utterly useless – stated Marcin Mastalerek in an interview with Jacek Prusinowski on Radio Plus.

– This is the easiest way to ridicule the Sejm and the judiciary in Poland. The whole of Poland saw that Zbigniew Ziobro was there, they saw how this committee was running away. I am not a spokesperson for Minister Ziobro, but he explained that after the Constitutional Tribunal's ruling, this committee does not exist, and if Minister Ziobro had appeared himself, he would have acknowledged a non-existent committee. However, the whole of Poland saw this circus, and if he had indeed been arrested, it would have strengthened Minister Ziobro, built his legend, but it would have also ridiculed parliamentarism and the judiciary – he continued.

– I can only and exclusively confirm that changes will take place in the Presidential Chancellery this afternoon. The President will announce these changes. I am convinced that this is a very good moment, precisely this ending [of the term], to show and prove that the President has a plan, knows what he is doing, and gives opportunities to people who want to work hard – stated Marcin Mastalerek on Radio Plus.

– This is the beginning of Donald Trump's presidency. President Trump is busy, President Duda is also busy. There is no date yet. I spoke about this in quotation marks as my failure. It is an objective fact that arranging such a meeting simply takes time, and that's all. As for who is responsible for it – I am. Was there an invitation? Yes. Do the gentlemen have an excellent relationship? Yes, they do, I have witnessed it myself. Discussing when it will happen is reminiscent of the conversation after the April meeting at Trump Tower, where everyone attacked the President for meeting with President Trump. They attack him for not having met yet – stated Marcin Mastalerek on Radio Plus.

– The invitation from President Trump is there, the details need finalizing, and the President's staff are in contact on this matter. I think the bigger problem is who doesn't have contact with President Trump. The problem is who insulted President Trump and the Republicans – he continued.

– The President will focus on his work for Poland. He is not running in the election campaign, he will not help anyone. He will do his own thing. What his views are – it is obvious, because he did not hide them in 2015, when he won the election, he did not hide them in 2020 and remained loyal to his political declarations, principles throughout his term, but will he get involved in the campaign? I am convinced that he will not, because he is not running, he is doing his job – stated Marcin Mastalerek on Radio Plus.

– [President Duda] would like the victory of a person who will continue his presidency, his important elements of the presidency. That is probably obvious, but he will not get involved, to my knowledge – he continued.

– What is most important to me, and I have said this many times, is that regarding our commitment to the Union, we have done more than enough. Any new regulations should not apply to Poland because we have seriously taken on securing the EU's eastern border, not like the previous government, but we are doing it seriously – stated Rafał Trzaskowski at a press conference.

– We have launched the "Eastern Shield" program, which is an inspiration for many other European Union countries, and of course, we have accepted millions of guests from Ukraine, thereby making one of the greatest efforts in terms of refugee aid within the European Union. Therefore, I see no reason why we should take on even more responsibility in this area – he continued.

– The audit at MZA is ongoing, and of course, we are explaining absolutely everything. I am also cooperating with the government on this matter, because fortunately, we now have a government and EU embargo on gas from Russia, including liquefied gas, and that's very good, because here, as the EU, we should act in exactly the way Poland has been advocating, which is consistently – said Rafał Trzaskowski at a press conference.

– Regarding our influence in the European Union, that influence has finally been regained. The previous Law and Justice (PiS) government achieved absolutely nothing. They were incapable of achieving anything, unable to negotiate anything within the European Union – stated Rafał Trzaskowski at a press conference.

– Prime Minister Morawiecki practically signed everything blindly, especially concerning the provisions of the Green Deal. He did not object to the Green Deal in agriculture. He did not object to effectively signing the agreement with Mercosur. All funds from the European Union were blocked; thanks to this government, funds from the European Union, including from the KPO (National Reconstruction Plan), have been unblocked and are flowing into Poland in a broad stream – stated Rafał Trzaskowski at a press conference.

– When we look at the policies and demands of today's President Donald Trump, we see how deep the awareness is in the USA that without modernization and addressing issues of building energy responsibility based on resources found in the USA, including coal, neither the USA nor China wants to give up what gives them such great developmental potential and a stable, good life – stated Karol Nawrocki in Jastrzębie-Zdrój.

– Meanwhile, in the EU, due to the European Commission's decisions, instead of striving, as they want in the USA, to reach for Mars and conquer space, we in the EU, and we member states, rejoice that the cap on a mineral water bottle is permanently attached, and we are saving the world's climate, pushing the EU out of the race of great powers – added the presidential candidate.

– All these directives, the Green Deals, decarbonization, Fit for 55, are hitting the social economy and also coal mining in my country, in Poland. This trend reminds us all today that Poland has already warned about the wrong direction of the EU, for example, regarding the cooperation between the EU, Germany, and France with Russia, Nord Stream 2, and what led to the war that we all felt, regarding the migration policy that threatens the Republic of Poland and has destabilized the entire EU, and today Poles have to pay for it again, building 49 integration centers – he continued.

