Editorial staff: – At Wednesday’s sitting of the Senate, you were the rapporteur for the bill on the operation of hard-coal mining.
Jan Michalski: – The amendment to the mining act was the only item on the agenda. I tried to explain that the act creates an opportunity to commit public funds to restructuring the mines, which is “oxygen for mining”—the essential assistance needed by Kompania Węglowa. It may be necessary to close unprofitable areas in order to preserve jobs in profitable extraction. I believe that the act grants the right, but does not impose an obligation, to close them.
Your third year of parliamentary activity has passed. What were the advantages and disadvantages of 2014?
Let us focus on the positives, because I believe there is much to talk about. For the residents of our region, the positive decision concerning the construction of a new unit at Turów Power Plant was enormously important. It affects the counties of Zgorzelec, Bolesławiec, Lubań and Lwówek. I would also consider the adoption of the Large Family Card an event of 2014.
It is also worth mentioning the President’s visit to our region in the spring of last year. I was personally heavily involved in arranging the visit, so I regard the head of state’s arrival in the counties of Zgorzelec and Lubań as, in a sense, a historic event. I would also regard the results of the local elections as important. In many cases, local authorities once again won the mandate of the residents; there are also places where the people holding the most important local-government positions changed. I warmly congratulate everyone on their election.
You focus on direct contact with people in your work; we often see reports from trips by various groups to Parliament.
In line with my motto, “Senator Closer to the People,” I try to consistently take part in meetings organised by schools, associations, senior citizens’ clubs and rural women’s circles. These meetings provide an opportunity to get to know further groups and invite them to Parliament. Last year, among others, members of rural women’s circles from Bolesławiec County, retirees from Węgliniec and participants in Occupational Therapy Workshops from Lwówek Śląski learned about the work of the Sejm and Senate.
I also meet the youngest residents of our region in Parliament. Last year, more than five hundred pupils took part in the annual competition organised by the Family and Social Policy Committee, with a trip to Warsaw as its prize. A female pupil from Municipal School Complex No. 2 in Bolesławiec received a nationwide distinction and, as a result, won a stay at Senator Jarosław Lasecki’s castle. The past year also saw trips to the capital organised by my office for pupils from primary and secondary schools.
You were actively involved in helping municipalities affected by the flood.
I wanted to use my senatorial mandate to increase assistance for the affected municipalities. At the beginning of the year, Deputy Minister of Administration and Digitisation Stanisław Huskowski and Lower Silesian Voivode Tomasz Smolarz visited the region and personally familiarised themselves with the damage caused by the flood. We managed to secure funds for, among others, the municipalities of Olszyna, Leśna and Gryfów Śląski. The May visit by Minister of Culture Bogdan Zdrojewski resulted in a grant for securing and renovating the historic defensive walls in Gryfów Śląski.
Residents of the four counties still associate you with basketball.
I continue to make every effort to participate in the life of PGE Turów Zgorzelec. The team’s obvious great success was winning the Polish Championship title. The opening of the new sports and entertainment hall in November was also a celebration for basketball in Zgorzelec.
You were heavily involved in the legislative process concerning the Large Family Card mentioned earlier. Will this legislation translate into an improved quality of life for Polish families?
I believe that the Card is enormously important, as is the entire presidential programme entitled “A Good Climate for the Family.” Before the act was signed by the President, I had the honour of serving as its rapporteur before the Senate. Let me recall that the Large Family Card is available to families with at least three children, regardless of income. The Card is issued free of charge to every family member, and the benefits of possessing it are genuinely significant: discounts offered by various institutions and retail chains, lifelong discounts on public transport and so on. Parents may use the card for life, while children may use it until they turn 18 or complete their education, up to a maximum age of 25. People with disabilities will receive the card for the period covered by their disability certificate.
The Card is also an excellent instrument for local authorities, which can use it to provide additional assistance to large families and expand the package of statutory discounts. I will actively encourage our local-government officials to make use of these solutions.
And what should we pay attention to when forecasting what awaits us in 2015?
As I have already mentioned, I try to remain close to the people and the issues that concern them. I represent the Turoszów Basin, and in the region the fate of many thousands of families depends on the development of the energy sector. Therefore, I will continue to actively support this branch of the economy and emphasise the importance of lignite for our energy industry. In 2015, construction of the new power unit at “Turów,” already mentioned, will begin. This enormous undertaking will cost approximately PLN 4 billion, and its implementation requires the creation of nearly 1,500 jobs!
Our region, where unemployment has recently been increasing, will regain its competitiveness thanks to this, its purchasing power will grow, and it may also be possible to curb to some extent the migration of young people to larger centres and abroad. Since the beginning of my parliamentary work, I have been reminding the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy and the Ministry of Economy that, over the years, jobs in the energy sector in our area will be reduced and that specific remedial programmes must be introduced as soon as possible. It is important that all changes concerning work organisation and the programmes being implemented be consulted with the social partners and trade unions.
When planning for the near future, it is also worth remembering that a new process of implementing EU programmes will begin in 2015. I hope that our local-government officials and entrepreneurs will actively compete for these grants.
And what awaits us outside the economic sphere?
I know that the President wants to visit us again, this time in connection with the 70th anniversary commemorations of the forcing of the Nysa. I will do everything in my power to make this happen. I believe that this year we should commemorate the 25th anniversary of Polish local self-government and 70 years of settlement in Lower Silesia. In addition, in cooperation with local authorities, I want to work effectively to secure funds for infrastructure and support for social initiatives.
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