It had been a long-standing tradition and standard practice that the “godmother” of new aircraft would be the First Lady, the spouse of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. In the case of the F-16 fighters, this role was held by the late Maria Kaczyńska, and in the case of the Bielik aircraft – Agata Kornhauser-Duda. “The height of hypocrisy is that Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz broke this tradition and decided that the godmother of the F-35 would be his wife”, Mateusz Kurzejewski, former director of the Operational Centre of the Ministry of National Defence, told Niezalezna.
The presence of F-35 aircraft in the Polish Armed Forces is the result of an agreement signed in 2020.
At the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask, ceremonies are underway marking the official introduction of F-35 fighter jets into the equipment of the Polish Armed Forces. The event is attended by President Karol Nawrocki, government representatives, military commanders, and invited guests. Former Minister of National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak is also present, invited by President Nawrocki. It was Minister Błaszczak who, at the end of January 2020, signed on behalf of Poland the contract for the purchase of 32 of the most advanced fighter jets in the world.
Earlier, around 9:45 a.m., three fighter jets appeared over Gdańsk, flying over the area of Westerplatte. They then headed toward Warsaw, where around 10:10 a.m. they could be seen over the Vistula River near the Warsaw Citadel. The final stage of the route was Kraków – around 10:35 a.m. the aircraft flew near Wawel Hill.
Before the ceremony began, TV Republika established that the “godmother” of the Polish F-35 “Husarz” fighters would be Paulina Kosiniak-Kamysz, the wife of Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. The decision regarding the selection of the “godmother” of the Polish F-35s is made by the Ministry of National Defence after consultations with representatives of the military.
Scandal and the height of hypocrisy
The matter has outraged public opinion, including representatives of the opposition. In an interview with Niezalezna.pl, Mateusz Kurzejewski, former director of the Operational Centre of the Ministry of National Defence and current spokesperson for the campaign of Professor Przemysław Czarnek, recalls that with this decision, the head of the Ministry is breaking with a long-standing tradition.
“It had been a tradition and standard that the godmother of new aircraft would be the First Lady, the spouse of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. In the case of the F-16 fighters, this role was held by the late Maria Kaczyńska, and in the case of the Bielik aircraft – Agata Kornhauser-Duda. The height of hypocrisy is that Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz broke this tradition and decided that the godmother of the F-35 would be his wife”, he emphasized.
“When he was in opposition, Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz fought against the F-35. He wanted to cancel the contract, claiming it was megalomania and a propaganda purchase”, Kurzejewski recalls.
“Today, he takes credit for the success of the Law and Justice (PiS) government and Prime Minister Mariusz Błaszczak, and he should apologize for what he said. If he had been Minister of National Defence, there simply would be no F-35s”, he argues.
“It is at the very least awkward that the wife of the Minister of National Defence – the same one who, while in opposition, did not identify with the rationale for purchasing F-35 fighters – is today becoming their symbolic godmother”, said Wojciech Skurkiewicz, a senator of Law and Justice (PiS) and former Deputy Minister of National Defence.
“As Minister of National Defence, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz is in many respects not credible. He is someone who has repeatedly failed to tell the truth. This was already the case when, as leader of the then opposition Polish People’s Party (PSL), he questioned the sense of establishing the Territorial Defence Forces. Later, he criticized further arms purchases, including those most crucial from the point of view of the security of Poland and Poles, including the aforementioned F-35s”, he added.
“Today, as head of the Ministry, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz completely forgets his own words from a few years ago. We, however, remember and remind, because it is difficult to believe that views can change so radically – unless one is a political sycophant who will say anything to please their electorate and their leader. In these circumstances, the decision to grant the symbolic role of godmother of the F-35 fighters to Kosiniak-Kamysz’s wife is simply embarrassing”, he concluded.
“Regardless of which political camp the President of Poland comes from, this symbolic function should always be performed by the First Lady of the Republic of Poland”, he concluded.