Civil War in PiS: Morawiecki Refuses to Back Down Amid Ultimatum

As an internal party feud deepens, former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki insists on openness within PiS while leadership enforces a strict deadline for MPs to abandon internal factions.

Openness Versus Hermeticism

“Law and Justice = openness, not hermeticism!” wrote Mateusz Morawiecki on the X platform on Wednesday, July 22, attaching a video clip. The former prime minister argues that PiS “does not belong to any group or faction,” but is instead the shared home of millions of Poles who believe in a strong and fair Poland, emphasizing that the party must not be “hermetic and insular.”

The Ultimatum and Irreversible Consequences

Almost concurrently, PiS spokesperson Rafał Bochenek recalled that the party leadership’s decision has already been made and the deadline is “final”: every parliamentarian and MEP who wants to remain in PiS must submit a relevant declaration by the end of Thursday, July 23. He stressed that a lack of such document will be equivalent to resigning from membership in both the party and the parliamentary club, describing the consequences of the deadline passing as “irreversible.”

Accusations of Splinter Activity

Bochenek labeled activity in the Development Plus Association as “splinter” action that implements, in his view, a “scenario written by the hands of enemies” who want to break up the broad patriotic camp, appealing to parliamentarians for common sense. He wrote that taking a cue from people particularly engaged in the process of breaking up the party is a huge mistake with potential consequences for many years.

The Core of the Dispute

The conflict in PiS has been ongoing for several weeks and concerns two associations operating within the party: Development Plus, established by Mateusz Morawiecki, and Poland First, headed by Jacek Sasin and centered around PiS prime ministerial candidate Przemysław Czarnek. Last week, the Presidium of the PiS Political Committee adopted a resolution obliging party activists—under threat of exclusion—to withdraw from associations conducting political activities within the grouping.

According to PAP information close to the party leadership, around 130 PiS parliamentarians had submitted declarations of non-membership in the associations by the past Friday. Morawiecki assured in a Tuesday statement that his place is in PiS, but at the same time wanted to remain in Development Plus, arguing that differences of opinion in the party “are not treason.” Czarnek also addressed the matter, saying he is pleased with Morawiecki’s declaration to stay in PiS and that the party needs a single grouping with diverse currents, though he stipulated that anyone remaining in PiS must maintain a “minimum of loyalty” to the party.