Mateusz Morawiecki confirmed the plan at a news conference in Warsaw on Monday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
The prime minister was asked about a proposal submitted to parliament earlier in the day by Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party to allow authorities to hold a national referendum on the same day as parliamentary, presidential or European Parliament elections.
Morawiecki told reporters: “I can confirm that we are planning to organise the parliamentary elections and the referendum on the EU’s migrant relocation plan at the same time, partly in order to reduce costs. Holding the elections and the referendum separately would obviously mean additional costs, while holding them together will be almost like having two ballots at the cost of one.”
On June 15, during a parliamentary debate on the EU’s proposed new migrant relocation plan, Polish conservative leader Jarosław Kaczyński told MPs that the issue “must be put to a vote in a national referendum.”
Morawiecki said on Monday that the referendum would “likely comprise just one question, about illegal migration to Poland,” the PAP news agency reported.
EU proposes new migration deal
Under a new migration package proposed by Brussels, EU member countries would be bound by “mandatory solidarity” in migration policy, while having flexibility “as regards the choice of the individual contributions,” from admitting relocated migrants to making financial contributions, the PAP news agency reported.
The bloc would commit to at least 30,000 relocations per year “from member states where most persons enter the EU to member states less exposed to such arrivals,” officials said.
Meanwhile, financial contributions from member states would be fixed at EUR 20,000 per relocation at a minimum, according to the Polish state news agency.
The plan effectively means that each EU country would have “a choice between admitting relocated migrants or making a financial contribution for every migrant it refuses to admit,” according to one official cited by PAP.
On June 15, Polish lawmakers adopted a declaration against the EU’s proposed new migration package.
Poland’s next general election is scheduled for the autumn. The exact date will be set by the president, with October 15 the earliest constitutionally possible date, according to news outlets.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, gazetaprawna.pl