Republika TV has issued an appeal for public backing to continue its mission of delivering independent journalism. In light of the challenges facing free media, the station emphasized the need for viewer and reader support to remain a strong voice in reporting the truth.
The appeal underscores the station’s commitment to providing truthful coverage, particularly in politically turbulent times, and calls on viewers to stand by Republika TV to ensure the survival of free media.
TV Republika, a prominent Polish television network, has recently inked a collaboration deal with Associated Press (AP), one of the most influential news agencies globally.
According to the press department of Telewizja Republika, under this agreement, the network will have access to AP’s resources while also providing the agency with materials produced by the station.
Associated Press stands as a leading press agency worldwide, supplying approximately 6,000 radio and television stations, 1,700 newspapers within the United States, and over 8,500 media entities across other nations.
Telewizja Republika has been experiencing a steady surge in viewership since mid-December. Presently, among the news stations in Poland, it holds the second position in terms of popularity, with its individual programs garnering more viewership than the recent hegemon, TVN24.
The Polish government is considering mandatory military exercises due to challenges in recruiting new soldiers, former Minister of National Defense Mariusz Błaszczak stated recently on social media platform X. According to Błaszczak, this proposal is destined to fail, echoing his skepticism toward Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s administration.
On Friday, addressing the parliament regarding international security and the situation in Ukraine, Prime Minister Tusk highlighted the scale of current conflicts, noting Ukraine’s forces number around 800,000 soldiers, while Russia has approximately 1.3 million. Emphasizing Poland’s need for a robust defense, Tusk proposed expanding the Polish army, including reservists, to about half a million individuals.
“Preparations are underway for large-scale military training involving every adult male in Poland,” Tusk announced.
However, Błaszczak expressed doubts about the government’s ability to implement such ambitious plans, accusing the administration of being “completely lost.” He pointed out conflicting statements between Tusk, who referenced the compulsory Swiss model, and Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, who suggested participation would remain voluntary.
“You know how this will likely end? As usual with Tusk—only with promises,” Błaszczak argued, claiming the government scheduled the plan’s completion by year-end purposely, expecting the issue to fade from public attention.
Błaszczak reiterated that mandatory conscription should be a last resort, criticizing the current administration for its inability to effectively recruit and manage volunteers.
Member of Parliament Mariusz Gosek (PiS) was denied entry to a detention facility housing fellow MP Dariusz Matecki, who was recently arrested on the orders of Judge Joanna Włoch upon a request from prosecutor Adam Bodnar. Gosek, attempting to verify the conditions of Matecki’s detention, expressed significant frustration over being turned away.
“I cited previous cases involving officials and Father Olszewski, referencing the Ombudsman’s report, aiming to ascertain the detention conditions for Mr. Matecki,” Gosek stated shortly after being denied access. “I was also authorized by his representative to communicate details about his health, specifically concerning medication needs.”
Gosek highlighted his past ability to gain access after following standard procedures but noted the unusual nature of this refusal. “From a human perspective, it’s difficult to comment on this situation,” he remarked.
Instead of direct information, Gosek was instructed to consult the facility’s press spokesperson, who, according to Gosek, typically does not provide information of such nature. However, there may be hope for clarity soon. “The facility director invited me to return tomorrow, promising a meeting,” Gosek added.
Further details about Matecki’s conditions may become available after tomorrow’s scheduled discussion.
This was predictable. The rising popularity of Polish meat products has immediately attracted fraudsters. However, the scale and methods of their operations are staggering. Although inspectors are doing their best, they currently seem powerless.
Recent weeks have brought alarming reports about scandalous practices in Poland’s meat industry. The Agricultural and Food Quality Inspection (IJHARS) revealed that meat imported from Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands is frequently sold as Polish in many stores, misleading consumers.
Falsifying Meat Origin
Last month alone, inspectors checked over one hundred large retail stores across the country, focusing on verifying the declared origin of pork. Irregularities were found in 20% of locations inspected. Of the 165 batches of meat totaling over 2.2 tons, five labeled as Polish were in fact from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands.
