Politicians and supporters of the Law and Justice Party met at the Rzeszow Philharmonic Hall on Saturday. They summarized the most important programs and investments and set plans for the future.
The meeting was led by the head of the Prime Minister's Office, Minister Marek Kuchcinski:
Since 2005, in all parliamentary elections, elections for the European Parliament, for the President of the Republic of Poland and for the local government of the Podkarpackie region, Law and Justice has always won. The latest results here are also the best in Poland - we have exceeded well over 70% of support, and hence the number 70, which obliges, and I think we can confidently say, addressing our compatriots throughout Poland: Come with us, come with us for victory! However, this victory would not have been possible if we had not set an example and carried out our plans, if the representatives of local authorities, local governments, with the governor as a representative of the government at the head, and all parliamentarians representing the Subcarpathian region in various legislative bodies had not cooperated with each other. The principle that we work together, act as a team, brings results. We are the best developing voivodeship in the province and probably the best in carrying out our tasks, including investment tasks, not only with regard to European funds, which let's remember are always an additional element, above all funds generated by Poland and accumulated thanks to citizens who pay taxes, and we fought for these taxes, for this tax tightness with very good results. I would like to remind you of one more thing - the bishop mentioned this - what we Poles, especially in Podkarpacie, are distinguished by, taking into account recent years. Not only by cooperation, not only by the bravery of citizens, Poles, who in recent months have welcomed thousands of refugees under their roofs, into their homes, but also by the efficiency of the state, because thanks to the efficient functioning of state institutions, we can boast of results that are admired around the world. We can say that this is a precedent, a phenomenon. We are showing the world solidarity towards another human being, especially in situations where these people need support from us, and yet things were not rosy between us in the last century, in earlier centuries things were different.
Nearly 50 billion zlotys have flowed from various state institutions, not just the government, to the Subcarpathian region. This strength, unity shines through in all our actions. And credibility, because we are implementing what we preached in 2015 during the election campaign and in 2019 during the next one.
Ryszard Terlecki, deputy speaker of the Sejm, chairman of the Law and Justice Parliamentary Club
At various rallies and demonstrations we used to call out: "Here is Poland!" and whenever I come to the Subcarpathian region, I think to myself that this cry, especially here, is valid. Here is Poland! A hard, difficult year is behind us, in fact three difficult years, but let's remember that when the pandemic began, Poland was among the best developing countries in Europe, let's also remember that when the pandemic ended, Poland was in the first place in terms of economic development among European countries. So let's think optimistically about the future, Poland will again this year certainly be at the forefront of Europe in terms of development. Let's remember this, let's remind ourselves of all this, because sometimes this knowledge seems to get blurred. Let us also remember that we are incurring a gigantic effort, which is actually happening to Poland for the first time in many, many years, an effort to arm, to secure, to ensure the safety of Poles in this difficult and extremely dangerous situation for the whole of Europe. We are incurring a huge effort, we are spending huge money on armaments, we spent it last year and we are spending it this year. This was a topic that was not very popular in Poland, because it seemed to us that we were safe, that we had allies, that there were so many years of peace, that we were not threatened by war and that we could look calmly to the future. It has turned out that this is not the case, that the ideas of starting a brawl in Europe again, of conquering other countries again are still at work in the world not far from us, and this forces us to defend ourselves, to prepare to repel possible aggression, but above all to discourage a possible or potential aggressor from attacking Poland. We spend huge amounts of money on investment, on development, we give huge amounts of money to local governments, which have never received such money as in recent years, we bear this effort and do not stop it despite the extremely difficult situation. However, there are costs that we have to bear to secure our freedom.
