NATO Chief in Poland

Today, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg is visiting Poland. At 10:00 AM, he will be received by President Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Palace.

Subsequently, the NATO chief will travel to the Land Forces Training Center in Bemowo Piskie, where at 1:00 PM, Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz will meet him.

The guest's visit provides an opportunity to meet soldiers serving in Orzysz as part of the NATO Force Integration Unit.

A joint press conference of the Minister of National Defence and the NATO Secretary General is scheduled for 2:15 PM.

Prime Minister at the European Council Meeting

Prime Minister Donald Tusk is heading to Brussels to participate in the two-day European Council summit.

The agenda for the EU leaders' discussions will include, among other things, aid for Ukraine, including financial support for the next 2 years, European defense and security, and the new multiannual EU budget.

At 8:45 AM, the head of the Polish government will attend an informal meeting on migration. At 9:30 AM, he will go to a coordination meeting involving Ireland, Sweden, Estonia, Finland, Denmark, Lithuania, Latvia, Germany, and Poland.

At 10:00 AM, Tusk will meet with the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. Meanwhile, at 10:30 AM, he will participate in a remote meeting with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

At 11:00 AM, a European Council working session will begin.

Kosiniak-Kamysz Meets US Ambassador

At 8:00 AM, at the 3rd Warsaw Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade in Sochaczew, Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz will participate in a ceremony announcing the full operational readiness of the 37th Anti-Aircraft Missile Squadron for integration into the national and allied air defence system. A speech by the Deputy Prime Minister, as well as by the US Ambassador to Poland, Thomas Rose, is planned.

At 10:30 AM, Deputy Minister of National Defence Cezary Tomczyk will participate in a press conference concerning another decision in the PERUN program – as explained by the Ministry of Defence, this concerns an additional PLN 260 million for state security and defence projects.

State Awards Ceremony for MFA Officials

Today, a ceremony for awarding state decorations to Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials will be held at the Belvedere. On behalf of the President, Undersecretary of State at the Presidential Chancellery Agnieszka Jędrzak will present the awards.

This matter became the subject of public debate at the end of November between Minister Radosław Sikorski and representatives of the President. The head of diplomacy stated at the time that the MFA had submitted 95 applications for long-service medals, of which only 48 were approved by the President. “We have not received information on the criteria according to which the service record of half of the employees was deemed inferior,” he stated.

- Minister Radosław Sikorski is of course invited – said Presidential Spokesperson Rafał Leśkiewicz yesterday.

Sejm Debates Government Projects on Cryptocurrencies and DSA

The Sejm will resume its proceedings at 9:00 AM with a series of topical questions. At 11:15 AM, at the request of Civic Coalition (KO), it will hear a current information update on support programs for Polish families. Due to a one-and-a-half-hour break in proceedings, the information session will last until 2:15 PM.

At 2:15 PM, the second reading of a government bill is scheduled, which increases financing limits for mines and institutions performing safeguarding and dewatering works in mining facilities. At 3:00 PM, the second reading of the Poland 2050 project establishing April 12th as the Day of War Invalids will take place.

At 4:00 PM, the second reading of the government bill on the crypto-assets market – submitted for the second time – will commence.

From 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM, second readings of commemorative resolutions will take place. From 7:30 PM to 9:15 PM, a voting block will be held. MPs will consider a motion to reject the proposed amendment to the Electoral Code authored by Civic Coalition in the first reading, as well as Senate amendments to 5 acts – including the one implementing the DSA in Poland.

The last substantive item on the agenda is the first reading of a government deregulational project concerning cooperative banks, which will begin at 9:15 PM.

Committee Meetings

At 9:00 AM, the Sejm Committee on Digitization, Innovation, and Modern Technologies will convene to consider Senate amendments to the act implementing the DSA.

Also at 9:00 AM, the joint committees on Public Finance and the Economy and Regional Development will begin their deliberations, considering the government's bill on crypto-assets.

