Tusk at the International Maritime Congress. Departure for Albania in the Evening

Around 9:30 AM, Prime Minister Donald Tusk will participate in the 11th International Maritime Congress in Szczecin. The Prime Minister's address is scheduled.

In the evening, Prime Minister Tusk will travel to Tirana for the VI European Political Community Summit titled 'New Europe in a New World'. As reported by CIR, the summit will provide an opportunity for the Prime Minister to hold discussions with European leaders and participate in a meeting with the leaders of the Western Balkan countries.

Most of the events involving the head of the Polish government are scheduled for Friday; on Thursday, only Donald Tusk's meeting with Western Balkan leaders at the EU Ambassador's Residence in Albania is planned (at 8:00 PM).

Trzaskowski in West Pomerania, Nawrocki in Flood-Affected Areas

Civic Platform candidate Rafał Trzaskowski will visit the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. At 1:00 PM, he will meet with seniors in Goleniów, and at 5:30 PM, he will speak at a rally in Szczecin.

Meanwhile, Karol Nawrocki, supported by PiS, will visit the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. A press conference is scheduled for 11:00 AM in Wałbrzych. At 1:20 PM in Kłodzko, the candidate will meet with 'entrepreneurs affected by the floods'. Around 4:15 PM, he will board a train in Dzierżoniów, arriving at the station in Świdnica around 4:57 PM. There, from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM, an open meeting with residents is planned.

Hołownia on Church Funding

At 11:00 AM in the Sejm, Marshal Szymon Hołownia will hold a press conference dedicated to the Supreme Audit Office (NIK) audit regarding the financing of churches and other religious organizations from public funds.

Press Conferences by Czarnek and Błaszczak, Kaczyński's Meeting

At 9:30 AM, a press conference will be held at PiS headquarters with MPs Przemysław Czarnek, Janusz Kowalski, and members of the Election Control Movement. At 11:30 AM in the Sejm, a press conference will be held by PiS club leader Mariusz Błaszczak and MP Zbigniew Kuźmiuk.

A meeting with PiS Chairman Jarosław Kaczyński is scheduled for 6:00 PM in Wierzchosławice.

– Together in these elections, we're reaching broadly. I know that many observers, commentators, would like to confine us and probably others within a narrow voter reserve called the 'late committee of the Left's' voters – said Adrian Zandberg in the "Rozmowa o 7:00" on RMF24.

– But in this campaign, over these past few months, meeting with thousands of people, I very often hear that what we propose regarding healthcare, education, public investment, and a plan for Poland's future, appeals to people who never considered themselves left-wing, or do not label their views as left-wing – he pointed out.

– This is pleasing, because we are presenting a concrete program, not labels – he added.

– The issue of our stance towards the government is fundamental, because unfortunately we have a rather poor government that has not fulfilled its promises – Adrian Zandberg stated in the “Conversation at 7:00” on RMF24, when asked how his voter differs from Magdalena Biejat’s voter.

– Voters who are disappointed, and there are really many such voters, have the right to be represented in these elections – he said.

– People who counted on ending the cronyism in State Treasury companies and on fair recruitment processes, and who are furious that Tusk’s government, with its attachments, is no different from what PiS was doing before, have the right to have a choice other than between a poor government and its candidates, and PiS with Konfederacja. That is why I am running – he emphasized.

– We promised people that the treatment of public property as a prize, taken over by the winning party and then filled with thousands of apparatchiks, would end. This was supposed to end, but it hasn't. [...] We promised people that the ever-lengthening queues to doctors would end. Meanwhile, these queues are not only not shortening, but are lengthening. And this is not an accident or PiS's legacy, but a consequence of the new government's decisions – said Adrian Zandberg in "Rozmowa o 7:00" on RMF24.

– I remember what I promised people: respect for human rights, that there would be changes regarding women's rights. We all see how it is. This government has simply not fulfilled these promises – he continued.

– May 18th is the day to send a clear and readable signal to the ruling parties that we are not satisfied with this. That we wanted change and still want change, not just a reshuffling of positions – he indicated.

– The [studio apartment] matter was sufficiently well-scrutinized earlier, but it seems that at this stage of communicating the matter, some things could have been done better. That’s quite obvious, but in the heat of the moment, to put it briefly, and all the confusion accompanying the election campaign, some things took a backseat, some things came a bit later, and that’s how it turned out – stated Przemysław Czarnek in an interview with Marcin Fijołek on Polsat News’s “Graffiti.”

– Among those currently in power, there are many people who for years swore by the word "democracy." So I politely remind them that in a democracy, there is such an institution as a democratic opposition – said Adrian Zandberg in "Conversation at 7:00" on RMF24.

– I know that for many among those who govern today, this is not palatable, because they would prefer a division of the political landscape, a pie, where either the current team governs, or PiS with Konfederacja. Then they can scare people and say there is no choice. That the only choice is between us or them – he continued.

– Tusk and Kaczyński have been exploiting this blackmail for 20 years, and it's high time to break this blackmail – he pointed out.

– When I hear Mr. Siemoniak, I really feel sick. A man responsible for the services, which today operate so terribly, as never before, are an unbelievable sieve and are used for the election campaign. It's a scandal altogether that this man speaks on this matter – stated Przemysław Czarnek in Polsat News's "Graffiti".