– As the future President of the Republic of Poland, I will clearly emphasize our interests in European arenas, the interests of Polish miners, Polish farmers, and Polish foresters. When one follows the data and reports and sees that in 2023 the JSW capital group generated 2 billion PLN, and it only took one year for this capital company to show a 6 billion loss, then imagine how the miners feel, who are behind me, where there is no clear development plan – stated Karol Nawrocki in Jastrzębie-Zdrój.

– When there is finally a reminder of what happened at the beginning of 2015, which you see behind me. Instead of dialogue, there was pepper spray and shots fired from smoothbore weapons at miners who were demanding their future, but who were also a voice of reason for the Polish social economy, for the development of the Republic of Poland. It was a voice of lucidity in the entire European community. This is unacceptable, I appeal from this place for the Polish government to enter into dialogue with the social side, so that this dialogue never looks the way it did at the beginning of 2015 – stated Karol Nawrocki in Jastrzębie-Zdrój.

– I will be the guardian and spokesperson for those resources that bring us development and hope for normalcy. I will never allow dialogue in Poland to be conducted through shotguns – stated Karol Nawrocki in Jastrzębie-Zdrój.

– I will also argue that there is no longer an alternative. Europe must finance our eastern border, the "Eastern Shield," which has already begun. In fact, I haven't spoken about this loudly either, as I considered it a modest beginning, but de facto 100 million euros were already decided in December regarding support for various elements of the "Eastern Shield" in Poland. We have this European money, but it's a start – stated Prime Minister Donald Tusk in a conversation with journalists.

– This is perhaps the first test of its kind for the solidarity and unity of the European Union in a very unusual situation, where we are dealing with such a series of surprises and unexpected developments from our closest ally. I just had a longer conversation with our Scandinavian and Baltic friends, with the Prime Minister of Denmark. It is known what a complicated situation Denmark finds itself in, and here Europe must demonstrate a lot of common sense and responsibility. We must nurture our relations with the United States, but we must also have a sense of our own strength, dignity, and we must be undoubtedly and indisputably united – stated Donald Tusk in a conversation with journalists.

– All attempts to introduce some kind of customs or trade wars are a complete misunderstanding. It would be one of the cruelest paradoxes if, today, as allies, we stepped into a totally senseless conflict. I hope that such a firm, clear, friendly, but firm European stance will reach the American administration – said Prime Minister Donald Tusk in a conversation with journalists.

– The first event is a statement presented by the German side regarding discussions held at a meeting of European Union interior ministers. Namely, Germany stated that during this meeting, the acceleration of the implementation of the migration pact was discussed […] we heard a communication from the German side that is dangerous for the security of our homeland – Mariusz Błaszczak said at a press conference.

– The second piece of information is from the Commissioner for Migration, Brunner, who stated that Poland will not be excluded from the migration pact. Earlier, we were deluded into thinking that Donald Tusk would manage to get Poland excluded, using the argument that Poland had accepted refugees from Ukraine. It turns out that Commissioner Brunner states directly that Poland will either have to accept migrants or pay – he continued.

– In light of this, we will submit a request for Donald Tusk to provide information during the Sejm session, which begins next Wednesday, on this very matter. Firstly, we consider it a great scandal that it is Germany informing the Polish public about decisions made among interior ministers. Secondly, we will ask how many migrants Donald Tusk and the December 13 coalition are prepared to accept, where these migrants will be concentrated, and how much it will cost the state budget – he went on to say.

– We will also inquire about the role of Rafał Trzaskowski, as he himself claims to have been at the meeting of interior ministers, and therefore we will also ask why Rafał Trzaskowski did not oppose such decisions – he added.

– The same is true of prosecutors, who are engaged as a political tool, for example, in the presidential campaign. This affects me directly. Pointing out what has changed and what the differences are, this one thing unfortunately has not changed. It appears to be one of the characteristics of the current government that it treats the state police or the Polish prosecution service, which should be independent, as its political tool, and this is a very concerning tendency – stated Karol Nawrocki in Jastrzębie-Zdrój.

– The media leaks claiming that the head of the German Interior Ministry is reporting on informal agreements reached in Warsaw are a farce and a disgrace on the part of the Civic Coalition. We deserve explanations and an account of the actions being taken by Civic Coalition politicians, including in the European forum, regarding the migration pact, because I assure you, we will find out that absolutely nothing is being done on this matter – said Tobiasz Bocheński at a press conference.

– We have nothing to hide, because we are a substantive opposition, not a total one… we supported the establishment of this [Pegasus] committee, and then during the committee's work, it turned out to be dominated by unserious people – Mariusz Błaszczak stated at a press conference.

