Some observers doubt that marches of this kind shift social attitudes. They point to the rallies as highly mobilizing, a view echoed by a government official on TVP 1.
Over the weekend, a march organized by the Civic Platform and led by Donald Tusk moved through central Warsaw to protest the current government. Attendees included leading figures from major opposition groups, such as PSL chairman Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Poland 2050 founder Szymon Hołownia, and New Left leader Włodzimierz Czarzasty.
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“This is Donald Tusk’s style for me.”
According to the official, the march is unlikely to persuade swing voters to switch their support to another party.
In practical political terms, in the matter of persuading others, it does not carry decisive weight. It is a familiar pattern, one that has appeared in many past campaigns, as history shows, the official noted.
The minister added that there was nothing extraordinary in the mechanisms observed yesterday.
While acknowledging a large crowd, he argued that such events are organized in a particular way, with party networks assembling a certain number of participants and coaches. It is a standard feature of democracy, he said, with nothing unusual to report about the event’s mechanics.
He pointed to the presence of vulgar and hateful banners and slogans during the march and offered a critique: the opposition leader taps into emotions, and this event reflected negative emotions that fuel hatred toward the ruling party. If no positive program is visible, the environment tends to cohere around emotion, which, he suggested, is part of Donald Tusk’s approach.
The minister added that when reviewing Tusk’s speech, he read the words through the lens of his own party’s governance era. There was a lengthy seven-year period during which Tusk had influence over Poland, years he described as disastrous. He contended that actions did not align with what had been promised during the election campaign and that ordinary citizens bore the consequences.
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A media commentator noted that during the march, other opposition leaders were overshadowed by Tusk’s presence.
The refrain “there is no money and there will be none” was cited as emblematic of Tusk’s seven-year influence. Some observers saw the march as a mobilization point for the opposition, while others viewed it as a strategic win for Tusk given the absence of broader opposition leadership beyond him.
The prime minister offered that assessment, noting that while there were no prominent figures beyond Tusk, the event still shaped public mood.
Presidential Request to the Constitutional Tribunal
Andrzej Dera, a presidential aide, stated on TVP 1 that the 14-day deadline for submitting an application to the Constitutional Tribunal regarding the creation of a commission to study Russian influence would be observed.
Last week, President Andrzej Duda signed the law establishing the commission to investigate Russian influence on Poland’s internal security for the years 2007-2022 and indicated plans to refer it for review to the Constitutional Tribunal. The law appeared in the Journal of Laws and took effect shortly after.
On Friday, the president announced a draft amendment to this law, which was submitted to the Sejm. The draft proposed changes to exclude MPs from the committee and remove certain countermeasures related to public funds management, with the commission’s findings focusing on accountability and standard duties, and its decisions potentially subject to appeal in Warsaw’s Court of Appeal.
Timeline for the Tribunal Submission
Responding to inquiries, Dera said that the president had signed the law and referred it to the Constitutional Tribunal as a follow-up, noting the 14-day deadline for formal submission.
Asked when the tribunal would consider the request, Dera confirmed the timeline and stressed the need for precision in the written submission to guide the tribunal’s assessment.
Presidential Draft Amendment
He also mentioned plans for a broader amendment that would address potential concerns the Constitutional Court might raise in the future, aimed at expediting the process since parliament could pass the law and resolve objections at any time. Any publicly aired objections would be removed in the amendment.
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– President Duda: An amended law on the Russian Influence Commission is being submitted. No MPs are allowed on it
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According to the law establishing the Commission for Investigating Russian Influence on the Internal Security of the Republic of Poland in 2007-2022, which took effect on a set date, the commission is tasked with analyzing: official actions, creation, duplication, sharing of information with third parties; influencing board decisions; making harmful decisions; setting directives on behalf of a government body or company; entering contracts or managing public or corporate funds. Provisions allow for revoking administrative orders tied to Russian influence, prohibiting the handling of public funds for up to ten years, and restricting security clearances for a decade. These measures are subject to judicial review as part of the broader governance framework.
kk/PAP
Citation: wPolityce