– A significant portion of them, on both sides of this mirror [the PiS-PO duopoly], do not vote for, but against. They do not vote out of hope, but out of fear. We must break this and finally escape this blackmail – said Adrian Zandberg in "Conversation at 7:00 AM" on RMF24.

When it was pointed out that the message about bridging divides and dismantling the duopoly is similar to what Szymon Hołownia espouses, he replied: – The thing is, Marshal Hołownia has decided to join one of these two teams, and today he is a candidate officially blessed by Donald Tusk.

– I am not as good as Karol. If I had an alcoholic and criminal neighbor and gave him 50,000 PLN today to buy out my apartment, my wife would kill me, and your wife probably would too. However, Karol acted this way, he helped, and this help was so twisted in the media – stated Przemysław Czarnek on Polsat News's "Graffiti".

– You can hand over a Wawel cake. […] You should not – in my opinion – hand over voters or the support of these voters. Voters are sensible people who have their own minds, they see these candidates themselves and then they can assess for themselves what each of them has in common with their views – said Adrian Zandberg in the "Conversation at 7:00" on RMF24, when asked if he would indicate who to vote for in the second round and whether he would appeal to his voters to do so.

– However, I will loudly and decisively speak in the coming days, weeks, months, and years about the issues that are important to us at Razem – he added.

– Not so much to choose, perhaps, but to influence the election outcome. However, I am surprised it took NASK so long. These advertisements have been circulating online for quite a few months now, and it's evident that they support, or rather attack, certain candidates, particularly myself and Karol Nawrocki – Sławomir Mentzen said in an interview with Bogdan Rymanowski on the program “Gość Radia Zet,” when asked about NASK's identification of advertisements that might have been financed from abroad, and whether someone wants to choose the president for Poles.

– It's clear that someone is investing quite a lot of money in the Polish election campaign in violation of Polish law […] I don't know who is paying for them or with what money, I only know who they support; they support Rafał Trzaskowski – he continued.

– How are advertisements insulting me supposed to support Rafał Trzaskowski? If this person wants to harm Rafał Trzaskowski, then a good piece of advice for this person is to place advertisements […] insulting Rafał Trzaskowski, putting Rafał Trzaskowski in a bad light. This is some conspiracy theory; how can one seriously claim that advertisements insulting two candidates are actually meant to work against a third candidate who benefits from them – he went on to say, when asked about the alleged apparent support for one candidate, which in reality was intended to harm them.

– It came via email, both to my inboxes and to Grzegorz Płaczek's inbox […] this whole situation began at the turn of February and March, about a week after my visit to Lviv, I received an email with threats, including death threats against me and my family […] it's exactly the same people – Sławomir Mentzen said on Radio Zet, when asked about the threatening video he received.

– I've been to the police more than once […] so far, I haven't heard of any results […]. Yesterday evening, after a rally in Toruń, I was offered police protection. I didn't accept, I would prefer the police to focus on finding the perpetrators […] if someone wants to harm me, they will do it anyway, regardless of whether I have police protection or not – he continued.

– It could, of course, be a Russian provocation, I would even prefer it to be a Russian provocation than for some Ukrainians to actually threaten my life, that would be a significantly safer option for me and my family – he went on to say.

– Words fail me for something like this. If Ms. Żukowska believes I would make threats against my children or my wife, that is a misunderstanding. I never thought very highly of Ms. Żukowska, but here she has crossed all boundaries – Sławomir Mentzen said on Radio Zet, when asked about Anna Maria Żukowska’s post stating that he hadn't received a video with threats, but had clumsily recorded it with friends.

– In my eyes, yes, it puts him in an unfavorable light – Sławomir Mentzen said on Radio Zet, when asked if, in his opinion, Nawrocki's photo with Trump at the White House compromises Nawrocki or puts him in an unfavorable light.

– I didn't use the word “compromising,” but I think the editor knows perfectly well that Trump is a businessman. So the question is: since Nawrocki received a gift from Trump, what did Nawrocki pay with? – he continued.

– I don't know if he promised anything or not, but I do know that Trump doesn't do such things for free. If he does someone a favor, he expects something in return, and the question is, what. I'm just asking questions – he went on.

– I don't wish Zandberg any ill, meaning I even prefer Zandberg over Ms. Biejat. It seems to me he's more honest than Ms. Biejat; he's a communist, I think, intellectually honest, and he truly believes what he says, he would sincerely like to lead Poland to poverty – said Sławomir Mentzen on Radio Zet.

– The remaining leftists there, from Czarzasty, from Ms. Biejat, it seems to me they are more opportunists who care more about positions than about realizing their leftist vision – he continued.

– It's not that I'm against it. I said that in the current program, in the presidential elections, I do not have a demand for the abolition of the 13th and 14th pensions – Sławomir Mentzen said on Radio Zet, when asked what change had occurred between the parliamentary and presidential elections, that he was first for abolishing the 13th and 14th pensions, and now he is against it.