At 1:00 PM, the Committee on Rules of Procedure, MP Affairs, and Immunity will consider two requests from the Commander-in-Chief of the Police to lift the immunity of Antoni Macierewicz. The same committee will address a request from a private prosecutor to lift the immunity of Anna Paluch at 2:00 PM, and at 3:30 PM – the lifting of immunity for Cezary Tomczyk.

Senate Session

Today marks the second day of the Senate session. The upper house will resume its proceedings at 10:00 AM.

PiS Events

At 1:30 PM, a press conference by Michał Dworczyk, Paweł Jabłoński, and Jerzy Polaczek will be held in the Sejm.

Also at 1:30 PM, during a meeting of the Team for Counteracting Lawlessness, established by PiS parliamentarians, a report titled “Violations of Judicial Independence by the Donald Tusk Government” will be presented. Representatives of the National Council of the Judiciary will participate in the meeting.

- Prime Minister Tusk never swam against the current. Prime Minister Tusk never had the courage to put forward important issues, Polish issues, in situations where confrontations arose, whether in the East or in the West. That is how I can answer - stated Zbigniew Bogucki on TV Republika.

- I don't know if it's a chain. I used that phrasing only because the Prime Minister used it. However, if the Prime Minister hadn't spoken in such language, we could have had a different debate. But Prime Minister Tusk, very often, if we look at his activities, I have the impression he is an implementer of a policy other than solely Polish ones. For example, one that is in opposition to Poland - stated Zbigniew Bogucki on TV Republika.

- I don't get the impression the Prime Minister is fundamentally on the side of Polish interests. Sometimes the explanations are too simple. Our viewers truly... - stated Zbigniew Bogucki on TV Republika.

- If the Prime Minister wanted to meet the President, he would meet him the next day; the President always responded to that. Let's truly not believe Donald Tusk's words. If Donald Tusk wanted to meet the President, he would have met him. After all, such meetings did take place - stated Zbigniew Bogucki on TV Republika.

- I think the President reacted as all honest, decent people would – that it's disgusting. It attacks on such registers, such primitivism. Even ordinary SB officers in the Polish People's Republic didn't act like this. Perhaps those special departments that dealt with the Church "played" with such things, and this shows the downfall of those services, but above all of those who publish it - stated Zbigniew Bogucki on TV Republika.

- It's evident that a very, very serious shift in the situation is occurring within PiS. This means Kaczyński has ceased to be an absolute ruler, Kaczyński has ceased to control the situation, Kaczyński has ceased to be the sole guru within the PiS milieu, and he is taking it very poorly – stated Marcin Kierwiński on TOK FM's Morning Show.

- On one hand, we have Mr. President Nawrocki, who is appropriating territory on the right side of the political scene, and Kaczyński does not like this. On the other hand, we have more and more voices within PiS saying, "Kaczyński is not such a great strategist, perhaps it's time for him to be sidelined" – he continued.

- We are dealing with such deep legislative sabotage, because more and more laws are being vetoed practically without any serious justification – said Marcin Kierwiński on Poranek TOK FM.

- Please look at how foreign policy is being conducted. Here too, this cooperation is completely zero, even though outwardly, every child knows that we should speak with one voice, because if we don't speak with one voice, we can be played against each other – he continued.

- There is no such will from the Presidential Palace. This means that for internal needs, some political calculation, some political goal, Mr. President Nawrocki, his environment is capable of jeopardizing Poland's security, because that's how I define it – he stated.

- Yes. The mission of Warsaw is the most important – said Rafał Trzaskowski in the "Morning Interview" on RMF FM, when asked if he would remain until the end of his term (implicitly: as the Mayor of Warsaw).

- I am the Mayor of Warsaw, and that's what I'm concentrating on – he continued, when asked about the European Parliament elections.

