Polish President Andrzej Duda is urging the government to move forward on key infrastructure projects such as the transportation hub outside Warsaw as well as complete weapons contracts signed by the previous government.
On Feb. 24, Polish President Andrzej Duda hosted members of the government at a meeting of the Cabinet Council, a body the meetings of which are called by the head of state with him setting the agenda.
Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Duda said that he had used the meeting to emphasize that he sees projects such as rearmament, nuclear power and the construction of the Central Airport and transport hub as top priorities for Poland.
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“These investments are absolutely fundamental for Poland. Poland needs these investments here and now, as they are key to its development and therefore essential for future generations”, he stated.
At the meeting itself, Prime Minister Donald Tusk attempted to shift debate away from these investment projects and onto allegations of corruption and overspending by the previous Conservative (PiS) government. He also alleged that the government had evidence that its predecessor had misused Pegasus spyware to monitor activities of the opposition.
Duda cut discussion short on that topic, arguing that if the government had evidence of wrongdoing it should take that up with the prosecutors. The head of state wanted a strategic discussion about the future rather than a recantation of the past.
However, overall, Duda said he was happy with the outcome of the meeting, saying that substantive discussion proved possible and that the investment projects are not in themselves a source of controversy.
“They are needed,” but admitted that the devil will lie in the details.
Duda had called this meeting because he was concerned at reports of delays in the nuclear power program and rumors that the arms deal with South Korea may not go ahead. He will also have noted the negative comments about the central airport project which have been made by Tusk himself, and the prime minister’s reported preference for developing small regional airports.
