Former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has challenged Prime Minister Donald Tusk to negotiate provisions prohibiting the forced relocation of migrants in the conclusions of the EU summit taking place in Brussels. In his view, the proposal to temporarily suspend the right to asylum is a ‘smokescreen’.

Mateusz Morawiecki recalled at a press conference in Brussels that the conclusions of the 2018 and 2019 EU summits - i.e. when he was prime minister - included provisions that the EU does not compulsorily relocate migrants to member states. The former head of government argued that unanimity was needed on this issue.

The migration pact - this is the pact that found its way into the June 2018 and 2019 conclusions. It is very strong and unambiguous. We agreed then that there is no forced relocation of migrants to member states. Since 13 December, we can clearly see that the ruling coalition has deviated from such a provision. The legal situation today is similar to that in 2017 and 2018, and at that time we put a hard veto on forced relocation.

— he said, adding:

The current ruling coalition in Poland has strayed from such an attitude. I expect the current government to be fair. I expect a veto on forced relocation. I expect very tough provisions - the ones I inserted in the 2018 conclusions. I encourage Mr Tusk and everyone to simply insert into the conclusions exactly the same paragraph that prohibits forced relocation

— the former prime minister stated.

Morawiecki was interviewed at the conference about Tusk’s proposal to temporarily suspend the right to asylum.

We should not confuse concepts. We know perfectly well that this is another smokescreen. This is what the current government is good at - casting substitute topics, peripheral topics. It is not asylum procedures that are the problem today, the problem today is forcing Poland to carry out forced relocation

— he replied.

He added that ‘first and foremost, the external borders must be protected’.

As long as we effectively protect the external borders, we are not threatened by the artificial illegal immigration that Lukashenko and Putin are preparing for us. Not only did those currently in power vote against the barrier on the border with Belarus, not only did they not believe that we would build this border in six months, but they even mockingly stated - and this in the mouth of the current Prime Minister - that this barrier would not be built in three years. Well, this barrier has been built and it is thanks to the decision of my government that today Poland is protected from illegal migration from the east

— argued Morawiecki.

He emphasised that the maritime border is the easiest to guard.

This is why the UK (in its history - PAP) was so fortunate, unlike us. Today, southern Europe is experiencing such a sadly schizophrenic approach. On the one hand, maritime borders are the easiest to guard, while on the other, as a result of a left-wing agenda, these countries are being forced to accept tens of thousands of illegal migrants

— he declared.

European Council summit

Several days ago the Polish government adopted a migration strategy for 2025-30, which assumes, among other things, that in the event of a threat to destabilise the state due to an influx of migrants, it should be possible to temporarily and territorially suspend the right to accept asylum applications.

An announcement to this effect had already been made earlier, during the KO convention on 12 October. It triggered comments at home and abroad. At the time, Tusk announced that he would ‘demand recognition in Europe’ for his decision.

Tusk spoke on migration.

I am just after meetings with all the key players. I have achieved what I wanted to achieve on this issue - first of all, understanding

— Tusk said in an interview with journalists before the start of the EU summit.

It is not about suspending the right to asylum, it is about temporarily, territorially suspending the acceptance of applications where the border is crossed illegally, forcibly, that is, on the Belarusian border. Everyone here understands this

— he explained.

According to the Polish Prime Minister, no one in the Union ‘has a problem’ to recognise the Polish right to such a temporary suspension.

Everyone also understands the peculiar situation in which hostile regimes are involved in smuggling people. I must say, between you and me, that it went more smoothly than I expected

— he announced.

Migration strategy 2025-2030

The Government has adopted the Migration Strategy 2025-30 ‘Take back control, ensure security’. The contents of the 36-page document have been published on the website of the Prime Minister’s Office.

The main directions of action, listed in the government’s migration strategy, concern: access to the territory of Poland, access to national and international protection, access to the labour market, educational migration, integration, citizenship and repatriation, contact with the diaspora.

Difficult situation

During the press conference, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also referred to Poland’s budgetary situation, which he believes is becoming increasingly difficult.

Things are not going well. The excessive deficit procedure, which is imposed on Poland, should take into account what was taken into account at the end of my government at the ECOFIN Council

— declared Morawiecki at a conference in the European Parliament.

He added that for three years he had been pushing for funds spent on defence not to be included in the algorithm that determines whether an excessive budget deficit procedure should be applied to an EU member state.

Today - Morawiecki stressed - Poland spends around 4 per cent of GDP on defence and ‘the Polish government must show defence spending as that which should not be included (…) in the excessive deficit calculation procedure’.

Excessive deficit procedure

In July, the Member States in the Council of the EU decided to launch the excessive deficit procedure against Poland and six other Member States. The countries concerned will have four to seven years to implement the corrective actions.

The European Commission proposed on 19 June to place seven countries - Poland, France, Italy, Belgium, Hungary, Malta and Slovakia - under the excessive deficit procedure on the grounds of lack of corrective action.

The Excessive Deficit Procedure is triggered when an EU country’s public finance sector deficit exceeds 3 per cent of GDP or when its public debt is higher than 60 per cent of GDP. It is designed to ensure that all Member States restore or maintain discipline in their budgets and avoid excessive deficits. The ultimate goal is to keep public debt low or bring high debt to sustainable levels.

Morawiecki also criticised the EC chief at the conference for her ‘canting talk’ about helping flood victims in Poland.

I appeal to the current government and I urge Ursula von der Leyen to make good on the promises of a few weeks ago. I do not see a single new euro from structural policy, (…) dedicated for flood victims. (…) Nothing of what was promised from the EC president has been implemented

— he said.

Tłum. K.J.