Ladies and Gentlemen, you hear observe, read about the deliberations of the Sejm, about these rows that the opposition causes. Recall the autumn, when we heard that there would be no coal, that there would be a disaster, there would be a shortage of everything.... They even said there would be no sugar. I don't know if you remember that - they talked about how expensive gasoline would be, how we would sit in cold apartments and wait for spring. Nothing of the sort happened. Where are all those now who lied, who threatened us, who frightened us, who tried to scare the Poles in order to turn them against the government, against the Right and Justice? And as you watch what is going on in the Sejm, it seems that such the most important or one of the most important issues besides armaments and security is some incomprehensible and bizarre dispute with the European Union, which has decided that after a pandemic all countries will get some kind of support, which partly comes from grants, partly from loans. For weeks or even months you have been hearing an argument about this, with the opposition claiming that we won't get this money and arguing that allegedly the rule of law is under threat in Poland, as well as the rights of various minorities, and we have been watching this dispute, watching it with amazement, because after all, we we are closest to the front, we have taken in the most refugees, we should be the first to get this money, and somehow they resist. In a moment Tomasz Poręba is going to talk about what is going on in the European Union - the biggest corruption scandal since the beginning of the European Parliament, a scandal of unheard of proportions, which probably would have been tried to be hushed up somehow, if it hadn't been for the fact that one of those arrested had simply started to fall apart, and now this machine cannot be stopped. We are eager to hear the latest news about those closed, sealed parliamentary offices, those revoked immunities and so on. And this is the Union that has the gall to lecture us about democracy, about the rule of law. This is the Union that has the gall to say that any rights are being violated in Poland. In Poland, where freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, freedom of the media is incomparably greater than in many other European countries.
Ladies and gentlemen, the year is coming to an end, the time in which we have survived is coming to an end. We all suffered various losses, of course, but we leave this year with a sense of duty well done, and we have another year ahead of us, which will not be easy, but let's look to the future with optimism: inflation, the most serious social problem in Poland, has stalled, and in the spring it will probably begin to fall, so prices will begin to fall, and we will be able to use this period of spring and summer again to leapfrog Poland's development.
We are one of the few countries in Europe where the ruling party governs without a coalition that has won elections on its own and formed a government on its own, and twice. Time and time again we have won 7 times various elections, The opposition is divided, distracted, frustrated, full of aggression, hatred, anger, impatience. Let's take advantage of this, let's win the next elections, let Poland develop as it has developed so far, and let the Podkarpackie region develop as well.
Dear all, may the good God take care of Rzeszow, may the good God take care of Podkarpacie, may the good God take care of the Republic.
Tomasz Poręba, Member of the European Parliament
We entered the year 2023 with the sense that we have another major challenge ahead of us, an electoral challenge that is very important for Poland to develop further and for Poland to build its future, its development perspective. The one started and continued by Law and Justice in recent years. We can be proud that all those promises - even those that no one believed in, related to the lowering of the retirement age, to social programs, to their projects that we have carried out in recent years, that were promised to Poland and the Poles, have been fulfilled. I would like us, as we enter this new year, to remember this and not let ourselves be stifled by the propaganda that is being spewed somewhere in recent months, that here is Law and Justice losing the elections. No, dear colleagues, Law and Justice will not lose these elections, Law and Justice absolutely has a chance, and I am sure it will, to decisively win these elections in the fall. I would like you to believe this, I would like you to be confident, I would like you to talk about all those years, hard years, when Law and Justice showed its credibility, efficiency, keeping its word and that we will continue to build Poland, strengthen Poland, develop Poland. This is our goal, this is our ambition, and this is something that, from the point of view of precisely the strategic interests of our homeland, is the key to governing and continuing to implement our social, military, economic, cultural programs.
We have to be a team, we have to be together, and we just have to win these elections. In front of us, of course, is an opponent who deceives, who deceives, who tries to close people's memory after 15 years of what the governments of 2007 were like, what the governments of Donald Tusk were like, how transportation links were eliminated, how the retirement age was raised, how families were excluded from various social programs, how we were made dependent on Russia economically, militarily, energetically in recent years when Platform and PSL were in power. Yesterday we asked 10 specific questions to Donald Tusk, we will ask such questions every week, every month, and show his rule, which from the point of view of the strategic interests of Poles, was simply bad, harmful and contrary to our interests.
