Magdalena Rigamonti, Tomasz Sekielski: Do you believe in God?
Adriana Porowska: I am a believer.
We ask due to the fact that Simon Holovnia, the organization chief, publically declares that she is simply a practicing Catholic. Does that substance in politics?
Nope.
Does it substance what you do?
Very big.
You're a citizen.
In situations where it's very hard for me, I know where to turn. I was raised by my grandmother, who gave me a deep religion and found herself and strength in her. At the same time she was distanced to the Church and to the local ecclesiastical establishment.
A voluntary write-off alternatively of the Church Fund? “In front of the clergy a large work”
The Church Fund should be liquidated?
Yeah.
You're in the government, so why haven't you liquidated him yet?
For this it is essential to educate, to show that the liquidation of the Church Fund is not a war with the faithful and with the clergy. I think we are approaching a point where a voluntary taxation write-off for the Church should be decided. specified a copy as for NGOs.
A voluntary copy.
The figures show that the Church has nothing to fear. At the moment, the Kościelny Fund amounts to about PLN 280 million per year. taxation write-off for NGOs is almost 2 billion zlotys, so if we consider half a percent for the Church, then we have twice as much money for the Church Fund as there is right now.
Not all Catholic will pay.
Therefore, before the clergy a large work to convince the faithful.
‘Advertisement spirits have “took”’
Advertises in churches, on television, news to encourage you to pay?
Madam editor, in fact, spiritual advertisers have “untied” and know how to communicate with the faithful. I hear it at mass. They say what they request money to do in church.
Minister, how would farmers be able to compose money back to the Church if they don't pay income taxes?
There are any nuances that we request to work out. I besides think that the issue of the Church Fund is better not to deal with during the electoral campaign, due to the fact that it is by any politicians, parties and voters that can be considered a war against the Church and believers, and as I said, it is not about the war.
Since 2023 we have been in a continuous campaign, the liquidation of the Church Fund was 1 of the points of the program besides by your organization Poland 2050.
It's not like we have an endless campaign.
The government avoids discussing money for the Church?
It is, the run has been going on for almost 2 years. Why didn't anything happen about this? It seems that Władysław Kosiniak Kamysz, the head of the Interministerial Group for the Church Fund, was appointed to this position in order not to settle this matter.
I'm not a racial politician, but I've been in the next run at Simon Holownia long adequate to know that I've learned that people request to be convinced that the Church Fund needs to be dealt with. I have worked for many years at the order of the Kamilian Fathers, and I know that there are besides people among the clergy who want to settle these matters, not eternal discussion. There are many rational, sensible people in the Church who are tired of being a boy to beat on the occasion of subsequent election campaigns. They realize that the Church Fund is untenable. And I repeat, education and talks with the Church are needed.
In the coming years, we must scope the end of this discussion. This is not a subject that will be forgotten. We do not know if it is even possible to carry out this word — it is Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak Kamysz.
A fewer times in my life, I've done things that others seemed impossible to do. The inter-ministerial squad has developed 4 variants, among them one, to which most coalitionists tend, i.e. a voluntary taxation write-off. Of course, 1 must consider the taxation year and the time erstwhile people account for themselves, so that it is not so that abruptly the churches of different religions will face a challenge: zero money. We request to bend over the details, the circumstantial provisions in the law, regulation or programme.
Leszek Szymanski / PAPDeputy Prime Minister, National Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz gives the hand of Minister Adriana Porowska
You are constantly moving from the mention to what Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak Kamysz is doing in this matter, with whom you are together creating the 3rd Road.
I think Prime Minister Kosiniak Kamysz now has another safety policy challenges ahead of him and has no head to deal with the Church Fund.
Simon Holovnia has no influence on this matter?
I have not discussed this with Simon Holovnia, but I know his opinion on the Church Fund and the chapter of the state and the Church. Now there are quite a few things to do, which makes it impossible to open fresh wars on many fronts. I truly believe in dialogue. The Church Fund is absolutely a substance to settle, but it cannot be done immediately.
What about civilian defense? The Minister lists where the biggest deficiencies are
You frequently say “God, give me strength” before going to work, to the government?
There's been a lot going on around my hotel lately. erstwhile I entered the government, I started a process of change around the National Institute of Freedom Act, in the public benefit bill... In fresh years, I have worked very hard in a non-governmental organization to aid people experiencing homelessness.
Is it harder in a non-governmental organization or government?
When I came across any reefs, there was always individual I could say to: delight handle the matter. Right now, I'm the 1 in the mirror, and I'm the 1 who has to do things. And you gotta do a lot before you get to the legal changes. It's not like I'm gonna compose the words on the card and sign them. It's besides my occupation to find alliances in another ministries, measure impacts...
The civilian Protection Act is your area, too.
Yes, due to the fact that building civilian society is my responsibility. fresh years, pandemics, war in Ukraine, floods, have shown that we can mobilise ourselves, that we are a civilian society.
You live in Warsaw?
Yeah.
What neighborhood?
