Polish opposition leader Jarosław Kaczyński criticized the current left-liberal administration led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, accusing it of engaging in false propaganda and mismanagement during a press conference on Saturday.
This statement came in response to Friday’s press event with Tusk and his main ministers where a questionable inter-ministerial agreement was signed, highlighting what Kaczyński referred to as a “pathocracy.”
During his Friday conference, Prime Minister Tusk detailed investigations by the National Revenue Administration (KAS) into 90 entities suspected of improperly handling public funds under the previous government, led by Kaczyński’s Law and Justice (PiS) party. Tusk reported that these suspect expenditures total up to 100 billion złoty (€23.1 billion), with 62 individuals facing allegations of misconduct.
Kaczyński dismissed these claims as part of an ongoing abuse of power, stating, “The days when Tusk could say what he wanted are over. It’s clear now that his authority only deepens the pathological state of his governance.”
The PiS leader also defended his party’s track record, insisting that its financial management aimed to support enduring national institutions, despite the communist regime’s efforts to dismantle them. He clarified that the alleged 100 billion złoty could realistically account for broader financial assistance to local Polish communities, potentially reaching 120 billion złoty when including road funds.
“We wanted to support what was strong in Poland even during the partitions and what continued through the interwar period and was destroyed by communism,” added Kaczyński. He emphasized that PiS supported, among others, volunteer fire brigades, rural women’s support groups, and churches.
Kaczyński assured that these funds were spent legally and any minor documentation issues did not constitute criminal activity. He suggested that the accusations regarding the 100 billion złoty might be fabricated or exaggerated to justify stripping local Polish communities of significant financial resources in the coming years to avoid an excessive deficit procedure imposed on Poland by European Commission.
In addition, PiS parliamentary group chairman Mariusz Błaszczak criticized Tusk for lacking initiatives to combat rising energy prices and for focusing on settling scores with the opposition, which he argued undermines democratic principles and legal norms.
“This is a blatant violation of the law, aimed at eliminating the opposition,” added Mariusz Błaszczak.