The European Union, where I have worked as an MP for 15 years, is not surprised by what is happening in it now. This is a very rich club of people whose hallmark, whether in the European Parliament or in the European Commission, is one word: hypocrisy. It's a double standard, because these people, who have their mouths full of platitudes about the rule of law, democracy, sovereignty, about building one common Europe, are at the same time today being accused, questioned. They are a symbol of what has been happening in recent years in the European Union, that is, this corruption, hypocrisy and what has unfortunately been evident in these European elites for years. Why have Poland and Poles been attacked so much in recent years? Well, because the conservative center-right government, which puts the interests of Poland and Poles first, simply does not suit them and did not suit them. This will change, however, because we are building a coalition in Europe, and we have our partners and prime ministers in Italy, in the Czech Republic, and perhaps someday we will try to show that just building sovereign governments, whether in Poland, Spain or the Czech Republic, which are guided first and foremost by the interests of the people, is something that should be commonplace in Europe. A Europe of Homelands, not a centralized Europe, this is the most important task before us, to build it on the basis of our identity, history, religion, our heroes, our cultural heritage, this is the vision that Law and Justice, together with our partners in Europe and in the European Parliament, will pursue, and we will not stop until this Europe simply changes. But for that to happen, for us to go on strong, united, confident, we need you, we need the commitment of each and every one of you, we need your conversations with your neighbors, with your friends, with your colleagues at work, we need your belief that we will succeed, we need your rallying, we need your ambition, we need your help, and that is what I want to ask of you very sincerely at the end.
In the coming weeks, months, we have to be precisely that one team, so that we win this election for Poland, so that we win the future for Poland, so that we build a strong, strong country that will be our pride, but also an example in Europe.
Ewa Leniart, Subcarpathian voivode, head of the Rzeszow district 56: Łańcut County, Rzeszów, Rzeszów
I think we all know that for every citizen, the government and the state performs well when it works great not in times of success, but in times of crisis.. I have the great honor of representing a government that has overcome more than one crisis, moreover, I am convinced after having gone through all these experiences together with you,. that we will still manage more than one crisis. We have had difficult experiences as the Podkarpackie province, because we were haunted by floods, we were also affected by epidemics, and finally, as a frontline province, we were the first to experience the consequences of the war that is happening in Ukraine. Thanks to the fact that we were all aware of the responsibility we had and that we had to work together, we were successful. We came out of each flood richer in experience and more effective services. It was in 2019 in the Stalowa Wola district, in Ruda, that residents said: listen, the services are on time for the first time in free Poland. With the rising water, there are services, and we are waiting to see what will happen - whether it will break the bridge, whether the water will flow under the bridge. Then came the difficult time of the epidemic, not an easy challenge. We all know that the health service is a great pain of the Polish state, Podkarpackie. Only for the past two years have we had graduates of the medical faculty who will specialize here, and we hope that they will develop in Podkarpacie, because this government is creating conditions for this, among other things, with the decision to create a university hospital so that young people educated in Podkarpacie will provide medical services to the people of the region. The time of the epidemic meant that you had to manage the resources you have, and the second, third, fourth waves of illnesses were really very numerous, there was a great risk that places in hospitals would be in short supply. With the great efforts of the health service, with support from the state services, the state fire department, the army managed. We helped everyone who was in immediate danger of life, and for this I thank everyone involved in fighting the epidemic immensely. On February 24, 2022, early in the morning, my immediate superior, the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, called me with a narration: governor, it has started, we are putting up reception points. At 14:00 the first reception points were put up, at 17:00 the first war refugees from Ukraine came, at a key moment in just four weeks a million people passed through the Podkarpackie crossings, there were times when the influx of refugees was more than 80,000 per day, when on average there are about 20,000 to 30,000 in both directions at the entrance and exit of our state. A huge effort, a very difficult experience, a task that is basically impossible, but it turns out that we here in Podkarpacie can do a lot. Tremendous support from Caritas of all the dioceses of our province, the Polish Red Cross, the Riflemen's Association, but also, of course, and above all, from citizens and local authorities. All of us, compact with the division of tasks, carried them out so effectively that when, in the first days of March, the representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Fillipo Grandi, who has gained experience on more than one case of refugee crisis, was also in Syria, came here, he said to me: dear governor, I have no reservations, I can only thank the Polish state and the Polish people for this great gesture of solidarity. I thank you that we are together in difficult times of crisis, we are confident that we can cope with all the challenges.
