Solemn Roll Call for National Victory Day

Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz will participate in a solemn roll call on the occasion of National Victory Day at the 1st Warsaw Armoured Brigade named after Gen. Tadeusz Kościuszko. At 11:30 AM, a briefing with the command cadre will commence. At 12:00 PM, the roll call will begin, with speeches by the Prime Minister and the Minister of National Defence. A meeting with soldiers is scheduled for 12:50 PM.

Second Day of the Sejm Session

The Sejm will resume its proceedings at 9:00 AM with a series of current affairs questions, and at 11:15 AM, upon the request of Lewica, it will hear a briefing on the launch of a pilot program for a reduced working time.

From 12:45 PM to 2:15 PM, second readings are scheduled for two parliamentary draft resolutions: one commemorating Halina Poświatowska on the 90th anniversary of her birth, and another honoring Marshal Józef Piłsudski on the 90th anniversary of his death. At 2:15 PM, the first reading of a Civic Platform (KO) bill amending the Code of Criminal Procedure will commence. According to the proponents' intentions, it aims to resolve systemic issues related to the excessive use of pre-trial detention.

In turn, at 3:45 PM, the first reading of two committee-proposed bills amending the Executive Penal Code is scheduled. As stated in the justifications, these are intended to ensure that individuals in pre-trial detention have full realization of their right to defence, including the removal of technical and organizational barriers.

From 5:15 PM to 8:00 PM, the Sejm will debate two government-proposed bills aimed at implementing EU law: one concerning the certification of public procurement contractors, and another intended to ensure the application of EU law provisions improving the functioning of the internal market.

The last substantive item on the agenda (at 8:00 PM) includes the first reading of a bill by Polska 2050 on the principles of state property management and other related laws. The party states that the bill aims to depoliticize State Treasury companies and introduce transparent management principles.

Trzaskowski with Stanowski

At 8:00 PM, a conversation between Rafał Trzaskowski and Krzysztof Stanowski will take place on YouTube.

Nawrocki and Hołownia on Tour

Szymon Hołownia will visit Ciechocinek on his campaign trail. A press briefing will be held at 3:00 PM, followed by an open public meeting at 6:30 PM.

Meanwhile, Karol Nawrocki, supported by PiS, has a public meeting scheduled in Rzeszów at 7:00 PM.

Glapiński's Press Conference

At 3:00 PM, a press conference will be held by the President of the National Bank of Poland (NBP), Adam Glapiński. The topic of the conference will be the current economic situation in Poland.

– I had no idea any scandal was being prepared, because there is no scandal here. I was certainly aware that there would be an attempt to discredit Karol Nawrocki by all means, and the more Rafał Trzaskowski has problems in this election campaign, and he has huge problems, you can see a total collapse of his election campaign, the more I was convinced that the other side would launch all the mechanisms of a dirty campaign. This has happened, the services have entered the game – stated Jacek Sasin in the "Rozmowa Piaseckiego" (Piasecki's Conversation) on TVN24.

– I don't have a sense that the campaign team messed up this matter. I don't have that sense. I also have a sense that the other side genuinely played very dirtily in this matter. We can smile, but that's how it is. They played very dirtily. Of course, perhaps communication-wise we could have presented the matter more clearly from the outset, in simpler language, that's true, but the matter is entirely clear – stated Jacek Sasin in the 'Piasecki Conversation' on TVN24.

– Perhaps, as I said, it wasn't fully explained correctly communication-wise, and we, so to speak, gave our competitors, our political opponents, room to blow out of proportion something that can be considered praise for Karol Nawrocki, because he could have had the apartment, as the notarial deed was concluded in 2017, do you agree with me? He had the paper in his hand confirming the transfer of the right to the premises. He could have said to Mr. Jerzy, as is normally done in such transactions, 'My dear sir, you've sold the apartment, goodbye' – stated Jacek Sasin in "Rozmowa Piaseckiego" on TVN24.

– I am convinced that in the second round, Sławomir Mentzen's voters will overwhelmingly vote for Karol Nawrocki, because they will simply not want to allow, to put it plainly, they will not want Rafał Trzaskowski, who wants to change Poland in a leftist fashion – stated Jacek Sasin on TVN24's "Rozmowa Piaseckiego" program.

– To drag in the words of Jerzy Popiełuszko into this whole trickery, these lies, half-truths – that’s truly a gigantic disgust, but it also shows how weak, how unstable Karol Nawrocki’s team is, and how poor a candidate he himself is – Barbara Nowacka told Marcin Fijołek in “Graffiti” on Polsat News, when asked about Karol Nawrocki’s words about overcoming evil with good during his statement and the decision to donate his apartment for charity.

– We are not talking about some minor trickery by someone from the PiS camp, but about how a presidential candidate behaved. […] The fact that PiS put forward such a person as a presidential candidate only indicates that all other potential candidates probably had even more skeletons in their closet, and they were simply afraid of them – she continued.

