Jarosław Kaczyński

Jarosław Aleksander Kaczyński (born 18 June 1949) is a Polish politician who is currently serving as leader of the Law and Justice party (known by its Polish acronym PiS), which he co-founded in 2001 with his twin brother, Lech Kaczyński. He previously served as Deputy Prime Minister of Poland from 2020 to 2022 and Prime Minister of Poland from 2006 to 2007. He is considered to be the most important politician in Poland and one of the most influential European leaders.

Quotes

 * In Russia, the media feeds people with messages that have nothing to do with reality – even being a brutal and crude denial of it – and we also have media [in Poland] that work at least similarly. The media is a major constraint on our public debate.
 * "Kaczyński likens opposition to Russia and says “media a constraint on public debate”" in Notes From Poland (13 June 2022)


 * In the West, the fight [against inflation] is waged by limiting the purchasing power of people, and this will probably bring about an effect quite quickly. Wage growth there is much lower than inflation. We cannot follow this path, because it would be felt much more by Poles. We will not limit social benefits; we will lower taxes. We have to explain this to voters.
 * "Kaczyński likens opposition to Russia and says “media a constraint on public debate”" in Notes From Poland (13 June 2022)


 * The program of deep changes in our country will not slow down, on the contrary — there cannot be any talk about reaching an agreement with powers that for years treated Poland as their own private loot.
 * "Kaczynski: Poland will stand its ground in EU spat" in DW


 * I understand people curse. I do it myself in stores, although of course I am aware that my situation is very different and I do not even try to compare myself and my financial situation to those who earn an average or little income.
 * "Jarosław Kaczyński: Sam Złorzeczę W Sklepach Na Wysokie Ceny" (27 December 2021)


 * We are a serious player and therefore more and more heavy guns are being brought against us. When it was decided to expand the European Union, it was probably assumed that our part of Europe would be in the situation of weaker, non-subject countries, used as cheap labor for a very long time. This has started to change, which many in the West do not like. We received the first such signals in the 1990s, when we were poor. It was thought that we would remain like the countries of the South, and today it turned out that in this sense Poland is a country of the North.
 * "Jarosław Kaczyński: Sam Złorzeczę W Sklepach Na Wysokie Ceny" (27 December 2021)


 * People have to vaccinate, this is the basic issue. Considering the realities and reluctance of a large part of society, we need to consider what we can do here. I am returning to the efficiency of the state: the courts are the last instance here - without reforming them, persuading them to obey the law, because that is what it is all about, it is difficult to change. This affects the functioning of the entire state, at various levels, and this must be taken into account.
 * "Jarosław Kaczyński: Sam Złorzeczę W Sklepach Na Wysokie Ceny" (27 December 2021)


 * Today the rejection of evil is something extremely important, because evil is attacking our country, our fatherland, our nation, it is attacking the institution that is at the heart of our identity, the Catholic church.
 * “Evil is attacking Poland”, warns Kaczyński at church service reported for alleged Covid rules breach" in Notes from Poland (17 January 2021)


 * In the EU there is a rule: who is stronger is better. And because Germany is strongest, the old German concept – a concept that can be called neo-imperial – holds sway. The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, wants to build a superstate of world importance under German leadership.
 * "Poland’s ruling party counts on anti-EU stance to boost election chances" in The Guardian (9 September 2022)


 * There will be no Polexit, it is a propaganda invention that has been used many times against us. We unequivocally see the future of Poland in the European Union.
 * "'There will be no Polexit': Kaczynski says Poland's future is in EU" in Euronews (15 September 2021)


 * I had said we would face an uphill battle and that stones would be thrown. We are being attacked internally and from the outside ... in ways that discount the reality and aim to demean ... Poland. It's easy to serve the interests of the most powerful. If you want to serve the society, the nation, it's much more difficult.
 * "Defiant Kaczynski says Poland must avoid EU's 'social diseases'" in Yahoo (3 September 2018)

