Jarosław Kaczyński urged supporters to donate to PiS after the party lost significant state funding, while TV Republika faced scrutiny for donation appeals during broadcasts.
PiS Funding Crisis and Donation Appeal
On Thursday, PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński, surrounded by party parliamentarians including Przemysław Czarnak, Mariusz Błaszczak, and Mateusz Morawiecki, appealed to PiS supporters for donations.
Kaczyński stated that the current authorities “illegally and unlawfully” revoked the party’s budget subsidy, depriving PiS of 46 million złoty. He added that the lack of funding creates financial difficulties for the party and impacts activities such as Czarnak’s campaign for future prime minister and youth programs.
“Simply put, we have a lot of expenses. Hence my heartfelt request to supporters of Law and Justice and, more broadly, to supporters of the right, to the entire patriotic camp, to all those who want Poland to return to the right path, to remain a sovereign state, to make donations to our party account. Every payment counts, even small ones,” Kaczyński said.
TV Republika’s Donation Prompts
TV Republika broadcast Kaczyński’s appeal and a subsequent address by PiS club chairman Mariusz Błaszczak. During the broadcast, nearly half the screen displayed a QR code linking viewers to a website for donations to the television station.
This could have misled viewers into believing the code was for donating to PiS. TV Republika presenter Miłosz Kłeczek also requested donations from viewers the previous day, warning the station might not last the month without support.
TV Republika’s Financials
TV Republika’s 2024 report shows approximately 39.1 million złoty in sales revenue (compared to 23.6 million złoty in 2023). “Other operating income” (donations from viewers and foundations) totaled 34.5 million złoty (compared to 4.2 million złoty the previous year). Operating costs in 2024 exceeded 71.5 million złoty (compared to 22.1 million złoty the previous year).
Internal PiS Debate and Funding Dispute
Agata Kondzińska reports that Jarosław Kaczyński convened a PiS leadership meeting to discuss whether to pursue a dual strategy or radicalize the party.
The PiS funding issue began in August 2024 when the National Electoral Commission (PKW) rejected the party’s financial report from the 2023 parliamentary elections, citing irregularities in campaign spending totaling 3.6 million złoty. Consequently, the Ministry of Finance reduced PiS’s election subsidy and 2024 budget allocation.
PiS appealed the decision, and the Extraordinary and Public Affairs Chamber of the Supreme Court upheld the appeal. However, the PKW accepted the financial report while noting it did not endorse the court’s ruling or its effectiveness. The Minister of Finance requested clarification from the PKW, deeming the ruling “internally inconsistent.”
Subsidies and Legal Challenges
PiS received two full quarterly subsidy installments in 2024, but the third was withheld after the PKW rejected the report and the Minister of Finance’s position. The fourth installment, paid in January 2025, was reduced. In total, PiS received approximately 15 million złoty in 2024, over 10 million złoty less than anticipated.
In March 2025, the Warsaw District Prosecutor’s Office refused to investigate allegations of abuse of power and dereliction of duty by members of the National Electoral Commission, as well as Finance Minister Andrzej Domański and other Ministry of Finance officials. In October of the previous year, the court dismissed PiS’s appeal against the refusal to investigate the non-payment of subsidies.