– If Karol Nawrocki had immediately said: yes, I was cunning, I bought the apartment, and I didn't care about the other person, because why should I care about another human being, it would have been an ugly, brutal, cunning story, but there would have been no lies from the presidential candidate – said Barbara Nowacka on Polsat News.

– Mr. Nawrocki probably attested to an untruth before a notary. That is, he himself admitted in a conversation with Bogdan Rymanowski that it wasn't as it is stated in the notary deed, so someone here lied to the notary. This is also not a standard for a president – she continued.

– If, for Kaczyński, I will remind you, his brother truly had high moral standards. One could disagree with him politically, but one also had to respect him for a certain courage, for determination. He would not have allowed someone like that to be in his place. But for Jarosław Kaczyński, it doesn't matter at all – she went on.

– Marshal Hołownia knows perfectly well that his hard work, and the work of, for example, Magdalena Biejat, Adrian Zandberg, and Joanna Senyszyn, also translates into today's results for everyone associated with our coalition on October 15th – Barbara Nowacka said on Polsat News, when asked about Szymon Hołownia's words that Rafał Trzaskowski did not add even a percent to PO's support.

– The fact that Magda Biejat performed well in the debates […] makes left-wing voters think, ‘finally, we have someone to vote for’. But I understand this dream of play-offs and fighting for third place in a separate second round between Szymon Hołownia and Mr. Mentzen. However, I hope that when we enter the second round, both Marshal Hołownia and Magdalena Biejat will support Rafał Trzaskowski, because we know how this lack of support ends – she continued.

– One thing is certain. If it were the case that for some reason Szymon Hołownia, for example, found himself in the second round, we would not have the slightest doubt about supporting them, about them winning against a person like Karol Nawrocki – she added.

– Sławek, calm down. Sławek, calm down. I can say that here on Trójka – said Przemysław Czarnek in the "Bez uników" (No Evasions) program on PR3, when asked about the following words from Sławomir Mentzen:

„Nawrocki did something completely disgusting. He took over an apartment from an elderly and sick person without paying for it. In addition, he lied to a notary that he had paid, and he also forced the seller of the apartment to lie. I cannot imagine how something like this can be acceptable to someone with any social sensitivity. Meanwhile, the entire PiS is defending it.”

When pressed if the Confederation candidate smelled blood, Czarnek replied: – Probably so, and it's a matter of the first round of the election only. In the sense that he saw that he could potentially gain something from what happened and from the hate directed at Karol Nawrocki. And therefore, he thought, "this is the moment when if Nawrocki drops by 6 percentage points, and I gain 6 percentage points, I will be in the second round."

– Karol Nawrocki will benefit from this because it's not a scandal, but a display of decency. Meanwhile, Sławek Mentzen got unnecessarily hyped up, as is said in youth jargon – said Przemysław Czarnek in the PR3 program “Bez uników” (No Evasions).

– I would strongly advise Minister Gramatyka to exercise restraint in such comments. I'll just mention a small detail: in my ministry, I have two deputies from Poland 2050, so all remarks about efficiency and communication, I think, they could also direct to their colleagues – said Barbara Nowacka in Polsat News, when asked about Michał Gramatyka's words that the way State Treasury companies are managed by Civic Coalition (KO) is like PiS-bis, and about Szymon Hołownia's enumeration of bills that failed to pass.

– In Mr. Gramatyka's shoes, I would remain silent on this topic – she continued, when pressed about State Treasury companies and the Ministry of State Assets.

– We know where more can be done, where things can be done better; these are serious political issues. What you quoted me on is not a serious political issue, it's also a question for Poland 2050 – she went on to say.

– They bear shared responsibility for how this coalition looks. Szymon Hołownia, who criticizes Rafał Trzaskowski, let's remember, has a deputy mayor in Warsaw and is himself the second person in the country. They have all the tools to prepare legislative proposals, but also to negotiate them. […] Either someone knows how to negotiate with other parties, or they create drama on social media […] or, as I see, even in writing. I am very sorry that they lack these skills of reaching an agreement and understanding – she added.

– Of course, it makes an impression, and I know we really need to communicate strongly about what teachers can and cannot do today, because there is a lot of disinformation on this topic – said Barbara Nowacka in Polsat News, when asked if she was impressed by a survey from Głos Nauczycielski showing that 74% of teachers want a return to mandatory, graded homework in primary schools.

– Homework is not forbidden. Teachers can assign it. However, it is a question of grading and the fairness of that grading. […] Today, most young people have the ability to use, among other things, artificial intelligence tools, and homework, and teachers often say this, is done using artificial intelligence – she continued.

– We currently have no plans to change the regulation – she added, regarding whether homework will return.

