“There is a chance – in my conviction – that the ruling coalition could collapse this autumn,” said former Minister of Education and Science Prof. Przemysław Czarnek at the IX Congress of Gazeta Polska Clubs of Western Europe. The PiS politician was the first guest of the event, during which, among other things, the long-standing work of the coordinator of Gazeta Polska Clubs of Western Europe, Andrzej Woda, was honored.
On Friday, after 3:00 p.m., the IX Congress of Gazeta Polska Clubs of Western Europe began. At the start, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Gazeta Polska Clubs, coordinator Andrzej Woda was presented with a diploma of recognition “in gratitude for many years of cooperation, dedicated leadership, commitment, and devotion in building civil society within the activities of Gazeta Polska Clubs.”
At the opening of the event, the president of TV Republika and editor-in-chief of Gazeta Polska, Tomasz Sakiewicz, spoke, emphasizing that despite an initially bleak situation, the patriotic initiative of Gazeta Polska Clubs is reviving. “We went through several crises that could have destroyed the Clubs, especially in the USA and Europe. The first was, of course, COVID, which prevented us from meeting and was very dangerous. The second process stems from a good thing – namely, that Poles are returning to Poland, especially the ‘Solidarity’ generation, but this drains our most active Clubs and we must find successors. I thought it would be difficult, but I see that the Clubs are reviving again where they had disappeared,” he said.
“Closer than further” (“Bliżej niż dalej”)
The first guest of Friday’s congress was Prof. Przemysław Czarnek. At the beginning, he was asked about earlier announcements regarding the formation of a new government after victorious presidential elections. The former head of MEiN referred to recent votes in the Sejm, during which a split occurred within the ruling coalition. As a result, the presidential project concerning CPK and the civic project restoring two hours of religion in schools were not rejected in the first reading.
“These votes showed that it is closer than further – in my conviction – to changing this government. Just a moment ago, I saw Tusk leaving the Sejm and complaining terribly about Hołownia. And he was complaining about Hołownia because Hołownia and his people voted together with us […] This provoked aggression in Tusk. He was watching who voted for this CPK, that is, the restoration of our project with all those spokes, and the rejection of the low-quality proposal from Lasek and Tusk,” he said, adding that “things are happening that have never happened before – the coalition is starting to lose, and in key matters.”
In his opinion, referring also to quarrels that took place at the last Sejm session, “there is incredible tension” among the ruling politicians. “There is a chance – in my conviction – it is not a high probability, but this could still collapse this autumn,” he said. “We must be ready at any moment to take up this coalition with those who want to form a coalition with us,” he added, speaking about a meeting with the PiS president and other party politicians at that time.
Contribution of GP Clubs and TV Republika
Czarnek also thanked Gazeta Polska Clubs and TV Republika for their involvement in Polish affairs. “We are in a situation we could not even have imagined. When MP Wąsik and Kamiński were arrested, when nothing was taken into account, when TVP Info was being shut down, when regional television stations were being closed, well, maybe some of us had hidden dreams that we would even have in Poland a Free Speech Zone with TV Republika as the largest television in Poland, and certainly the largest news television, and that thanks to TV Republika’s influence we would have the possibility of winning presidential elections – we would not have won these presidential elections without TV Republika – and that we would have expectations, even now, less than two years after they took power, that all this could collapse…” he enumerated, emphasizing:
“Well, this is all a miracle we have observed over two years. A miracle of the hard work of Tomasz Sakiewicz, his collaborators, and a miracle of all Gazeta Polska Clubs.”
He noted that thanks to their activities, Polish right-wing politicians are achieving better results abroad. “We are moving in the right direction. That is why I assert that if we return to power – and this is possible soon, although I repeat […] it is probable, but not very probable, because the greatest probability is still that we will last until 2027 – anyway, we must, having learned from all this, know where the source of free speech is, and it is in TV Republika,” he concluded.