– No, the point is that I do not intend to bring this about, because I don't believe it will succeed. I believe that regardless of who becomes president, I will not be able to abolish the 13th or 14th pension, because such a law will never pass the Sejm, and therefore I do not intend to waste energy that I could devote to doing something that is possible, on attempts to do impossible things – he continued, when asked if he had shelved this demand.

– Of course, I would prefer there to be 12 pensions, so that voters are not bribed with their own money – he added.

– My treasurer from this party [Nowa Nadzieja] claims he filed this report – Sławomir Mentzen said on Radio Zet.

– I did not file this report, only my treasurer did. He claims he filed it, a journalist claims he didn't, the court will decide – he continued.

– I certainly believe that journalists are spreading untruths by saying my party will be deregistered. I am convinced it will not be deregistered – he went on to say.

– We'll see how the matter concludes, but if the treasurer is wrong, he probably won't be the treasurer anymore – he added.

– Yes, and not only him, I would revoke it from all politicians who insulted Poland and Poles, who lied about our history. It is a scandal that Jan Tomasz Gross received an order from the president. It is a scandal that Frans Timmermans or Volodymyr Zelensky received an order – Sławomir Mentzen said on Radio Zet, when asked if he would revoke the Order of the White Eagle from Zelensky.

– I haven't taken a single zloty from mileage allowances, and indeed these regulations are quite liberal. However, it seems viewers should understand one thing. MPs do not receive additional money through mileage allowances; they simply spend money from their own budgets on running their offices for mileage allowances – Sławomir Mentzen said on Radio Zet.

– If they didn't spend it on mileage allowances, they would spend it on office equipment, on salaries for assistants. This is not extra money. However, yes, at this moment MPs use them, in my opinion, more than they should, simply because they don't have to account for it – he continued.

– Today is precisely the moment when, as the Prime Minister of the Polish government, I can say that we are launching the ambitious ‘Polish Sea’ program. This is not a proposal for a new geographical name on maps; the Baltic will remain the Baltic, please do not worry, in schools we will continue to teach that Poland lies on the Baltic Sea. However, the Baltic Sea is slowly becoming truly Polish thanks to your efforts, thanks to what is happening in places like Szczecin, Świnoujście, the Tricity area, Kołobrzeg, Ustka, and also at sea – stated Prime Minister Donald Tusk during the Maritime Congress.

As the head of the government said, we live in difficult and anxious times. The first task was to ensure greater security in the Baltic Sea, which is why we approached the organization of international protection for our waters with such determination.

– The terminal in Świnoujście, to sum it up in one sentence, regardless of protests, no one will block our terminal. You can be sure of that – stated Prime Minister Donald Tusk during the Maritime Congress.

– If you [addressing Radomir Wit from TVN24 – ed.] have serious questions, please ask them. However, if you have questions about the circumstances under which the notary deed was drawn up in 2012 in Gdańsk, when I was in Lublin, then you know… – Przemysław Czarnek said at a press conference.

– The matter is clarified 100 percent. I congratulate Karol Nawrocki on his honesty and his genuine empathy. I am not as good a person as Karol Nawrocki and I would probably have much greater resistance to helping someone who has alcoholism and criminal problems. But it is good that there are people like Karol Nawrocki – he continued.

– We intend to triple these figures from today until 2030. So, in 4 years and a few months, we will triple the results concerning Polish ports, container terminals on the Baltic Sea, and achieve a truly dominant position for the state in this matter – stated Prime Minister Donald Tusk during the Maritime Congress.

– We have made a decision that once again in our history, young Poles, young Polish women, those who love the sea and want to dedicate their lives to it, will be able to train, thus continuing the beautiful tradition of Dar Pomorza, Dar Młodzieży. Before the war, the sailing ship was called Lwów, and we have decided that we will build, we have already allocated funds, close to PLN 400 million – another Polish training sailing ship – stated Prime Minister Donald Tusk during the Maritime Congress.

– We will also build, for over PLN 600 million, and the financial decision has also been made here, a new training vessel – he continued.

– We will restore the Polish flag. It has been 20 years since, also symbolically, a ship named Ziemia Gnieźnieńska, when the last flag was lowered on a Polish ship. This is that flag. We had to wait over 20 years to say with a full chest: the Polish flag will return to Polish ships – stated Prime Minister Donald Tusk during the Maritime Congress.

– Regarding the issue of the Personal Data Protection Office – I have not yet received the letter [about the initiated proceedings]. As soon as I receive it, I will provide an explanation. I can already say how I will explain it, in a very simple way: Mr. Jerzy's surname was already widely known before. Mr. Jerzy also had his social media, where he also revealed his surname – Przemysław Czarnek said at a press conference.

– All other data that I read here did not constitute protected personal data. If someone photographed documents from a distance, which I used to explain the matter […], then that is the responsibility of the person who possibly photographed them from a distance and wanted to disclose them. I did not disclose them. I had documents that were necessary to explain the circumstances of the whole matter to you – he continued.

– It is an unprecedented scandal and a manifestation of an extreme lack of responsibility, serving interests other than those of the Polish state, when the incumbent Prime Minister crassly insults and casts aspersions on the most likely future president of one of the largest European states – Romania – said Przemysław Czarnek at a press conference.

– Grounds for immediate resignation, plainly evident, indeed glaringly displayed by Mr. Tusk himself – he stated.