Fraudsters exploit a loophole in Polish regulations. Current laws allow imported meat to be sold as a domestic product after processing in Poland. The Polish Union of Independent Pork Producers is calling for changes to these regulations. The arguments are clear: such practices deceive customers and harm Polish producers.
“Sick” Meat Near Poland’s Border
Another serious threat is the risk of meat contaminated with foot-and-mouth disease entering Poland, for example from Germany. This highly contagious animal virus was detected by German veterinary authorities in January this year, marking the first outbreak in Germany in almost 40 years, alarmingly close—just 70 kilometers from the Polish border.
It’s important to note that incorrect food labeling constitutes food adulteration and carries financial penalties ranging from PLN 1,000 to up to 10% of annual revenue. Inspections have initiated administrative proceedings against violators to curb dishonest practices in the meat market. However, the question remains whether these penalties are sufficient.
How to Verify Quality Meat?
To avoid falling victim to fraud, consumers should pay attention to meat origin information and national flags on product labels. If in doubt, it’s advisable to ask sellers about product sources, enabling informed decisions and supporting honest producers.
Fraudulent practices regarding meat origins undermine consumer trust and damage Polish producers. Strengthening inspections and introducing clearer regulations to ensure market transparency is therefore critically important.
In an interview with europeanconservative.com, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, a former MEP from the Law and Justice Party (PiS), emphasized that the European Union is, in effect, transforming into a “superstate,” and Poland’s presidency of the EU Council may only accelerate this process.
Over a year ago, the European Parliament approved a report endorsing changes to the EU treaties. These changes include, among other things, the abolition of the veto power and the expansion of the EU’s competencies. However, this issue has not been raised again for some time. Does this mean that the European mainstream has abandoned its goal of creating a superstate?
“Of course not. The topic was buried before the European elections to avoid upsetting the voters, even though it would have been the perfect time to ask citizens for approval for this kind of action. The planning is already underway,”
claims Jacek Saryusz-Wolski.
When will the issue resurface? The PiS politician points out: “Everything will depend on the attitude of the big players. As recently as two-and-a-half years ago, 13 EU governments stated that they did not want to change the treaties. Since then, that number has dwindled and I think only Hungary continues to take the same unambiguous position.”
“The massive transfer of Member States’ competencies to the EU level transforms the Union into a de facto state,” Saryusz-Wolski asserted, listing several elements of this transformation: joint debt issuance, monetary control, budgetary reforms, and the gradual assumption of new competencies.
According to Saryusz-Wolski, Poland’s EU presidency priorities are laughable, consisting of vague slogans without clear ideas on how to respond to present challenges. In EU politics, it is common practice for each presidency to promote its national interests. However, under Donald Tusk’s leadership, Poland will be implementing Berlin and Brussels’ ideas.
It appears that Tusk’s primary goal is to create a favourable propaganda effect for domestic political purposes. This, however, leads to a contradiction: as part of the plans agreed upon by the next three rotating EU presidencies—Poland, Denmark, and Cyprus—the Tusk government has adopted a document calling for the rapid implementation of the Migration Pact and the Green Deal. At the same time, for domestic audiences, the same government conveys the exact opposite message.
“Tusk and his coalition were supported in the elections to follow the will of Berlin and Brussels without question. This is what is expected of them, and unfortunately, the Prime Minister is living up to that expectation,”
The civic candidate for the presidency of Poland Karol Nawrocki visited Kościerzyna yesterday, where he met with local residents at the Sokolnia Hall. The main topic of discussion was Poland’s security and the safety of its citizens.
A Stronger Army
“When it comes to the security of Polish men and women, we must decisively strive for a Polish army of at least 300,000. Not so that this army would fight—because we want peace for Poland—but to ensure that no one dares to raise a hand against us. They must know that this is the largest land army of NATO within the European Union, and we must do everything in our power to achieve this,”
said Nawrocki.
He emphasized that in order for Poland to feel secure, it is essential to maintain strong relations with its greatest ally, the United States.
