The government will convene for a session at 12:00. On the agenda are a draft amendment to the act on crude oil reserves, petroleum products, and natural gas, as well as the principles of procedure in situations threatening the state's fuel security and disruptions in the oil market. Also on the agenda are a draft amendment to the Geological and Mining Law and a draft amendment to the regulation on the prohibition of using seed material of the MON 810 maize variety.

As Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced yesterday during a briefing with services: – Droughts will recur, and with them, the threat of fires will grow. We will introduce new rules and greater discipline. Sometimes it is a stricter penalty that makes one realize the gravity of the situation. Tomorrow, during the Council of Ministers, we will discuss this.

Szymon Hołownia, the Poland 2050 presidential candidate, will visit the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. At 14:00, a press briefing will be held in Mielec, at 16:00 – an outdoor open meeting, and at 18:30 – an open meeting in Tarnobrzeg.

At 17:30, a meeting with Civic Coalition presidential candidate Rafał Trzaskowski will take place in Częstochowa.

At 18:00, a closed session of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee will feature a presentation of the theses for the Foreign Minister's expose, which Radosław Sikorski will deliver in the Sejm this week.

"This week the first exhumations will begin, the first and only this year; it must also be said that, in my opinion, there will be no other exhumations in Ukraine this year apart from Puźniki, and those that are starting this week are the result of work carried out since 2022 – said Michał Dworczyk in an interview with Marcin Fijołek on Polsat News' "Graffiti".

"We have a continuation of a certain process, but we do not have any new permits for exhumations […]. Today, this process is being led by the ministers of culture […] they are indeed conducting a good dialogue, and here Minister [Wróblewska] deserves congratulations. I hope that this dialogue will lead to Polish-Ukrainian relations moving in a good direction in this regard – he continued.

"Member of Parliament [Kowal] is not telling the truth [by saying that for the first time in 10 years Ukraine has issued real permits for exhumations and, additionally, for the search for victims]. Over the last few years, or over the last 10 years, during every meeting, talks were held, both by the President, Prime Minister Morawiecki, the Minister of Culture and Prime Minister Gliński, and the result of these efforts, among others, was the first permit issued in almost a decade for searches in Puźniki, and thanks to this permit issued in '22, we can now begin exhumations – he went on to say.

"I am very pleased that there is a continuation of the Law and Justice government's policy by the Civic Platform government […] it is not good, and here I refer to the statements […] by Member of Parliament Kowal, that there are attempts to politicize this, to formulate such accusations. […] A real breakthrough would be the consent of both the Ukrainian and Polish governments for full access for historians and archaeologists to the places where those murdered were located and where the remains of both Poles in present-day Ukraine and Ukrainians in present-day Poland are buried – he added.

– Let’s see what has happened in Polish-Ukrainian relations over the last 1.5 years. To put it bluntly, not much has happened, few problems have been solved […] the fact that there are no such problems at the border today is not a result of the current government’s actions, but a result of the sea route being unblocked, allowing Ukrainian grain exports to be conducted today via the Black Sea – said Michał Dworczyk on Polsat News.

– There are no specific new economic agreements, or even economic instruments – he continued.

– No, there are no such facilities, – said Michał Dworczyk on Polsat News, when asked about Radosław Sikorski's words concerning the need for more intensive cooperation with Ukraine, for instance, in the area of drone production, and that concrete proposals, facilitating investment processes, are on the table, which would allow for the creation of several drone valleys.

– It has been adopted by the Council of Ministers, so we have the first stage of legislative work on the act that is intended to facilitate defence-related investments, and that is very good, it is a good project and it should be adopted as quickly as possible… but for now, there is no breakthrough, – he continued.

– When it comes to cooperation in the defence industry, this matter was also neglected by the current government, because many Western European companies are currently entering Ukraine, and we are not seizing this opportunity, – he further stated.

– I myself prepared an agreement and letters of intent related to the cooperation of the Polish and Ukrainian defence industries, which were signed in the second half of 2022. To this day, the potential that was created then, the opportunities, have not been utilized. So I urge my colleagues in the Civic Platform government to move from words to actions, – he added.