– These unserious people have now completely discredited themselves, one might say totally, last Friday, which is why we filed a motion to dissolve this committee, naturally also recalling the Constitutional Tribunal's ruling from September last year, which clearly states that this committee is illegal – he continued.

– Every day we are confronted with new polls. In one, I even won in the second round of elections; now, in another, these ratings are smaller. It's not polls that will decide who becomes president, but Polish women and men – stated Karol Nawrocki in Jastrzębie-Zdrój.

Krystian Markiewicz, chairman of the Codification Commission of the Judiciary and Prosecution System operating under the Ministry of Justice, presented the assumptions of projects designed to regulate the status of judges appointed after 2018 by the so-called neo-KRS (National Council of the Judiciary).

– The Commission has been working for several months, the result of which are two projects, alternative projects concerning the restoration of legal order in the Republic of Poland, and the restoration of the right to an independent court – he said at a press conference.

– Why two projects, why not one project? Because there is no single path that leads to the same goal. In our opinion, the goal is one, both projects meet both constitutional and international standards. It is a matter of choosing between a high-speed train or a local train – he explained.

It was indicated that over 3,000 judicial appointments are legally flawed, of which approximately 1,700 are so-called young judges, who took office using the constitutional guarantee of access to public service as former assessors or individuals who passed the judicial exam; approximately 1,200 are judges who were promoted with the participation of the neo-KRS; approximately 300 are representatives of other legal professions who were not previously judges; and approximately 55 judges appointed to the Supreme Court, where the "flaw is most far-reaching".

Referring to the first project, he stated: – This is the faster version, meaning the legislator takes on the obligation to implement the rulings of both national and international tribunals. […] The legislator implements into the content of the law what has been established by the rulings of national and international courts. This means that the consequences, which consist of the invalidation of appointments resulting from earlier resolutions of the neo-KRS, cease with effect for the future, not retroactively.

The law gives the so-called neo-judges the opportunity to obtain the status of a constitutional judge and provides for the re-conduct of конкурс proceedings by a properly constituted KRS under the supervision of the Supreme Court.

The first group of judges – the so-called young judges – is to be excluded from the effects of specific regulations contained in the law, and their status is to be statutorily validated. The second group is to return to their previously held positions by operation of law, but these judges will adjudicate in the court where they hold their current position, based on a statutory delegation, for a period of 2 years – so that citizens do not suffer any harm due to the introduced changes – and then, by operation of law, they will participate in new judicial competitions before a properly constituted KRS.

The third group, after the law comes into force, would receive the option to either take up the position of a court registrar or return to their previously practiced profession. The fourth group: new judges of the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court will face a similar fate as judges from group 2 who were promoted, but the statutory delegation would not apply to them.

As Krystian Markiewicz stated, the completion of the implementation of this law is possible by October 2027.

The second version of the law assumes the regulation of flawed appointments through resolutions of a properly constituted KRS. – This, of course, directly refers to one of the suggestions arising from the opinion of the Venice Commission, which spoke of a body independent of the legislative and executive powers. Here, the effects are not introduced by law. To be able to produce effects, the functioning of the KRS in a form consistent with the constitution is necessary – explained Markiewicz.

– First, the properly constituted KRS determines, in reopened proceedings that previously took place before the flawed KRS, the consequences, which are again dependent on which group the given neo-judge belongs to. So, in this formula, we also have exclusions for the first group, i.e., young judges. In order to somehow dynamize this process, we assume that these resolutions will be adopted jointly, in relation to persons subject to the same consequences. This is permitted by the Venice Commission's opinion, which speaks of "groups" or "cohorts" – he continued. An appeal to the Supreme Court is foreseen against the resolutions of the "reborn" KRS.

– The [law implementation] schedule is much more complicated. For the procedure to be able to start, […] we must first have elections to the KRS. […] We assume that no earlier than January 2026 will we have the first session of the KRS. At that time, the proposed law will also come into force. […] What we will prioritize in the first place is the proper formation of the composition of the Supreme Court, because this Supreme Court will hear the appeals. […] The finale is for 2029-2030 – he indicated.

– We will not accept solutions that cement post-communism in Poland. And this is precisely the cementing of post-communism. It is expelling one-third of the judicial staff from the system; it is introducing PRL-era order. We oppose this, and we appeal to those currently in power today to respect the law in force in our country – said Mariusz Błaszczak at a press conference, when asked about the solutions proposed by the Ministry of Justice concerning the so-called neo-judges.

– Regarding what to do with the rulings […] – as a rule, the draft is based on the principle of the irrevocability of rulings. If there is a possibility to challenge rulings, it will only be based on this law and only when someone from the very beginning – I’m speaking in a simplification – questioned the composition of the court. Not only did they question it from the very beginning, but if they filed an appeal, they also consistently raised the issue that this composition was illegal – said Krystian Markiewicz at a press conference.

