The third question of the referendum, announced by Morawiecki, would say: "Do you support the admission of thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa under the forced relocation mechanism imposed by the European bureaucracy?"
The announcement indicates that his political faction, the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, is poised to leverage the issue of migration during the general election campaign.
EU migration package
On June 15, leader of the ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party Jarosław Kaczyński said in parliament that the government would call a national referendum on the European Union’s proposed new migration policy.
Under the new migration deal proposed by Brussels, the EU would relocate at least 30,000 migrants a year "from member states where most persons enter the EU to member states less exposed to such arrivals," according to officials.
Countries that refuse to admit a set number of migrants would be obliged to make a financial contribution of EUR 22,000 for every migrant they refuse to admit, the IAR news agency reported.
Poland and Hungary have opposed this plan, arguing it amounts to "forced relocation" of migrants, according to news outlets.
Government's proposed referendum
On July 3, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that the ruling conservatives planned to hold a referendum on the EU’s proposed migration deal together with the upcoming parliamentary election, which has since been slated for October 15.
The plebiscite is set to consist of four questions, with the final one to be announced on Monday.
In the first question of the planned national referendum, Poles will be asked if they support the sale of state-owned companies, the leader of the ruling conservatives, Jarosław Kaczyński, announced on Friday morning.
On Saturday, Beata Szydło, a member of the European Parliament and former Polish prime minister, said that the second question would say: "Are you in favor of raising the retirement age, currently set at 60 years for women and 65 for men?"
Poland’s Sejm (lower house of parliament) is due to consider a motion for a nationwide referendum at a session next week, the PAP news agency reported.
(ał)
Source: IAR, PAP