We also invariably develop our province, my district 56, the heart of this province, in a short period of time has received more than 300 international delegations at the highest level from all over the world. It is developing perfectly, after many years since the partitions, the impossible has become possible. The capital of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship has been connected by a direct route via the S19 road to the capital of our country, this is a great merit of the Minister of Infrastructure and Rafal Weber, who represents the Ministry today. 4.5 billion zlotys, and I remember when in 2006 many doubted whether anything with the S19 road would be completed at all. Today we look with pride not only at the northern section above Rzeszow, but also at the south, which is developing brilliantly. We even already know when the realization of the entire section should take place, because all tenders have been announced, contracts for their realization have been signed, but we are also mindful of small matters, small, but how great for the municipal communities. We want the sewage treatment plant in Krasne to be rebuilt, funds have been found for this, which so far have not been in government programs. We want the sewage treatment plant in Dynów to be expanded, and we also want the local sports club Blazowianka, which will have its centennial this year, to be established, and for this the government of the Republic of Poland found money.
It is possible to choose the uncertain, the untested, those who talk a lot, those who realize otherwise, but it is best to choose those who have been and are in crisis, who are always with their citizens and always respond to their needs.
Władysław Ortyl, Marshall of the Podkarpackie Province
These 10 years of local government, 10 years of taking responsibility for the development of the Subcarpathian region would not have happened if it were not for the following The interaction of our assembly, all local government officials, the support of parliament. Thanks to Minister Malgorzata Jarosinska-Jedynak, who is responsible for the program for Eastern Poland. European funds for Podkarpackie, that is, the program for which there are already calls for proposals, is more than PLN 10 billion. You can see the catching up of these backlogs, which are also in the economy, in social development, this is an obligation transferred directly to the development within our province, roads in the Bieszczady, Roztocze are two such peripheral difficult and neglected areas. When we were three weeks ago with Marshal Kuchcinski in the Bieszczady, one of the Bieszczady guides said that these roads have not been renovated and repaired since the days of the just-gone commune, that's the reality, that's the truth. We do a lot of things related to investing in the future, an example of which is Lukasiewicz Subcarpathian Science Center. An example of development is also Subcarpathian Development Fund, which supports entrepreneurs, our activities related to investing in innovation, but not only in the area related to the economy, also an innovation center, a project that has no equivalent at the moment in other provinces.
Lucjusz Nadbereżny, president of Stalowa Wola, head of district 54: County of Lezajsk, Thananski, Stalowa Wola, Tarnobrzeg, Tarnobrzeg
On behalf of all here present members and supporters of Law and Justice forming district 54, I would like to extend a very warm greeting and express my great joy that we can finally meet here in Rzeszow at the Podkarpackie Philharmonic Hall to strengthen each other on this important road to fulfill our commitments, to implement the program of Law and Justice. One of the fundamental principles of our program, which has always come first, is security. The sainted President Lech Kaczynski and President Jaroslaw Kaczynski have for years properly diagnosed all these threats that we have to face today, threats that have long been called by name by our leaders, that have been pointed out as a threat to increase Russia's imperial aspirations. This was mocked, ridiculed until the evening of February 23 of the previous year, while since February 24, since the outbreak of this brutal war in Ukraine, everything has changed. These predictions have become reality, but Law and Justice, especially our districts, were prepared for this very thing, thanks to, among other things, the framework created by Deputy Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski Homeland Defense Act, which strengthens our military units. Low, Nowa Dęba is creating a new training ground infrastructure, but above all investing in the Polish arms industry. This is Dezamet Nowa Dęba and, of course, today the pearl in the crown of Polish armaments, thus Stalowa Wola Steelworks, which was on the precipice of bankruptcy at the end of the Civic Platform and PSL governments, without orders, without faith that such a plant can fulfill such orders. And today you can still Krab cannon, the unmanned turret and the new Borsuk project are the weapons equipment that are our pride, are the pride of Poland, a The value of orders is more than 13 billion zlotys! This is how Law and Justice resolutely pursues the priority of security. But it is also economic security, already mentioned in the construction of strategic roads, such as the S19 road - Via Carpatia named after President Lech Kaczynski. Mr. Tomasz Poręba could say it best, as Polish delegations in the European Parliament have been saying since 2009, that this is an unnecessary road. And today it is the road of life for our region, attracting strategic large foreign investments here, as in Stalowa Wola, and thanks to the support of