– There is no [in the notarial deed] false attestation. […] Karol Nawrocki helped Mr. Jerzy buy an apartment from the city of Gdańsk and still helps Mr. Jerzy live in that apartment. […] Nawrocki did not lie – said Przemysław Czarnek in the program “Bez uników” [No Evasions] on PR3.

– If any of you have ever bought anything before a notary, you know that you don't pay money before a notary, you just declare a fact. And the method of settling the price is a matter entirely between the parties – he continued.

– There is no lie. Karol Nawrocki declared that he paid PLN 120,000. Mr. Jerzy declared that he received that PLN 120,000 – he went on to say.

– Karol Nawrocki never came into possession of this apartment. He always treated this apartment as Mr. Jerzy’s. That is why [he included it in his asset declaration] because it was a formal obligation. If he hadn't included it, ABW could have revealed that, for example, formally it was his apartment and he lied in his declaration. That is why he honestly included that it was his apartment – said Przemysław Czarnek in the program “Bez uników” on PR3.

– Karol Nawrocki never possessed this apartment. He never had the keys to this apartment. He always treated this apartment as Mr. Jerzy’s, because he helped him. This is the case even today, for 17 years. And you [the public] are attacking a man for helping a person who was threatened with homelessness and is a poor person – he continued.

– Karol Nawrocki has been helping Mr. Jerzy since 2008 out of the goodness of his heart. There is no document obligating him to do so. The obligation lies with the Gdańsk Municipal Social Welfare Centre (MOPS), meaning Ms. Dulkiewicz. It has been the Gdańsk MOPS that has been looking after Mr. Jerzy since 2007, and it was the Gdańsk MOPS that applied last year for him to be moved to a nursing home, as he is already 80 years old and cannot manage on his own. Even though he has a place to live – because Karol Nawrocki guaranteed him that apartment – said Przemysław Czarnek in the program "Bez uników" on PR3.

– I think there's a difference between asking and expecting. I believe that Germany has not accounted for World War II, that the issue is not closed. The Prime Minister, moreover, clearly stated that we had no influence on the legal decisions made during the PRL era, it was not a free Polish nation that decided then, so we have the right to expect reparations – stated Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on Radio Zet.

– These were strong words, however, saying that we had no influence on that decision and we will not ask you for it, let both sides reflect; that was the suggestion of what should be done about it. In my opinion, both commemoration and reparations are a necessity – he continued.

– This is not an act of good heart, but a PR stunt. It doesn't stem from a desire to help another person. It's an attempt to move away from the topic, perhaps no other was possible, but the matter is serious. Just as candidate Nawrocki was unable to look after, as I understand, he committed to doing, because that's what was stated in the election campaign headquarters' statements regarding Mr. Jerzy, he will not look after Poles either. That's the conclusion I draw – said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on Radio Zet.

– I am asking all of you: has anyone among you donated their apartment, which you own, for charitable purposes, so that anyone who is homeless or facing homelessness can live in it for the next few decades? If you do something like that, then appreciate Karol Nawrocki's gesture. If not, then stop attacking him – said Przemysław Czarnek in the program „Bez uników” on PR3.

– I am very open to dialogue, to discussions, it is being conducted in a good atmosphere. Individual ministers from various backgrounds, I would also like to say, from all political options, are submitting their comments, so a normal process is underway. Making life easier – absolutely yes – stated Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz in an interview with Radio Zet.

– I believe that there have already been many strong declarations and more of a media spectacle on this matter. Has anyone’s life improved because of it? No. Is it easier for anyone to access medical information? No. Is it easier for anyone in matters of inheritance? No. So, perhaps now let’s adopt the principle that the Polish People's Party (PSL) proposes: calm discussion, work, and reaching an agreement in a form that will be as good as possible for people, but will certainly not be a competition for what the constitution guarantees, which is the protection of marriage – he continued.

– These guarantees are at a level comparable to those France has with its neighbors, which it has never had with a distant state, so they are stronger than obligations arising solely from a treaty – stated Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on Radio Zet.

– This is heading towards the strongest treaty in history – he added.

– We have neither the will nor the intention, nor will we send troops to Ukraine, and any attempt to do so is an attempt to engage in crude, malicious politics concerning Polish soldiers, officers, and commanders. That is why the Operational Commander reacted so quickly, because it is simply a very dangerous action, very bad and foolish, the stupidest form of practicing politics – said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on Radio Zet.

– Mr. Trzaskowski, will you explain yourself regarding the Warsaw waste scandal? After all, a moment ago on Radio Zet, you yourself appealed for presidential candidates to hide nothing from voters. Will you explain to voters what this procedure is about, under which hundreds of millions of zlotys were handled? – Mateusz Morawiecki wrote on social media.