“We must take care of our direct relations, our active presence in NATO, rather than seeking alternatives to NATO through the construction of European Union armed forces or so-called ecological armed forces, because today the European Union is at a major crossroads. We want to build our security on the North Atlantic Alliance and the resilience of our army, which must receive funding at the level of 5% of GDP,”
he stressed.
“You Have Been Deceived”
He also urged those present to take an open, Christian approach toward those who had voted differently in the last elections and to recognize them as people who had been “brutally deceived.”
“Those liars, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, deceived all those who made different electoral choices. I guarantee you that they do not want to pay such high prices for electricity, they do not want to pay such amounts for gas. If they run small or medium-sized businesses, they know that they are unable to grow because of the high cost of electricity. And they cannot comprehend this, as they ask themselves how energy can cost so much when Poland has coal deposits sufficient for the next five decades,”
Krzysztof Zalewski was a guest on Polsat’s morning program. Previously, the musician attacked the United Right government for… confronting illegal migration at the border with Belarus. Now, he is attacking President Trump calling him a “madman”.
In 2021, Zalewski launched a relentless attack on the ruling authorities at the time— and in a particularly vile manner.
“This is a very difficult matter for me. I live in a country that behaves like some kind of fascist regime and does not respect basic human rights. No one should be illegal. I understand that borders need to be defended, but there are also fundamental norms of decency. You cannot send children to their deaths,”
he said at the time.
“Screw Trump”
It appears the singer is struggling with declining online engagement. As a result, he decided to launch another attack on the free world— this time targeting Donald Trump.
And so, live on Polsat, he suddenly declared, completely unprompted:
“We encourage, of course… Screw Trump and his associates! Greetings to all democratic forces trying to overthrow this madman.”
Interestingly, the video was posted online by another guest of the program, Mikołaj Teperek, who had appeared on air just before Zalewski. He did not hide his outrage.
Moreover, he referenced another video featuring Zalewski, in which the singer also insulted the American leader— using language that was, to put it mildly, highly uncensored.
“I don’t know how Poles can bring about Trump’s impeachment, but if there’s a way, I’m the first in line. I can join a march, sign a petition—just to get that fascist motherf***er off the throne,”
Zalewski said this and many more.
Wyobraźcie sobie Państwo że przyszedłem dziś rano na zaproszenie telewizji do programu i uważam że BARDZO obiektywnie i informacyjnie opowiedziałem o tym co się dzieje między USA a Ukrainą.
Bezpośrednio po mnie wchodzi Pan muzyk Zalewski i nie mógł wytrzymać, żeby powiedzieć coś… https://t.co/J8FQggeteM
We took a closer look at what this so-called musical “idol”— and self-styled expert on international politics— posts on social media.
On his Instagram profile, we found several photos clearly indicating that… his views align much more closely with the current government. Photos, where he is kissing another man— fellow musician Ralph Kamiński— or posing with an LGBT flag, are commonplace. What’s more, there is even a picture of him wearing a hat with the name of a parish— in a strongly mocking tone.
“This is f***ing ‘Border Guard’? ‘Guard’? These are heartless machines, without brains, without ANYTHING!!! Machines blindly following orders!!!” – this is how Barbara Kurdej-Szatan, an actress and TV presenter with neo-TVP, commented on the situation at the Polish-Belarusian border in November 2021. Now, she has reason to be satisfied – her case has been dismissed. This is how the smiley Poland of Tusk and his heated judges works.
She insulted, now she’s crying.
Wstyd dla wymiaru sprawiedliwości i sądu w szczególności. Zachowanie Kurdej-Szatan powinno zostać surowo ukarane, a kara powinna być przykładem dla innych.
Now, Kurdej-Szatan, in an Instagram post, once again portrays herself as the “victim,” complaining about the “hate” she has supposedly faced. But this is how she spoke about the defenders of the Polish border:
“F***!!!!!! What’s happening there!!!!!!! Is this ‘Border Guard’????? ‘Guard’?????? These are heartless machines, with no brains, with NOTHING!!!! Machines blindly following orders!!!!!! F***!!!! How can this happen!!!!!! My heart hurts, my whole chest hurts, I’m shaking and crying!!!!!! Murderers!!!!!” – she wrote in November 2021, when Lukashenko was launching a hybrid attack on the Polish border.