– I would very much like it to be as Minister Sikorski says, and I would also like us to support the government if it takes concrete actions aimed at increasing the security of the Polish state – said Michał Dworczyk in Polsat News, when asked about Radosław Sikorski's words, which suggest that a European insurance policy can be an addition to the American one, and by strengthening the European arms industry, we will strengthen NATO, not weaken it.

– In my conviction, the initiatives being undertaken today are important because, in perspective, they will likely create large funds that can be used for the development of the arms industry, for example, but we have no guarantee that the legal frameworks currently being built for obtaining these funds will be beneficial for Poland – he continued.

– From the funds that, according to the authors' idea, will come, among other things, from common debt […] we will have no guarantee that Polish entrepreneurs will benefit. […] I appeal for us to take care of Polish interests […] and the devil is in the details, these details are very important, and the current government should really take a close look and get involved to ensure that the programs being created today in the European Union are beneficial from the perspective of the Polish state and Polish entrepreneurs – he went on to say.

– This is a rather embarrassing discussion [between Michał Kamiński and Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska] – Michał Dworczyk said on Polsat News, when asked about Michał Kamiński's accusations that he was allegedly being spied on.

– If such actions were indeed taken, it speaks volumes about the peculiar mentality of the people running the Chancellery of the Senate. However, I am also surprised by Senator or Marshal Kamiński, because for years he actually endorsed this group’s actions, so I am surprised he is shocked by this way of operating – he continued.

– Tomorrow, at the economic congress in Katowice, I will speak about something very important for all of us, namely the economic program. Everything we can do together, because we are concentrating on discussing security above all, but today, to be safe, we must strengthen economic patriotism, invest in our industry, and help our entrepreneurs develop – stated Rafał Trzaskowski in Czeladź.

– Today, it is difficult to imagine our country’s security and prosperity, as well as its well-being, without the EU. There are many who primarily criticize the EU; one must be tough within it and look after our interests, but we also need to clearly realize that it is precisely the guarantee of our security and well-being – stated Rafał Trzaskowski in Czeladź.

– Pope Francis has always taught us primarily about solidarity and empathy, and these are things without which it is difficult to imagine not only faith, but also politics. This is because politics without values, without solidarity, without empathy often becomes empty ideology, and this is precisely what our daily actions teach us – stated Rafał Trzaskowski in Czeladź.

– During these recent times, I stood at the barricade, defending precisely those who were being attacked, and we all did it, together with friends who also welcomed me here today. It's worth remembering this because when times are tough, one must bear witness through their actions. We did this when teachers were attacked; we stood in defense of teachers. When resident doctors were attacked, we defended resident doctors. When sexual minorities were attacked, we defended minorities, because there is no agreement to constantly divide and attack us – stated Rafał Trzaskowski in Czeladź.

– For this, we need fundamental agreement on the most important issues. And I promise and guarantee you that I will fight precisely for us to regain our fundamental ability to dialogue and to rebuild community – stated Rafał Trzaskowski in Czeladź.

– I am convinced that in Poland, the vast majority of us wants exactly this kind of president. One who will not solely play on emotions, will not scare anyone, but will try to think about how to unite people – stated Rafał Trzaskowski in Czeladź.

– President Andrzej Duda, along with First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda, will attend the funeral of Pope Francis – informed Wojciech Kolarski at a press conference.

As indicated by the Head of the International Policy Bureau of the Presidential Chancellery: – In connection with the death of the Holy Father, President Andrzej Duda has decided to declare April 26th, the day of the funeral, a day of national mourning. […] This presidential decree requires the Prime Minister’s counter-signature, and such a document will shortly be transmitted by the Head of the Chancellery, Minister Małgorzata Paprocka, to the Prime Minister’s Chancellery.

– The national mourning, which will last exactly one day from midnight to midnight on April 26th, does not introduce any restrictions on the events being prepared in connection with the celebrations of the 1000th anniversary of Bolesław the Brave’s coronation – he added.

– We have information that the news about the ceremonies taking place on April 26th in the Vatican will also cause changes in the planned anniversary events, that the celebrations which were supposed to take place in Gniezno [1000th anniversary of Bolesław Chrobry's coronation] will be held a day earlier – Wojciech Kolarski informed at a press conference.