- Motions will be submitted at the beginning of the year, so that, as I announced, this prohibition can be in effect throughout the city by the end of June. We are, of course, talking about shops and petrol stations - said Rafał Trzaskowski on RMF FM, when asked about the prohibition in Warsaw.

- I am no longer a Member of Parliament, but I was present for those votes because it was something very symbolic that happened, I'm talking about the so-called […] chain act. I went because I wanted to be in the Sejm at that time and I watched Mr. Bogucki's speech - said Marcin Kierwiński in the TOK FM Morning Show.

- On this occasion, there wasn't even a single substantive sentence. There was only a furious attack on the government, half-truths, lies, insinuations. And all of this took place in an atmosphere of a standing ovation from PiS politicians. It was incredible - he stated.

- A presidential minister, who comes to argue for a veto, does not talk about that veto. He only and exclusively talks about politics, about conflict, he only and exclusively shows that he is interested in confrontation - he assessed.

- It's evident that Braun is gaining strength, and this is extremely concerning, especially given various signals from other right-wing parties, as some are ready to co-create a government, while others, thankfully, contest this - said Rafał Trzaskowski on RMF FM.

- A party that is openly anti-European, a party that does everything to weaken Poland's security, having a hand in governing Poland – I'm hard-pressed to imagine a worse scenario - he continued.

- Today, abstracting from these political disputes, abstracting from who belongs to which party, Braun in government, Braun close to decision-making in such a difficult security situation – that would simply be suicide - he went on to say.

- This is a historic moment; moments ago, I received a report on the full readiness of the Patriot system within the 3rd Air Defense Missile Brigade, in the 37th Air Defense Missile Squadron, which manages these batteries. This is the realization of the Wisła program, the integrated air and missile defense of the Polish state – anti-missile, anti-aircraft, and anti-drone. This is a great moment for all of us, and I am pleased with the presence of our most important ally, Mr. Ambassador Rose, the Ambassador of the USA - stated Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz in Sochaczew.

- I hope that the President will responsibly sign this act, and then we can talk about the abolition of the subscription fee as of January 1st. The President, and indeed his political camp, have spoken about how much they want public media to function normally, and this act fulfills that postulate. So, if he signs this act, it will mean he is, in fact, fulfilling one of his electoral promises, as he spoke about this during the campaign - Marta Cienkowska said in "Sygnały Dnia" on PR24.

- I have a feeling that from this camp, there is really only one person, one politician, who would not want this act to be signed, and that is Mr. Jacek Kurski. So, we will see if Mr. Jacek Kurski stands behind the President, or if perhaps, indeed, the President and his camp will responsibly decide that public media in Poland should primarily have stable financing and be managed in a transparent manner - Marta Cienkowska continued.

- Now we face a simple choice: either money today, or blood tomorrow. I'm not just talking about Ukraine, I'm talking about Europe. This is our decision. And ours alone. All European leaders must finally rise to this challenge - wrote Prime Minister Donald Tusk on social media.

Now we have a simple choice: either money today, or blood tomorrow. I’m not talking about Ukraine only, I’m talking about Europe. This is our decision to make. And only ours. All European leaders must finally rise to the challenge.

— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) December 18, 2025

- It is difficult for me to imagine cooperation with Prime Minister Morawiecki. I hope that today, despite these recent polls, that firstly Civic Coalition will be in a very strong first place, and that, which is very likely, both The Left and, indeed, PSL [...] that our partners will be in the next Sejm and that the current governing coalition will govern - said Rafał Trzaskowski in RMF FM, when asked if he could imagine any form of cooperation with Mateusz Morawiecki.

- It is difficult for me to imagine, and I hope it simply won't be necessary, because with these polls, where Civic Coalition has a 10-point lead over PiS, and given that people see that part of PiS simply wants to fall into Grzegorz Braun's arms, I hope this will lead to an absolute sobering up for those who are hesitating today and to the current governing coalition governing for the next four years - he continued, when asked about a broad coalition, also involving PiS or a part of it, against Braun.

