A short video clip circulated on social media, recalling prior pledges made by Donald Tusk and Szymon Hołownia ahead of parliamentary elections. The clip, titled “Attention! Here comes #TuskoDrożyzna,” closes with a graphic reminding viewers that from April 1 of this year a 5% VAT on food would be reinstated.
Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Finance stated that the zero VAT rate on certain food products would not be extended beyond March 31, 2024. Law and Justice used that announcement to mock what they depicted as broken promises.
READ MORE: Will Tusk’s government abandon hot-water policies? Ministry of Finance: Zero VAT on food will not be extended after March 31 this year.
The clip also echoed remarks once made by MEP Beata Szydło in her speech.
Many Poles had hoped to follow a third political path—one that might be more enjoyable, perhaps less discomforting, and less entangled with politics. They pursued this third option, walking forward with the belief that the journey would reveal a brighter end. Yet the narrative they encountered culminated in Tusk, as Szydło later recalled.
– quotes Szydło in recounting the moment.
Subsequently, a campaign statement attributed to Donald Tusk was highlighted: “Nothing is given that cannot be taken away. And this is not an electoral offer on my part.”
– what the current Prime Minister is alleged to have said at that time.
The narrative then turns to Szymon Hołownia, who questioned the feasibility of the promises being floated by opponents. He framed the promises as political theater and proposed a different vision, arguing for a straightforward tax approach and a simplified fiscal regime during the early days of a democratic government. He asserted a desire to implement a simple tax system and to freeze personal and corporate income taxes as a reform principle during the first term.
– remarks attributed to the current Sejm chairman as part of the broader critique of campaign rhetoric.
The video closes with Tusk’s line that “there’s no point in talking; one must focus on taking action,” paired with the reminder that a 5% VAT rate on food would come into effect on April 1, 2024.
READ MORE: Szydło indicates the PiS club will draft a project to restore the VAT zero rate. Critics argue that Tusk’s team may steer Polish policy toward broader social impacts.
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Source: wPolityce