On 26 April 2022, the Polish PM attended a working meeting in Berlin with the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz. The talks focused on Russian aggression in Ukraine and energy security issues. The most important thing for the whole of Europe is to impose more far-reaching sanctions to suppress Putin’s war machine.

Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki visited the Central Mine Rescue Station in Bytom today. In connection with the tragic events at the Pniówek and Zofiówka mines, he announced a thorough review of all procedures and a comprehensive analysis of the entire situation. He also assured state support for the families of miners who tragically died. As the PM emphasised, it was a bleak week for the Polish mining industry.

As a result of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and Russia’s deliberate policy of maintaining high oil and gas prices, the whole of Europe is facing high inflation, known as “Putinflation”. One consequence of this situation is higher interest rates and increased loan repayments. The government recognises these problems and wants to provide support for families with mortgages in zloty. This includes “payment holidays” and subsidies for instalment payments. About 2 million families will be able to receive such assistance. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki presented detailed solutions during the European Economic Congress.

We are all concentrating on aid efforts for Ukraine: arms supplies and humanitarian aid. However, we should already start developing future programmes for our eastern neighbour. Certainly, Silesia, as a region with enormous potential, will play a significant role in the efforts to rebuild Ukraine. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, Minister of Family and Social Policy Marlena Maląg and Secretary of State at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology Grzegorz Piechowiak discussed this issue during the 5th Silesian Deal Programme Conference.

The head of the Polish government met the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal. The politicians discussed the current situation of war in Ukraine, the possible scenarios for its development, as well as the issue of recovering the country from war damage. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki informed about the ongoing and planned actions taken by Poland and the European Union to support Ukraine in facing Russia’s invasion and its aftermath. So far, Poland has provided our eastern neighbour with military equipment worth PLN 7 billion, i.e. USD 1.6 billion. This equipment saves Ukrainian, Polish and European sovereignty. A memorandum has also been signed in Kraków to further strengthen Polish-Ukrainian cooperation with regard to railways.

The tragedy of the Ukrainian people who struggle against the brutal aggression of Russia must not be forgotten. Therefore, the government has launched a unique billboard and social media campaign to remind Western European countries of the atrocity of the war that is taking place in Ukraine. Special billboards will appear in many European cities. This campaign aims to stop Russia’s actions by introducing quick and robust sanctions.

There was a tremor in the Zofiówka mine in Jastrzębie-Zdrój, resulting in ten miners being stuck underground. An outflow of methane accompanied the tremor, but the gas did not ignite or explode. A rescue operation involving twelve rescue teams is underway at the site. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has arrived at the Zofiówka mine.

Bilateral relations and Russian aggression against Ukraine were the main issues discussed at the Polish-Slovak intergovernmental consultations chaired by Prime Ministers Mateusz Morawiecki and Eduard Heger. Both Polish and Slovak governments recognise the illegal and unprovoked attack on Ukraine as the most serious challenge to European security and express their support for the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine. The consultations also concerned other areas, including foreign affairs, home affairs, environment, economy, energy, transport, regional policy, agriculture, family and social policy. The meeting ended with the signing of a joint declaration on the occasion of the 3rd Polish-Slovak Intergovernmental Consultations.

The whole world is struggling with inflation. We want to protect Polish families against this negative phenomenon. Poland’s Council of Ministers has adopted a bill that will introduce further favourable tax changes. Starting from 1 July this year, we will reduce the Personal Income Tax by 5 percentage points, i.e. from 17% to 12%. The tax credit amount will remain at the level of PLN 30,000 and the tax threshold at the level of PLN 120,000. At the same time, we will make a portion of the health insurance contribution deductible from the tax base for certain entrepreneurs. More than 13 million taxpayers will benefit from these changes. Overall, the reform will save Poles a further PLN 15 billion.

An international donors’ conference for Ukraine is to be held in Warsaw on 5th May. The event is being spearheaded by the Prime Minister of Poland - Mateusz Morawiecki and the Prime Minister of Sweden - Magdalena Andersson, in partnership with the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. This initiative aims to provide humanitarian support for Ukraine.