Since November 12, 2015, when the MPs entrusted me with the post of the Speaker of the Sejm, I have adopted the model of the Speaker's work, who is not only active in the Chamber of Deputies in the Sejm building in Warsaw, but also works actively at home and abroad.
Hence the large number of meetings and trips to ceremonies in which I participate, invited by the organizers. Since the beginning of my term of office there have been about 900 such meetings, often several a day, including Saturdays and Sundays. Participation in many of them required the use of special air transport.
It is also a form of direct consultation with the inhabitants of various places in Poland, mainly from small towns. The enormous legislative activity of the Sejm in this term requires discussions that include citizens in the law-making process. The Sejm in the current term has passed 876 laws.
Flights, both to Rzeszów and to any other airport in Poland and abroad, were connected with my work as the Speaker of the Sejm, which consisted of international and national conferences, meetings connected with the work of the Sejm and other current events. Participation in anniversary celebrations of international, national and regional dimensions.
I am aware that the number of flights was high, but this was mainly due to the working model I adopted.

Regarding the information appearing in the public space, I would like to emphasize that:

1. The Speaker of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland is entitled to use special military aircraft, which is described in detail in the Instruction on the Organization of Flights with the Most Important Persons in the Polish Armed Forces ("HEAD Instruction"), which states that the flight of an aircraft with the participation of the President, the Speaker of the Sejm, the Speaker of the Senate or the Prime Minister, performed on an official mission, has the HEAD status. It is worth mentioning that this status is not granted by the Speaker of the Sejm, the Chancellery of the Sejm or the Chancellery of the Prime Minister but it is granted by the Commander of the SOP responsible for the safety of the most important persons in the country. However, the decision about the possibility and the way of carrying out the flight is made by its executor, i.e. the commander of the air unit. The "HEAD Instruction" allows for other persons to be present during flights with the most important persons in the state, stating that it is the entity organizing the flight that creates the list of passengers (§ 22), but it does not specify who exactly, in addition to the most important persons in the state, may be present on board. The decision to establish the list of passengers is left to the organiser of the flight (§ 16(2)(2)). The relevant provision (§ 16(6)(3)) also authorises the aircraft operator to update the passenger list.
2. The use of these means of transport resulted from a very busy schedule of meetings and events in which I participated, which necessitated dynamic and efficient travel between distant points in the country and abroad. Thanks to the use of fast means of transport, it was possible to combine numerous duties performed in Warsaw with those performed in other parts of Poland, as well as abroad.
3. Regardless of the motives behind my actions, I understand that the use of the means of transportation available to the Speaker of the Sejm by my family may be controversial. During the entire 4-year term of office, there were 23 such flights in which, apart from me, also my closest relatives were on board. That is why I decided to donate 15 thousand PLN to Caritas and Klinika Budzik. After a thorough analysis of the flights, it also turned out that immediately after one of my flights from Warsaw to Rzeszów, on the way back to Warsaw, with the consent of the crew commander and his superior, my wife was travelling. I would like to emphasize that this was not a flight ordered specifically for this purpose, because after I left the plane in Rzeszów, the plane had to return to Warsaw according to the plan. This flight also did not have the "HEAD" status.
   However, to dispel any doubts about it, I decided to pay the amount covering the full cost of the flight and calculated by the Ministry of Defense, i.e. 28 thousand PLN to the Armed Forces Modernization Fund.
4. I am aware that the public takes a negative view of such conduct, so I would like to apologize to everyone who felt offended.

At the same time, I would like to emphatically state that I acted in accordance with the law. Data on these flights are available in several institutions. My accompaniment by family members did not in any case increase the cost of the flights. Except for one situation described, there has never been a case of my family flying in a military aircraft without my presence.

Marek Kuchciński