– We will win, and no one will take this victory away from us. Neither Donald Tusk's state institutions, nor foreign organizations that are helping my opponent. Poland is here in Wałbrzych, Poland is here, there are citizens of the Polish state who will choose their president themselves, against the government's propaganda – stated Karol Nawrocki at a press briefing in Wałbrzych.

– There are probably no doubts left in Poland that Rafał Trzaskowski is the result of a political laboratory. A person whose image has been manufactured by some commercial television stations and the state television, he is not ready to serve as President of Poland. The PO [Civic Platform] environment certainly also has this awareness – stated Karol Nawrocki at a press conference.

– He is being helped, on the one hand, by the institutions of the Polish state, and on the other hand, by state television. As we know, special services were also involved in this campaign, so everyone is now getting involved in saving the political project named Rafał Trzaskowski – he continued.

– What amazes me most is that TVN is interested in this matter [the studio apartment], and you are not reporting on the attempted theft of elections in Poland, the attacks on my person orchestrated by foreign centers, foundations, and associations that support Rafał Trzaskowski. My surprise is also raised by the fact, and I believe this hasn't happened at TVN or on government television, that you have abandoned the topic of Marszałkowska 66, that you have indifferently passed over the issue of the eviction lawsuit against a family and a 6-year-old child – stated Karol Nawrocki at a press briefing in Wałbrzych.

– A charity has already been designated, to whom I have transferred the apartment you are asking about, Ms. Editor, via a notarial deed. It is a Christian charity association with a branch in Gdynia, an association that has been helping excluded and homeless individuals for over a decade. Such a notarial deed was signed yesterday – stated Karol Nawrocki at a press briefing in Wałbrzych.

– As we see today, the Polish government, Donald Tusk's government, lacks the power to govern. It lacks the power to look after public finances, it lacks the power to ensure the civil security of Poles, because every day it dedicates to fighting the opposition in the Polish parliament and hounding a civic candidate supported by PiS and the greatest, most splendid trade union in history, namely 'Solidarity' – said Karol Nawrocki at a press conference.

– This report, which President Banaś presented to us yesterday and to you today, spanning almost 400 pages, is undoubtedly the largest audit and the most extensive study that has come out of NIK in 5 years. This is a document of truly great importance, […] which we will be discussing for many years to come. I hope that based on this, we will also make wise and good decisions – said Szymon Hołownia at a press conference in the Sejm.

– The period examined was 2021-2023. […] Financial flows between the state and religious associations in 2021-2023 amounted to at least 17.5 billion PLN. This is how much the state transferred to the Catholic Church and other religious associations […], with approximately 95% of these funds, or 16.5 billion PLN, received by the Catholic Church and organizations associated with it – he reported.

– This is, of course, not surprising, because 71% of Polish citizens declare adherence to the Catholic Church, while approximately 1% of Poles declare adherence to other religious associations – he noted.

– Of course, we are only talking about flows from institutions that are directly subject to the state budget. We have not yet examined – and I hope this will be the subject of a future audit – the flows between State Treasury companies and the Catholic Church. […] We must, by rationally managing NIK's resources, […] propose and commission another audit that will specifically concern State Treasury companies – he indicated.

– All indications are that we are dealing with the illegal financing of Rafał Trzaskowski's campaign. I thank the media, Wirtualna Polska, for describing this situation. From this, we draw the conclusion that the matter, which was taken up by the media, will be submitted to the prosecutor's office based on our complaint – said Mariusz Błaszczak at a press conference.

– After the elections, we will submit a motion to establish an investigative commission specifically concerning, all indications suggest, the illegal financing of the election campaign. The National Electoral Commission will, of course, also be notified – he continued.

– The practice, as is evident, involved flooding Facebook with advertisements […] which were biased in nature, as these ads attacked Karol Nawrocki, while portraying Rafał Trzaskowski as the candidate of the people who appeared in them. And these were not random people; these individuals were activists associated with the left-liberal environment – he went on to say.

– We must answer a fundamental question: what role did the Akcja Demokracja (Action Democracy) foundation and its president play in all of this […] who met with Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski regarding the course of the elections, regarding election protection. […] Just a few weeks ago, he was an assistant to a female Member of Parliament from Civic Platform, and even earlier, he received an award from the Mayor of the Capital City of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski – he added.

— Of that PLN 17.5 billion [in total expenditure], PLN 6 billion accounts for the salaries of religion teachers, which is practically about one-third. An additional PLN 3 billion on top of that comprises subsidies for educational institutions run by the church and religious associations — said Szymon Hołownia at a press conference in the Sejm.

— So, in total, this educational activity – encompassing religion teachers and various types of educational institutions run by churches (but mostly referring to the Catholic Church) – amounts to approximately PLN 9 billion over these three years [2021-2023], which the state transferred for this purpose — he continued.

– Almost PLN 2 billion of these benefits for churches result from various tax exemptions and tax-deductible donations. Churches received PLN 6 billion in the form of various types of grants. These are grants for different purposes: educational, environmental, and scientific activities. Noble, necessary, and sometimes questionable – said Szymon Hołownia at a press conference in the Sejm.