Panie Trzaskowski, czy zamierza się Pan wytłumaczyć z warszawskiej afery śmieciowej? Przecież chwilę temu w Radiu Zet sam Pan apelował o to, by kandydaci na urząd prezydenta RP niczego nie ukrywali przed wyborcami. Czy wyjaśni Pan wyborcom, o co chodzi z procederem, w ramach… pic.twitter.com/Uuimb1plhA

— Mateusz Morawiecki (@MorawieckiM) May 8, 2025

– We say 'National Victory Day,' but we all know, we all know our history, we all remember the drama of World War II, and we know that in our Polish mouths, this word 'victory' from 1945 carries a bitter taste – said Prime Minister Donald Tusk during the roll call on the occasion of National Victory Day.

– When I visit other European countries in these recent days and see such genuine joy that they can truly celebrate the day of liberation, the day the tragedy of World War II ended, I think to myself that we, here in Poland, have a completely different attitude towards this. That we still carry the trauma of the September defeat and that oh so ambiguous victory from 80 years ago – he continued.

– We meet today here in the presence of over two thousand Polish soldiers not to recall that time with anxiety, with bitterness again. A time of lost war and a time of that strange victory, a victory that did not give us independence – said Prime Minister Donald Tusk during a roll call on the occasion of National Victory Day.

– Today we are here to show all of Poland today's proud, capable, strong, determined soldiers. Look, it would be visible from above, there are over two thousand Polish soldiers here, and the Polish army is a hundred times that – he continued.

– Today, the best medicine for the national trauma from World War II is you. Polish soldiers, the Polish army, Polish officers, generals. The army, already today the largest in Europe, an army increasingly well-organized, an army increasingly well-armed. A strong Polish army, in a few years, and I say this with full responsibility, the strongest in Europe. This is the medicine for the trauma of the past – he went on to say.

– I spoke with your generals during the briefing today, and I know that some of you are actually actively participating in defense against threats. In cyberspace, for example, we are effectively at war; it's hard to call it hybrid warfare – said Prime Minister Donald Tusk during the roll call ceremony on the occasion of the National Victory Day.

– You are here so that all of Poland can see the soldiers who are making Poland an impregnable fortress. We are building the East Shield, but this shield alone would not be enough if it weren't for you. Over 200,000 Polish soldiers who are ready to defend Polish land, and who, perhaps even today, are strong enough, numerous enough, and well-armed enough that no one in the world would dare to attack Poland – said Prime Minister Donald Tusk during a roll call on the occasion of National Victory Day.

– We are building a large, Polish, modern army not to march somewhere beyond Poland's borders. We are building this army to effectively defend our borders, and by extension, to effectively defend all of Europe, and Europe sees this too – he continued.

– We are part of NATO. Today, I hear this from our most important allies, from the Americans, the French, the British, the Germans. Today, the Polish army is NATO's most valuable European link. We are setting an example today for all NATO countries on how to act, how to behave, what to do in these difficult times, when wars are raging around us in many parts of the world – he went on to say.

– The Polish state is also a model today for all partners on what to do, how to take the threat seriously, and how to take seriously our obligations arising from allied agreements – he added.

– Tomorrow, I will be signing a Polish-French treaty with the President of France in Nancy. In a few months, with Great Britain. How different these treaties are from the security guarantees of over 80 years ago – said Prime Minister Donald Tusk during the address on the occasion of National Victory Day.

– You know what is perhaps the most important lesson from recent days? It is that our partners, strong, great powers, sought to sign these treaties, because these treaties clearly state that the countries also want our security guarantees, that it is about mutual security guarantees – he continued.

– Everyone wants to have you, Polish soldiers, on their side, and our enemies are increasingly understanding that it is not worth having you against them – he went on to say.

– Without their fight, without their efforts, without the belief that a free Poland would be reborn, without the belief that a better future lay ahead of us, 45 years after Victory Day, there would be no true victory. It only came in '89, it only came then, when others had already been enjoying freedom for many generations. Without the generation of soldiers who fought on all fronts of World War II, we could not stand here today together with the Prime Minister of the Polish government and over 2,000 soldiers – stated Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz during Victory Day.

– The Prime Minister rightly said that we, as politicians, are responsible for peace, and Poland wants peace. Poland is a state that desires and seeks peace, but peace as a value cannot defend itself on its own; it is beautiful in its name, in its sensibility, but strength is the value that is indispensable and necessary for peace – stated Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz during Victory Day.

– You knew everything, Jarosław. About connections with gangsters, about “arranging girls,” about the apartment of love at the World War II Museum, about defrauding for an apartment, and other matters still kept hidden. The entire responsibility for this catastrophe falls on you! – Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on social media.

O wszystkim wiedziałeś, Jarosławie. O związkach z gangusami, o “załatwianiu dziewczyn”, o apartamencie miłości w Muzeum II Wojny Światowej, o wyłudzeniu mieszkania i innych sprawach pozostających wciąż w ukryciu. Cała odpowiedzialność za tę katastrofę spada na ciebie!

— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) May 8, 2025

– Today there is a truly very important matter, because it relates not only to these elections, but simply to Polish rule of law, democracy, and the Polish state. Various kinds of papers are coming to light, which in reality have no significance, but they are supposed to be protected. After all, there are currently very extensive regulations regarding the protection of various types of data pertaining to citizens, and these materials are circulating on the internet. And if we are to believe Mr. Brejza, then he obtained them from there, and it is unknown on what basis, legal grounds, or from where – stated Jarosław Kaczyński at a press conference.

– We believe that the problem is serious and we need to file a notification with the prosecutor's office, convene the special services committee, and finally notify the OSCE, because it is this organization that deals with the supervision of electoral matters on a European scale – he continued.

– This situation, where we have more and more such events during an election campaign, cannot be tolerated and overlooked – emphasized the PiS leader.

– I am not accustomed to answering questions from people [from Donald Tusk's tweet] who address me in that manner, without using my first name. They used to, but that was in the past. Back then I didn't yet know who this gentleman truly was – stated Jarosław Kaczyński at a press conference.

– In my deepest conviction, Mr. Nawrocki has no obligation to appear there [at the parliamentary committee], if he were to ask my opinion, because he hasn't asked me, but if he were to ask me my opinion, I would consider that he should absolutely not do it, because he would only be participating in such a repulsive and, at the same time, likely infantile spectacle. That's how they are – stated Jarosław Kaczyński at a press conference.

– These are all brazen lies from people who clearly know this world of girls for hire. Perhaps Mr. Tusk knows it, but that’s his business and possibly his wife’s, not mine – stated Jarosław Kaczyński at a press conference.

– It turned out that he [the German Chancellor] does not envision his government that way. It is not surprising that they are taking this stance; they believe that dodging reparations with the help of people like, for instance, Tusk, is a great success of German diplomacy. However, I think they are overlooking one thing. That this might lead to the question of what, in essence, is the relationship between today's German state and the Nazi state, the German state of the Hitlerite era? I will not elaborate on this topic, but such a question must be posed in light of this – stated Jarosław Kaczyński at a press conference.

– I would like to inform you that the gold reserves of the National Bank of Poland amount to 509.3 tons of gold as of today, and their share in reserves currently reaches 22%. As you can see, following the management board's decision, we aim to maintain a constant 20% of reserves, but reserves are constantly growing, so we will fluctuate around that figure – stated Adam Glapiński at a press conference.

– I declared that we would systematically increase our reserves, and today I can proudly say that the National Bank of Poland team has kept its promise to Poles; we have achieved our goal. This is a very good result; with its current reserves, the NBP ranks 12th in the global ranking of central banks – he continued.

– The Monetary Policy Council of the National Bank of Poland, constitutionally and by law, sets the parameters of monetary policy, including, first and foremost, interest rates, guided by one, sole criterion: the fight against excessive inflation, aiming to stabilize a low inflation level in the medium term, approximately two years. This is the one and only objective of shaping monetary policy, not the situation of borrowers, not the situation of developers in particular – said Adam Glapiński at a press conference.

– Let's not kid ourselves, all this pressure is primarily exerted by developers, large international developers, who expected that the government's "0% mortgage" program would be launched, and when it wasn't, they found themselves in a difficult situation – he added.

– The question is who or what we will be choosing. Will we once again be choosing a political party, because we like this government, or we don't like it, or will we be choosing based on what we've thought for the past 15 years and always vote that way, that whoever that party points to, that's who we have to give – said Szymon Hołownia at a press conference.

– Maybe this time, in the presidential elections, we shouldn't choose a party, because that's what parliamentary elections are for, but rather a person – he continued.

– The Monetary Policy Council has decided to lower interest rates by 50 basis points, including the reference rate to the level of 5.25. I want to emphasize very strongly, and the MPC has authorized me to do so, that this adjustment does not automatically mean the start of a rate cut cycle – stated Adam Glapiński at a press conference.

– We are not ruling anything out and we are not predetermining anything, especially since there are many factors that could push inflation up in the coming quarters and make its sustainable return to the NBP's target difficult – he added.

– I understand that there is a campaign and Ms. Żukowska, or perhaps in this convention, Ania, has various ideas, statements, and observations. It’s good that she’s not telling me to hurry away, as she used to do – said Szymon Hołownia at a press conference, when asked about Anna Maria Żukowska’s words: “What are you afraid of, Szymon” in the context of the so-called anti-flipper law, which Poland 2050 MPs were supposed to block.

– The Left has recently shone with a few political moves. If I were to ask, Ania, what are you afraid of from hardworking Polish entrepreneurs, since you, together with the entire Left, are going to beg Duda to veto the healthcare contribution law? This is not the first time the Left has made a deal with PiS – he continued.

