Jarosław Kaczyński, who heads the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, made the statement at a party conference in the southern city of Katowice on Sunday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
He said that under the previous centrist government, led by the current opposition leader Donald Tusk, “Poland was subordinated to outside forces, especially … Germany and Russia" from 2007 to 2014.
Kaczyński argued that the previous government “reduced the Polish Army, especially in the east of the country” and “shut down police stations … that had been tasked with combating crime.”
He added that Poland’s courts, prosecution service and some of the media “covered-up the stealing” of state property and mass-scale privatisation.
Kaczyński also said that the upcoming elections were “about not allowing Tusk’s system to return.”
He told the gathering that the opposition Civic Coalition (KO), led by Tusk, sought to “abolish democracy and the rule of law” in Poland.
Addressing those undecided about who to vote for on October 15, Kaczyński stated that only his Law and Justice party was able to guarantee a stable government and “policies that lead to great successes” for the country, the PAP news agency reported.
In August, Poland's lawmakers approved a government plan to combine the parliamentary elections with a nationwide referendum on issues including illegal migration.
Voters will head to the ballot box on October 15 to elect 460 new MPs and 100 senators for a four-year term.
The ruling conservative Law and Justice party and its government coalition allies have maintained a clear lead over the opposition in most recent surveys, polling ahead of the centrist Civic Coalition (KO), the far-right Confederation group, and the Third Way coalition of the rural-based Polish People’s Party (PSL) and the centre-right Poland 2050 grouping.
The ruling conservatives in 2019 won a convincing victory over opposition parties at the ballot box, securing a second term in power.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, gazetaprawna.pl