Following statements from French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, a plan will be submitted on Monday to convene an extraordinary session of the Sejm. The goal is for Prime Minister Donald Tusk to present information about this issue and the circumstances under which his government agreed to the migration pact, as stated by PiS President Jarosław Kaczyński to PAP.
The focal point is Attal’s remarks about migration during a televised debate with Jordan Bardella, the leader of the far-right National Rally. This dispute has drawn attention to how the pact is viewed across different EU member states and what it could mean for border policies and solidarity obligations across Europe.
READ ALSO: French Prime Minister on the migration pact: we pressed Eastern European countries to sign it. They will be the first to be affected.
Tusk’s lie
In a statement to PAP, Kaczyński, the head of PiS, asserted that Prime Minister Donald Tusk has consistently claimed Poland will not accept migrants under the EU migration pact. The accusation implies a disconnect between words spoken in Poland and actions taken at the EU level.
“Everything points to Tusk once again saying one thing domestically and doing something else in Brussels,” Kaczyński observed, underscoring a pattern that critics say has characterized the current government’s approach to EU agreements.
He added that “Tusk’s alleged inconsistency was highlighted by French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who, in one of the televised debates, stated that the migration pact would not apply to French cities but to Eastern European countries, and that those countries would be among the first to bear the consequences.” This remark is framed by Kaczyński as evidence of political pressure and misalignment between national statements and EU-wide commitments.
Kaczyński further noted that “it is troubling that the agreement to the migration pact was probably pushed forward, in part by the French prime minister’s proposals, with the Polish government among those pressing for steps.”
Consequently, on Monday a formal request will be made to convene an extraordinary session of the Sejm. The aim is to lay out comprehensive information about the matter, including the circumstances in which Poland agreed to the migration pact and to the relocation of migrants who are not in compliance with EU rules, as explained by PiS leaders.
– Kaczyński announced in a direct briefing.
Last week, Finance Minister Andrzej Domański told reporters before the EU Council vote that the Polish government would vote against all elements of the pact.
The government’s stance remains firm. It opposes the elements of the migration pact as negotiated by the PiS government. Officials argue that the unique pressures faced by neighboring countries, such as Belarus, and those experiencing hybrid threats, are not adequately reflected in the proposal. They maintain that the pact’s provisions do not sufficiently balance responsibility with solidarity. Critics say the process has left fundamental questions unresolved and the compromise reached during negotiations does not meet national interests.
“We vote against all elements of the migration pact,” a government spokesperson emphasized, reiterating a firm position against the package as it stands.
What does the migration pact mean in practice?
The European Commission first proposed the reform in 2016, but several member states resisted the plan due to the envisaged relocation requirements for migrants. The European Parliament gave its assent to the revised framework after the EU Council reached a preliminary agreement in December 2023, with the Commission presenting the updated text in 2021.
The most controversial component was the voluntary solidarity mechanism, which envisages deploying at least 30,000 people per year across the Union. States can alternatively contribute financially, paying 20,000 euros for each individual not admitted to or participating in operations at the Union’s external borders.
As of now, the migration pact still requires the consent of the EU Council, where member states are represented. Polish authorities have signaled their opposition, arguing that the internal work on the regulations concluded after the swearing-in of the current government and that the resulting framework did not adequately reflect national concerns. The interior ministry has stated that the package remains insufficient and fails to address the delicate balance between responsibility and solidarity. The government believes the package misses the mark on real-world implications for border regions and neighboring states facing multifaceted security challenges.
gah/PAP
Source: wPolityce