– Hand in hand with the Left, with Ms. Żukowska, with Mr. Czarzasty, President Duda vetoed the healthcare contribution law, and this probably means again several hundred thousand closed sole proprietorships of working people. This is how they should be dear to the heart of the Left. Working people. Often small florists, small hairdressers, small shop owners – he went on.

– The Left is sometimes very close to Law and Justice, and I would ask: Ania, aren't you afraid that these people will judge you? Aren't you afraid that these people will notice this? – he added.

– Regarding the flipper bill, that bill was poorly written. It was in the Sejm a year ago, it was poorly written and ended up with truly radical burdens not for flippers, but simply for apartment owners – said Szymon Hołownia at a press conference.

– Regarding this project, which they are to submit today, it seems, it looks interesting. Because if it is a project […] that will radically limit the possibility of selling municipal premises by local governments, then I believe that directionally this is the right course of action – he continued.

– I guarantee you that if you have a president from PiS or Civic Platform, then this Polish-Polish war will rage at full throttle before ’27. Because if the president is from Civic Platform, then it will be the finishing of PiS before ’27, just so they don't win, and if it's from PiS, then they will sabotage everything so that PiS returns to power in ’27 and locks up Civic Platform – said Szymon Hołownia at a press conference.

– The Chancellor of Germany, Friedrich Merz, arrived in Poland and reached an agreement with Tusk regarding war reparations. Poland committed not to ask for reparations, and Germany agreed not to give them to us – said Sławomir Mentzen in a recording published on social media.

Tusk to potrafi w negocjacje! pic.twitter.com/5N0Yfya7sy

— Sławomir Mentzen (@SlawomirMentzen) May 8, 2025

– We are going for victory. Here is Poland, beautiful Rzeszów, beautiful Podkarpacie. This hope, this energy that flows from you gives deep faith and hope that this wave cannot be stopped by anyone or anything, and on May 18th we will prove that it is worth being Polish – stated Karol Nawrocki in Rzeszów.

– I had the great honor of signing an agreement with over 20 Catholic foundations and associations that had the courage to say they support a presidential candidate who will guarantee Poland remains firmly rooted in its cultural heritage and a president who will not allow the cross to be taken away, which is a symbol of Christian values, but also a symbol of good triumphant over evil – stated Karol Nawrocki in Rzeszów.

– Yesterday, the lackey and chamberlain of the German state, Donald Tusk, bowed before the German Chancellor once again and said, I don't know on whose behalf, because not on mine and not on ours, that the issue of reparations from Germany is settled. But I am telling you that it is not – stated Karol Nawrocki in Rzeszów.

– Prime Minister Tusk will not speak on behalf of those who were burned, murdered. On behalf of those children who were murdered, on behalf of our ancestors who were exterminated in concentration camps. He will not speak on my behalf, or yours, or the Institute of National Remembrance's. Germany needs a partner today in order to talk about the past and the future – he continued.

– You see how aggression is growing in society. You see how some people are losing their grip, how they are either weak, or sick, or furious. You saw not only that tragedy at the University of Warsaw, you saw how many attacks there were recently on doctors, nurses, paramedics – said Szymon Hołownia in Ciechocinek.

– Something bad is happening to our society. We need a president who will release the pressure from this kettle, not pump it in. Someone who won’t take half of Poland and say: “this is my Poland, we will go and beat up the other half,” but will say: “there is this Poland and that Poland,” and just as I have been doing in the Sejm for a year and a half: the opposition has its rights, the coalition has its rights – he continued.

– These funds are simply owed to us. And when I become President of Poland, I will introduce to the European and world stages the necessity of Germany paying reparations to the Polish state – stated Karol Nawrocki in Rzeszów.

– Each of us will decide Poland's fate not for 5 years, but perhaps for decades, because closing Donald Tusk's system and installing Rafał Trzaskowski in the Presidential Palace means the end of Poland as we know it. The end of Poland as we know it in its current form, the ideological revolution, the realization of social gains achieved over so many years, will only truly begin – stated Karol Nawrocki in Rzeszów.

– Cardinals chose with their hearts, you too should choose with your hearts on May 18th. They chose the unobvious, you should also choose the unobvious – said Szymon Hołownia in Ciechocinek.

– Mobilization. Listen, many people are already talking about not going to these elections. Because they are tired, because these politicians are squabbling, because nothing good will ever come of it […]. Listen, we have to go to these elections. Even if you have to make a decision at the last moment, even if you have to drag your neighbor along, let them go and let them vote. The future Polish president must have a strong mandate – said Szymon Hołownia in Ciechocinek.

