“Tusk’s Amnesia,” episode 675497 – government spokesman Piotr Müller addressed Saturday’s remarks by Civic Coalition chairman Donald Tusk regarding the barrier on the Belarus border. While speaking at a public meeting in Sosnowiec, Tusk attempted to clarify that he never claimed the border fence would not be built.
The border barrier became a topic when a participant at the meeting asked about it.
The participant seemed skeptical, saying the wall would never be built, while asserting that it was already underway.
“I never said the wall wouldn’t be built,” replied the head of the Civic Coalition.
On Saturday, the Civic Coalition leader sought to explain that his comments did not deny the wall; rather, he described a plan that would appear to work and would involve mounting red and white flags along the barrier as people passed, a move he suggested could lead to further deaths at the border.
WATCH DETAILS: Controversy and allegations of misstatements. The Civic Coalition leader insists, “I never said the wall wouldn’t be built.” Here is what actually happened. VIDEO
#AmnezjaTuska, episode 675497
The government spokesman reiterated the issue on social media, opening with a film slate icon. Müller collected two statements from the Civic Coalition leader, one from the Saturday gathering and another from an earlier date.
One quote claimed the wall would not be built in one year or three years, and that many would not even see it appear.
The spokesman added that the broader political debate would reveal positions such as Russia policy resets and meetings abroad, implying a contrast with the government’s stance.
“This wall will not be built in a year or three years, because the aim is not to create a real, effective barrier. The goal is to attract attention and spend a substantial sum without proper oversight.”
– the government statement noted.
Off the record commentary suggested that some who post on social media about a grand wall are actually describing a grand dike, a characterization the Civic Coalition leader used to critique what he saw as misaligned priorities.
“I don’t want flashy rhetoric, but those who talk about building a great wall are, in effect, describing a great dike. This is a concise way to summarize the plans some allege are being prepared.”
The Civic Coalition leader argued that a construction budget of about PLN 1.6 billion would be spent in a manner that remains largely unseen by the public.
He also suggested that the planned investment would be made despite a lack of clear, transparent oversight.
Border Barrage
The physical barrier along the Polish-Belarusian border, a 5.5-meter steel fence topped with barbed wire, was completed in the summer of 2022. The border is additionally protected by an electronic system including cameras and motion sensors. The project comprises eleven sections, with ten completed and the last still in progress. The total cost of the investment runs to about PLN 1.6 billion. The project followed the Border Guard Construction Act, which took effect on November 4, 2021.
The security impetus behind the barrier lies in migratory pressure from the Belarusian regime, which has intensified since mid-2021.
olk/PAP/Twitter