If I hear Mr. President who sees no reason to criticize Antoni Macierewicz, I want to tell him: yes, Antoni Macierewicz deserves credit for his anti-communist activities, but that is not what this story is about, said Piotr Zgorzelski, Deputy Speaker of the Sejm (PSL). Co-chairman of the New Left, Włodzimierz Czarzasty, asked Andrzej Duda for special advice and announced a motion to strip the PiS MP of the Order of the White Eagle. In turn, according to Zbigniew Kuźmiuk (PiS), Macierewicz is “a man of absolute merit for Poland and deserves monuments, not accusations.”
The Ministry of Defense presented the report of the team investigating the work of the Smolensk subcommittee, headed by Antoni Macierewicz. They pointed to a number of irregularities, manipulations and lies used by the subcommittee. Her works cost PLN 81 million. The Ministry of National Defense sent 41 notifications to the prosecutor's office, including 26 regarding Macierewicz himself.
Deputy Speaker of the Sejm Włodzimierz Czarzasty announced a request to the president to revoke Macierewicz's Order of the White Eagle. On Tuesday on Radio Zet, President Andrzej Duda was asked whether he would agree to such a request and take away the order from him.. “I don't see any reason for that,” he replied.
– Antoni Macierewicz received the Order of the White Eagle for his great services to our freedom, to regaining independence and sovereignty. These are great merits. (…) Antoni Macierewicz is one of the absolute heroes of the fight against communism and the final victory over communism. For this, he received the Order of the White Eagle and made important contributions to Poland by participating in the liquidation of the WSI and creating the Territorial Defense Forces, Duda said.
– And Mr. Czarzasty doesn't exist much in politics and I guess that's how he decided to make his presence known by coming up with such an initiative. You can smile, commented the president.
Czarzasty with advice for the president. “Please hang such names on the wall”
Czarzasty referred to Andrzej Duda's words on Tuesday in an interview with TVN24. – Mr. President, you will not offend us, there is no chance in the case of Mr. Macierewicz and the fact that you refused to take away his order – he said.
– I have this advice for you. When you come home today, sit in an armchair, pour yourself some whiskey, wine, sparkling water, tea, whatever you drink in the evening, and hang the following names on the wall: Wisława Szymborska, Witold Pilecki, Krzysztof Penderecki, Irena Sendler, Karol Modzelewski, Stanisław Lem, Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Jan Karski and… Antoni Macierewicz – he said.
Kuźmiuk: Macierewicz deserves monuments, not these kinds of accusations
Law and Justice MP Zbigniew Kuźmiuk expressed a different tone. – No such attacks on Macierewicz will change the fact that he is a man of absolute merit for Poland and deserves monuments, not the types of accusations that appear – he said.
When asked by TVN24 reporter Maja Wójcikowska about the report, Kuźmiuk said: “don't make me laugh.” – If you treat such findings as something true, I'm sorry – he said.
– This is political chutzpah – he added.
Tomczyk: everything became clear in this case
Deputy Minister of National Defense Cezary Tomczykwho presented the report, said that “everything has become clear in this matter.” – This report was prepared by the military, i.e. by the Polish Army, by people who work with President Duda, worked with Minister Błaszczak and work with Kosiniak-Kamysz – he said.
– Secondly, no one who worked on this team was questioned in any way. Third, politicians PiS they did not even attempt to refute any argument raised in this report – he pointed out.
– Why? This report is a collection of sources. These are e-mails, documents signed by Macierewicz, reports, which are source materials that show one thing: Macierewicz lied to the Polish nation for many years – he added.
Żywno: there should be consequences for such words in public life
Deputy Speaker of the Senate Maciej Żywno (Poland 2050) stated that “this is already an international scandal.” – This is a story for the whole world about a situation that never happened, which builds a macabre picture of relationships not only related to Russiabut also allies with NATO – he said.
– There should be consequences for such words in public life, especially if you are currently a parliamentarian. This should at least go to the ethics committee, although I think it is not enough, but it should really be prosecuted ex officio for what you advocate in the world – he added.
Zgorzelski: That's not what this story is about
Deputy Speaker of the Sejm Piotr Zgorzelski (PSL) said that “the time has finally come for justice and judgment for all those who danced on Smolensk coffins.” – All those who turned the Smolensk tragedy into politics, and the priest of the Smolensk religion was Antoni Macierewicz – he said.
– If I hear Mr. President who sees no reason to criticize Antoni Macierewicz, I want to tell him: yes, Antoni Macierewicz deserves credit for his anti-communist activities in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, but that's not what this story is about. – he emphasized.
– This story is about the fact that later, after 1989, and especially after 2010, he did everything to destroy his achievements – he added.
“The Power of Lies”
Macierewicz's Smolensk subcommittee was watched by the “Black and white” reporter Piotr Świerczek for many years. In his materials, he exposed irregularities in its work, showed hidden documents and other controversial aspects of its activities.
See also other reports by Piotr Świerczek on TVN24 GO: “The Witches' Cauldron” and “Extortion”.
Main photo source: PAP/Tomasz Gzell