Tusk at the KO National Council: We do not let our guard down when it comes to Polish interests
KO's leader, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, assured on Friday that his party is a guarantor of Poland remaining in the EU. He also estimated that the 40% threshold support is within his party's reach. The Civic Coalition will begin the process of electing new authorities in January; on Friday decided on the election schedule.
On Friday evening, the National Council of the Civic Coalition met in Warsaw to call the election of new party authorities. This is to complement the changes in the party – in October it was decided to rename the Civic Platform to the Civic Coalition and expand the group to include members of the liquidated parties: Nowoczesna and Inicjatywa Polska.
The KO leader, opening the meeting, emphasized that this was the first joint National Council after the merger of various circles into one grouping. – We are more than a political party. We do not lower our hands when it comes to Polish interests, even in the most difficult situations, Tusk said.
During the National Council, Tusk emphasized that it was an honor for him to lead KO – until new authorities are elected. He assured that the Civic Coalition is “a guarantor of Poland's lasting presence both in European structures and in NATO.” In his opinion, keeping Poland in these organizations is a “serious challenge” considering the voices of those who “do not hide their political sympathies towards Russia and do not hide their intentions, including taking Poland out of the European Union.”
– We saw them on the streets of Warsaw and only regretted to find out that the President of the Republic of Poland was also at the head of these people. These people with banners about Polexit, about the need to leave, to take Poland out of this safe house that we have built together with other Europeans for so many years – said the Prime Minister.
Tusk assured that as long as the Civic Coalition is in power, no one will take Poland out of Europe. He also estimated that the “dream threshold” was 40%. support is now within reach for KO. – It can really happen in a moment, provided that we build Poland even stronger and more boldly, tailored to people's dreams – he added.
The KO leader also expressed the opinion that the Civic Coalition through “responsible governance, telling the truth, understanding what the public mission is” will win the parliamentary elections in 2027 so that “thievery will not return as a government.” He added that the process of holding PiS to account is “accelerating more and more.”
During his speech, Tusk also referred to Friday's events in the Sejm – the presentation of classified information to MPs on state security, and then the House's failure to reject the presidential veto to the bill on cryptoassets.
The KO leader commented that PiS and Konfederacja, which usually fight each other, voted hand in hand to maintain the veto. – They will regret their decision today very much. They will be ashamed of her for the rest of their lives, I promise you that, said the Prime Minister.
He noted that the Act on Cryptoassets was intended to protect citizens and small investors investing money on the cryptocurrency market. He added that several hundred entities operating on this market are directly related to Russia and Belarus.
The head of government stated that while speaking in the Sejm on Friday, he saw in the meeting room those who “benefited from the sponsorship of the main company on the cryptocurrency market and organized large political events for the money of operators on this market.” He pointed out that “the former president, today's president, Prime Minister (Mateusz) Morawiecki and who knows who else, but generally only the cream of the crop” were invited to these political events.
– How is it possible that people from the PiS government had fun or organized their public life and events with the money of a company that was founded with criminal money and then saved by Russian money, the Russian mafia and Russian services? – Tusk asked.
He added, turning to President Karol Nawrocki, PiS president Jarosław Kaczyński and Confederation leaders Krzysztof Bosak and Sławomir Mentzen, that “no one will be indifferent to what they are doing.”
The party's secretary general, head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, Marcin Kierwiński, announced the schedule for electing new KO authorities. In the first stage, between January 17 and February 20, the authorities of the Civic Coalition's circles, i.e. the basic organizational units of the party, will be elected.
In the second stage, on March 8, the leadership of poviats, regions and the party chairman will be elected.
Candidates for party presidents will be able to be submitted until mid-January.
Former members of Nowoczesna and Inicjatywa Polska will be able to take part in the elections of the new KO authorities, who will have completed membership declarations and been formally verified by then.
Nowoczesna decided to dissolve it on October 24, while Inicjatywa Polska decided on November 15. The change of name from PO to KO and unification with Nowoczesna and Inicjatywa Polska was decided at the Platform convention held on October 25. (PAP)
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