We will defend our identity, our freedom, our sovereignty at all costs, we will not be terrorised by money, and there will be a veto; if the threats and blackmails are continued, we will firmly defend Poland’s vital interest

— said Jarosław Kaczyński, Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Law and Justice party, in an interview with the GPC.

When asked about the struggle that Poland is facing “with those who want to impose their values on us as part of the EU or even make us subordinate”, he replied:

I will call these actions what they are: we are facing an attempt to strip us of our sovereignty, even in the cultural sphere.

-said Deputy Prime Minister Kaczyński.

To make it clear to everyone what the dispute with the Union is about, I will refer to the example of the People’s Republic of Poland. From the point of view of the Communist model of the Soviet Union, the existence of individual farms was a horrendous thing, and yet they existed in the People’s Republic of Poland. The activity of the Catholic Church was also unacceptable, although in the People’s Republic of Poland the Church operated, even though it was obviously harassed, persecuted and brutally oppressed. So even under Communism, certain areas of human freedom, the possibility of choice, remained defendable. Poland was, of course, completely subordinate to Moscow; however, certain independence was preserved.

-said Kaczyński.

Yet nowadays, the institutions of the European Union, its various officials, some politicians whom Poles have never elected to be anywhere, are all demanding that we verify our entire culture and reject everything that is so important to us, because that is what they want. After all, there is no other justification. There is no trace of a Treaty justification to their claims, and this is contrary to our declaration of cultural sovereignty made by the Parliament before joining the EU. There will be no consent to such actions. We will defend our identity, our freedom and our sovereignty at all costs. We will not be terrorised by money. Our response to these actions will be very clear: no.

• said Kaczyński.

Asked whether there would be a veto on the budget and coronafund, the head of Law and Justice responded: „There will be a veto”.

If the threats and blackmails are continued, we will firmly defend Poland’s vital interest. Veto. Non possumus. And so we will act against anyone who will apply any kind of pressure to us. I will repeat once again - because I have already said that - we are on the right side of history. It is those who want to deprive us of our sovereignty, to impose their personal vision, that are heading straight for the fall.

• underlined Kaczyński.

Tłum. K.J.