- Regardless of how humorous it sometimes looks, because yesterday there was a moment when, in their typical fashion, PiS MPs chanted their nonsense 'Down with Communism,' which was apparently directed at the Speaker. And the loudest, because I was sitting above him, clapping and shouting, was MP Krasulski, the famous one, who back in '70 as a non-commissioned officer didn't seem so eager to shout 'Down with Communism' - said Marcin Kierwiński on TOK FM Morning.

- The plans are huge, indeed we are planning such a strong legislative offensive. First and foremost, I would like to finish those acts that we have already started developing, the amendment to those acts which has already been completed, i.e., the act on social security for artists, something that has not been achieved in this country for 35 years. This government will do it - said Marta Cienkowska in "Sygnały Dnia" on PR24.

- Secondly, the so-called mother act, the act on organizing and conducting cultural activities, which has only been lightly amended and now needs to be thoroughly changed. We understand cultural activity differently now. This act should not only be about orders and decorations, forgive me, I'm speaking so briefly, but a large part of it is dedicated to Gloria Artis medals or Meritorious for Culture. We simply need to change the mother act - Marta Cienkowska continued.

- Objectively, I am concerned by the sheer volume of these vetoes [...] it is true that [the President] has the right to [veto], but I am speaking about the fact that in our constitutional system, it was conceived that this would be a kind of safety valve, a last resort in a sense, when the president truly speaks out in exceptional situations - Rafał Trzaskowski said on RMF FM.

- However, it appears that the President simply wants to create problems for the government on an assembly line and is vetoing one bill after another, bills that are good for Poles - he continued.

- I am counting on the appropriate legal instruments to bring Mr. Ziobro, meaning court orders and notes, to be issued after this court hearing [December 22nd]. For me, the matter is clear - said Marcin Kierwiński on TOK FM Morning.

- There is a politician, an important politician from the right-wing camp, who is suspected of very serious crimes. 26 crimes, probably the most important being an organized crime group. And a politician who is fleeing Poland. Fleeing. Well, I think everything is clear in this matter - he stated.

- Who flees justice, who lacks the courage to defend themselves? Well, it's the one who is guilty, the one who has something on their conscience. In my opinion, Ziobro, by fleeing to Orbán, has de facto admitted his guilt, and the Polish state should pursue him with full determination, and it will do so - he emphasized.

Karol Nawrocki met with Mark Rutte. Following their discussion, Rutte wrote on X that Poland is a valued ally making a significant contribution to common security. The President of Poland thanked the NATO Secretary General for the meeting.

Thank you @SecGenNATO for the great meeting! 🤝

— Karol Nawrocki (@NawrockiKn) December 18, 2025

"Organizations providing aid, including Niebieska Linia, will cease to operate from January 1st because the Ministry of Justice has not managed to process applications. The money is there in the Fund for Post-penitentiary Aid. But it won't reach where it needs to. Minister Żurek is running around the media, recording videos, he doesn't have time for such trifles as helping victims of crime. A massacre. If PiS had done this, we'd have mass protests" - wrote Marcelina Zawisza on X.

Organizacje świadczące pomoc, w tym Niebieska Linia, od 1 stycznia przestaną działać, bo ministerstwo sprawiedliwości nie wyrobiło się z procedowaniem wniosków. Pieniądze w Funduszu Sprawiedliwości są. Ale nie trafią tam gdzie trzeba. Minister Żurek biega po mediach, nagrywa…

— Marcelina Zawisza #PartiaRazem (@mmzawisza) December 18, 2025

"At the round table, which you see being dismantled and carried out of the Presidential Palace, 36 years ago sat various people representing different interests. Some [...] wanted to transfer communist influences [...] into Poland, which was undergoing transformation [...]. Others sat with good intentions," said President Karol Nawrocki in a statement to the media.

