Piotr Borys spoke in the interview about holding Law and Justice MPs accountable for hate speech. We asked specifically about Dariusz Matecki. We also raised the issue of legal abortion. Our conversation took place during the first reading of the citizens’ bill “Yes to IVF.” The MP assured us that the entire united coalition would support the bill to finance IVF through public funds.

Grażyna Hanaf: – Good morning, everyone. With us today is Piotr Borys of Civic Coalition. Good morning, Mr. Piotr.

Piotr Borys: – Welcome, and warm greetings to everyone.

– IVF today, but when will abortion, even symbolically, be addressed in the Sejm?

– We are already preparing consultations; we will want to introduce this part of the bill as one of our commitments. IVF, because the bill is ready. Let me remind you that we collected more than 500,000 signatures from citizens who wanted IVF funding restored in Poland. This is all the more important because our birth statistics are disastrous. Today, 1.5 million Polish women and men are struggling with infertility, and IVF is a chance to experience the happiness of having children. This is our first symbolic bill. During the previous term, we debated at night, practically without Law and Justice MPs present. Today we are restoring normality and getting started. As for abortion, we will conduct discussions in the second phase. We know that our colleagues from Third Way nevertheless went into the election with a programme to restore the so-called abortion compromise and hold a referendum on the matter, but we are beginning consultations on this issue. The issue of legal abortion and women’s right to decide for themselves regarding abortion up to the 12th week will also be considered by the Sejm.

– Today we are showing this very historic and important scene from the Sejm, to which you, as an MP, will return in a moment. Today, female MPs, especially those from Civic Coalition, are speaking about IVF in such grand, solemn terms—about the return of normality and love. Can this historic moment be felt in the Sejm?

– It can. This is because it is the first bill. Our earlier proceedings, still part of the first sitting of the Sejm of the 10th term, concerned the appointment of committees and various resolutions. Today is the first bill. An extremely important and symbolic one. It has united the entire future governing coalition. Let me remind you that IVF funding was halted by Beata Szydło’s government under the pretext of a lack of financial resources. Let me remind you that when decisions were made during the previous terms of Donald Tusk’s and Ewa Kopacz’s governments, more than 20,000 children were born. Put simply, tens of thousands of parents were able to enjoy the happiness of having children. Let me remind you that this procedure for treating infertility is by no means inexpensive. Today, we want to do everything possible to give everyone struggling with infertility a chance to experience the happiness that children bring. After several unsuccessful attempts, many people have often spent PLN 50,000 or even 100,000. I have encountered such cases, and people simply could no longer afford to continue fighting to have children. I believe it is the duty of the Polish state to support Polish families—absolutely to support them—and to support future parents. This is in the interest not only of the happiness of individuals.

– I understand, Mr. Piotr…

– But it is also about Poland’s disastrous demographic situation.

– I understand, Mr. Piotr, that the entire united coalition will say “yes”; there are no…

– The entire united coalition that will form Donald Tusk’s new government will say “yes.” We will efficiently pass the bill that we are working on today at its first reading, and I think that soon, from next year, Polish women and men will be able to enjoy access to free IVF procedures and the chance to have children. I think this is a symbol—a symbol of restoring normality, dignity, the right to happiness, and the values with which we went into the election. I want to say that the half a million people who also signed this citizens’ bill contributed, I believe, with such a strong commitment, to the election victory. Every group had an enormous influence on the election result achieved on October 15 in Poland.

– So we are counting on abortion rights. I myself have friends who have children through IVF. That is also a great happiness for me, but please tell me, because as voters we are also waiting for accountability. What about the hate-spewing, well, the hate factory that is MP Matecki? He was booed by you? Is there any chance that he will be held accountable for all those incitements, even calls to murder people, or for the “Green Border” issue? Since we are mentioning MP Filiks, TVN aired a report about it three days ago. Do you have any idea how to…

– I think that the case of Mr. Matecki and his hate activities, as well as everything connected with the whole tragedy that occurred with the tragic death of Mikołaj Filiks, the son of our colleague Magda Filiks, an MP, will be investigated. I think that such language of hatred and hate speech should be subject to a thorough investigation of this phenomenon by the prosecutor’s office. The prosecutor’s office should be the impartial body that examines Mr. Matecki’s activities. And whenever prohibited acts have occurred, an MP can be brought before a court. His immunity can be revoked; an MP can also be brought before the Tribunal of State if, in fact, he violated the law—there is a category covering various criminal acts. I think this will be the subject of our close attention. Above all, in memory of the entire tragedy surrounding Mikołaj Filiks’s death, all these matters must be clarified if we want to demand the highest possible standards in public life. I think that fighting hate speech will be one of the elements that will also be present in public life during this 10th term of the Sejm.

– Let’s return to the Bolesławiec area. We have… The Civic Coalition candidate, Mr. Palczewski, did quite well in the election. Admittedly, he did not win a seat in the Sejm. How do you assess Civic Coalition’s activities in the district?

– First of all, I would like to sincerely thank all the residents of Bolesławiec and Bolesławiec County, especially Bolesławiec, the city where I was born and to which I have an emotional connection. I managed to win the election in Bolesławiec. Among all the opposition candidates, Civic Coalition achieved a result nearly 10% better than Law and Justice in Bolesławiec. This is a great and enormous commitment, as well as a kind of bonus. As in all cities, we will of course want to put forward our candidate for mayor. No decision has yet been made; the decision will be taken by our Civic Coalition structures in Bolesławiec, in consultation with the regional board, and I think that Civic Coalition will have a mayoral candidate in these elections.

– And you have no one in mind? No one? Mr. Palczewski?

– Naturally, today it is Radosław Palczewski, who was Bolesławiec’s candidate in these elections, but we are also open to other people and other candidates. I emphasize once again that, I think, by the end of the year or the beginning of January, personnel decisions will already have been made, so that we have time to conduct an effective local-election campaign. The elections will probably be in April, followed by the European elections. Above all, we want to win the elections to the Lower Silesian Regional Assembly and take Lower Silesia back from Law and Justice and the Non-Party Local Government Representatives.

– I have heard that you supposedly now have fairly good polling results when it comes to the regional assembly; I read about it recently. So there is some strong hope that the Regional Assembly will be Civic Coalition’s?

– I think so. Voters who supported Civic Coalition, Third Way and the Left in the parliamentary elections decided that the opposition received the majority of votes and also 7 of the 12 seats, particularly in electoral district no. 1, Legnica–Jelenia Góra. If we maintain good cooperation in government and also present the enormous opportunities that Lower Silesia will have thanks to the governing coalition, and if regional and government actions are coordinated, I deeply believe that we will convince the residents of Bolesławiec, Bolesławiec County and all of Lower Silesia that the future Lower Silesian Regional Assembly, the future Marshal of Lower Silesia and the board will come from the governing coalition, which I hope will be appointed by Christmas—and we fervently count on that. We also appeal for such support. Our activity, including as MPs, will aim to coordinate the local elections in all the counties of Lower Silesia and throughout Lower Silesia itself.

– We will return to the Sejm for a moment, where truly historic things are happening. We are firmly keeping our fingers crossed for IVF, but I think there is no cause for concern now. Thank you very much for visiting us today in Bolesławiec, and we wish you productive and rewarding work in the Sejm. Thank you very much.

– I also thank you very much for the opportunity to speak with you and for this interview. Let us stay in regular contact. If important things happen in the Sejm, we will gladly keep communicating with each other. It is our duty. Once again, I would like to thank all the residents of Bolesławiec enormously for their great support; it is a great responsibility for me and for Civic Coalition. Thank you for your vote. Thank you very much.