At today’s Law and Justice conference, MP Przemysław Czarnek criticized the government’s handling of science and higher education. He warned that there is no money for investments, the autonomy of universities is being eroded, and institutions tied to science and higher education are being destroyed. Katarzyna Sójka and Czesław Hoc joined in voicing concerns about underfunding and chaos in the healthcare system.
October 15 marked the first anniversary of the elections, when a coalition of Civic Coalition, Third Way, and New Left assumed power. Since then PiS politicians have held daily press conferences to assess the administration and the delivery of election promises.
Chaos in education
The former head of the Ministry of Education and Science warned that there is no money for investments, university autonomy is being undermined, and institutions linked to science and higher education face destruction with no clear prospects for the development of this field.
The reality in science in Poland is difficult for anyone who believed in a bright future. The situation is defined by a lack of funds for investments and the erosion of university autonomy, with research institutions facing disruption and limited paths for growth.
– said by the former head of MEiN.
The PiS member highlighted that last autumn, while PiS was still in power, more than PLN 1 billion and PLN 300 million in government bonds were dedicated to dozens of Polish universities, including the Poznań University of Technology, the Wrocław University of Science and Technology, the Jagiellonian University, and the University of Warsaw.
He recalled that in December 2023 the first decision by Minister Wieczorek and Prime Minister Donald Tusk was to halt these investment funds for good.
– Czarnek noted.
Czarnek also reacted to the abolition of mandatory homework in primary schools. The reform went into force on April 1 this year. He argued that the change spoils Polish children and must be reversed immediately.
The education policy has not been shy of drastic reforms. Homework was abolished, and at October parent meetings across the country parents urged teachers not to follow the regulations associated with Ms. Nowacka and to assign homework again. The change, he argued, undermines Polish youth and must be reversed now.
– he said.
The year of the Civic Platform’s lies is nearly over. It is essential to prevent another year of actions that harm Polish education and science and threaten the development of these crucial areas of social and state life.
– he added.
Underfunded healthcare
The former Health Minister Katarzyna Sójka argued that 2024 is a very difficult year for patients because the National Health Fund appears to be on the brink of bankruptcy.
2024 is a very tough year for patients because the National Health Fund seems close to insolvency. Hospitals report lacking funds to cover routine operations and the fund often delays payments for over performance.
– said Katarzyna Sójka.
Another concern she raised was the collapse of the healthcare system, which has left 5 million patients waiting for regular referrals to clinics. She noted that announcements included the removal of restrictions on hospital treatment, the use of dental vouchers, and the presence of primary school dentists.
Under the Law and Justice governance, the health budget rose significantly. In 2015 the figure stood near 77 billion PLN, and by 2023 it had nearly tripled to over 190 billion PLN. The government claimed to have expanded services in outpatient clinics, extended availability of outpatient treatments, and broadened highly specialized diagnostics such as computed tomography and MRI.
– explained the former Minister of Health.
In the past year, nothing further has occurred according to Sójka, and the current Health Minister has not signed an agreement to provide 4 billion PLN for major oncology infrastructure projects. Contracts remained unsigned for a year, delaying large scale investments for oncology patients. She added that the challenges in using KPO funds in healthcare persisted and that many measures were blocked for years and months.
– she added.
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