The Law and Justice (PiS) party has received some 5 million zlotys (€1.2 million) from its supporters, according to the head of the PiS parliamentary group and former deputy prime minister, Mariusz Błaszczak.
“We are very encouraged by the voters’ response. Thank you very much. Usually these transfers amount to several dozen, one hundred zlotys. That’s what we wanted,“ said the head of the PiS club on Polsat News’ “Graffiti” program.
Błaszczak noted that the party had been forced to ask voters for financial assistance to continue their campaign due to actions taken by the Tusk-led coalition to weaken PiS ahead of next year’s presidential election.
“The National Electoral Commission (PKW) applied different criteria to Law and Justice,” he said, amounting to unfair treatment towards PiS. This resulted in the PKW rejecting the party’s financial report, thus costing PiS 10 million złotys (€2.3 million) in public funding.
PiS may also lose its annual subsidy for the next three years.
Former Prime Minister and PiS deputy head Mateusz Morawiecki called the PKW’s decision a “shameful” act driven by political revenge.
As generous as supporters have been, Mariusz Błaszczakt says that “donations are not sufficient,” as aside from a loan of 35 million złotys it is seeking to repay, its operations are running some 2 million złotys a month. The loan, according to PiS treasurer Henryk Kowalczyk, was taken out to cover the costs of recent parliamentary, local and European elections.
Błaszczak emphasized that the authorities “want to belittle the capabilities of our candidate” in the 2025 presidential election, expected to take place no later than May 18.
“The PiS candidate for president will not be able to financially match the candidate of the opposing party. This is a violation of the rules. They are going all out. They are trying to eliminate the PiS candidate,“ he said.
In the absence of state funding, according to one source, PiS is counting on its voters big time, hoping to collect from them a total of 30 million złotys.
While it is good to see PiS voters stepping up to the plate, recent polls are reason for some concern, with Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s coalition showing strong gains and the right-wing Confederation party inching up at the expense of PiS.