Ursus.
The people in Ursus know what to do if there is simply a threat, an unexpected attack.
I live in a block with an underground parking lot that can perfectly service as a shelter... But it is crucial not to scare people. We surely deficiency maps where we can take shelter in hard situations, we deficiency education on this subject. On the another hand, see the message from the Confederation. They say everything will be great, that vacation, cars, money. They don't realize that we're at a completely different point, that the state budget has changed due to the fact that we spend a lot on defense, so there's no war to scare others away. But we can't tell citizens: here's a backpack to pack, here's a shelter...
Already 1 of the discounts started selling evacuation backpacks.
Politicians must act responsibly. The conviction spoken by Adriana Porowska, president of the Kamilian Social Assistance Mission Foundation, had a very different power than that expressed by a associate of the government whom I am now. erstwhile Russia attacked Ukraine, the non-governmental organization I managed had its position on the West Railway Station in Warsaw and as another organizations helped refugees from Ukraine. I repeat, but I believe that the function of NGOs is enormous. They require support, besides in connection with the civilian defence Act. It's the NGO that collects the food, they drive to the right places, they operate at hard times. It's not about people panicking, it's about getting utilized to the anticipation of hard situations through education.
The war lasts more than 3 years, your government colleagues say that we live in pre-war times and nothing happens, there is no education about security, defence, or even these evacuation backpacks. There is simply a change in asylum law. Isn't that scaring people?
...
You said in November 2024: “I can’t imagine that words of dignity, respect, do not take place in public debate. I worked for 20 years in a non-governmental organization. I know quite a few people in different fields. All at any phase they said that they were not respected or that they were not treated as partners. I am here to show the rulers what it means to respect NGOs and people working in them.” Meanwhile, we have further information about how NGOs operating around the Polish-Belarusian border are treated. We know that there are violent detentions of NGO representatives who are being accused of soup and shoes...
How do you feel about that?
Well, it's not easy. But I realise that the number of people on the Polish-Belarusian border, the statistic that are shown by the Minister of Home Affairs and Administration, have caused, however, that a regulation has been adopted which temporarily suspends the anticipation of lodging asylum applications.
The force of migrants is not weakening at the border. "There will never be full agreement between NGOs and the government"
We do not have information that the barrier on the border with Belarus has been broken in any dramatic way, so that something happens that radically changes the situation we have been dealing with since 2022.
This is simply a very hard minute for me. We live in a planet where hard decisions are made, hard for me personally. You mentioned non-governmental organisations whose representatives feel badly treated by representatives of state bodies...
Do they feel you betrayed them?
I have neither heard nor read specified words. I've been seeing these people, late with 1 of the organizations operating at the border. I besides attend individual meetings in the Ministry of Interior and Administration to find solutions. I am talking about how people from these organizations should be trained, what to do erstwhile Russian or Belarusian services effort to sneak into Poland. They themselves confirm that they would like to have information on how to obey, how to defend themselves. The second thing is to effort to find a balance between Border defender workers, soldiers and NGOs. It would be good for everyone to sit together at the table and talk honestly and learn to function together under these hard conditions.
Artur Reszko / PAPSoldiers of the Polish state border with Belarus in Ozerorany Mały
Is there a gathering like this?
The problem is, they're inactive happening. Working teams at the Ministry of Interior and Administration were established.
Migrants meet at the Belarusian border with activists?
Nope. That's not how it looks. Unfortunately, there will never be full approval between NGOs and the government. For NGO people, man is the most important, for the government the defence of Poland's borders and the protection of its citizens, including showing its power, deterrence. It's very hard to balance. I have learned this for a long time by fighting for homeless people over whom people all day shrug or even announcement them. I realize that I am a government typical who must show his power to people who have no scruples. I talked to Prime Minister Tuski about it, I told him that I fought for all man, and now I gotta fight for the borders of my country, due to the fact that those who are on the another hand, that is, Lukashenko and Putin, have a deep nose that I am a delicate person. In fresh weeks, I've understood. You asked me if it was hard. It is, and I'm trying to believe that no 1 on the border will be left without help.
That's what's happening. People are left unassisted.
The suspension of the right to asylum is besides information to countries of origin of people who think that Belarus will enter the European Union so that they do not effort to neglect due to the fact that the border is closed to them.
The Polish government has prepared an information run in the countries of origin of possible illegal immigrants?
This should be asked by the Ministry of the Interior and Administration.
That education is and will be getting information. I have heard many times from the representatives of the Ministry of abroad Affairs that specified a run will be that the various channels will flow information besides to those who organize human smuggling.
The Polish Belarusian border will be further strengthened?
Yeah. We talk about this all the time, that it should be strengthened.
Were you there, at the border?
No, I wasn't.
Prof. Wiązek, the Ombudsman, says explicitly that the suspension of the right to asylum is contrary to our constitution.
It's besides breaking my heart. And the hearts of many who are in this government. We are people, but besides politicians and most crucial for us is the safety of Poland and of all citizens.