the government of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, together with Marshal Władysław Ortyl, we can implement a great economic program of creating industrial zones between the county of Nisko and the county of Leżajsk, the county of Stalowa Wola, which can only measure up to the plan of the central industrial district, which was created on this land 85 years ago. There are a lot of such tasks, but all of us today, in order to achieve them, must do a great deal of work and adopt a brave, determined attitude, so that the whining that is sometimes present among us does not creep in, because it is known that times are difficult, but as St. Augustine said, "People always say that there are bad, difficult times, and it is we, the people of the times who create them, and it is up to us what they will be. One can adopt three attitudes from the technique at sea: the pessimist helmsman, who, seeing bad weather, a storm, will break down, complain, wait for an even greater disaster. One can adopt the attitude of an optimist who will sit back, doing nothing irresponsibly, and wait for the weather to change, and one can have a helmsman who, at such a moment, will raise the sail and catch the wind. Law and Justice has such a helmsman as Chairman Jaroslaw Kaczynski, and all of us in these times must, in activity, in courage, in unity, catch this good wind together, knowing that our Poland
is being hit by these liberal currents, leftist currents, all-pervasive lies and manipulation.
All the more we need the courage of unity on our part, so that we put in a deep pocket all unnecessary ambitions, differences that may unnecessarily differentiate us. We need unity, because it has always led us to victory, and I would like to wish all of you for this year that we are led by faith hope and love. Faith to those values that have always been most important to us, especially here in Podkarpacie, and faith in victory, hope that good and love for our families are stronger than evil. Love for others and love for our homeland Poland. We will win!
Jan Warzecha, MP, head of the district 55: Debicki, mielecki, ropczycko-sędziszowski, kolbuszowski, strzyżowski districts
We once heard that the l25 Mielec-Debica railroad line was to be rolled up, and thanks to the involvement of MEP Tomasz Poreba, Mr. Speaker, us parliamentarians, local government officials, this connection was made possible at a cost of about 300 million zlotys. The second Mielec can boast of a dedicated sports hall with three swimming pool basins, a northwestern bypass has been built. These are the biggest successes I have listed, because there are many more. In the Debica district, the largest planned investment is the reconstruction of national road 73 Pilzno-Jasło with four bypasses in Pilzno, Brzostek, Kołaczyce and Jasło. And here I must praise my fellow MEP Bogdan Rzonca, former chairman of the infrastructure committee, who was heavily involved in this project, as well as the senator and Maria. For about a billion zlotys, this investment is likely to be completed, part of the 20-kilometer road will follow a new path. In Debica, we handed over a special school complex, a beautiful facility for children with disabilities, which was built for 29 million zlotys. A bridge over the Wisloka River was recently handed over for 28.5 million zlotys. In the Ropczyce-Sędziszów district, we will enjoy a new exit, a highway in Ostrow in the Ropczyce municipality, congratulations Mr. Kazimierz, because I know you were heavily involved in this project. In the Kolbuszowa district, the bypass of Strzyżów and Czudec has been completed for about 180 million zlotys, but let us also remember that in this district is being implemented tunnel for 2 billion 230 million, is a huge investment.
Piotr Babinetz, MP, head of the Committee on Culture, head of District 57: brzozowski, jasielski, krośnieński, Krosno districts
Our state's policy is to make large investments. Orlen has allocated more than 100 million zlotys for the construction of a new bioethanol plant at the Jedlicze refinery. Compatible with this is the project and the funds allocated by the government for the Krosno district, more than 90 million zlotys. A freight road just to this refinery for more than 600 million zlotys, for the modernization of railroad line 108 from Gorlice to Jaslo also more than 60 million, for the construction of a road connecting Krosno with the Via Carpatia S19 route. It's also tens of millions of zlotys for investment and retrofitting of the very important specialized oncology hospital in Brzozow, and among other things, over 300 million for water supply and sewage systems precisely in those places in our province where people's ability to operate and live needs to be strengthened, where it is more difficult for them. We need to complete the S9 route named after President Lech Kaczynski, but also very important is the modernization of railroad line 108 from Jaslo through Krosno, Sanok towards the eastern border of the Republic of Poland, the Polish-Ukrainian border. This is a communications issue, but also a matter of state security. Also very important is the issue of locating more branches of the Polish army, operational troops, territorial defense troops, including in our counties. And finally, an important issue when it comes to flood security, but also securing water, because, after all, it is water that will become increasingly scarce, and here a very important investment is the construction of the Kąty-Myscowa water reservoir in the Jaslo district. In order to achieve strategic goals for the entire homeland, but also for Podkarpackie, we must mobilize, we must win in the upcoming elections.
