“The President is always open to cooperation, especially on issues that matter most to Poland. Yet the task of introducing what some call the rule of law remains a battleground, a sphere in which the President defends the rule of law, the constitution, and compliance with the law,” stated Wojciech Kolarski, Secretary of State at the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland. Telewizja wPoland reported.
In the program Telewizja wPoland’s “In the Event Center,” editor Marcin Wikłło asked his guest, among other things, why it was decided that President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk would meet US leader Joe Biden together in Washington.
This approach is indeed unusual. It is rare to see the president and the prime minister of a country together in the White House. Yet it was the White House that proposed the arrangement, and the president accepted it.
– Wojciech Kolarski replied.
This moment also marks the 25th anniversary of Poland’s accession to NATO and serves as the reason for the visit, he recalled.
The visit by Polish officials, coming from two different political camps, signals to the United States, Poland’s most important ally, that the country speaks with one voice on matters of security.
– added the guest from Telewizja wPoland.
After 1989, an unwritten rule prevailed in free Poland: regardless of who ruled in Poland or in the United States, the Polish‑American alliance remained the most important for safeguarding Poland’s security and its relationship with the world’s largest economy.
– said Minister Wojciech Kolarski.
What does the cooperation between the president and the prime minister look like?
Will there be talks or consultations between President Duda and Prime Minister Tusk before they depart for the United States?
Kolarski noted that he had not discussed the matter with the President in recent days. Yet the President has demonstrated in recent days that on Poland’s most important issues, the doors of the palace remain open. It seems very likely that a working meeting will take place before the visit to America, given the breadth of topics at hand.
– emphasized the State Secretary in the KPRP.
Editor Marcin Wikłło also asked about the true picture of cooperation between the head of state and the head of government. The journalist pointed out that during the presidency of the late Lech Kaczyński, Andrzej Duda, then an aide to the president, noted that Prime Minister Donald Tusk made statements one way at the table with Lech Kaczyński, another to the cameras when leaving the palace, and yet another stance in Brussels.
These two months indicate that, on the one hand, the president remains open to cooperation on Poland’s most important issues. On the other hand, the challenges surrounding the so‑called rule of law are a battleground, a field where the president defends the rule of law, the constitution, and compliance with the law. He has also been clear at times that the rule of law should not be restored by force or coercion.
– Wojciech Kolarski stressed.
On one side, the president is committed to open collaboration in all matters and to working together on issues vital to the state. On the other side, his aim is to defend the gains of recent years and, importantly, to uphold the principle of legal compliance. The President’s stance includes a critical view of any approach that would undermine the rule of law or equate it with political expediency.
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Source: wPolityce