Our main goal is to have a president who will prevent war and crisis. Here we need patience, experience, contacts, and the ability to convince our European partners to take responsibility for their security, said Rafał Trzaskowski, who is fighting with Radosław Sikorski to be the candidate of the Civic Coalition in the presidential elections, on Sunday in Katowice. He added that Poland needs a predictable president “who knows how to bite his tongue when necessary” and who can build alliances.
The primary elections for the mayor of Warsaw will decide who will become the Civic Coalition's candidate for president. Rafał Trzaskowski and the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski. The voting will take place on Friday, November 22, and the results will be announced the next day, i.e. on Saturday.
On Sunday, Rafał Trzaskowski met with supporters and members of KO in Katowice. He reminded that on Monday, research ordered by the Civic Coalition in the context of the presidential primaries will be published. He stressed that he did not know their results, although he knew other results indicating who had the greatest chance of winning the presidential election. He emphasized that one of the goals of the primaries is for the KO candidate to have a “super strong mandate.”
Rafał Trzaskowski in KatowicePAP/Jarek Praszkiewicz
He said that also in this context, “we need to say why we are going to this fight, as well as what the priorities and most important topics of this election campaign will be.” He added that although he does not like comparisons to the American campaign, it teaches that the campaign “should be done among people” and respond to what they are talking about.
– That is why I am convinced that the most important issues will be: prosperity and economy, security and health care – he said.
Trzaskowski on security and relations with the USA
In the context of security, he pointed to alliances with the United States and the European Union as key. He stressed that, unlike its predecessors, the current coalition is not offended by any of its allies.
– For us, the key thing is that if we hear from various Trump advisors, we must first of all listen to his voice, and he said clearly: I am ready to cooperate and help those who take responsibility into their own hands – emphasized Trzaskowski. – We are doing exactly that, investing almost 5 percent of GDP next year in our security – he said.
– From this, it is also important to conclude that we must strengthen our resilience, deterrence and security of Europe, the entire European Union and the entire North Atlantic Alliance. That is why it is of paramount importance that we are able to convince our partners in the European Union that the budget should look completely different (EU – ed.); the one that is currently being prepared – note, by our commissioner – Trzaskowski pointed out.
He assured that, knowing Piotr Serafin, he is talking to him to ensure that the budget takes into account issues related to strengthening the resilience to crises, the resilience of the European Union, the issue of security and investments in European defense capabilities.
Rafał Trzaskowski on safety
– Of course, we must cooperate with the United States, but we must also be prepared for the Americans to bear a little less responsibility for us. We have to explain to them that they should not do this, because if Putin, God forbid, could sell the end war in Ukraine as our success, we would all pay the price for it, too United States – he said.
He assured that the current coalition is talking about it with American Republicans. – Our maturity, my maturity, consists in having good relations with Democrats and Republicans, explaining to them what is most important, our reason of state – he declared.
Trzaskowski also recalled that he has been dealing with the European Union for over 20 years – as an analyst, MEP and minister – and assessed that at the European level, Poland needs a predictable president “who can bite his tongue when necessary” and is able to build alliances .
– First of all, we want to have a president who will prevent war and crisis. Here we need patience, experience, contacts, and the ability to convince our European partners to take responsibility for their security – he enumerated.
In the context of German politics, Trzaskowski assured that talks have been ongoing in recent months with CDU/CSU politicians, who will probably form the next majority, as well as with liberals, greens and socialists. – We tell them: you have to take more responsibility for your safety, you also have to admit that you made mistakes regarding contacts with Russia – reported the mayor of Warsaw.
– Our partners must understand that we were right. They need to learn from this and act much more responsibly and if European Unionthe European part of the North Atlantic Alliance will also take greater responsibility, Trump, even if he wanted to, will have no choice but to cooperate with us, said Trzaskowski.
– If we see that America is changing and Americans are making different decisions, we should not throw up our hands or be afraid, but take responsibility and balance these relations with our good relations within the European Union – he said.
Trzaskowski on the Sutryk case and Collegium Humanum
During the meeting, Trzaskowski was asked about his acquaintance with the president of Wrocław Jacek Sutryk, who was detained by the CBA on Thursday regarding irregularities regarding the Collegium Humanum university. – I assume that the services in Poland are completely independent and the matter will be clarified immediately – replied the deputy head of PO.
– I take responsibility for myself. I cooperate with many local government officials. Jacek Sutryk is the head of the Association of Polish Cities, said Trzaskowski, emphasizing that every irregularity should be explained. He noted that “in every local government there were people with diplomas from this university, when no one knew how this university operated.” He added that all his colleagues are expected to pass a “standard exam” by the end of the year.
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– All my co-workers have to pass a regular exam and that's it. Even though I don't know who did what, that's what the services are for, he emphasized. He also pointed out that some people “try to use this type of arguments in the internal debate to weaken all local government officials.” However, everyone should be judged based on what they have done and what they represent.
CBA officers have been working on irregularities regarding the Collegium Humanum university (currently Varsovia University of Business and Applied Sciences) since February. It was then that “Newsweek” journalists found out that the private university offered rapid courses that allowed you to obtain an MBA diploma. Such diplomas made it easier, among other things, to: path to supervisory boards of State Treasury companies.
The credibility of documents issued by Collegium Humanum was to be ensured, among others, by: foreign universities, but it turned out that they were not authorized to offer MBA studies. Collegium Humanum graduates included: politicians, presidents and board members of State Treasury companies, secret service officers and military commanders.
So far, the CBA has detained about 30 people – including: former rector of the Collegium Humanum, Paweł C. The detainees were charged with a total of 150 charges (most of which were against Paweł C.). Sutryk was charged with four charges. One concerns the provision of a financial benefit to the former rector of the Collegium Humanum university in exchange for a diploma of completion of “Executive Master of Business” postgraduate studies without actually completing them. The remaining ones involve committing the crime of fraud.
Main photo source: PAP/Jarek Praszkiewicz