In its home region of Podkarpacie, the Law and Justice party has started a campaign for the May elections to the European Parliament.

Among those running for first place are: Deputy Prime Minister Beata Szydło, Head of the Interior Ministry Joachim Brudziński, Deputy Speaker of the Senate Adam Bielan, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, Witold Waszczykowski, Elżbieta Kruk, Karol Karski, Zdzisław Krasnodębski, Minister of Education Anna Zalewska and Anna Fotyga.
At yesterday's convention, PiS presented goals and ideas with which it wants to go to the elections: the return of the European Union to its values, the pursuit of the interests of Polish farmers, the defense of parents' rights to raise their children, the defense of equal treatment of Polish companies, a budget favorable to Poland.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, chairman of PiS, was the first to speak, stressing that his party is focused on the family, but we must pay attention to a great danger - such as the attack carried out on children. - They attack our social policy, saying that it is handouts. Either they don't want to understand, or they really don't understand what the two great goals of this policy are," Kaczyński said.

At the same time, he pointed out that poverty, especially destitution, humiliates and in many cases takes away one's dignity. - We managed to limit this phenomenon and we will continue to limit it. This restoration of Poles' dignity is our great goal. Our opponents do not understand this goal - he pointed out.

The PiS president added that programs such as the 500 plus program - also for the first child - can be treated as an investment. As he noted, these funds very often go for education of children or improve the situation in families, and also give a chance to believe in the future. - This is really a huge investment in our future, but also in our present, because it works now - he stressed. - If our opponents win the elections they will take away what we gave them, starting with 500 plus and ending with early retirement. They will take away because even if they did not want to take away, they cannot govern - he argued.

- You have to fight, fight and fight. You have to bite the grass and thanks to this you will win - for Poland, for Poles, for Polish families, and also for us - said the Law and Justice leader.

Mateusz Morawiecki, in turn, argued that he wants to be a prime minister for the Polish middle class, which is getting deeper and deeper, for the Poles from cities, villages and towns, working people, those who need support, and not for the elites or the powerful of this world, because they - as the prime minister pointed out - will manage.

According to Morawiecki, for Law and Justice, Europeanism means a better life for Poles. - Our political competitors understand Europeanism as a revolution in customs, as the implementation of moral innovations, cultural upheaval, worldview - he said.

- We are really going to represent Polish interests there in the European Union" - said the head of government. -said the head of government. - We want to influence the fate of Europe. As thanks to the Visegrad Group we have managed to do an awful lot. To stop this mad policy
related to refugees, migrants. We show how to shape the policies of the entire European Union while preserving our own.
identity and Polish interests. And this is our commitment, and we will do it - he announced.

The Prime Minister noted that Poland not only benefits from the EU, but also offers it a lot. - We give a lot to the European Union, we are not only grateful to the EU for what we get. Today we show how to manage the tax system, how to propose modernity, a leap into modernity combined with the defense of the tradition of Polish families and a rich social program," he said.

As he pointed out, going into the EP elections, we are considering two visions of Europe: a Europe of homelands or a Europe without homelands. - For me Europe is strong through its diversity, we bring a lot to Europe. The wealth of Europe comes from different values, strength, vital juices, proposals, projects coming from different countries, including Poland," Morawiecki said.

Tomasz Poręba, chief of staff of the Law and Justice party, who for many years in the European Parliament worked for the construction of the Via Carpatia transport route, pointed out that the Law and Justice government proposes a philosophy of sustainable development, i.e. investing in the development of the whole country, not just selected places or selected cities.

He pointed out that the PiS convention is being held in Podkarpacie because this is the region where the two philosophies of governance, represented by the PO-PSL coalition governments and the PiS governments, are best seen. According to him, this philosophy was juxtaposed in 2015 with the philosophy of sustainable development proposed by the PiS government. - We propose to invest in the whole of Poland. We propose investing and betting on the development of the whole country, not just selected places, selected cities - stressed Poręba.

It consists of 12 points - like the 12 Marian stars in the EU flag.

• First, we will work for a return of the EU to the values that its founders proclaimed and that were to become the foundation of its development.
•  Second, protecting parents' right to raise their children.
•  Third, we will actively seek the interests of Polish farmers at the EU forum.
• Fourth, we will negotiate a new budget favorable to Poland
  EU.
• Fifth, we will defend equal treatment of Polish companies on
  European market.
• Sixth, we will continue to effectively advocate for
  security and protection of the EU's external borders.
• We will fight to ensure that consumers across Europe are
  treated equally and have access to products and goods of the same
  Quality.
• PiS will seek to eliminate double standards in the treatment of the state within the EU.
• We will strive to ensure that Europe's climate policy takes Polish interests into account.
• Tenth, a strong cohesion policy as a basis for rapid and solidarity-based EU development.
• We want Europe to help in places of conflict.
• We oppose illegal immigration.

The politician pointed out that in order for these points to be realized and to succeed in convincing partners in Europe that this is the right direction for the EU, PiS needs:

• commitment, support, faith in us that we are moving in this direction, so that the future of Poland is the future of a strong, well-organized, well-functioning homeland.

The following places on the list for the EP are occupied by: Bogdan Rzońca, Ewa Leniart, Piotr Pilch and Krystyna Wróblewska.

text/ photo Marta Olejnik/ KS