"Regardless of how we assess the round table, because academic and scientific discussions, and subsequent publications, are still emerging, one thing is certain: the Presidential Palace is not a place where the round table should still stand. The place where the round table should be is a museum, the Museum of Polish History. We are talking about history, we are returning the round table to history; from 2027, visitors will be able to admire it as a historical exhibit," he continued.

"Post-communism ended in Poland today. Long live free Poland," he added.

- History can play various tricks, I won't elaborate, but I think you know what I'm talking about. I welcome you on the occasion of Christmas. I wanted to wish all of you peace, health. I speak of health having had significant experiences this year; various forces, led by doctors, helped me return to health, and I know what health means. Therefore, I wish you this health, I wish that you find peace at the Christmas table, the world of Christmas. I wish that you embrace your loved ones. I wish you happiness, because I like, love, and respect you. - said Włodzimierz Czarzasty during the parliamentarians' Christmas Eve wafer meeting.

- We are in the midst of this very difficult process of agreeing on the principle by which these Russian assets can be used for the defense of Ukraine, and later for the reconstruction of Ukraine - said Prime Minister Donald Tusk at a press conference in Brussels.

- We spent a lot of time today in several formats to move closer to a decision, meaning one or another use of Russian funds [...] I suspect many more hours of increasingly technical discussion lie ahead, because those countries that are most theoretically threatened by some retaliatory financial actions from Russia in the future, namely primarily Belgium, but not exclusively, are looking for possible safeguards - he continued.

- No one questions this need, and this is indeed a very serious step forward. There is no longer any grumbling like "why bother," "it's too risky"; instead, everyone is essentially saying: okay, the problem of using Russian financial resources for Ukraine must be somehow resolved, and there is agreement on this - he went on to say.

- The discussion remains on the matter of specific safeguards, for example for Belgium [...]. We have definitely passed a breakthrough, and a breakthrough means that everyone agrees that it is worth trying and that it would be fair, justified, and good for Europe to use Russian funds for Ukraine, but some countries will fight to the bitter end to maximize their guarantees - he added.

- The moment we achieve a situation in the tribunal, and I mean not quite a tribunal, where it will be possible, for example, to elect a president of the tribunal fairly, according to the rules, according to the law, from that moment on, we will be able to consider that this tribunal is functioning correctly again - said Prime Minister Donald Tusk at a press conference in Brussels.

- This process will continue, but there is more than a glimmer of hope, I would say there is a green light to fix the tribunal, and I have already discussed this with the leaders of the coalition parties, and I think we will find several paths so that Poland can regain a Constitutional Tribunal that is compliant with the law as quickly as possible - he continued.

- I have a great request, primarily to objective and neutral media and commentators: do not speak of some dispute between Tusk and Nawrocki - Prime Minister Donald Tusk said at a press conference in Brussels.

- This is not about some dispute between me and President Nawrocki; it's about the fact that from the very first days, I have been trying to find a way out, trying to de-escalate the situation, but from the very first days, we have been dealing with an abuse of power and an abuse of the president's competencies by him and his people - he continued.

"The government is constitutionally responsible for conducting foreign policy. This G20 format, its preparation, that is of course the domain of the government. We are talking about matters that are exclusively within the government's purview and decision-making. And it doesn't matter that I am the Prime Minister, really, what matters is respecting the Constitution and the elementary principles of the Polish system" – Prime Minister Donald Tusk said at a press conference in Brussels.

"So I will not allow the Presidential Palace to violate the Constitution due to inflated ambitions, a desire to spite us, or for any other reasons. No and that's final" – he continued.

"But I will not do anything that would expose Poland to losses. Since Mr. Przydacz went to the United States, he has of course received the necessary materials from us, the government will not hinder anything. But I will not accept a situation where, at any given moment, the president and his people want to change the system by force of fact, deceit, or intrigue; this is simply unacceptable and against Polish interests" – he went on to say.

"We have another president who has insisted on violating or even outright raping the Constitution" – he emphasized.

