The mayor of Gdańsk tried to personally invite Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki to the Round Table talks but the PM's security detail wouldn't let her through. The head of the government also didn't respond to the invitation letter sent by mayor Aleksandra Dulkiewicz. The observances of the 30th anniversary of the July 4 elections organised by the local authorities will not be attended by the Law and Justice government.
The prime minister arrived to Gdańsk on Monday morning. He laid flowers in front of the Monument to the Fallen Shipyard Workers of 1970 and then walked a few hundred metres to the legendary BHP (the Health and Safety organisation building) hall at the Gdańsk Shipyard to attend a conference organised by the NSZZ "Solidarity" trade union.
At a morning press conference, mayor Dulkiewicz announced that she would be trying to welcome the prime minister and to invite him for the Round Table debate. After the conference she approached PM Morawiecki who was walking towards the BHP hall.
"Good day to you Mr Prime Minister, I'd like to sincerely welcome you in Gdańsk. Thank you for attending the Celebration of Freedom and Solidarity. Please join us at the Round Table," said the Gdańsk mayor to the prime minister walking by surrounded by his security detail.
The invitation remained unanswered and mayor Dulkiewicz wasn't allowed to come closer to the prime minister.
Asked for a comment by a journalist, Dulkiewicz said: "I guess you saw it yourselves. It's a bit sad, isn't it?"
A moment later, Morawiecki was asked by journalists whether he would be visiting the European Solidarity Centre on Monday. "Thank you, but we've got a wonderful festivity today right here in the BHP hall," said Morawiecki and walked towards the aforementioned venue.
During his speech at the conference in the BHP hall, Morawiecki addressed the "Solidarity" trade union's Chairman Piotr Duda and said: "If I may Mr Chairman, I'd like to also invite mayor Dulkiewicz to this conference, she's around, I just passed her on my way here. I would like invite her and her associates for this here conference, planned since January, a conference on John Paul II on the 40th anniversary of his first pilgrimage to Poland".
The Marshal of the Senate Stanisław Karczewski (PiS) said: "if there was a true will to invite (the prime minister), the invitation would have been sent with an appropriate advance, not in the street".
The Mayor of Gdańsk Aleksandra Dulkiewicz replied on Twitter that she had sent invitations to both the PM and Marshal Karczewski in April. She attached photos of the official invitations sent to both politicians.
Mayor Dulkiewicz was asked about the situation ata press conference in the afternoon.
"I simply feel sad because not only Gdańsk, but also this Round Table at the Solidarity square show that it's possible to unite people and not divide them. It's a pity that the prime minister didn't accept the invitation to talk with me, as well as with the people who are sitting there," she said.
"I'm sad because I feel that we should be restoring the unity not only in Gdańsk, but also all over Poland," she added.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP, Fakty TVN
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: tvn24