– In connection with this, the President is also changing his schedule, so that on that day, together with the authorities of the Republic of Poland, with representatives of the Church, associations, and Poles, he can celebrate this day together – he added.

“Sejm Marshal Szymon Hołownia will attend Pope Francis's funeral on Saturday. The Marshal will be accompanied by a delegation of MPs during the ceremonies in the Vatican. The composition of the delegation is being finalized with representatives of parliamentary and deputy clubs” – the Chancellery of the Sejm informed.

“Due to the organization of the funeral ceremonies, the assembly of MPs and Senators in Gniezno, originally planned for this day, will take place on Friday, April 25” – reads the announcement.

Przedstawiciele Sejmu wezmą udział w uroczystościach pogrzebowych papieża Franciszka

Marszałek Sejmu Szymon Hołownia weźmie udział w sobotnim pogrzebie papieża Franciszka. W uroczystościach w Watykanie marszałkowi towarzyszyć będzie delegacja posłów. Skład delegacji jest… pic.twitter.com/w9LE4K5gIA

— Sejm RP?? (@KancelariaSejmu) April 22, 2025

– Due to the mourning period declared by Mr. President, the Warsaw celebrations of the 1000th Anniversary of the Polish Crown, including the concert and drone show, will take place this coming Sunday, instead of Saturday as originally planned. See you there! – wrote Prime Minister Donald Tusk on social media.

W związku z ogłoszeniem przez Pana Prezydenta żałoby warszawskie obchody 1000-lecia Korony Polskiej, w tym koncert i pokaz dronów, odbędą się w najbliższą niedzielę, a nie, jak planowano, w sobotę. Do zobaczenia!

— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) April 22, 2025

– He was a Pope who left virtually no one indifferent. He was a Pope who, once he caught that wind in his sails, was hard to keep up with. He was a Pope very close to people. I will never forget all those stories about […] how, while reading newspapers, […] he would call people whose stories he had heard or read something about. That someone's child was ill, that there had been some tragedy in the family. He sought these people out, tried to reach them somehow, invite them, show support – said Szymon Hołownia at a press conference in Mielec.

– He himself set an example of how children from irregular unions should be treated, clearly indicating that there should be no doubt for a priest whether to baptize them or not – he continued.

– He was a good parish priest, a good parish priest of the world. My assessment is that he was a poor politician, a very poor diplomat, but he was an incredible parish priest of the world, an incredible believing priest. And that, if you are the Pope, is really what matters most – he assessed.

– I completely disagreed with him regarding his assessment of the war in Ukraine, when he nuanced these matters, where it was necessary to clearly state where good and where evil lies. But that's how he was. I have the impression that he simply did not understand Europe, did not feel it. He brought a completely new sensitivity to the Holy See […]. But in the end, it was he who sent Cardinal Krajewski with ambulances loaded with a lot of money, millions of dollars, to support Ukrainian victims of Russian aggression, and he did so repeatedly – he went on to say.

– We’ll see what the debates in Końskie have brought. We’ll actually find that out probably towards the end of this week, because all opinion polls during such turbulent times, and there is evident turbulence, reflect reality about 2-3 weeks after events have occurred – said Szymon Hołownia at a press conference in Mielec.

– We can see that something happened before Easter. These top candidates started to weaken, changes began regarding declarations of participation in the elections, and the number of undecided voters increased – he indicated.

– Some kind of campaign restart is happening. I don’t know how it will end, but I know that until the very end, until the last day, until the last minute before the election silence, I intend to work intensively to get into the second round and not leave Poles with a choice between PiS and PO. I’ve had enough of this choice – he emphasized.

– I don't know the exact numbers, but there will certainly be a delegation of MPs and senators. It will likely be structured with a certain parity assigned to parliamentary clubs. If anyone wishes to participate in these ceremonies [Pope Francis's funeral], consent from the Sejm and Senate will certainly be granted. I assume it will probably be at the level of several dozen MPs, probably a dozen or so senators – Szymon Hołownia said at a press conference in Mielec.

– I expect it will end with the President and myself, from the core leadership of the state, attending. From my conversation with Marshal Kidawa-Błońska, it appears she will stay in the country because in such a situation, she simply must, and this is also a very responsible action on her part – he continued.