We meet on the eve of the 160th anniversary of the January Uprising. Although now we also have the Moscow threat, we have a war at our borders, but then the situation was 1000 times more difficult, and yet the insurgents fought. It is our duty now to take care of our community precisely in the name of the memory of the January insurgents, the memory of all those who created our homeland, who created Poland.
Piotr Pilch, Deputy Marshal of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship, head of District 58: Lubaczow, Jaroslawski, Przeworski, Bieszczadzki, Leski, Sanocki, Przemysl, Przemyśl counties
It is important to say about the support from the rural and water and sewage program. As the local government of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, we spent almost half a billion zlotys, and to a large extent these funds went to the south of the province. We did a diagnosis and it turned out that there are great needs when it comes to sewage treatment plants, water and sewage networks. Another handout is behind us, 125 million zlotys - we signed agreements a few days ago, and we are still hoping to get another 125 million in this handout, so that all those local governments that have not yet received funds, and are on the reserve list, will receive them. To this must be added almost half a billion zlotys for consolidation, in which we are the leader in Poland.
Great credit belongs to the institutions the governor mentioned, but also to a huge number of volunteers, when it comes to helping Ukraine, resulting in the acceleration of the construction of the Malhovice-Nizhankovice border crossing. There is no doubt that tourist traffic, trade with Ukraine will definitely increase. Investments in our region are also investments in tourism. I have to say about gondola railroad - this is a great success of the Polish cableways, which, after all, during Platform, were sold and there was almost a liquidation of this company. And here it is the other way around - a great investment for more than 110 million zlotys and a huge success., huge revenue, one of the biggest attractions of our province, providing great opportunities for development. Not only that - a second line from Polańczyk will be built. It is worth mentioning the big money for the narrow-gauge railroad in Przeworsk, this will also be one of the major attractions. Line 102 and 108 have been rebuilt, trains have returned and will return to Ustrzyki Dolne. Wagon production is returning to Gniewczyna Lancucka, which was also sold to no one and for some small amount of money. I will also mention the construction of many bridges, including the much-anticipated bridge in Yaroslavl for many, many years, roads and bypasses.
Agata Augustyn, head of the municipality of Tarnów
I am proud to be the first female mayor in the municipality of Tarnowiec, the only one in the Jaslo district, but this is not the most important thing. The most important thing is that behind me is a difficult campaign, like any other. The first one in my life, which I won in the first round. A campaign in which I bet on facts, because only facts will defend themselves. After a week in office, I see huge government money flowing into my municipality. Without these funds, we would not have been able to do it. Behind me is a campaign in which I attracted many people who care about the development of my municipality, but also the development of Podkarpackie and the development of all of Poland. I have hard work ahead of me, but together we can do it!
The meeting was attended by: Deputy Speaker of the Sejm Ryszard Terlecki, Minister, Head of the Prime Minister's Office Marek Kuchcinski, MP Teresa Pamula, Minister Rafal Weber, MP Maria Kurowska, MP Janina Sagatowska, MP Krzysztof Sobolewski, MP Zdzisław Pupa, MP Jerzy Paul, MP Kazimierz Gołojuch, MP Fryderyk Kapinos, Jan Warzecha MP, Andrzej Szlachta MP, Piotr Babinetz MP, Tadeusz Chrzan MP, Mieczysław Golba MP, Piotr Uruski MP, Marcin Warchoł MP, Adam Śnieżek MP, Tomasz Poręba MP, Bogdan Rzońca MP, Alicja Zając MP, Stanisław Ożóg MP.