At the time, she received support from politicians of the opposition, led by KO, as well as from Donald Tusk, who criticized the ruling government of the United Right for protecting the border’s integrity. What’s more, it’s worth noting that although Tusk has since changed his stance on border defense, after the public media were taken over by his coalition, she became a star on neo-TVP and now hosts a new quiz show. So, for her contributions to fighting the “PiS regime” and insulting the Border Guard, she was rewarded by Tusk’s team.
Now, Kurdej-Szatan talks about the “suffering” she endured, complaining about the “hate” she received, while dragging Zbigniew Ziobro and Dariusz Matecki into it all. Another example of the hypocrisy from a group considered as elite in Poland.
Dzień dobry!
Nie wiem czy wiecie, ale gdy żandarmeria przeszukiwała dom Ewy Stankiewicz i glanowała Mateckiego, to Kurdej-Szatan została uniewiniona z zarzutów o lżenie i obrażanie polskich pograniczników
The Warsaw District Court awarded the municipality of Ozimek compensation for the reduction of subsidies—this occurred during the PiS government—for German language lessons for the German minority. This could result in Poland’s authorities having to pay substantial amounts to German communities in Poland.
Huge sums of money
In December 2021, the Polish parliament adopted an amendment to the budget proposal for the upcoming year, cutting the subsidy for German language education in Poland by nearly 40 million PLN. It was also announced that further cuts would follow in the coming years. At the time, the Minister of Education and Science, Przemysław Czarnek, stated that this was a necessary step. As a result of these changes, the number of hours dedicated to teaching German to the German minority was reduced from three to just one per week.
“It can’t continue like this, where in Poland we pay 236 million PLN for the German minority and the German language, while in Germany, where there are 2.2 million Poles, the federal government contributes zero euros to the Polish minority,” said Minister Czarnek during a parliamentary debate.
Meanwhile, the Warsaw District Court has issued a ruling that could lead to Poland’s state having to pay huge compensation. The municipality of Ozimek, in the Opole region, was awarded 625,590.85 PLN as compensation for the PiS government’s reduction of the subsidy for German language education. The ruling is not final, so the state treasury can appeal. The question, however, is whether the Tusk government, which has been seen as more accommodating towards Berlin, will defend Poland’s position.
Business Insider Polska calculates that there are 49 municipalities in Poland in a similar situation to Ozimek. If all of them filed lawsuits and won their cases, the state treasury would have to pay a total of 31.8 million PLN in compensation. At present, 8 lawsuits similar to the one filed by Ozimek are pending in court.
Credits: Igor Smirnow/Gazeta Polska | Marcin Pegaz/Gazeta Polska
“When Mariusz Kamiński was Minister of Interior and Administration, the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) and the Internal Security Agency (ABW) operated according to their mandates,” former Deputy Minister Maciej Wąsik assured Niezalezna.pl. Wąsik, now a Law and Justice (PiS) MEP, commented for us on the Warsaw District Prosecutor’s recent initiation of an investigation into alleged abuse of power involving himself and Kamiński concerning Lyudmila Kozlovska of the Open Dialogue Foundation. He emphasized that security agencies had valid reasons to consider Kozlovska a security threat, labeling the prosecution’s actions as an attempt to intimidate.
Wirtualna Polska reports that on January 23, the Warsaw District Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into accusations of abuse of authority by former Interior Minister and coordinator of special services, Mariusz Kamiński, and former deputy minister Maciej Wąsik, concerning Lyudmila Kozlovska. The action follows a complaint by Kozlovska’s representative alleging “unreliable documentation” suggesting she posed a security risk to Poland.
Speaking to Niezalezna.pl, Wąsik described the investigation as another chapter of “politically motivated proceedings by Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar.”
