Ministry of Family, Work and Social Policy filed a report on Thursday (July 18) about a possible crime committed by former minister Marlena Maląg and former director of the Department of Communication and Promotion. The case concerns expenditure on promotional activities of the ministry, including, among others, the organization of so-called picnics 800+. “About 140 such events with the participation of politicians PIS for over eight million zlotys of public money took place… in the election year 2023″ – the head of the ministry noted Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-B±k.
Picnics 800 plus. Ministry files notification to prosecutor's office
The notification included two allegations of suspected neglect of duties by the former director of the Department of Communication and Promotion. The first concerns the selection of entities organizing picnics, and the second – the inadvertent purchase of billboards. The accusation against Marlena Maląg, on the other hand, concerns the suspicion of exceeding her powers. In the opinion of the ministry, the minister could have acted to the detriment of the public interest by issuing orders to the director of the department subordinate to her. “The final assessment of the actions of the former director of the department and the former minister will belong to the prosecutor's office and possibly the court. The National Electoral Commission has also been informed of the case,” the ministry noted in the last fragment of the announcement.
“NIK has left no stone unturned in the 800 plus picnics”
The Ministry refers to the conclusions of the Supreme Audit Office, which assessed that the selection of event organizers was made without observing the principles of transparency and fair competition. The body also indicated that advertising space was purchased in locations where the election campaign was conducted by politicians from the then management of the ministry. – NIK has left no stone unturned on the subject of 800 plus picnics. It indicates that the selection of entities organizing picnics and stands was made without observing the principles of transparency of the procedure, without observing the principles of fair competition and equal treatment. In some situations, requests for proposals were sent to several entities, giving only a few hours to submit an offer – noted Minister Dziemianowicz-Bąk.
Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk: Public funds should serve Polish citizens
The head of the ministry also noted that this method of informing about the change in the amount of the benefit was not necessary, because valorization occurred automatically. For comparison, she indicated that informing beneficiaries by correspondence would cost about PLN 200,000. – This is a colossal difference, and we are talking about public funds that should serve Polish citizens, and not only those who are currently conducting their election campaign – she emphasized.
Marlena Maląg responds to the ministry's decision. “Demagogy and malice”
Marlena Maląg herself referred to the ministry's decision, calling it “demagogy and malice”. “'Mismanagement' and 'inappropriateness' are the most general and demagogic accusations that can be made against any decision-maker. They mean everything and nothing at the same time. Such accusations can be made against a family member, the board of a company, or, for example, the mayor of a city, in principle regarding any expense that is questionable to someone,” the former minister stated in an entry published on the X portal.
The current MEP further accuses the ministry of “not understanding the essence of the activities” carried out as part of the 800 plus promotion. “This activity was primarily about generating a positive mood and social attitude towards promoting family values. The image of parents having fun together with children, an atmosphere of joy and awareness that parenthood is and should be supported by the State, was an investment – long-term – in promoting fertility and a sense of security and social trust related to the implementation of parental tasks” [pisownia oryginalna] – Maląg argued.