Today’s program “Breakfast in Three” featured a heated exchange sparked by sharp comments from the president of the Left club about minister Mariusz Błaszczak. “He spat on the Polish uniform, tfu on such ministers” was the remark heard on Trójka, followed by a warning to await an apology by Monday. If no apology comes, a motion to confront the issue with the Ethics Committee of Deputies will be filed, as stated by Janusz Kowalski, the deputy minister of agriculture who appeared on the same program. In an interview with the portal wPolityce.pl, the left-wing commentator Krzysztof Gawkowski made clear that he does not intend to withdraw his statements.
Janusz Kowalski pressed Gawkowski during the broadcast to apologize, but the left-wing figure stood firm, insisting there would be no apology.
Krzysztof Gawkowski has crossed public-discourse boundaries and, in the view of Kowalski, also breached basic standards of civility. Spitting inside the studio at Secretary of State Mariusz Błaszczak, or at any person, is unacceptable and unacceptable in any political setting.
– Kowalski expressed in an interview with wPolityce.pl.
He added that he hopes Gawkowski will rethink his stance and engage in respectful political dialogue. Disagreement is legitimate, but the Polish uniform, the Polish soldier, and the minister responsible for building a capable national defense deserve basic respect.
Kowalski also noted that Gawkowski’s conduct reminded him of Donald Tusk in style. The language used, and the tone, were described as hateful and derisive by the deputy minister.
– Kowalski emphasized that there is no precedent among United Right members for treating an opponent with such hostility, asserting that the behavior crosses a line.
The deputy minister then recalled his private approach to Gawkowski after the show. He told him to reconsider his behavior, noting that public debate should maintain a certain level of dignity and should never descend to insults or personal attacks. This standard, Kowalski argued, has been a hallmark of constructive political discourse.
Gawkowski: “There will certainly be no apology”
What is Gawkowski’s response to this ultimatum from Sovereign Poland? The head of the left parliamentary club, in a conversation with the wPolityce.pl portal, maintains a steadfastly critical view of Minister Mariusz Błaszczak in relation to the discovery of a Russian missile remains near Bydgoszcz and reiterates that he will not apologize.
What is the point of apologizing for truth as he sees it? He argued that if the Defense Minister misplaces responsibility on commanders or fails to acknowledge what happened, he should resign. If not, he believes it would be an insult to the Polish soldier, and his stance would remain unchanged.
When asked whether the remark about Błaszczak was a symbolic spit on the minister, Gawkowski responded that it was not a literal spit, but an expression of disapproval of the minister’s conduct toward the Polish uniform.
Thus, Monday could bring a formal complaint to the Ethics Committee over the statement concerning the head of the Ministry of National Defense.
[Citation: wPolityce]