– The report shows that in those years, however, the competitive tender procedure was quite regularly bypassed in the allocation of state budget funds for the Church and Church-related institutions. This particularly concerns the reserve that was at the disposal of the Prime Minister, then Mateusz Morawiecki. Most of the grants that were then awarded to the Church from this reserve were allocated outside of the competitive tender procedure – he pointed out.

– That is, for charitable institutions that provide assistance, hundreds of institutions that offer help to those in need, for support centers, for people with disabilities. Did Szymon Hołownia state what this money was spent on, or did he not? If he didn't, then it means he is a cynic – Mariusz Błaszczak said at a press conference, when asked about the 5 billion PLN annually spent on the Church during PiS rule.

– The Church carries out very extensive charitable work, running social welfare homes, homes for single mothers, care centers for people with disabilities, and orphanages – these are hundreds of institutions across the country. Poland is organized in such a way that all people in need of help are under the care of the state. The Church relieves the state in this regard, and therefore this activity also requires support from the state – said Zbigniew Kuźmiuk at a press conference, when asked about the financing of the Church during the PiS government's tenure.

– The church entities which, according to this report [for the years 2021-2023], received the greatest financial support from the state budget – here, the NIK (Supreme Audit Office) distinguishes three such institutions – are, firstly, the well-known Fundacja Profeto – the Sercanian Secretariat for New Evangelization. Over PLN 65 million was allocated there, entirely from the Justice Fund. The Lux Veritatis Foundation, associated with Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, received PLN 18.5 million. The Academy of Social and Media Culture in Toruń received PLN 3.37 million – said Szymon Hołownia at a press conference in the Sejm.

– I believe that this should be reviewed very thoroughly once more in terms of the appropriateness of these kinds of relationships, which were conducted by the state and a church institution led by a well-known and prominent media figure priest – he assessed.

“Rafał Trzaskowski's campaign team informed NASK and Meta two days ago about campaigns that do not belong to our committee, and we emphatically disavow them!” – Wioletta Paprocka wrote on X. Rafał Trzaskowski's campaign manager posted a letter from the authorized election agent to Meta.

Trzaskowski's staff @trzaskowski_ already 2 days ago informed NASK and META about campaigns that are not campaigns of our committee and we strongly distance ourselves from them! pic.twitter.com/5NwHyn5CR5

— Wiola Paprocka (@WiolaPaprocka) May 15, 2025

– In Romania, an anti-establishment candidate was excluded from presidential elections because someone allegedly from abroad illegally financed his election campaign. It later turned out that the financier was the Romanian counterpart of Platforma, which, incidentally, is in the same faction with them in the European Parliament. Now, in Poland, it has emerged that Trzaskowski's online campaign is also being illegally financed. According to the Romanian method, I should now be excluded from the elections – wrote Sławomir Mentzen on social media.

– But seriously, Platforma's behavior is disgusting. For weeks, Tusk has been trumpeting that Russia will illegally influence the elections. Only for it to turn out that indeed, the online campaign, consisting of slandering and defaming me and Nawrocki, is illegal, but it's Platforma behind it, not Russia – he wrote.

– You in Platforma are not only disgusting. You are also complete idiots if you thought this wouldn't come out. I don't want such a band of idiots to govern Poland; it's terrifying to think what else you'll pull off, for which we will all bear responsibility – he emphasized.

In Romania, an anti-establishment candidate was excluded from presidential elections because someone allegedly from abroad illegally financed his election campaign.

It later turned out that the financier was the Romanian counterpart of Platforma, which, incidentally, is in the same faction with them in the European Parliament.

— Sławomir Mentzen (@SlawomirMentzen) May 15, 2025

“President Zelenskyy is here, in Turkey, ready to engage in peace talks, while Vladimir Putin has only sent a low-level delegation, which appears to be an attempt to play for time. We hope that the President of the United States will recognize this charade and draw appropriate conclusions,” Radosław Sikorski told journalists at the NATO summit.

– We also hope that other campaign teams and election committees will seek the truth in this matter, because it affects the entire election campaign, not just Karol Nawrocki's. We are, by necessity, part of Karol Nawrocki's campaign team, but this concerns the entire election campaign. I expect and am convinced that Mr. Sławomir Mentzen's campaign team will also take up this issue, and together we will get to the bottom of what this circus is all about – said Przemysław Czarnek at a press conference.

– We are dealing with unbelievable opportunism. I've probably already seen 6 versions of what happened. Help should be selfless, not for a studio apartment. We don't even fully know if Mr. Nawrocki took possession of the studio apartment, or how he signed the commitment that he would look after Mr. Jerzy for life – stated Rafał Trzaskowski at a press briefing.

– "Individuals rewarded by Rafał Trzaskowski, people who were assistants to KO politicians—the party of which Rafał Trzaskowski is the vice-chairman—illegally financed online advertisements on social media platforms with foreign funds," Przemysław Wipler said at a press conference.

– "This is a crime; an attempt to win elections by criminal methods will not succeed. We will appeal to Poles not to vote for, and not to support, the candidate Rafał Trzaskowski, whose election campaign is illegally financed with foreign funds," he added.

– Oh my God. Nawrocki didn't give any money? He was lending money to this man at 20%? The entire legend of 'good Karol' has crumbled. A loan shark. Could it be about creating financial dependence to force a person to give up their apartment? – wrote Sławomir Nitras on social media.