Excerpts of Speech on 2 May 2016
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 * The white-and-red banner is the symbol of our country, the symbol prescribed in our Constitution. Symbols build unity, create unity, but at the same time symbols are there to remind us and realize that between the public domain, i.e. the national domain and the value domain, there is a direct relationship. This is the fundamental truth.
 * A country is not only an organization covering a given territory. The state is and should be a moral quality. We have addressed this for a long time, for over twenty years. Now, I will repeat it again. This moral quality, expressed by other means, determines the legitimacy of the state.
 * One can talk about two movements legitimizing Poland’s identity – aside from the one, which is very important in a democracy, and which in any case we do not undermine, and that is the formal, legal formation. So, the formal one arises from election procedures, law-making procedures, i.e. everything in a democracy which is very, very important and which in no way we would question. But there are also movements that go deeper than state building. You can talk about two such movements.
 * The first is of a historical and moral nature. It has roots in the history, tradition, language, culture, cultural codes, a common understanding and understanding of meaning. This legitimacy is immensely important, relating to public awareness, but if you look at Poland, Polish tradition, it also refers to some very specific demands, translating into concrete demands. It is the demand for freedom, equality and justice.
 * The legitimacy of the second kind, which can be called pragmatic, refers to everything that the state has to provide to the citizens. You can say what the state does to fulfil the needs of citizens, and how it serves the community.
 * Today, when it comes to modern states, this legitimacy breaks down to at least five types. These include external security, internal security, in the modern state, especially social security, as well as commercial and economic security. Finally, the security that every state must provide to its citizens as it guarantees to itself. The state is also a dispenser of goods. And all of these processes, which are associated with the use of coercion and distribution of goods may deviate to a form of pathology and can lead to various kinds of abuse. That is why we have to treat the fifth type of security very seriously. I think we can say that what Poles expect today from the state is security, freedom, equality and justice, which in Poland is always linked with solidarity. These are particularly important expectations.
 * We must also strengthen our special services. Especially in one case, which is today very important. This is the war on terrorism. We need to be protected. The danger can come from various sides. And we have to remember that. Each responsible authority must keep this in mind and not create a legal situation of helplessness.
 * Dear all, the rule of law is not something you can declare, decree even in the Constitution. It is an attribute of some form of social organization. The fundamental element in this type of organization is with the balance of power. If a certain social force enjoys a great superiority, it will always instrumentally dominate the law. It will always bring it under its own control. There is no other way. It is the balance that is needed.
 * I will return to freedom, equality, justice and solidarity. Let us ask, what is the inverse to those terms. They are the reverse to one principle, which unfortunately in today Poland, still has not been eliminated. This is the principle of who the stronger, the better.
 * There is something in Poland, that puts emphasis on what also in the West of Europe, in many countries, wiped out freedom, and especially freedom of expression. This thing is political correctness. I want to say one thing, of course, we do not accept any laws on hate speech and similar inventions aimed to ensure that freedom is eliminated. I will say even more. Poland should be an island of freedom, even if everywhere else it will be limited. We were once an island of tolerance in Europe, and now we should become an island of freedom. And we need not be ashamed. This is our banner and great asset. This is our moral strength. This is not always so with equality and justice.
 * But we can ask the public what it wants. What kind of Poland? Is it the one which we had, or the one which is ahead of us. Poland – let me repeat again – of security, freedom, equality, justice and solidarity.

Excerpts of Speech on 24 October 2015
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 * The road ahead is clear and its destination is more than just a mandate. We aim higher; we want to change Poland. We want to improve Poland to enable our entire nation to make use of its full potential, so that we can move forward and eliminate the divisions between us and our western neighbors. Our ultimate goal is strong and successful Poland!
 * We must succeed in order to take the first step to reform Poland, so that we seize opportunities waiting for us beyond the Polish borders. The first step is to establish a government, strong in its foundation and strong in its constitution. Government that will be strengthened by its cooperation with the President, but that will also remain open to others.
 * We will struggle without the trust, because the change is a difficult process that will meet opposition. We need this social support, so we can make those changes for the sake of our country, and so that we can fulfil our great plans for the sake of our community. These plans involve boosting our economy, which develops, according to some claims. However, ladies and gentlemen, it develops at a pace too slow and below our capabilities.
 * We must unite as a nation. Unity is a state of awareness, but it also needs to reflect on the real aspects of life, such as fair distribution of goods and the equality of rights. Such equality does not exist in today’s Poland, and there is no justified distribution of goods. We know that the distribution of goods cannot be equal at all times, but it must be justified by appropriate norms. We must remember that unity exists when everyone can rely on support in good times as well as in the times of hardship. We must build this unity.
 * Unity means also a strong identity with the nation, as well as confidence and pride in being Polish. Our pride has been degraded for over 20 years; we were taught to be ashamed; our image was discredited outside our borders; we fell victim to slanders. We can and we will stand up against this phenomenon in Poland, by changing our education programs and introducing new cultural values, but we will also stand up on the international and global scene. We must want to defend our pride and dignity in order to be what we ought to be – a great European nation!
 * Unity is also our health service. (...) We can make it better if we change the way of thinking. The health service must be about treating patients, not just providing a paid service. Doctors have a duty to treat patients. Although money is a part of such treatment, it must remain a secondary factor, because the health service must put patients’ interests first.
 * Major changes are required in the education – we need to raise our behavioral standards; we need to instill the essential sense of identity. We cannot succeed without our identity and we learnt that from other countries’ experience. Those that succeeded have built strong unity, whereas our unity has been consistently destroyed over the last 20 years.