– We are trying, in accordance with the expectations of the Venice Commission and various rulings, to maintain a certain balance between the stability, finality, and effects of rulings, and also to respect the right to an independent court wherever someone has actually invoked such an allegation – he pointed out.

According to the content of the presentation shown at the conference, the admissibility of challenging rulings applies exclusively to rulings issued before the act comes into force, or – in the case of its second variant, focused on the KRS, both described here – before the adoption of resolutions by the new Council. Additionally, it may concern cases that have been concluded and those that are ongoing, exclusively upon the request of a party or another participant in the proceedings.

– We will submit a question, our MPs will direct such a question to the rulers, it is of course necessary to clarify […] this is a pressing matter, because it concerns the housing construction system, a problem that has not been solved and which, as it turns out, the coalition of December 13th will also not solve, just like many others – said Mariusz Błaszczak at a press conference, when asked about the dispute regarding social housing construction within the ruling coalition and about reports from DGP which indicate that due to conflicts in the Ministry of Development and the failure to adopt the amendment to the act on social housing development forms, housing investments within TBS are at risk.

– This act also entails changes in the Supreme Court. In a nutshell, the liquidation of two chambers: the Chamber of Extraordinary Review and Public Affairs, stems directly from rulings such as Wałęsa v. Poland, and from the fact that the CJEU generally refuses to accept preliminary questions, stating that the individuals appointed there are not judges – said Krystian Markiewicz at a press conference.

– A twin situation exists with the Chamber of Professional Liability, as the successor to the Disciplinary Chamber – indicated the chairman of the Codification Commission for the System of Courts and Prosecution.

– The return of the Supreme Court to the structure that functioned for several decades, namely the Civil Chamber, the Criminal Chamber, and the Chamber of Labour, Social Security, and Public Affairs – he added.

– We are liquidating or abolishing the extraordinary appeal, although cases that have already been initiated will be concluded. We do not rule out the possibility that there might be a need to introduce some other remedy, but certainly not here and now. This will require cooperation with two codification commissions – he continued.

– These are truly gigantic legal acts. It might seem like these kinds of things are written off-the-cuff, quickly. No, this requires incredibly dedicated expert work, many meetings – said Adam Bodnar at a press conference, referring to two previously presented bills, developed by the Codification Commission for the Judicial and Prosecutorial System.

– Now the ball is in the court of the Ministry of Justice. […] What I think is the biggest challenge for me is, I have the impression, that it's not just a matter of deciding on one option or the other, but also discussing it with coalition partners. This is already the responsibility that I must take upon myself, to discuss these two projects – he indicated.

– The National Electoral Commission (PKW) has just registered my candidacy. I am now the only officially registered candidate. Thank you to everyone involved for such an efficient signature collection! – Sławomir Mentzen wrote on social media.

PKW wlasnie zarejestrowała moją kandydaturę. Jestem teraz jedynym oficjalnie zarejestrowanym kandydatem.

Dziękuję wszystkim zaangażowanym za tak sprawną zbiórkę podpisów!

— Sławomir Mentzen (@SlawomirMentzen) February 3, 2025

– There were two proposals. One concerned, as is standard practice for years since the Electoral Code has been in effect, that in the event of the Supreme Court upholding a complaint, the PKW [National Electoral Commission] shall immediately adopt the report. Such a draft resolution was prepared, but it did not gain a majority because there were 4 votes in favour and 4 against. The motion to postpone the adoption of this resolution also did not gain a majority – 4 in favour, 4 against. The formula of a draft resolution that was adopted on December 30, where the resolution consisted of two paragraphs, was not voted upon. Paragraph II concerned the issue that the PKW does not prejudge the validity of the existence of the Extraordinary Control Chamber – stated Sylwester Marciniak at a press briefing.

– Today I have contacted Andrzej Domański, the Minister of Finance – informed the head of the PKW. The letter stated that the chairman requests information on the implementation of letters from December 30, 2024, concerning the execution of the PKW resolution.

– Even taking into account the doubts expressed by the minister in his letters, it is still impossible to consider that there were grounds for not fulfilling the PKW's letters. All the more so, the position of lawyers from the Warsaw or Krakow schools, as well as expert opinions, cannot constitute grounds for refusing to fulfill the legal obligation that rests upon the minister – quoted Marciniak from the letter.

– By fulfilling my statutory duty and sending this letter, I express the hope that the minister will also fulfill his statutory duty – he added.

President Andrzej Duda announced changes in the National Security Bureau (BBN) and the leadership of the chancellery. Dariusz Łukowski has been appointed the new head of the BBN, and the president nominated Mirosław Wyklik as his deputy. Mieszko Pawlak, in turn, will serve as the deputy head of the BBN for international security policy.

