There will be no liquidation of social programs, but upcoming proposals are planned to benefit citizens in daily life, stated Elżbieta Witek, Marshal of the Sejm, during a Saturday meeting with residents of Czeladź in the Śląskie Voivodeship.
Witek: “We have new ideas”
The Marshal noted that there is a lot of work ahead and that fresh ideas will be announced soon, in addition to what has already been accomplished and what is planned to follow.
She spoke during her visit to Zagłębie Dąbrowskie, invited by PiS MP Waldemar Andzel.
According to Witek, the forthcoming parliamentary elections will be a moment when all adult citizens of Poland become the nation’s largest recruitment pool, selecting those who will receive a trust mandate for the next four years. She urged voters not to diminish the gains achieved over the past eight years.
Speaking directly to citizens, Witek emphasized that face-to-face meetings remain the most effective way to present government achievements to date and to listen to the public’s voice.
This approach teaches humility and helps shape the way forward
explained the Sejm chair during the event.
PO – a party without a solid program
Witek argued that the Civic Platform lacks firm proposals. Under her view, retirement age increases, tax hikes, and the dismantling of the OFE system all occurred during their governance. She characterized those outcomes as untrustworthy.
“They turned out to be unbelievable”
the Marshal remarked, recalling the 2015 elections when citizens decided they had heard enough of lies and empty promises.
In politics, being honest and keeping one’s word matters; Law and Justice has proven credible, she said. Witek pointed out that the election program was designed for citizens and should be developed together with them.
Pillars of the PiS program
Witek highlighted family and security as the program’s main pillars.
If safety isn’t assured, development cannot follow, she noted, referencing current threats including the war in Ukraine and the earlier hybrid attack at the Polish-Belarusian border.
Marshal of the Sejm: “We kept our word”
During the Saturday meeting, Witek listed major social initiatives implemented by the government over the last two terms, such as lowering the retirement age, raising the minimum wage and introducing an hourly wage, lowering taxes, providing free medicines for seniors and young people, expanding the Family 500+ program with the benefit increasing to 800 PLN from January, and the 13th and 14th pensions, along with youth and senior programs.
“We have kept our word and have not removed any social programs for families,” she stated. “If the choice now is wrong, those programs could disappear, and I have no doubt about that.”
The Marshal cautioned against disinformation and propaganda that seek to pit competitors against one another with cruel tactics. She urged voters to assess whether their lives have improved over the past eight years and to think for themselves.
“You have to listen, observe, and use your own mind,”
she advised.
Witek stressed that the past four years have been “extremely challenging” and that no political group has faced such harsh conditions. She described the period as the sternest test of the nation’s resilience, admitting mistakes were possible but asserting that the government navigated the crisis effectively. Inflation was noted as moving toward single digits again.
The Marshal underscored the importance of strengthening Poland’s security. She stated that the country now possesses a modern army of about 175,000 personnel, with a long-term aim to expand to 300,000 soldiers. “The goal is to be the strongest land force in Europe,” she remarked.