- Podkarpacie cares about Polish traditions, it cares about its 'small homelands', which manifests itself in respect for people, their work, family and national values. Such a high result of President Andrzej Duda in this province is a response to the good governance of PiS in Podkarpacie for many years, because we have been ruling in the regional assembly since 2013. In recent years Podkarpackie has been the fastest growing province in Poland and it is here that people live the longest. The residents simply appreciate all these changes," says former Sejm Speaker Marek Kuchciński in an interview with the Niezalezna.pl portal.

Andrzej Duda won unquestionably in Podkarpacie, winning over 60 percent of the vote. What had an impact on it?
 
Andrzej Duda himself is a great president and the best candidate for president. But it is worth mentioning a few more factors. Firstly, we care for contact with the inhabitants by organizing numerous meetings, also in villages. These meetings are not only political, they are held not only during election campaigns, and they are also a form of consultation of our activities and programs. Secondly, Podkarpacie cares for Polish traditions, for its 'small homelands', which manifests itself in respect for people, their work, family and national values. Thirdly, we try to cooperate with people, we unite them around various regional and central projects (e.g. Via Carpatia, the programme for Bieszczady Mountains, reconstruction of bankrupt companies, such as Jedlicze Refinery, Gniewczyn Wagon Repair Plant, Stalowa Wola Steelworks). We also care about supporting economically weaker communes, in accordance with the idea of even development of the whole voivodeship and we support everyone who asks us for help. We are implementing Law and Justice program and fulfilling our election promises.

Specifically?

For example, social programs, such as lowering the retirement age and the 13th pension, 500 plus and the 300 plus layette, as well as educational reform, "no-pension" for the young, reducing unemployment - five years ago in Poland we had over 13 percent unemployment, today before the pandemic 5 percent. Good cooperation between the government, the parliament and the president also made it possible to quickly help entrepreneurs in the time of crisis caused by the pandemic, but also the fact that during the years of our predecessors' rule, Eastern Poland, which had been neglected and ignored in the central policy, was finally subsidized. 

During the meetings, you repeatedly said that PiS's goal is to make Podkarpacie more accessible. 

We have completed a number of investments: broadband Internet, a new bridge over the Vistula River in Połaniec, construction of Via Carpatia expressway, renovation of national road no. 28 connecting two voivodships from Gorlice through Biecz, Jasło, Krosno, Sanok to Przemyśl. We already have a bypass around Sanok, Brzozów, Nisko, Stalowa Wola and Lubaczów, we are renovating the railroad line from Kraków to Rzeszów and further to Przemyśl, we have electrified the railroad line from Małopolska Stróża to the Jedlicze refinery, we are renovating many voivodship roads, we are building a road and a border crossing in Malhowice, we have already opened a seasonal tourist crossing to Zakarpacie in Wołosat in the Bieszczady Mountains. In a word, we are developing accessibility in all directions. 
 
"Poland is a bagel: the borderlands fertile, the center - nothing". This is the sentence Jozef Pilsudski said to the bishop of Zhytomyr Ignacy Dub-Dubovsky on the train after his departure from Minsk Mazowiecki to Warsaw on May 18, 1920. Do you agree?
 
That's a powerful quote. Today I would say that all of Poland is both beautiful and important. Coming back to Podkarpacie: such a high result is a response to the good governance of PIS in Podkarpacie for many years, because we have been ruling in the regional assembly since 2013. In recent years Podkarpackie has been the fastest growing voivodeship in Poland and this is where people live the longest. The residents simply appreciate all these changes. 
 
Aren't you afraid that the floods which hit Podkarpacie in the last few days will make people not go to the polls or vote against the incumbent president?
 
I hope that doesn't happen. Help started while the downpour was still raging. The fire department, the army, the cooperation with the village heads, our activists started the food and water deliveries and carried them to the needy while the water was still flooding the roads. Despite the very difficult situation, the inhabitants of the also flooded districts took part in the Sunday voting, supporting Andrzej Duda's candidacy. Bircza - 74 percent (5 years ago 56 percent), Dubiecko - 71 percent (5 years ago 54 percent), Jawornik Polski - 67 percent (5 years ago 54 percent), Brzyska - 80 percent (5 years ago 65 percent), Jaslo - 68 percent, where in one Trzcinica 200 houses were destroyed by water, Jasienica Rosielna - 78 percent (5 years ago 60 percent), Jaslo - 68 percent (5 years ago 55 percent). It is clear to everyone that if it were not for this "flood" the results would be much better.
 
As Speaker of the Sejm you were very much involved in the work for the region. The crowning initiative was the international conference Europe of the Carpathians. What about it now?
 
We continue to work through periodic conferences. Everything started over 20 years ago within the framework of the 'Green Carpathians' project. And Carpathian Europe has gained momentum since 2011, when, among others, with Ryszard Terlecki, Krzysztof Szczerski, Waldemar Paruch, Piotr Naimski, Jerzy Kwieciński we launched this initiative as an international forum for exchanging experiences and views. It was the only parliamentary initiative when PiS was in opposition. Also today, it inspires actions for sustainable development of Central and Eastern Europe and strengthening cooperation between neighboring countries. Sustainable development, protection of nature and cultural heritage, wise use of natural resources - especially drinking water - development of north-south infrastructure and strengthening competitiveness and innovation in the Carpathian countries - these are the areas supported by Carpathian Europe. Currently, there are several similar initiatives in Central Europe, e.g. Tri-City launched a few years ago by President Andrzej Duda, V4 group with quite good results of guarding also Polish interests in the EU, or prepared Carpathian strategy facilitating joint development as it was years ago in the Alps. In February this year another edition of Carpathian Europe took place in Przemyśl and Krasiczyn and we are already preparing for Krynica.

Magdalena Żuraw

Source: niezalezna.pl