The outgoing head of the BBN, Jacek Siewiera, was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta by the president for outstanding service to the state and society, and for achievements in public and professional activities.

Wojciech Kolarski will now serve as the head of the Office of International Policy in the Presidential Chancellery, with Nikodem Rachoń appointed as his deputy. Andrzej Duda also appointed Diana Głownia and Katarzyna Pawlak-Mucha, both to the positions of Undersecretary of State in the Presidential Chancellery.

– The tasks I am entrusting you with are extremely responsible and very difficult in these times, in the current political situation […]. There is little time left, and many important and difficult tasks. It can be safely said that, in some cases, I would even say time-sensitive – said President Andrzej Duda during the ceremony.

– Cooperation […] with our greatest ally, the United States, which now, during the period when a new American administration is being formed, which will carry out the tasks set by President Donald Trump, will also require from our side, and not only our opinion on many matters, because this opinion is sought on an ongoing basis, but above all, it will be necessary to cooperate with it as best as possible – he continued.

– It will be necessary to talk about plans related to building a security zone, about how to end the war in Ukraine, but in a way that ensures real, tangible security for NATO's eastern flank and the free world. […] Looking at it from a political perspective, not every ending of this war will be the right ending, and we know this perfectly well, and in this regard, our voice must be clearly heard – he went on to say.

– The resolution of December 30th is in a sense unambiguous, because in its legal basis it cites Article 145 § 6, and this is the only legal basis concerning, de facto, paragraph 1, which states that in the event the Supreme Court upholds the appeal, the National Electoral Commission (PKW) shall immediately accept the financial report – stated Sylwester Marciniak at a press briefing.

– I have decided to file a criminal complaint regarding the suspicion of committing an offense by members of the illegally operating Pegasus parliamentary committee [this does not apply to MP Wipler]. Why illegally operating? The public is well aware of our reasoning. The Constitutional Tribunal issued a ruling on September 10 last year, in light of which this committee was established with blatant flaws from the perspective of the Polish constitution. Among other things, the resolution on the establishment of this committee was passed incorrectly, which, according to the Constitutional Tribunal, discredits and disqualifies the committee's ability to operate – stated Zbigniew Ziobro at a press conference.

– I have several times appealed to representatives of the ruling camp for us to jointly pass legislation establishing a Pegasus commission, one that would not possess those fundamental constitutional flaws. We did this not only because we have nothing to hide, but because we have every reason to praise the actions, the responsible actions of the United Right government, which, while combating serious crime, wanted to effectively counter it and sought the best technological tools that could ensure this – said Zbigniew Ziobro at a press conference.

– All the facts completely contradict the claims made by representatives of the ruling camp that I allegedly wanted to evade, hide, or refused to appear before this illegal commission, resisting police actions. It was exactly the opposite; I don't understand how one can say black is white in such an obvious situation – stated Zbigniew Ziobro at a press conference.

– I will also remind you that the moment the police officers proceeded with the arrest was between 10:29 AM and 10:30 AM; this is also recorded on your materials, not just from one television station – he added.

– Minister Bodnar will be held responsible for the gigantic chaos occurring in the Polish judiciary, in the prosecution service, in the Polish justice system, and by eliminating judges who were appointed by the democratically elected National Council of the Judiciary (KRS) – stated Zbigniew Ziobro at a press conference.

– There is no doubt that the statement by Congressman Wipler, with whom I haven't had the chance to speak for years and with whom I had no relationship, reflects the actual course and intentions of this so-called illegal Pegasus commission – said Zbigniew Ziobro at a press conference.

– It was a treacherous, cunning, perfidious action, instrumentalizing the law to force someone to testify before a parliamentary inquiry committee. The aim was to prevent the proceedings from following the legal course and to incriminate me, ultimately leading to my imprisonment. Ladies and gentlemen, this method is directly taken from the communist-era Security Service (SB) playbook – he continued.

– I am convinced that it was not the members of the investigative committee, I do not want to justify them in any way or defend this illegal committee, who made these desperate and very unwise decisions, but they acted on political orders from their leaders. I am directly convinced it was Mr. Donald Tusk, perhaps spurred on by Mr. Giertych, who described here what it was all about. Creating traps for citizens, for members of the opposition of the Republic of Poland, but the trap did not work, Mr. Giertych. It turned out poorly, it will end poorly – said Zbigniew Ziobro at a press conference.

– My activity in this regard, which is ongoing and will continue, I assure you, will continue, we have additional new interesting information that seriously reflects on Mr. Trzaskowski, and can certainly be, as I understand it, one of the reasons for the desperation of the ruling camp, which wants to silence me at all costs, which wants to prevent my activity in this area – stated Zbigniew Ziobro at a press conference.