– I believe it's fair and I can address all these matters one by one. That is, regarding campaign-related issues, there are no public or local government funds in the campaign. I would really ask not to draw that parallel, because it was different before. Currently, there are no such funds – stated Rafał Trzaskowski in an interview with Krzysztof Stanowski.

– From the moment the election campaign began, I've adhered to ironclad rules, and I have been meticulously following them for many, many years – he added.

– I will, of course, not interfere, because those are the television's decisions, who will lead the debate on their behalf, but one thing: if it turns out that someone wants to campaign, then that would be detrimental to me – said Rafał Trzaskowski in a conversation with Krzysztof Stanowski on Kanał Zero, when asked about the protest against Dorota Wysocka-Schnepf hosting the debate on TVP.

– If it were the case that we appeared at this debate and any of the journalists tried to be biased, asking questions in such a way that it would be considered, I don't know, that I have some advantage, then I will be the one to lose out – he continued.

– One can always improve things, but I see a colossal difference. Just take a look at those tickers – said Rafał Trzaskowski on Kanal Zero, when asked by Krzysztof Stanowski if he was satisfied with the state of public media.

– Is it ideal? No, it isn't. Certainly not – he continued, after Krzysztof Stanowski’s words about TVP during the PiS era: “The tickers used to be disgusting. I know that that television is the last thing worth defending, and I have no intention of doing so at all.”

– In that case, it needs to be fixed. […] If there is an impression that the television is even slightly biased, then I believe that the entire ruling camp can only lose from it. Therefore, one must push the television to have a completely different character – he went on, after Stanowski’s comments about the current TVP: “it is very far from ideal.”

– On your channel, we demand full objectivity – he added.

– PiS has a total obsession with sexual minorities and gay people. And they placed this flag in front of me, Nawrocki placed this flag in front of me, as if trying to suggest that this is the flag, that I am supposed to appear with it all the time, throughout the entire program. I realized that I really don’t need to prove anything in this matter – said Rafał Trzaskowski on Kanał Zero.

– Magdalena Biejat showed great reflexes […] okay, I gave the flag back to her. […] Then there was another round of questions, it had to be explained, and it was a mistake that I didn’t say it clearly, firmly, because I only said it in the next question. I should have said that it’s not a matter of someone being ashamed of the flag, or that I am ashamed […] it should have been explained more emphatically – he continued.

– I accept criticism, I have encountered various opinions, that is always a risk. If you want to tell something about yourself, or share some passions, there is always a risk, and I bet that when you talk about something that is mega cool for you, something you are really into – said Rafał Trzaskowski in an interview with Krzysztof Stanowski.

– All of this is true, there is no falsehood in that book, perhaps the combination is such that it is indigestible, that is your opinion, I have encountered others – he added.

– At what point do you feel it's time to gently apply the brakes when it comes to LGBT+ rights? I've just set my moment, I said that adoption is something that, for now, I can't get past – Krzysztof Stanowski asked Rafał Trzaskowski in their conversation.

– I agree. I've said that I too am against adoption [for LGBT individuals] – Rafał Trzaskowski replied in his conversation with Krzysztof Stanowski.

– If I, in a city like Warsaw, turned into a censor and someone who, yes, calls for instance a theatre and says […] ‘I don’t like this play, please withdraw it’, or for instance said, there are various kinds of competitions for supporting organizations, if I intervened and said: this organization shouldn’t receive [funding] […] if I started considering what’s being sold in bookstores, right, in city establishments, that would simply be absurd – said Rafał Trzaskowski in Kanal Zero, when asked about a controversial comic book sold at the Museum of Modern Art.

– This is precisely the mentality of that party, that they want to control everything, tell us how to live, and generally speaking, interfere in everything; if something doesn’t align with their thinking, they will censor it or change it. That’s not how a truly free city functions – he continued.

– I haven’t seen this comic. The Law and Justice party (PiS) has given this comic more publicity than anyone else. […] This comic has disappeared, however, I think that the person managing the bookstore simply came to their senses, because such things should not be sold – he added.

– I could […] make a decision, say, six months ago or a month ago, to step down as Vice-Chairman of Civic Platform. Would you believe that? […] This isn't about empty gestures that wouldn't be entirely credible, but rather about how one envisions the presidency – said Rafał Trzaskowski on Kanał Zero, in response to Krzysztof Stanowski's statement that his slogan of a non-partisan, independent president is absurd.

– I genuinely have much more patience than Donald Tusk, and as you can see, I have complete love for coalition partners, and they truly have my guarantee that if I were to win, I would treat them fully as subjects in their own right – he continued.

– PiS has had several good diagnoses in its history, the problem is that they are so unprofessional afterwards that it was very difficult for them to implement their ideas in life because everything simply fell apart in their hands. Except for 500+, which is the simplest thing to execute in terms of implementation – stated Rafał Trzaskowski in an interview with Krzysztof Stanowski.

