Poland’s leaders argued about what happened to the proceeds of privatization, noting that previous governments reportedly sold state assets for PLN 58 billion. In a Saturday Facebook broadcast, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki pressed lawmakers to account for that money, tying the issue to a broader push by the Law and Justice party for new referendum questions.
During the broadcast, Morawiecki referenced a Friday campaign by the Law and Justice party to introduce additional referendum topics. The first proposed question, as announced by party leader Jarosław Kaczyński, would ask voters:
Do you support the sale of state-owned enterprises?
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Sale of national assets
The Prime Minister noted that the question centers on the sale of Polish real estate. He reminded listeners that the late budget could reflect the PLN 58 billion figure and that the nation has a right to demand accountability for those funds.
He warned that opponents might resort to distractions while crucial assets such as Polskie Nagrania were sold abroad, listing iconic artists linked with the label and praising Polish creativity that, in his view, faced export out of the country.
Morawiecki added that Beata Szydło previously suggested a second referendum item, which would ask: “Are you in favor of raising the retirement age to 60 for women and 65 for men?”
He framed this as a choice over whether to return to a retirement framework different from the one pursued by his opponents, suggesting that the Civic Platform wanted to raise the age to 67. He asserted that the party of freedom supports the right to work longer if individuals choose to, while noting that his coalition fulfilled a pledge to restore retirement ages to 60 for women and 65 for men for those who prefer not to continue working.
Morawiecki emphasized this point, reiterating a recent remark that Tusk’s preferred retirement age was 67. He urged listeners to remember that figure as a sign of a broader plan to shift policy against the will of most Poles, claiming that Solidarity collected over three million signatures while being dismissed by the ruling coalition as a form of grievance.
He suggested that the broader opposition fears democracy, arguing that a referendum provides a direct channel for Poles to express their views on retirement age and the sale of national assets.
Third question
On Saturday evening, television coverage suggested that the Prime Minister would unveil the third referendum question from Pomerania the following day. As of 2017, the retirement age stood at 60 for women and 65 for men, and the changes before the Civil Platform and Law and Justice were enacted in 2016 to revert the prior reforms.
Rafał Bochenek, a spokesman for the party, told PAP that the referendum plan would include four questions, with more to be added in the days ahead. A two-day session of the Sejm was scheduled for mid-August with plans to consider a motion to authorize a nationwide referendum.
Earlier in the year, Deputy Prime Minister Kaczyński suggested bringing migration policy questions to a referendum in the European Union. Morawiecki confirmed intentions to hold a nationwide vote alongside autumn parliamentary elections, and the President announced an election date in October.
These developments reflect ongoing attempts to let the public weigh in on key policy questions through direct democracy, as politicians discuss how such referendums might shape the country’s direction.
Source material and reporting context are attributed to contemporary Polish news coverage and public briefings at the time.