– They fear that my knowledge, resulting from overseeing the investigation concerning Mr. Trzaskowski's closest associates personally, their mafia ties, vast corruption, and bribery, could be critically dangerous for his presidential campaign, and therefore this attack, therefore these desperate actions – he continued.

– I came from Warsaw. And I could still tolerate the fact that in order for Warsaw to become greener, trees are being sought in Brandenburg, not in Poland. It's survivable. Although today I visited a gardener, a Polish entrepreneur in Żory, and I also saw many beautiful Polish trees that would look just as beautiful in the Polish capital as those from Brandenburg – said Karol Nawrocki in Radlin.

– It is not economic patriotism to support the German economy and German businesses while forgetting about Polish entrepreneurs who could beautify our capital – he stated.

– Today, I have come to Silesia once again to meet with Polish miners and listen to their voices. And I hear the same concern from various social circles, different industries: What are we doing with our economy? What are we doing with our resources? What are we doing with our forests? What are we doing with our mines? – said Karol Nawrocki in Radlin.

– We are often handing them over to foreign capital, or we are telling them to defend themselves against what comes from the European Commission, as an order or pressure on our social economy. And this cannot be agreed to – he indicated.

– The Polish government is not utilizing Poland's presidency within the EU and is not addressing the affairs of Poles; instead, it's focusing on issues that only concern them and are intended to lead to a television and journalistic spectacle – said Karol Nawrocki in Radlin.

– I want to be a president who addresses the affairs of the Polish nation, of Polish women and men, and who thinks about Poland's resources and how best to utilize them so that we live in a prosperous Poland, a safe Poland, and a developing Poland. And this won't happen without Polish coal – he continued.

– How can people be left without the implementation of social agreements between the trade unions and the Polish government, and Polish matters in the EU be left unresolved? This is a situation where the Polish government and the current rulers are not ready to utilize the potential we have to extract coal with the greatest care for our environment – said Karol Nawrocki in Radlin.

– To dedicate all this intellectual, scientific, and academic potential to the extraction of coal, so that accessing these resources waiting in our, Polish land, is not an environmental problem – he continued.

– It is a delusion and a great deception that renewable energy sources are capable of ensuring our energy and our development. They are not capable of ensuring the development of the Republic, and we want to develop, just as the whole world wants to develop – said Karol Nawrocki in Radlin.

– Most certainly, all of Silesia, no matter how green you turn with shame, will not believe that you are an opponent of the Green Deal, because you have been its supporter for years – stated Karol Nawrocki in Radlin.

– Kim Jong Un could also submit such a request concerning Zbigniew Ziobro, the outcome would be the same. The Pegasus investigation commission does not exist, it is illegal, the Constitutional Tribunal has outlawed it – stated Przemysław Czarnek during the "Afternoon Conversation" on PR24, when asked about the Pegasus investigation commission's request for the arrest of Zbigniew Ziobro.

– There will be no arrest whatsoever, because in my opinion, no court will execute such a request from a non-existent commission, and moreover, a request that was submitted in an atmosphere of scandal – he continued.

– In 10 years – said Przemysław Czarnek on PR24 when asked if he was ready to face Rafał Trzaskowski, should PiS change its presidential candidate.

– After the conclusion of Karol Nawrocki's two terms. You have my word of honor, after the conclusion of Nawrocki's 10-year [term], if Trzaskowski wishes to run again, I will gladly face him – he continued.

– Decidedly a centre-right programme, the kind that Karol Nawrocki will present – said Przemysław Czarnek in PR24, when asked how Karol Nawrocki's circle intends to reach the centrist voter.

– Karol Nawrocki will surprise you all with many positive, centre-right initiatives – he continued.

– I spoke with them even today – said Przemysław Czarnek on PR24 when asked if he was talking to Konfederacja and PSL about early elections.

– I won't say [...] these are my private conversations. Unfortunately, I don't have authorization from my conversation partners. I have many friends who call me, also to ask about my health and when we will meet to talk further. There was such a call today as well, so we also discussed what happened in Puławy, for instance – he continued, when asked about the names of the people he spoke with.

– We haven't talked for a long time recently. Mr. Sławomir Mentzen is busy with the election campaign, so I haven't bothered him recently – he added, when asked if he was talking to Sławomir Mentzen.

– I haven't physically received it yet [the motion for the arrest of Zbigniew Ziobro], but of course, when I do, I will sign it and send it to the Sejm, to the Marshal of the Sejm, because it is now his responsibility to carry out the entire procedure of lifting the immunity, then it must go back to court, and the court must make a decision – stated Adam Bodnar on TVN24's "Kropka nad i".

– I will sign the motion that will initiate the entire procedure that could lead to this – he continued.