– I concede, good analysis, good program, agreed, and I beat my chest that it had to be done. Incidentally, there were people who also advised the PO governments on this, it was a big mistake – he added.

– We must have a closed border, the right to asylum has been suspended […] the policy of not admitting is, at this moment, still in line with the law. However, legal migration is something entirely different – said Rafał Trzaskowski in Kanał Zero.

– No one can cross the border, no illegal migrant, at this moment no one can apply for asylum in Poland. However, should the state have the possibility, and the European Union, to say in a certain situation: yes, we need specialists for work, verified in terms of security? Such a possibility exists. Should we use it or not? Perhaps it will be necessary to use it in some situation – he continued.

– Deportation processes have begun. […] Georgians were deported […] anyone who breaks the law should be deported. For example, if a seasonal worker comes to Europe and stays, right, then what should it look like, a warning, and if not, then deportation. Not to mention those who break the law – said Rafał Trzaskowski on Kanał Zero.

– I don't want to dwell on the limitations of 800+, and again, I don't want to belabor it, but I have to say, who introduced this system with loopholes? Szefernaker, that's the truth, and there were loopholes that led to 800+ being abused – said Rafał Trzaskowski in an interview with Krzysztof Stanowski.

– We need to send a signal of this type, that at a certain point, treating Ukrainians exactly like Polish citizens will end, especially where there are abuses, where there are no children in Poland, where someone doesn't work in Poland – he added.

– When you give all sorts of interviews, sometimes there's a simplification. […] I mentioned that Warsaw residents received 14,000 units. And now, here's the breakdown: 12,000 are indeed units that are being renovated. In some places, it's a complete overhaul, where very substantial funds are being spent – said Rafał Trzaskowski on Kanal Zero, when asked about his statement regarding 14,000 apartments.

– We have built these 1800 apartments, and another two thousand are currently under construction and are being handed over successively. Is that a lot or a little? If we consider the years of stagnation, because I wanted to build more apartments, and that was my declaration, I aimed to build 1500 apartments annually. However, simply nothing happened during the pandemic. Then we had the war, where there was a shortage of labor – he continued.

– The matter has definitely not been settled, and every Varsovian knows it. However, there are possibilities, meaning, firstly, whenever Germans ask me, I say this: you must face this problem – said Rafał Trzaskowski on Kanał Zero, when asked about reparations.

– What do we care about stones in Berlin? We are interested in cash. Meaning, there is money from the European Union, building a new fund for security right now, let them pay for, for example, rearming our army, for our arms factories – he continued.

– This is some kind of total absurdity, I tell the Germans this all the time, what kind of situation is this, that we are actually bearing the security of the whole of Europe on our shoulders and securing the eastern border, and we have to pay for it. Give us the money, I'm not saying it will settle the reparations issue, but it's a step in the right direction, because it's liquid cash – he went on.

– Merz at least admits to them [to mistakes in German policy]. I read Merkel's biography [...] she doesn't admit to any mistakes, because Merz says this: our view on Russia was a mistake, the CDU, because Russia should not have been treated as a partner. He is the first to admit that Nord Stream was a mistake. He admits that Germany's migration policy was a mistake. So he is a partner with whom one can talk [...] I have always told them: confront your past, not by building museums [...] but financially, and it is absurd that there is no financial reflection of this – he added.

– I'm not saying we should give up on reparations, but it will be much easier to persuade the Germans [...] to spend money on security. [...] You can absolutely expect me to tell the Germans: you must settle this, let's look for this type of opportunity, a vehicle through which we can resolve this matter – he emphasized.

– I'm not here to lecture anyone, but yes, I told them: listen, you need to keep your mouth shut – said Rafał Trzaskowski on Kanał Zero, when asked if he resented his circle within PO for making inappropriate comments about Trump.

– Yes [it's possible to renounce the migration pact], because we have a clear clause written into EU documents from 2015 stating that if we undertake the effort related to Ukrainians, we should be exempt from any relocation, and this is a matter of clearly stating our position. We say to Europe: we've done a lot of work for you, more than anyone else… we have taken in millions of Ukrainians, goodbye – stated Rafał Trzaskowski in an interview with Krzysztof Stanowski.

– There is an option in this pact where you can choose not to welcome refugees, but to pay a sum for them. Well, let them pay us for the Ukrainians then, no way. Meaning, there's simply no way we're implementing the pact, because we've simply done significantly more for Europe – he continued.

Krzysztof Stanowski pointed out that Europe claims there's no possibility of us not implementing the pact.

– Then we'll see how it ends. With the fact that they should pay us. Meaning, we'll be extremely firm. It would be some kind of joke; we specifically included this type of clause, stating that since we are responsible for the border and for Ukrainians, we have taken on more burdens than any other European country – Trzaskowski replied.