To them, deception is as natural as breath. They lie without hesitation, simply to seize power and then cast votes on the migration pact. There is little doubt that they will back him in the European Parliament, as implied by Maciej Wasik, a State Secretary in the Ministry of the Interior and Administration, in an interview with the wPolityce.pl portal referencing the Civic Platform’s claim to halt what they call the PiS smuggling mafia.
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wPolityce.pl reports that today the Civic Platform released a new advertisement criticizing the current government, alleging that the border dam near Belarus is leaking, that the structure could be damaged with a common saw blade, and that the bars are hollow inside. It also cites an alleged internal Border Guard report claiming about PLN 30,000 in migrants crossing illegally. How should these kinds of claims be evaluated?
Maciej Wasik answered: there is no Border Patrol report indicating 30,000 border crossings. He did acknowledge a Border Patrol record showing fewer than 22,000 crossing attempts from January 1 to September 2023. A small percentage of those attempts might have succeeded, which would make the Civic Platform’s figures inaccurate. He noted that the data purportedly held by Gazeta Wyborcza, which was referenced at a recent conference with Minister Mariusz Kamiński, is not true.
As the campaign winds down, the Civic Platform seeks to hit the Government of Law and Justice at its core — specifically its stance against EU migration policy, opposition to forced relocation, and resolute defense of Poland’s borders.
And how did the opposition respond? They attacked those who defended Poland’s borders. Polish memory recalls MPs Sterczewski, Szczerba, and Joński visiting the border to support migrants pushed into Poland by Lukashenko. There were also reports of TVN correspondents criticizing border defenders. For the opposition, it appears to be acceptable to rely on misinformation or selective truths.
What becomes interesting is the surrounding chatter about the alleged Border Guard report. Both the PO and Gazeta Wyborcza have attempted to cultivate a climate of secrecy and non-disclosure, while the Border Guard has not hidden the existence of the border barrier from the start. They continue to report attempts to cross the border illegally and provide near-daily updates on the number of attempts, the nationalities involved, and the measures taken against them.
Moreover, those attempts can be counted with precision, and by the end of September this year the total remains below 22,000.
For them, lying is indeed the same as spitting. They lie without blinking, simply to gain power and then vote on the migration pact. There is no doubt they will support him in the European Parliament.
Jabłoński argues that Tusk should not return to power because that could bring a migration pact and a mass relocation of migrants from Southern Europe to Poland. The question remains: how many migrants will arrive, and will the European Commission determine the number? Several hundred thousand people are said to be waiting to come to a member country, and Poland refuses to accept relocation while Law and Justice governs.
Regarding migration, Deputy Foreign Minister Paweł Jabłoński offered a notable comparison: during 2010-2015, more than a million visas were issued to Russians in Poland. How does this relate to the opposition’s narrative about a PiS smuggling network?
It is explained that some Russians seek asylum from Putin, and Polish services carefully assess each Russian visa applicant to grant visas only to those genuinely fleeing the regime. These numbers are described as vastly smaller than the scale during the previous administration when the border policy was different. In addition, traffic at the small border crossing near Königsberg has been closed, ending visa-free travel through that area that was previously arranged by Sikorski and Lavrov.
Is security a safe topic for the opposition to attack the PiS government?
They regard it as a favorable topic, while Warsaw argues that safety matters deeply. The intent is to undermine the government’s credibility with questionable products. Yet Poles can see that the armed forces are growing, border defenses are strengthened, illegal migration is deterred, and Poland remains a safe country, as reflected in public opinion polls. That remains the essential point for the government.
Thank you for the interview.
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