In a recording published by Sławomir Mentzen, the leader of the Confederation referred straight and in item to the alleged “Polish Declaration” presented by Jarosław Kaczyński.
Mentzen makes it clear that this paper was not intended for a real agreement, but was a tool for political provocation and an effort to divide and weaken the Confederation.
“From the very beginning, it was evident that this declaration was so constructed that we did not sign it, not that we signed it.”
According to Mentzen, Kaczyński's intention was not to accomplish consent, but to put the Confederacy against the wall – so that the refusal to sign the declaration could be politically utilized against them.
"He wanted to draw a line of division to show why he disagreed with us, to show that the Confederacy was not truly close to the Law and Justice, to show that it was possibly even closer to the Civic Platform."
Mentzen analyses all points of the declaration. In the first, talking about the complete exclusion of cooperation with Tuski, he points out his impreciseness and semantic traps. He asks, who are the “political forces of Tuska” – whether it is only about the Civic Platform, or whether it is about PSL, Hołownia or more about anyone who has always worked with Tuski? He concludes that signing specified a declaration means tying hands for years without any political advantage.
"I don't know what I'm going to do in 5, 10, 15, 20 years. Unlike Kaczyński, I do not intend to sign things I do not intend to keep.”
Similarly, he is critical of the point of banning cooperation with Putinian Russia. Not due to the fact that he wants this cooperation, but due to the fact that he considers specified absolutism to be politically immature.
“This is stupid. If individual openly calls for this kind of declaration that no Polish government will always make any agreement with Russia in the future, then this government will not take care of the Polish interest."
He notes that even with the 3rd Reich after respective years of war trade relations were conducted, and present Poland has average relations with Germany despite historical crimes. According to him, abroad policy must be flexible, not stuck in the eternal past.
In the case of an alliance with the US, Mentzen does not undermine current cooperation, but again warns against reasoning dogmatic categories.
“There is no specified thing as always and everywhere, regardless of the circumstances, we will be an ally with someone.”
He besides quotes from Kaczyński himself in 2011:
"We are for a Europe that will have its own strong and efficient armed forces under the authority of the president of the European Union."
This contrast shows, according to Mentzen, the variability of views of the PiS leader and the instrumental approach to politics.
When discussing migration issues, Mentzen accuses PiS of manifest hypocrisy. It points out that the government of the organization itself has accepted hundreds of thousands of migrants, including from Muslim countries, despite the current declarations of firm standing.
"In the regulation of PiSu, about 366 000 migrants from culturally different countries, from Muslim countries, received labour visas in Poland." (...) "The Economist in 2020 recognized the Law and Justice as a organization that has the most liberal migration policy across Europe."
Similarly, he is ruthless about the attitude of the Law and Justice Office towards the European Union. Although the organization is opposed to the "centralisation of the EU", Mentzen recalls that it was PiS that agreed to the Lisbon Treaty, fresh EU taxes, common debt and Green Deal.
“In a sense, they agreed to all of this. Law and Justice governments are governments erstwhile the fresh competences of the European Union were most devoted."
When the slogan “First Poland”, Mentzen does not hide outrage. He accuses the Law and Justice Office that over the years they placed Ukraine's interests higher than Polish interests, which was to be manifested in both historical and social and migration policy.
“It was Jarosław Kaczyński who decided that we sent so many weapons to Ukraine that abruptly the Polish army became defenceless.” “We are servants of the Ukrainian people – these are the words of your Deputy abroad Minister.”
In matters of education, Mentzen is cut off from both "demoralizing programs" and from the political control of schools. It opposes the ideology of education by each side.
“I would not like politicians to leave schools, children, parents, teachers, directors simply alone.”
Energy – like the Green Deal – is another area where Mentzen sees hypocrisy. The PiS first agreed to the Green Deal and then calls on others to block it. It recalls that Prime Minister Morawiecki agreed to its implementation at the European Council.
“It was the Law and Justice that led to the Green Deal, and now it is the Law and Justice that calls us to block it.”
However, the last point of anger is the most – "Landing by law, not by goods." For Mentzen, it is an highly populist slogan, completely detached from reality.
"The very content of this slogan is by its own nature communist. individual feels that he has a request to have an apartment, preferably in the center of Warsaw, preferably a large one, he has to get one.”
It points to an increase in property prices, which, according to him, was the consequence of the policy of the Law and Justice: the mass admission of migrants, the bureaucracy of the construction process and the 2% credit programme, which was to boost housing prices.
Mentzen concludes that the full declaration does not contain a single point relating to the key issues: low taxes, restrictions on bureaucracy, judicial reform, wellness care treatment or deregulation of the economy.
"There is nothing about budgetary discipline, there is nothing about social restraint, there is nothing about very crucial reforms, even though the wellness system, even the judiciary, has nothing about taxes, simplification, taxation reduction."
Mentzen's rejection of the declaration was his only reasonable move. Signing the paper would mean, as he himself says:
“I would show that I am abandoning my program, I am now accepting a program that he considers to be his Law and Justice, where there is nothing crucial to me.”
Kaczyński – according to Mentzen – was not looking for cooperation, but for a political pretext to strike the Confederacy and leader of fresh Hope. Thus, a public accusation of alleged seeking an alliance with the Civic Platform.
“Jarosław Kaczyński, who ruled Poland for many years, says that I want to keep this rotten arrangement to which he led.”
Mentzen ends his speech with a strong accusation against the PiS president:
"This is simply a political gangster who wants well only for his party. The interest of the state is far little crucial to him than the interest of his party. (...) “Kaczyński has so far destroyed – and not only politically, but besides physically, mentally – all erstwhile coalition player.”
He cites names: Lepper, Giertych, Gowin, Ziobro – as examples of politicians who collaborated with Kaczyński and were later, in his opinion, marginalized, compromised or completely eliminated from public life.
Finally, he stresses:
"I truly wasn't going to become a PiSu Appetizer. I do not agree on besides many matters with PiS now that they should say what it is to be done in Poland.”
