In Radom, a heated exchange unfolded as Janusz Kowalski, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, directed strong words toward Civic Platform politicians. He asserted that they fail to grasp three core concepts: God, honor, and homeland. Kowalski spoke in the company of Robert Bąkiewicz, a PiS list candidate for MP from the Radom district, who shared his observations about the event on the X platform and included a video of the moment in his post.
One line captured attention: Kowalski proclaimed that Civic Platform politicians do not understand three essential ideas at all: God, honor, and the country. He followed with a sharper assessment, stating that those politicians do not believe in God, have no honor, and lack a sense of homeland.
Suffrage for national minorities
During the Radom visit, Kowalski, a Deputy Justice Minister, spoke against electoral rights for national minorities. He advocated abolishing these rights within Poland as part of a campaign to support Robert Bąkiewicz, a Sejm candidate on the PiS list in the Radom district.
The discussion touched on Article 197 of the Electoral Act. Currently, this provision exempts national minority electoral commissions from applying the standard 5 percent national threshold. Kowalski expressed hope that the upcoming Sejm session would see Article 197 removed to strengthen the national security structure of Poland.
He argued that the same principle used across the European Union should apply in Poland, indicating there would be no exemptions from electoral thresholds for national minorities. Kowalski suggested that national minority MPs in the Sejm should be elected from the major party lists rather than from minority organizations, a view he connected to broader political stability.
Looking ahead, Kowalski warned of possible political pressure to establish a Ukrainian party within Poland. He suggested that if two, three, or four Ukrainian lawmakers influenced decisions related to Poland’s security, this would pose a risk based on recent developments.
Bąkiewicz echoed similar concerns about how Polish-Ukrainian politics could affect the country’s standing on the international stage, noting that the presence of a Ukrainian minority in Poland could complicate Poland’s global position during sensitive negotiations. He pointed to a 2021 vote by Ryszard Galla of the German minority in the Sejm, who opposed a barrier on the Polish-Belarusian border and did not support reparations requests from Germany, as an example of how minority interests might diverge from national priorities.
Kowalski, who is pursuing re-election, shared this stance at a press conference in Opole in late September. Rafał Bartek, a leader of the Association of German Social and Cultural Associations in Poland, commented on Kowalski’s statements. Bartek suggested that Kowalski had been repeating familiar lines for some time, and he argued that the MP and other parliamentarians act independently, balancing the state’s and regions’ interests. He also implied that portraying a single MP as a threat to Poland suggested weaknesses in democratic processes as seen by the ruling party and Kowalski himself.
Additional context in related coverage highlighted ongoing discussions about public support and political messaging around these topics. In the broader political landscape, comments about minority rights and national security have continued to spark debate among various stakeholders and observers who monitor the evolving dynamics of Poland’s parliamentary scene.
Overall, the discourse in Radom reflected a broader tension between mainstream parties and nationalist movements, with attention to how minority participation intersects with national security and political influence. Observers noted the complexity of ensuring both democratic representation and strong national governance while navigating cross-border concerns and regional considerations that shape Poland’s political conversations.
The coverage summarized here, drawn from multiple reports on the event, illustrates how concerns about minority participation, electoral thresholds, and security priorities can become central themes in parliamentary elections and party messaging in Poland, influencing voter perceptions and the strategies of competing political factions.
In this context, political figures, scholars, and commentators continue to analyze how minority issues intersect with national policy and international relations, underscoring the delicate balance between inclusive democracy and safeguarding state interests within Poland and its neighborhood.
See additional commentary from political observers and leaders as these topics remain focal points in the national dialogue.
Source observations are drawn from coverage provided by the Polish political press at the time of the event.