– The Prime Minister probably hasn't made a decision yet, but he likely won't go – he added.

– Healthcare, look. Governments to date, including this one, because it hasn’t managed it yet. I hope it will, but it hasn’t yet, healthcare is constantly falling behind. We are spending three times more than we used to, and the queues and patient satisfaction are not any greater – said Szymon Hołownia in Mielec.

– The point is to sit down and say to ourselves: listen, this hasn’t been done, it must be done […] if we can’t reach an agreement here, then I am the president, I have a long table, I am able to seat everyone, and in a year’s time, we will come out with a package of laws. With a package of laws that we implement regardless of who governs – he continued.

– It’s not that one [government] comes and abolishes health insurance funds, and the next one establishes health insurance funds. And then the next one abolishes them. And this one allocates funds to oncology, and that one to cardiology. And this one to children, and that one to something else entirely – he went on to say.

– Decide what kind of president you need today. Do you need Tusk’s deputy, do you need Kaczyński’s deputy, do you need a candidate of chaos, who will come and say that everything will be different, he will change everything, destroy everything, he will stick a spanner in the works, and you will see how fun it will be? – said Szymon Hołownia in Mielec.

– No, it will not be fun. Because today we do not need someone who will overturn tables, when all the furniture in our home is already moving due to the events happening in the world – he continued.

– It has been known for several weeks that the so-called expose of the Minister of Foreign Affairs is to take place in the Sejm tomorrow. And just a moment ago, less than a day before, it turns out that the debate has been shortened, and the time for discussion and questions has been drastically limited – Radosław Fogiel wrote on social media.

– Today's government has apparently decided that there is no point in occupying the MPs with a debate on foreign policy, because they might ask inconvenient questions – he continued.

Od kilku tygodni wiadomo, że jutro w Sejmie ma odbyć się tzw. exposé ministra spraw zagranicznych. I właśnie chwilę temu, na niecałą dobę przed, okazuje się, że debata została skrócona, a czas na dyskusję i pytania drastycznie ograniczony.
Dzisiejsza władza uznała najwyraźniej,…

— Radosław Fogiel (@radekfogiel) April 22, 2025

– There have been different times; once we were struggling to get by, but fortunately today we are among the wealthier countries in the European Union and we can afford to invest in our own industry. We can afford to support our entrepreneurs, and that's exactly what we must do today. Because if we want to be safe, we must become self-sufficient and we must be ready to make decisions that will ensure our self-sufficiency, that will ensure our strength, and that will ensure our security – stated Rafał Trzaskowski in Częstochowa.

– Today, we don't need a state modeled on Ukraine of past years, meaning oligarchs or large corporations that plunder citizens. Instead, we need a wisely planned strengthening of industry and our own entrepreneurship – he added.

– It is not a good idea, I think we all agree on this, to try to undermine or weaken the European Union. The European Union, alongside the North Atlantic Alliance, guarantees our security, but today we must clearly state that the European Union must change and must strengthen the competitiveness of its industry, of all European industry, including Polish industry – stated Rafał Trzaskowski in Częstochowa.

– We need a president who will be an arbiter of Polish disputes. Not a president who will only stir up emotions, especially negative emotions. Not a president who will always stand exclusively on one side of the political dispute, as unfortunately the current president does, who, when he saw a pen, had to use it, always in the same way. Today, we need a president who will himself discern what is good for Polish women and men, what is good for the majority – said Rafał Trzaskowski in Częstochowa.

– It's not enough to talk about security, it's not enough to talk about a strong economy; today, what's needed is experience, international contacts, skills, and effectiveness to achieve all of this, and that is precisely the kind of president we need today – said Rafał Trzaskowski in Częstochowa.

"As promised, Karol Nawrocki's banner is now hanging on my fence," wrote Jarosław Kaczyński on X.

Zgodnie z zapowiedzią baner @Nawrocki25 wisi już na moim ogrodzeniu. Państwo też mogą włączyć się w kampanię – udostępniając miejsce lub dokonując wpłaty na konto komitetu wyborczego. Zwyciężymy!#Nawrocki2025 pic.twitter.com/3YQCT2HXl7

— Jarosław Kaczyński (@OficjalnyJK) April 22, 2025

– The President makes decisions on this matter [of national mourning], with the Prime Minister providing counter-signature. We saw no reason to question this decision in any way. The mourning has become a fact. No, I think we expected this kind of gesture from the President. This President – stated Jan Grabiec on TVN24's "Kropka nad i" (The Dot Over the 'i').

