"Kaczyński truly detests the president"

After speaking before the parliament on Thursday, Donald Tusk was asked by reporters about PiS chairman Jarosław Kaczyński's comment made on Wednesday during an opposition rally staged in front of the seat of Poland's National Public Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw.

Kaczyński said that "there is an ongoing forceful attempt at regime change" and called on president Duda to "take action that will aim to restore the functioning of the constitution and the rule of law in Poland".

"At the moment we are witnessing something like a creeping coup d'etat," he added.

"It's hard for me to surmise what he had in mind with these coup d'etats. As a historian, but also as someone blessed with common sense - I'm speaking now about myself, not chairman Kaczyński - as far as I 'm aware, a coup d'etat, by definition, is not something done by those in power, but those who are against it," Tusk told reporters. "If anyone thinks about a coup d'etat, it's probably chairman Kaczyński. We don't need to swing at anyone because we have won the election, we have taken over power in Poland legally."

The prime minister also commented on President Andrzej Duda and his role in Poland's recent political developments.

"Politically speaking, it's obvious, and not only to me, that chairman Kaczyński wants to entangle president Duda in all possible ways and does so because he has political interest in it, but also because he truly detests the president, which we can all see," Tusk said. "Every day he (Kaczyński) tries to drive him (Duda) into some unpleasant state," he added.

Tusk was also asked about the situation from Wednesday when the two former ministers, Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik, recently released from prison after having been pardoned by the president, had visited Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Palace, receiving warm welcome, hugs and applause.

"Leaving the esthetics of those events, I'm not surprised it makes people sick to the president of Poland hugging criminals," the prime minister said.

"Somehow it's been receiving little attention, but we're speaking about Mr Kamiński and Mr Wąsik who were both served binding court sentences for abusing power back in 2015. The president pardoned them at the time so they could continue to do what they were doing... Today we have a similar situation. The president is once again investing the full authority of the institution (of the president of Poland), hugging these people with clear hope they would soon be able to continue doing their thing," Tusk said.