Oh my God. Nawrocki didn't give any money? He was lending to this man at 20%? The entire legend of 'good Karol' has crumbled. A loan shark. Could it be about creating financial dependence to force a person to give up their apartment?

— Slawomir Nitras (@SlawomirNitras) May 15, 2025

– Someone's umbrella seems to have opened here – wrote Adrian Zandberg on the X portal, referring to the Ministry of Digitization's announcement regarding the activities of "Electoral Umbrella".

– The NASK Disinformation Analysis Center detected an anomaly – paid campaigns on Facebook, the funding sources of which may have originated from outside Poland. The matter was reported to the Internal Security Agency (ABW). The National Electoral Commission (KBW) was informed and the META platform was asked to remove the posts. "Electoral Umbrella" worked. The services are dealing with the matter – the ministry wrote.

Adrian Zandberg commented in turn: – A foreign company ran paid campaigns for weeks costing hundreds of thousands of zlotys (which, coincidentally, were favorable to the government), and there was no timely reaction. What WP described is a disgrace for NASK.

Komuś tu się chyba otworzył parasol.

Zagraniczna firma prowadziła przez wiele tygodni płatne kampanie za setki tysięcy złotych (tak się dziwnie składa, że korzystne dla władzy), reakcji na czas nie było. To, co opisała WP, to kompromitacja NASK. https://t.co/rin5pxX3hV

— Adrian Zandberg (@ZandbergRAZEM) May 15, 2025

Sławomir Mentzen addressed today's post by Jan Grabiec.

– First, I lost in court to Hołownia because I said he invited illegal immigrants to the Sejm, which all of Poland surely witnessed. And now I'll probably be the only one to bear responsibility for the fact that people connected with Platforma are illegally financing the election campaign ? – we read in the Confederation candidate's post.

– These people truly have no shame, Mentzen commented.

Platforma is suing me for my words about today's scandal involving illegal campaign financing.

First, I lost in court to Hołownia because I said he invited illegal immigrants to the Sejm, which all of Poland surely witnessed.

And now I'll probably be the only one to bear...

— Sławomir Mentzen (@SlawomirMentzen) May 15, 2025

– I want to tell you that I will not give up. I will always fight for women's rights, for your right to decide about your own lives and your own health. And these elections are, among other things, about that – about whether this 'Women's Hell' will continue, or if we will finally do absolutely everything to change this law and put it into your hands – said Rafał Trzaskowski in Szczecin.

– These elections are also about whether our senior men and women will have a dignified old age, will have the opportunity to share their experience, or if we will abandon our seniors to the mercy of swindlers and loan sharks – said Rafał Trzaskowski in Szczecin.

– These upcoming presidential elections are also about the most crucial choice. About that choice: whether we will be part of the West or part of the East. And I'm not talking here about our competitors sometimes behaving as if they want to constantly repeat Russian propaganda slogans, because unlike them, I do not deny anyone the right to patriotism – said Rafał Trzaskowski in Szczecin.

– I'm talking about mentality. Because successive generations of Polish men and women, those who fought in uprisings, workers, shipyard workers who fought against communism in the 70s and 80s – here, in Szczecin, here, in this square – they precisely dreamed of the West. They dreamed of Poland being part of the West, but not just part of the West in terms of institutional affiliation, but part of the West in a mental sense – he continued.

– There are countless such political contests across Europe right now, you see, because this isn't just our problem. Just look at where Slovakia stands today, where Hungary stands today. What's happening in the Balkans. You see, exactly the same kind of struggle is being decided in Romania today, – said Rafał Trzaskowski in Sopot.

– And just look at who PiS is forming alliances with. They collaborate with those parties in Europe who are ill at ease with Europe. With those parties that are either pro-Russian or that parrot Russian propaganda. They simply feel uncomfortable in Europe because Europe is too positive for them, – he continued.

– Europe, in their view, is too trusting. Europe has standards that reward honesty and fight corruption, which is why they feel so ill at ease there. And these elections are precisely about this. My fingers are crossed for our friends in Romania, for Europe to win there too, – he went on.

“All day in Lower Silesia, it's been raining heavily. [...] One can boldly say that this rain is also deeply symbolic. The fact that it's been raining all day today led me to believe that the sky is weeping today over Donald Tusk's Poland,” said Karol Nawrocki in Świdnica.

“Over Poland, which has lost its rule of law [...]. Over Poland, where resolutions become laws, and citizens of the Polish state cannot count on a fair trial. I am here to fix this,” he emphasized.

– These elections are about whether the President of the Republic will have relations with the world or with its underbelly. These presidential elections are about whether the president will be experienced and capable of building coalitions, whether he will defend Poland's interests and strengthen our ties in the North Atlantic Alliance with the Americans, but also build our relations within the European Union – said Rafał Trzaskowski in Szczecin.

– We did not join this kind of EU. We joined an EU that was meant to be a common market, a common Schengen zone, and not a single quasi-state in which Poland is just one of the provinces – said Karol Nawrocki in Świdnica.

