“Since 2005, Poland has largely been either ‘Kaczyński’s Poland’ or ‘Tusk’s Poland,’ but those are two completely different worlds. To say ‘PiS, PO – one evil’ is a complete misunderstanding. It is an outright falsehood and manipulation. […] Let me put it simply – Jarosław Kaczyński is the sigma of Polish politics,” said former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki during the “Beer with Mentzen” event.
On Thursday in Warsaw, an open meeting was held between Sławomir Mentzen and Mateusz Morawiecki. The leader of Confederation has been organizing meetings with top politicians as part of his “Beer with Mentzen” series. The host opened with mockery and a confrontational tone.
“Thank you for coming, for your courage. I know it’s not so easy in your party to go out for a beer without the president’s permission. I sincerely thank you,” Mentzen jabbed immediately.
“Welcoming everyone here, I must begin with something difficult. After what you did, sir, I really shouldn’t even be here. You attacked President Jarosław Kaczyński in a completely unacceptable way. Frankly, you should apologize, but I know you won’t,” Morawiecki shot back, recalling Mentzen’s earlier attack on Kaczyński, whom he had called a “political gangster.”
Morawiecki stressed that “there is a fundamental difference between Jarosław Kaczyński and Donald Tusk.”
“Since 2005, Poland has largely been either ‘Kaczyński’s Poland’ or ‘Tusk’s Poland,’ but those are two completely different worlds. To say ‘PiS, PO – one evil’ is a complete misunderstanding. It is an outright falsehood and manipulation,” he told the audience.
“In this situation, I want to start from here. Not only do I have enormous respect for the president, but he is a man who, for decades, always with Poland in his heart, fought to maintain sovereignty and to ensure the fastest possible development of Poland. Let me put it simply – Jarosław Kaczyński is the sigma of Polish politics,” he continued.
Responding to the accusation that dozens of new taxes were introduced under the United Right governments, the PiS vice-president explained:
“The annual cost of all the taxes we cut is 93 billion złoty. That’s PIT reduced from 18 percent to 12 percent, the tax-free allowance raised to 30,000 złoty, and deductible expenses increased from 1,335 to 3,000 złoty. The annual cost of those increased levies is about 33 billion złoty.”
“If for any of you 33 is more than 93, then – excuse the math –” he told the gathered crowd.
“For years I taxed multinational corporations that were fleeing with cash. Now that money is working for you,” he argued.
When Mentzen pointed out that Rafał Brzoska warns about the relatively small taxes paid in Poland by international corporations, Morawiecki replied:
“When we began governing in 2015, tax revenues from multinational companies to the budget stood at 33 billion złoty. When we finished […] it was 92 billion złoty. Nearly a threefold increase.”
“In the years 2007–2015, tax havens were allowed to plunder the budget to the point where a billion złoty disappeared over eight years. Revenues and profits grew by about 50 percent during that time – so CIT should have grown accordingly, from 34 billion złoty to about 50 billion złoty. Instead, it didn’t grow at all; it fell to 33 billion złoty,” Morawiecki said.