“If anyone wants to leave the Law and Justice (PiS) party, they should do it immediately and stop creating chaos,” Professor Przemysław Czarnek said, commenting on the debate surrounding the future of some Law and Justice (PiS) politicians. The party’s candidate for prime minister also stressed that he welcomed Mateusz Morawiecki’s declaration that he intends to remain in the party. “I demand unity across the entire Law and Justice movement,” he emphasized.
Thursday marks the final deadline for members of the Law and Justice (PiS) parliamentary club to submit declarations confirming that they do not belong to political associations. Failure to do so will result in expulsion from the party. Earlier today, former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, founder of the Rozwój Plus association and deputy leader of Law and Justice (PiS), issued a statement regarding the situation within the party.
In his statement, Morawiecki said that the party had entered a time of trial and that defending its values could not rely solely on strong declarations. He pointed to external threats and what he described as poor domestic policies. At the same time, he spoke of “a great opportunity for Poland” and “a Poland that is the wealthiest in its history.” Morawiecki also outlined the investments and reforms he believes are necessary for the country’s continued development.
“A mature political movement knows the difference between competition and civil war. We must know it as well. Law and Justice is not the property of any group or faction. It is the common home of millions of Poles who believed that Poland could be proud, strong, just and ambitious. We cannot become an isolated and inward-looking party. Let us be a broad movement focused on Polish affairs. Let us unite the right, the centre-right and the solidarity movement,” he said.
He concluded by declaring: “I am in Law and Justice. I want to remain part of this team and our patriotic camp. This is where I belong.”
Czarnek on Morawiecki’s Statement: “I’m Pleased”
During today’s press conference, Professor Przemysław Czarnek, Law and Justice (PiS)’s candidate for prime minister, was asked to comment on Morawiecki’s statement. He began by saying that he viewed “the internal disputes of the past two days with embarrassment,” adding that he wanted to once again appeal to all his friends from every current within Law and Justice (PiS).
He rejected the claim that Law and Justice (PiS) was a completely closed and ideologically uniform political movement.
“Law and Justice is made up of people who hold different views on various issues, but they are united by one common foundation – patriotism, democracy, the rule of law, economic development, human rights and, above all, freedom. If Law and Justice is to win the next election – and there is a tremendous opportunity to do so – it must remain a broad movement representing different currents of thought. That is obvious. We should seek to win back voters who left us, both on the right and on the left. There are many more former supporters on the right, but there are also some on the left. We can reach out to everyone, but from one boat – Law and Justice,” he said.
Czarnek added: “If anyone wants to leave Law and Justice, they should leave immediately and stop creating chaos, because this is embarrassing. It is harmful to the entire right. If someone wants to join us, they are welcome. But if someone wants to stay, then I expect at least a minimum level of loyalty to Law and Justice and that they stop creating confusion in the public sphere. It serves no one.”
“I Demand Unity”
Czarnek stressed that Poles expect political parties to present solutions to the country’s problems rather than engage in internal conflicts.
“That is why I actually welcomed this statement. I listened to it on my way here. There is one fundamental conclusion in it. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki – and I am very pleased about this – wants to remain in Law and Justice. I am genuinely happy about that because I spent part of June attending several meetings with him across the country, and I was proud to stand alongside the former Prime Minister of Poland and speak about what we achieved and what lies ahead. I would like to continue doing that. But this requires at least a minimum level of loyalty to Law and Justice. The issue is not whether a particular association exists. The issue is who belongs to it and whether it poses a threat to the party’s finances. That is the core of the problem identified by the Presidium of the Political Committee last Wednesday. The resolution was adopted unanimously, including by members associated with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. At the time, it seemed there was no problem at all,” he said.
In his view, “a completely unnecessary war has broken out. Let’s end it, my friends.”
He concluded: “One Law and Justice with different currents is what Poland and the Polish right need. I welcome the Prime Minister’s statement. I can imagine various compromises being reached in the coming hours and days. There are different ways of operating within Law and Justice. The matter is simple. The overwhelming majority of the parliamentary club has already submitted declarations confirming that they do not belong to any political association. Anyone can do the same. If someone chooses not to, they can still operate outside the Law and Justice parliamentary club, and other arrangements are also possible. Those are my own expectations. But I demand unity. Unity across the entire Law and Justice movement, because only by remaining united while accommodating different currents can we win this election. That is our duty for the future of the Polish people.”