Polish President Karol Nawrocki vetoed three legislative bills, including one on aid for Ukrainians, prompting criticism from political figures for its “stupid and harmful” implications and perceived lack of decency.
Karol Nawrocki Vetoed the Aid Law for Ukrainians
On Monday, August 25, Karol Nawrocki announced the signing of five bills passed by the Sejm and the veto of three projects. The veto concerned provisions on tax regulations, amendments to the Fiscal Criminal Code, and a law governing assistance for Ukrainians. The president stated he vetoed the latter, in part, because it lacked a clause that would prevent Ukrainian citizens without Polish employment from receiving the 800plus allowance.
Agnieszka Dziemianowicz-Bąk: The President Lacked Decency
Zbigniew Konwiński, leader of the Civic Coalition parliamentary club, criticized Nawrocki’s decision on the aid bill. “All of Karol Nawrocki’s anti-Ukrainian fears have found expression today in the veto of a law providing aid to Ukrainians in Poland. This is a good law, but it has been vetoed purely ideologically. It is a disgrace that the president lacks such decency,” he wrote on X. Dziemianowicz-Bąk, the Minister of Family, Labour, and Social Policy, emphasized that 800plus is a benefit for parents raising children, stating it is unfair to penalize children for their mother’s job loss or caregiving responsibilities. She condemned the president’s lack of basic decency.
Krzysztof Gawkowski: I Can’t Imagine a Better Present for Putin’s Troops
The veto included provisions restricting Ukraine’s access to the Starlink satellite system, which Gawkowski, the Minister of Digitization, condemned. “The presidential veto is blind! Karol Nawrocki cuts off the internet for Ukrainians by blocking the law on aid to Ukrainian citizens. This means the end of Starlink’s support for Ukraine and secure storage of Ukrainian administrative data. I cannot imagine a better gift for Putin’s troops than disconnecting Ukraine from the internet, which the president just approved,” he wrote, urging the president to stop attacking the government for political purposes.
Anna Maria Żukowska: This is How You End Up Wearing Right-Wing Populists’ Shoes
During the presidential campaign, both Nawrocki and Civic Coalition candidate Rafał Trzaskowski advocated restricting 800plus payments to Ukrainians not working in Poland. President’s Chief of Staff Zbigniew Bogucki reminded Trzaskowski of this stance. Left parliamentary club leader Anna Maria Żukowska remarked, “Bogucki just pointed out that Trzaskowski himself proposed removing 800+ for unemployed Ukrainians. This is the consequence of adopting right-wing populist rhetoric: legitimizing their narrative and then ridiculing it when unimplemented.”
Maciej Konieczny: PO, PSL, and Donald Tusk Asked for This Themselves
Maciej Konieczny, a deputy from the “Together” party, criticized Nawrocki’s veto as “stupid, harmful, and irresponsible.” He noted that most Ukrainians in Poland work and pay taxes, arguing that the veto would destroy the labor market, harming both Ukrainian and Polish workers. The automatic extension of stay rights for thousands of Ukrainian residents was also eliminated, risking administrative chaos. Konieczny accused the Civic Platform, Polish People’s Party, and Donald Tusk of inviting the veto by competing with the right on populist ideas.
Source: Gazeta, https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/rzad#anchorLink, https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/0