- We will find a way. Meaning, we have a way to neutralize the president's boycott attempts in this situation, concerning the tribunal's judges – Prime Minister Donald Tusk said at a press conference in Brussels.

- It's a bit of an irony of history; I, as a then Solidarity activist, was against the round table because I was young, radical, and wanted to end this intermediate stage between communism and a free Poland more quickly, while the Kaczyński brothers were co-authors of the round table - Prime Minister Donald Tusk said at a press conference in Brussels.

- Today, Mr. Nawrocki is dismantling that round table. I don't want to be too malicious, but it seems to me that such a round table would be perfect for PiS right now, because I heard from them that the political beatings are in full swing, so perhaps they should reassemble the table, sit down, and try to come to an agreement - he continued.

- Prime Minister Orbán also directly asked me if, should he try to organize the Visegrád Group [...] would I accept the invitation. We will consider it, I told Prime Minister Orbán that as long as he protects politicians sought or wanted by us, responsible for abuses or corruption, it would be difficult for me to imagine a visit to Budapest for obvious reasons - said Prime Minister Donald Tusk at a press conference in Brussels.

- As you know, we have managed to resolve a few matters regarding Mercosur. Meaning, Poland is against Mercosur for obvious reasons; we have significant interests of our farmers and producers, and some of these interests will perhaps not be threatened, but they certainly have no reason to rejoice at the entry into force of Mercosur - Prime Minister Donald Tusk said at a press conference in Brussels.

- I said from the very beginning: Poland will not support Mercosur. But because we also know that it will be very difficult to block Mercosur, as there is no majority for that for now [...] simultaneously we worked [...] we managed to push through certain amendments that are good from the perspective of Polish farmers and Polish producers - he continued.

- If this version of Mercosur that we currently have on the table comes into effect, it is largely safe now from the perspective of Polish farmers, but also Polish consumers, we are talking here about the issue of pesticide use, increased control from the European Union - he went on to say.

- The efforts of the Polish People's Party, I must emphasize this very strongly, have brought about the desired effect. We try to act wisely, meaning, we look for opportunities to block bad regulations, and when we don't have a majority on a matter, we at least fix the project so that it is not dangerous for Poland. [...] It's not ideal, but it's not bad - he added.

"For over a month, the presidential proposal for a real reduction in energy bills has been languishing in the parliamentary freeze. Yesterday, Minister Motyka triumphantly announced that the price of energy in bills will fall by 5 PLN per MWh. He forgot to add, however, that other components will increase simultaneously - so that the final bill will be higher, not lower." - Paweł Szefernaker wrote on X.

"The graphic clearly shows how much bills could fall if the government decided to adopt the President's proposal, instead of limiting itself to PR announcements." - he continued in his post.

"Therefore, I have invited Minister Paulina Hennig-Kloska, Minister Motyka, President of URE Renata Mroczek, as well as representatives of industry, the energy sector, and social organizations for an open, substantive discussion tomorrow." - he added.

"I hope that this time, instead of announcing successes, we will together address solutions that will truly lower the bills for Poles." - he emphasized.

Od ponad miesiąca w sejmowej zamrażarce leży prezydencka propozycja realnego obniżenia rachunków za energię.
Wczoraj minister Motyka triumfalnie ogłosił, że cena energii w rachunku spadnie o 5 zł za MWh. Zapomniał jednak dodać, że jednocześnie wzrosną pozostałe składniki - tak,… pic.twitter.com/C3RvuEnYL5

— Paweł Szefernaker 🇵🇱 (@szefernaker) December 18, 2025

- A very important topic for us is the development of infrastructure, not only for military use, but dual-use, meaning infrastructure for railway, road, as well as pipelines, which should be expanded as quickly as possible in eastern Germany, in Poland, all the way to the Baltic states, or south to the Czech Republic. I thank you for supporting this process and for your backing. This is a joint initiative of NATO states, as well as national states - said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz at a press conference with NATO Secretary Mark Rutte.

