“Tusk uses only the strongest claims in his campaign because he understands that if the election effort compared his governance to ours, the gap would be overwhelming and he would not have a chance,” stated MEP Patryk Jaki on a Polsat News program that introduced the campaign. “He aimed to stage a referendum on PiS to reduce the issue to PiS and to eight stars, and so on. Now a referendum on himself is likely, since the real questions concern their conduct.”
The guest on Polsat News program Graffiti was asked about the quality of the current election campaign in Poland and about Donald Tusk as well.
Tusk – when his rule is weighed against ours, he doesn’t stand a chance
Since Tusk returned to Poland, the debate has heated up. He relies on the strongest rhetoric because he knows that a direct comparison of his governance with ours would show a large gap and reduce his chances, according to Patrick Jaki.
When looking at economic growth, unemployment, taxes, the well being of Polish families, and spending on defense, there is no favorable comparison for him. The criticism then shifts to personal offense, the guest suggested.
All questions come down to conduct and governance
The discussion also touched on a referendum suggestion that Tusk argued would make sense if it targeted PiS. He wanted a PiS referendum, to force the debate to focus on that party, yet the current plan is to place the focus on the referendum about himself, a point raised by Jaki, who recalled actions during the PO-PSL government. Jaki summarized measures such as changes to retirement age and the sale of Polish assets, noting that more than a thousand enterprises were sold during that period.
Also noted was a remark that those who rejected the referendum were considered anti-democratic by some, and that the opposition faced a difficult stalemate. There were discussions about the first, second, and third referendum questions, with Prime Minister Morawiecki stating that retirement age had been lowered as a promise kept, and questions about immigration and border policy. Another question addressed the removal of the barrier at the border between Poland and Belarus, raising debates about security and sovereignty.
The overall tone of the broadcast reflected a heated political moment in Poland, with focus on leadership choices, policy outcomes, and how different administrations would be judged by the public. The conversation tracked through past actions and current proposals, highlighting the public stakes in governance and electoral strategy.