– Today, as Poland, with our values and with what we have contributed to the EU, we are very much needed by the EU to remind that it was Christian values that were the foundation of the EU and to awaken the EU, which we will manage to awaken together with Italy and Romania – he pointed out.

– This battle, these elections on May 18th, […] will be about Poland's sovereignty. They will be about how much Poland will remain Poland, how much of Poland will be left in our hearts, our schools, our landscapes, our farms, and our forests – said Karol Nawrocki in Świdnica.

“Donald Tusk wants to install Rafał Trzaskowski in the Presidential Palace so that the decision-making chain regarding our fate looks like this: Brussels and Berlin have their needs, they relay them to Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and he calls President Trzaskowski, and they dictate how Poland will be run. But Poland cannot be run like that, because we do not want a Poland that is managed from outside,” said Karol Nawrocki in Świdnica.

– Those who live in that [information] bubble, on the side of TVN, today this Polish TVP in liquidation, lately also Polsat, and a great many portals, especially the German ones—they create such an information bubble, and a great many Poles believe in it. If it were not so, if the situation were different, then with complete certainty, if I were speaking here today – because presidential elections would still be held anyway – I would be speaking on behalf of the ruling party – stated Jarosław Kaczyński in Wierzchosławicach.

– These bubbles are precisely what create this situation of immense disinformation – he continued.

– The candidate – for he is largely who I am speaking about here – boasts that he is an economic patriot. Indeed, ladies and gentlemen. But what's the situation in Warsaw? Recently, even trees that could be purchased for 5 thousand – incidentally, not far from here – are bought four times more expensively in Germany, while he falsely claims that such trees are unavailable in Polish nurseries – stated Jarosław Kaczyński in Wierzchosławice.

– If you consider how much we've endured over these past few months of the campaign, you'll realize that probably all the most significant agencies of the Polish state—Donald Tusk's state—have already mobilized against your candidate – said Karol Nawrocki in Świdnica.

– First, the political party supporting me, PiS, was unlawfully denied its subsidy. Then came the prosecuting authorities and the Supreme Audit Office. Today, we hear that State-owned companies financed foundations that targeted me and another candidate, while aiming to make a hero out of Rafał Trzaskowski – he stated.

– But where was this hero during the last debate? Did you see him anywhere? – he asked.

– They are lying because they are denying it. So why did Tusk go to Kyiv then? After all, there was a coalition of the willing, because remember, the Americans won't be there, three countries were willing, and suddenly Tusk joined them. And that's one issue. The second issue, which relates to a different problem, is how he was treated. They constantly assure us that our international position was lower than this table, while they are a power, proclaiming 'nobody will outsmart me' – stated Jarosław Kaczyński in Wierzchosławice.

– Truly, for every Pole, every Polish patriot, including us, including myself, it was painful to watch how they treated Tusk. After all, he is the Polish prime minister; we know what he's like, but he is currently the Polish prime minister. And besides, if he doesn't want to send troops, then why did he go there at all? – he continued.

– Trzaskowski is no leftist, he's a radical. And his presidency would mean that [this agenda] would be pushed through in Poland, but also with a heavy hand, because there are already repressions today, as councils of various local governments have already had to revoke their resolutions in defense of the family – stated Jarosław Kaczyński in Wierzchosławice.

– It's utter opportunism, I am simply appalled by this, because there have been so many versions already, and Mr. Nawrocki kept claiming that he was helping selflessly. And what turned out? That he was lending money, and at usurious interest. He signed a commitment that he would take care of Mr. Jerzy for life, and Mr. Jerzy ended up in a Social Welfare Home – said Rafał Trzaskowski on TVN24's "Fakty po Faktach".

– It's lie after lie, and it's clear that this was simply about taking over his apartment at the expense of an elderly, ailing man, even using a discount for this, which Mr. Nawrocki was, of course, not entitled to – he continued.

– What was written in this loan agreement was completely irrelevant, because it was I who helped Mr. Jerzy, and he never had to repay this loan or transfer any financial resources to me. There was actually only one direction of financial flow: from me to Mr. Jerzy. This has already been demonstrated by subsequent documents and a video I recorded. So, I have nothing to reproach myself for in this matter – stated Karol Nawrocki on Polsat News’ 'Gość Wydarzeń'.

– That answer is rather obvious. Also, in my opinion and that of lawyers, it was the interest rate applicable on the market at the time, so it probably stemmed from certain legal, formal issues. This is under the assumption that Mr. Jerzy will never return these funds to me, because I simply take care of him. So, this 'Gazeta Wyborcza' scandal is another completely ridiculous and unserious affair – he continued.

– My fear is that Mr. Nawrocki is heading to the Presidential Palace, that this is his aspiration, solely to pardon colleagues from his previous political life or his party masters – because why else, given his track record and such episodes, – said Rafał Trzaskowski on TVN24.

– It was an evident mistake by the campaign staff, which is why we removed that post. Of course, PiS had been widely sharing this personal data left and right all week, but we shouldn't have done it, and that's why we rectified it – said Rafał Trzaskowski on TVN24, when asked about the disclosure of Mr. Jerzy's data, which Szymon Hołownia had criticized.