- This is a historic day, a wonderful day for Poland, for security, for the North Atlantic Alliance. This morning I received a report on the full readiness of the Patriot system, operated by our missile troops, our air defense, anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense - said Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz at a press conference with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

- Perhaps it will be necessary to initiate a procedure for supplementing the election of judges to the Constitutional Tribunal. This ruling certainly helps us in some way to explain to citizens that we must fix this, because the consequences of this will be very serious. That is, Poland will not have a constitutional court, even though it is enshrined in our Constitution, and citizens will not have the legal protection provided by the Constitution - said Waldemar Żurek at a press conference, referring to the ECJ's ruling.

"In connection with disgusting insinuations, an initiative by MPs, regardless of faction and disagreements on other matters, has begun, gathering signatures for a motion to remove Jacek Kurski from Law and Justice." - wrote Waldemar Buda on X.

W związku z obrzydliwymi insynuacjami rozpoczęła się inicjatywa posłów, niezależnie od frakcji i różnic zdań w innych sprawach, zbierająca podpisy pod wnioskiem o usuniecie Jacka Kurskiego z Prawa i Sprawiedliwości.

— Waldemar Buda (@waldemar_buda) December 18, 2025

- It is true that PiS abused and misused the Justice Fund contrary to its intended purposes, and that money was siphoned off for election campaigns. However, this is no excuse for you to have announced the competition late, and for organizations that provide assistance to victims of crime to be announcing that they will cease offering aid from January 1st - stated Marcelina Zawisza in the Sejm.

- This is entirely your responsibility. You have been governing for two years now, you are past the halfway point since your inauguration, and it is truly time to stop, to finish saying that everything is PiS's fault. Now it is your responsibility that you are so incompetent that these organizations are left without support - she continued.

241 MPs voted on the adoption of the government's draft cryptoassets market act – in practice, this is the same proposal that President Duda once vetoed. 183 MPs voted against it, including the entire PiS and Confederation parliamentary clubs.

Now the act will go to the Senate, and then to the president's desk.

- This is an absolute distortion of reality, and nothing of the sort, in the spirit of systemic change, has absolutely happened today - said Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz on TVN24's "Kropka nad i" when asked about the President's statement that "post-communism in Poland ended today".

We quoted it here.

- However, it is a contribution to the discussion of whether the Round Table was something good, or rather something that should not have happened - she stated.

- I personally believe that the systemic change that took place peacefully in Poland - because it did not happen peacefully everywhere - the ability, the demonstration that one can sit at a table and talk even from very different positions - then a lot of bad things happened, that certain communist responsibilities were not severed - but the very ability to dialogue from different sides is something good, it is a value - she continued.

- I would wish for it to be shown that this is a value, and not that only confrontation, a hard-fought battle, is a value, because that does not build the common good - she added.

- Polish law clearly stipulates that foreign policy is conducted by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The President represents and implements the political line indicated by the government - said Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz on TVN24's "Kropka nad i."

- Unfortunately, in this particular case, the President is trying to usurp power that systemically does not belong to him. This is bad, it sows chaos, and it happens at the expense of Polish security - she assessed.

- We in Poland truly have the right to disagree. [...] Here, he is exceeding his legal authority. He is sowing chaos in Poland, and this is something that Russians want. Russians want chaos in our European democracies because it allows them to expand their propaganda as well. And this is where profound irresponsibility truly begins - she pointed out.

- This is no longer about a fight, but apparently the President holds the view that keeping dogs on a chain is okay. Well, I have a very different view - said Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz on TVN24's "Kropka nad i" (Dot on the i).

- I came to the Sejm with my beloved dog, who is truly so spoiled that sometimes it's scary. In order to show that we should truly have this human sensitivity. Such cruelty, keeping a chained dog at its kennel on an iron tether – who needs that? It’s terrible. Let's not do this to animals. Let's retain some basic sensitivity - she continued.