– I think that Zbigniew Ziobro would want to place himself above any law altogether, and it seems to me, I am convinced, that the investigative committee in this situation shows that it will not allow itself to be manipulated in this way – stated Adam Bodnar on TVN24's "Kropka nad i" (Dot over the i).

– The report has reached the prosecutor's office, a motion has been filed to lift the immunity of Prime Minister Morawiecki, and even the Prime Minister himself immediately said: no problem, I agree to resign my immunity. Within a few weeks, as I understand it, charges will be brought against Prime Minister Morawiecki – stated Adam Bodnar on TVN24's "Kropka nad i" (Point Over the i).

– The Marshal [Hołownia] has the right to different opinions [on the Pegasus investigative committee], however, I believe that what the committee, the actions the committee took, were justified in this situation – stated Adam Bodnar on TVN24's "Kropka nad i" (The Dot over the i).

– Today, regarding the fact that Mateusz Morawiecki's closest associates have been arrested, we clearly see that Zbigniew Ziobro simply used the ministry as a tool for conducting politics. Both against people like us, who were politically opposed to him, but apparently also against those who were his theoretical allies. We are dealing with a very dangerous man on the Polish political scene – stated Michał Kamiński on the program "Fakty po Faktach" on TVN24.

– No, I do not share that certainty [of the investigative committee regarding Ziobro's interrogation], especially since Zbigniew Ziobro behaves in a manner completely dismissive of Polish state institutions. This is no longer just for the commission, but simply for the Polish state, so I don't know what he will do – said Michał Kamiński on TVN24.

– Some might think that this helps us, the government camp, for example, that we will thus shock public opinion with the bad Ziobro. I can accept such a line of thinking as one of the variants. However, firstly, the interest of the state is paramount over any PR interest, and secondly, I am very afraid of the growing image that we have a lot of great intentions but are completely ineffective – said Michał Kamiński on TVN24.

– We have such a mess and such a feeling among citizens that we are right on many issues [as a coalition], but we are not delivering, that I am simply afraid that if we keep chasing this Ziobro, it won't benefit us at all – he added.

– I am saying, and I earnestly ask that we remember this. We won the elections, not a revolution. We won the elections in a democratic country, and Minister Bodnar is not Robespierre; he is a minister in a democratic government. Sometimes this hurts, sometimes it allows scoundrels to mock us, but I also ask for attention to be paid, with all humility, while being very critical of my own political camp, but I ask for understanding of the fact that we are and must be a democratic state governed by the rule of law – stated Michał Kamiński on TVN24.

– I don't feel like a victim of [Zbigniew Ziobro] at all. However, I was a person whom the previous PiS government wanted to destroy and illegally surveil, and also to accuse of things I never did – said General Krzysztof Bondaryk, plenipotentiary of the Minister of Interior and Administration, in an interview with Justyna Dobrosz-Oracz on TVP Info's "Question of the Day."

– I am glad that such a publication [the first part of the National Public Prosecutor's Office report on proceedings from the PiS government period] has seen the light of day […], and essentially, the disgrace of Zbigniew Ziobro's clientelist prosecution. […] I believe the investigation was conducted tendentiously to support the thesis: to hurt the former head of ABW – he assessed.

– It was personal revenge from both the then National Public Prosecutor Bogdan Święczkowski and the then Minister-Coordinator of Special Services Mariusz Kamiński. They accused me publicly in the Sejm, and then tried, through prosecution and court, to prove false accusations. […] Revenge because for many years I worked solely for the Polish state, not for any political party – he indicated.

– I think the situation today is such that on the right side, only and exclusively a candidate supported by Law and Justice has a chance, and Karol Nawrocki has proven in recent months that, firstly, he won't run away, unlike Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz from the left, when people from the services, from the vicinity of Civic Platform, came after him – said Marcin Mastalerek in an interview with Danuta Holecka on the TV Republika program “Gość Dzisiaj.”

– He proved that he is tough, determined, that he wants it very much, and that he learns quickly, because he was an outsider to politics. I don't think there is the slightest need today to discuss other candidates – he continued.

– In the circle of PiS [Law and Justice party] officials, working for the Polish state is a sin. Working for the chairman, working for mutual benefit […] is their main goal and reaching for profits – said Gen. Krzysztof Bondaryk, plenipotentiary of the Minister of the Interior and Administration and former head of the ABW [Internal Security Agency], in TVP Info's "Question of the Day".

– So, individuals who tried to combat irregularities – not only PiS-related, but any – and as head of the Agency [Internal Security Agency], I led many criminal proceedings, including those connected with people associated with PiS, became the object of personal revenge by, among others, Bogdan Święczkowski – he continued.

– Bogdan Święczkowski, while head of the ABW for over a year, committed many irregularities – among other things, he ordered an unlawful wiretap of a lawyer, […] one of the lawyers. Agency officers, whom he forced to do this, actively opposed his orders, wrote memos documenting the illegality of these actions – he pointed out.

