Debate contributions by Marta WCISŁO

Madam President, thank you very much. Dear colleagues, Under one flag of the European Union, there is a multicultural community of countries based on the most beautiful, most valuable values, such as human rights, the rule of law and free trade. For our community to be strong and resilient, we need quick tools to act. We need specifics. Nearly 80% of Europeans want a common security policy in all areas of life. The European Union must have the tools to defend itself, including against hybrid attacks, on many levels. The European Union needs to wake up. Today, the borders of the European Union are under attack. The eastern border, between Poland and Belarus, is a war, and the inhabitants of border regions take the greatest burden of this hybrid war. If you want peace, prepare for war, as the saying goes. The European Union should establish a comprehensive system of preparedness and rapid response. The European Union supports others, defends and gives a sense of security, and today it needs this support more than ever. Poland takes, and front-line countries, the heaviest burden of hybrid warfare.

Mr President, thank you very much. Rail transport is an extremely important sector in every country. In Poland, by political decision, it was destroyed, almost derailed. The decision of former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki of July 2022 ordering the company to terminate contracts and priority coal transport from the Baltic ports to the south of Poland. The company has lost all contracts. There used to be six cargo cars out of ten, but today there are only three. Another political decision is the sale of modern rolling stock ahead of the 2023 parliamentary elections. Where did the money go? Not for the new fleet, but for buying more political votes. Ladies and Gentlemen, bad management, nepotism, cronyism – this has caused and led to a 90% drop in the value of the company. This is what happens when companies are managed by politicians, not managers and pragmatists. We're turning it around today. Today, the company is run by managers, saving the company and jobs, and they do not fire pregnant women. That's a lie.

Madam President, thank you very much. Since 2015, the European Union has been confronted with the migration crisis. Currently, this crisis is being exploited by Putin and Lukashenka and is in the nature of a hybrid war. It is necessary to strengthen Frontex and to give it more competences. Poland and the eastern border are a perfect example of how crucial it is to protect our borders. Today, however, in this room, we heard applause for Mr Orbán, who boasted that he had released 2,000 smugglers who were responsible for this practice. Today, also in this room, the politicians on the right, from the ECR – unfortunately from my country – who until recently ruled Poland, also instructed the Commission and said that it was the fault of the European Commission that it was the immigration crisis and that Frontex had expelled too few people. Ladies and Gentlemen, Poland issued the highest number of visas of all countries in the European Union between 2018 and 2022. 6.5 million visas were issued by the government at the time. That's more than Spain. That's more than Germany. Today, these gentlemen come out and criticise the Commission. They criticize everyone. It's cynicism, hypocrisy with no limits...