“When Mariusz Kamiński led the Ministry of Interior, both the CBA and ABW acted within their remit. Today, we face a political witch-hunt. Bodnar and his supporters openly strive to appease NGOs. They plan to create a kind of ’round table’ for NGOs to describe alleged persecution. It’s absurd, nonsensical, and an attempt to intimidate security services,” the former deputy minister asserted.
The MEP recalled that Polish security services reacted in 2017 to Bartosz Kramek’s manifesto, “Let the State Stop: Let’s Shut Down the Government!”
“That manifesto encouraged non-compliance with Polish law. Security services took appropriate action, resulting in Kozlovska receiving, among other things, an entry ban to the Schengen Zone—later violated by Belgium—and Kramek facing money laundering charges, which Bodnar dismissed this January. Now, those who acted on behalf of the state are to be held accountable? This is absurd, a complete inversion of justice,” Wąsik said.
Wąsik also addressed Kramek’s declaration to “assist Wąsik and Kamiński in returning from the European Parliament.” The PiS politician doubted the case would reach the EU forum but acknowledged that “under Bodnar’s governance, various issues could emerge.”
On Saturday, the court imposed temporary detention on PiS MP Dariusz Matecki. The politician was detained for two months rather than the three months requested by the prosecutor’s office. Matecki’s defence attorney announced that an appeal against the decision would be filed regardless.
Former Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro commented on the court’s decision.
“This is yet another instance of a staged spectacle—a judicial and prosecutorial farce. It is no surprise to me that this particular judge handled the case. This judge is already known from the case concerning the Justice Fund, which was discredited by the Ombudsman’s report. That report exposed multiple serious violations committed by law enforcement and judicial authorities in connection with the arrest of Father Olszewski,”
he stated.
Ziobro further claimed that the prosecutor’s office had “handpicked this judge”—Joanna Włoch, a member of Iustitia—in order to “orchestrate the ruling.”
In his view, the prosecutor’s office had discredited itself because “MP Matecki presented several hundred documents—objective pieces of evidence—demonstrating that he had completed not just one or two, but hundreds of various tasks for the State Forests.” Despite this evidence, he argued, “[…] facts do not matter at all. Evidence does not matter at all. What matters are political spectacles.”
Will the Detention Be Extended?
Ziobro also addressed the difference between a two-month and a three-month detention period. “As a former Prosecutor General, I understand MP Gosek’s decision. The prosecutor’s office did not get what it wanted. However, let us look at what happened in the case of Father Olszewski,” he noted.
“At first, there was a minor charge, then additional accusations were fabricated, and that is how investigative detention was prolonged—to extract confessions and break the individual, just as was done with female clerks who were subjected to improper treatment in prison. This is a setup. The judge wanted to play it as if she were ‘fair’—not granting the full period requested by the prosecution. But just wait: in two months, they will come back, and another handpicked judge will be assigned. It will happen just as I say. What we are witnessing here is politics, party-driven favouritism, and the illegal takeover of the prosecutor’s office and courts,”
Ziobro asserted.
He further declared that Poland is now “ruled by a criminal group.” “These people will go to prison, and I am not joking. These are not empty words,” he stated.
He went on to condemn the actions of Tusk’s associates, whom he referred to as “Bodnarowcy” (a reference to Adam Bodnar, the Prosecutor General).
“The legitimate National Prosecutor currently has his hands tied and is being prevented from fulfilling his duties. What we are seeing is a farce, a continuous criminal act. The prosecutors handling this case know they are operating within an illegally seized Prosecutor General’s Office. The individual acting as its head is an imposter who, along with his associates, is making decisions on surveillance measures and illegally conducting wiretaps—all of this is happening unlawfully. We are witnessing ongoing usurpation by an illegitimately appointed individual, which affects actions against MP Matecki and others,”
Ziobro stated.
In conclusion, he remarked, “They are going all in, implementing Donald Tusk’s doctrine of militant democracy, which—under ideological slogans—justifies violations of the law, as he himself has previously declared.”