– I have often visited the United States in recent months and had the opportunity for many conversations with representatives of the Polish diaspora. There, truly, no Poles fear this [deportations]. They say that if it becomes a problem, it will be truly marginal, and no Poles living there consider it a genuine threat to Poles residing there – said Marcin Mastalerek on TV Republika.

– President Trump is talking about criminals, about people who have convictions, who pose a threat – he continued.

– We inherited incompetent services from PiS, special bureaucracies, not special services, unable to fulfill statutory tasks. It will be very difficult to rebuild the special services – said Gen. Krzysztof Bondaryk, plenipotentiary of the head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration and former head of ABW, in the "Question of the Day" on TVP Info.

– If such a system as Pegasus existed during your tenure, would you have pursued it? Was there such an offer? – asked Justyna Dobrosz-Oracz in "Question of the Day" on TVP Info.

– There was such an offer, a similar one. I refused – replied Gen. Krzysztof Bondaryk, Plenipotentiary of the Minister of Interior and Administration and Head of the Internal Security Agency (ABW) between 2008-2013.

– Also from Israel? – the host pressed.

– Of course – the guest added.

– You refused, why?

– Because such a system always has a dual meaning. It's not a system that [...] government organizations buy just because they want to buy a cool toy and tool. There are many dual-use technologies. This technology, on the one hand, surveils individuals identified by the special services, the police of a given country, but on the other hand, it reports data and knowledge to servers of foreign services or organizations. This is so obvious that even in the European Parliament committee, the heads of NSO Group, the company that sold this system to the Polish Central Anticorruption Bureau (CBA), admitted it.

– It was an informal meeting. Sometimes in the EU, informal meetings yield more results than routine European Council meetings – said Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Brussels, at a joint press conference alongside António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen.

– I can say with great satisfaction that, thanks in part to the commitment of the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission, this meeting was extremely fruitful and very promising from the perspective of the Polish presidency – he emphasized.

– It did not conclude – obviously – with formal decisions, but the intentions of the entire twenty-seven regarding the necessity of accelerating work on arming Europe, on making Europe more secure, the intentions for full solidarity of EU member states with Ukraine, but also with Denmark at this rather peculiar moment in our shared history – all of this was very, very encouraging – he indicated.

– I am pleased that everyone has confirmed their readiness for a very serious, intensive conversation […], also in our daily relations with Great Britain, they confirmed their readiness to minimize the negative effects of Brexit for both sides: for the EU and Great Britain – said Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Brussels, at a joint press conference, alongside António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen.

– This means that we will talk, which is quite easy and simple, not only about security, about a common foreign policy in the face of crises that have affected our region, but that we are also ready to talk about any other topic, so that the negative consequences of Brexit are as little painful as possible for both Great Britain and the EU – he continued.

As the Prime Minister assessed: – Relations between the EU and Great Britain have not been this good since Brexit. It is also not by chance that in these days we learned that the pro-European atmosphere in Great Britain is more pronounced than ever since Great Britain left the EU.

– We are not talking about political illusions, we will not discuss a potential return of Great Britain. What happened, happened. Although miracles do happen in politics – said Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Brussels, at a joint press conference, alongside António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen.

– But we will certainly be able to minimize the negative consequences of our separation from a few years ago – he added.

– Those words of solidarity with Denmark were very important. I made sure during our meeting that everyone who unanimously supported Denmark was also aware of the potential consequences we might all face together, as a community – said Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Brussels, at a joint press conference alongside António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen.

– It is very important that our words of solidarity are not slogans, but a conscious undertaking of potential challenges. I speak about this so openly because I represent a country that traditionally has the closest relations with the United States. I also represent a country with the highest rate in Europe and NATO in terms of defense spending as a percentage of national GDP – he indicated.

As he pointed out: – This allows the Polish presidency and the Polish government to speak very openly and with genuine warmth, but also with high expectations, when talking to our friends on the other side of the Atlantic.

– That is why we emphasized this – all of us, in solidarity, even if some more quietly, some more loudly – that for the EU as a whole, a state’s territorial integrity, especially that of an EU member, is something undisputable and we will treat it as the highest priority for the entire community – he stressed.

– I am very proud that this Polish-Greek initiative regarding Europe's air defense, treating it as a joint task, and that Poland's actions to protect the EU's eastern border, hence the so-called Eastern Shield, and that the necessity of financing and supporting this project found understanding today among all interlocutors – said Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Brussels, at a joint press conference, alongside António Costa and Ursula von der Leyen.

– In general, this awareness that […] there is a gigantic, undeniably common space concerning […] defense capabilities, as well as production capacities within the EU. And that it is worthwhile to treat this as a joint task, also a common subject worth joint financing – he continued.