– Undoubtedly, the announcement of this debate sparked significant emotions, both among the candidates themselves and around the presidential election. Perhaps it was for the best, as I had the impression the campaign was sleepy beforehand. Rafał Trzaskowski's declaration that he was ready for a debate and was organizing a debate was, of course, the bell that woke everyone up. Hence this surge in emotions, including from the candidates themselves – stated Jan Grabiec on TVN24's "Kropka nad i".

– The fire is under control, we are in the process of extinguishing it because peatlands are smoldering, which are always a difficult challenge for firefighters, but it has started raining over Biebrza. The long-awaited rain has arrived, which is conducive to the rescue operation, and what I can say now is that the fire today does not threaten the most valuable forest area, the strict reserve Czerwone Bagno, which is one of the most valuable and unique forests not only in Poland but also on the map of Europe – stated Paulina Hennig-Kloska on the program 'Gość Wydarzeń' on Polsat News.

– We do not have official information on this matter yet, the investigation will continue. These are difficult findings, but very often, unfortunately, fires start from the burning of meadows near Biebrza. Today, I supported the Minister of the Interior and Administration's motion to tighten penalties for arson, including those related to burning meadows, the practice of burning fields in spring, because it is prohibited – said Paulina Hennig-Kloska on Polsat News.

– This is, of course, a tragic situation. First and foremost, it is necessary to clarify what went wrong from the beginning of this pregnancy, because if we hear about misleading the patient, about telling her untruths about the child's health condition, which was supposed to die shortly after birth, these are significant premises that, I understand, influenced the final decisions and events – stated Paulina Hennig-Kloska on Polsat News.

– For me, of course, abortion in the 9th month should absolutely not be permitted by law, however, the premise of women's mental health is absolutely necessary – she added.

– I think many Poles would like the Prime Minister to cooperate with the President, rather than for there to be a 'war at the top'. So I don't know if the Marshal's [Szymon Hołownia's] appeal is actually harming Rafał Trzaskowski – stated Jan Grabiec on TVN24's "Kropka nad i" (A Dot Over the I).

– I am talking about the fact that we are witnessing Trzaskowski's gradual descent from the pedestal of the candidate who has been the natural candidate of the democratic opposition for president for years. Since the previous election, he had 10 million votes, the feeling that he perfectly fulfills the role of the Mayor of Warsaw, that he is one of the most prominent Polish politicians and could bring something to the Presidential Palace and somewhat invigorate Polish politics. And now, suddenly, we have a clash of a dozen or so candidates, each with their own circle of interested voters – stated Jan Grabiec on TVN24's "Kropka nad i" (The Dot Over the 'i').

– I even said, I don't know if it was with you, Madam Editor, two months ago, that it would end with a 1-2% difference in the second round between these two sides of the political scene. It's natural that he is becoming a normal candidate, that people have their own preferences – he continued.

– I don't think the Pope's death will affect the election campaign, and I think the Church will join the election campaign, because we are already seeing the first symptoms, the first signs. I believe that something detrimental has happened over these 8 years of PiS rule. This fusion of the Church, largely with the then-ruling party, still persists today in the minds of many important figures within the Church – stated Jan Grabiec on TVN24's "Kropka nad i" (Dot on the i).

– In the coming hours, the Prime Minister will announce his decision [regarding possible participation in the Pope's funeral]. Undoubtedly, the delegation, which includes the President, the Marshal of the Sejm, and the Senate, is already a very dignified representation, I would say. I think the Prime Minister will communicate this in the coming hours – stated Jan Grabiec on TVN24's "Kropka nad i".

– Frankly, I don't understand this gesture [Magdalena Biejat's meeting with Andrzej Duda]. I understand that candidates seek support in different ways, but whether President Duda is precisely an authority for Lewica voters – I don't think so – stated Jan Grabiec on TVN24's "Kropka nad i" (The Dot Over the i).