— Once again, I am not surprised, because we already see that my main opponent is being helped not only by the institutions of the Polish state, not only by government television, but also by foreign capital. These elections, as you know, have been unfair from the very beginning; subsidies were unlawfully withheld from the party that supports me, and this is yet another indication that the Civic Platform (PO) establishment is trying to revive Rafał Trzaskowski's political project, — stated Karol Nawrocki on Polsat News' 'Gość Wydarzeń'.

– I can imagine this cooperation [with Donald Tusk's government]. What's more, I will help Donald Tusk's government deliver some of the 100 pledges they promised to Poles, such as the tax-free allowance. This will be something I will be advocating for. It was Donald Tusk's government that promised to give Poles a tax-free allowance – Karol Nawrocki stated in "Gość Wydarzeń" on Polsat News.

– Please ask the foundation, my campaign staff has nothing to do with this; however, a lot of various fake news and propaganda has appeared – said Rafał Trzaskowski on TVN24, when asked about political advertisements promoting him with unclear funding, which were backed by volunteers and an employee of the Akcja Demokracja foundation.

– On the one hand, there is a campaign conducted by various entities, which aims to encourage participation in elections, and on the other hand, we constantly learn that various SMS messages and content are circulating where someone is impersonating me, impersonating my campaign staff. It is known that Russians have their fingers in all electoral campaigns today across Europe and around the world [...] it is the task of state services to counteract this – he continued.

– Please ask the foundation, please ask NASK. [...] I run my election campaign from morning till night; I am truly not able to check all this information – he continued, when asked about WP's findings.

– PiS is so brazen that it truly deserves a Guinness record, because they used public money non-stop to pay for their election campaign [...]. All of this should be explained, and that's very good, let it be investigated by the prosecutor's office, by NASK; when we learned about the fake content, we also immediately reported the matter to the prosecutor's office and to NASK – he added, when asked about PiS's announced motions to the prosecutor's office and notification to the National Electoral Commission (PKW) regarding illegal campaign financing.

– No, I am not concerned [that the information from the WP article could be grounds for problems with the acceptance of the committee's financial report], because we as the campaign staff have nothing to do with it. That is a question for all those entities that may be involved in this – he noted.

– PiS led to horrendous burdens for our entrepreneurs, and over 600,000 companies unfortunately had to suspend their operations because they were so pressured by taxes and that paranoia which PiS called the Polish Deal – said Rafał Trzaskowski on TVN24, when asked how he would explain the necessity of lowering health contributions for entrepreneurs, when the majority of respondents in a poll supported President Duda's veto.

– The Civic Coalition committed to lowering health contributions, and that is exactly what happened. Thanks to this, more companies will be able to resume operations, and consequently, there will be more money in the system, in the NFZ, not less. What's more, the Minister of Finance, also after discussions with me, decided that these funds will not deplete the NFZ budget – he continued.

– We must, of course, change and reform the entire healthcare system. I am doing this in Warsaw; the hospitals I manage are not as indebted. I recently allocated 800 million by decision for renovations and equipment for hospitals, and importantly, I am obtaining European funds – 200 million for the fight against cancer, which is precisely what the government is doing today – he went on.

– We simply must, and this is the government's responsibility, which I will demand; I will even be the guarantor that such a reform will take place and that there will be more money in the NFZ – he added.

— This is not a campaign about one person; this campaign is about you, about your issues. About the issues of Polish workers, Polish students, and the elderly — stated Adrian Zandberg in Warsaw.

— This campaign is about people who have to hand over 70% of what they earn just to rent any old shoebox in this city, Rafał Trzaskowski's city. Because this is a campaign about bringing the issues of ordinary people back into politics, about politics ceasing to be merely a story about politicians bickering in a TV studio, about it becoming once again a debate about how we organize the world around us, how we live in it, a conversation about the common good — he continued.

– This campaign, despite all odds, despite the pundits from TVN and the so-called opinion-forming weeklies, is such a [campaign about one person], because this campaign isn't me, it's you – said Adrian Zandberg in Warsaw.

– We are the 20th economy in the world; we are not a developing country. We are not a nation still building its wealth, as Rafał Trzaskowski would like to keep repeating and as he constantly repeats. We are truly a strong, wealthy society. However, Polish workers today do not benefit from this wealth, even though it is created by the hands of Polish workers – said Adrian Zandberg in Warsaw.

– The strength of this economy is not visible; it's not visible in Polish hospitals, where waiting lists are the longest in over a decade. It's not seen by the elderly who cannot get the help they need. The strength of the Polish economy is not felt by ordinary workers; unfortunately, this strength is today being consumed by housing speculators, rentiers, and multimillionaires – he continued.

– When I hear politicians who are unable to support such a simple, common-sense solution as an anti-speculation tax for those who buy up apartments, thereby destroying the lives of the young generation – when I hear politicians who equivocate on this matter and cannot simply say 'yes, okay' regarding such an obvious issue – then I have no doubt that this is not a coincidence. It is simply a consequence of who funds their election campaigns – Adrian Zandberg stated in Warsaw.

– I strongly recommend that you visit the websites of some of my fellow candidates on May 18th – Rafał Trzaskowski or Sławomir Mentzen – and examine their registers of high and maximum campaign contributions, and then compare that register with the names of owners of real estate development companies – he added.