- It wouldn't be a conversation [with Prime Minister Donald Tusk] solely about [the position of Deputy Prime Minister]. I think the situation is ripe for us to simply talk – said Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz on TVN24's "Kropka nad i" (The I Dot).

- I declare that I am ready for this, and that's all. […] I'm waiting. I'm normally just working, responsibly, and I believe we shouldn't make a big deal out of this. […] I am always in favor of dialogue – she continued.

- A veto is not a political gesture; it is an expression of responsibility and the voice of citizens. It is a moment when one must clearly and firmly say – this law has been poorly prepared and must be improved. Every veto I issue has one goal – to stop bad law and oblige the government to legislate better - said President Karol Nawrocki in a recording published on social media.

First Veto

- Of course, [vetoes] are not convenient for the government because they force harder work. I will say this very clearly, government: work better and smarter. That is the simplest way to avoid a veto. If the law is good, it will be signed; if it is bad, it will be vetoed. That is a fair and obvious principle. Unfortunately, more bad laws have landed on my desk again. Therefore, I must say 'no' to them. In my 21st plan, I announced – I will not sign laws that raise taxes for Poles. That is why I do not agree to the increase in the sugar tax. The goal of this amendment is obvious – to plug the huge budget deficit for which the government is responsible - he stated.

- After 11 months, we have a deficit of over 240 billion PLN. Instead of sealing the tax system, the government reaches into the pockets of citizens. A tax of up to 3 PLN 60 groszy on a two-liter drink or juice is a real blow to household budgets. It is also a blow to farmers and fruit growers, to rural Poland. Taxing natural sugars contained in fruit juices directly hits Polish growers. Poland is the largest producer of apples in the European Union. These solutions will limit investment, hinder innovation, and strengthen imports at the expense of domestic capital. We cannot talk about public health either, by bringing about a situation where Polish families cannot afford healthy, domestic products - said the President of the Republic of Poland.

Second Veto

- We must honestly ask if more expensive truly means healthier. Similarly, I cannot agree to the increase in excise duty introduced in haste, without time for entrepreneurs and consumers to prepare. This is chaos and proof of poor state financial management. Instead of fighting VAT mafias, the government chooses the easiest path. It reaches for Poles' money again. I want this to be clearly understood. If the intentions of these increases were genuinely health-promoting, there would be a simple provision in both [laws] stating that every zloty from additional revenue goes solely to healthcare. There is no such provision in the law on the increase in excise duty. This says more than a thousand declarations - he continued.

Third Veto

- And finally, the education reform law, the so-called 26th reform. We organized special consultations at the Presidential Palace with experts, teachers, educational organizations, and parents. After talking with them, after their appeals, I cannot consent to such a law. This is a reform leading to chaos, the ideologization of schools, and experimentation on entire generations of children. Polish schools need peace, knowledge, and stability. Not ill-considered, chaotic changes that will need to be corrected immediately after their introduction because, instead of improving, they will only worsen the situation - emphasized Karol Nawrocki.

At the same time, the head of state announced the signing of a law amending the Teachers' Charter.

- This is the first step towards normalizing the rules for teacher remuneration for overtime hours. The law responds to the real expectations of the teaching community, which for years has been treated unequally depending on the local government or employer. I know that Solidarity of Education pointed out that this matter could have been resolved more broadly and better. I agree. This law is not perfect, but it resolves part of a real problem and brings order to chaos that should not exist in a state that takes teachers seriously - informed Nawrocki.

Jako Prezydent RP mam obowiązek powiedzieć TAK, gdy ustawy służą obywatelom i powiedzieć NIE, gdy im szkodzą. I z tego obowiązku będę się skutecznie wywiązywał - @NawrockiKn o swoich decyzjach dotyczących kolejnych ustaw. https://t.co/RN7BLQjl3r pic.twitter.com/iUpZmj87nn

— Kancelaria Prezydenta RP (@prezydentpl) December 18, 2025