Polish leaders clash on migration and welfare in heated pre-election television debate

Polish opposition leader Donald Tusk has accused the country’s de facto leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski of “chickening out” of a television debate ahead of next Sunday’s general election.

Mr Kacyzsnki, head of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS), blamed a scheduling conflict for his absence from Monday’s only direct face-off of Polish political leaders.

While his party has a comfortable lead in polls, and hopes to secure an unprecedented third term in office, critics suggested the 70 year old was anxious to avoid a repeat of a previous humiliating televised debate with Mr Tusk.

“I know that you were waiting for a different debate with chairman Kaczynski but unfortunately he chickened out,” said Mr Tusk to viewers.

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In a heated television discussion, Poland’s opposition leader suggested that the serious times facing Poland required “brave and experienced leaders” and that “cowards and oddballs cannot govern Poland”.

In a debate dominated by the retirement age and welfare benefits, PiS prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki accused Mr Tusk – a one-term leader until 2015 – and his liberal alliance of planning to squeeze the least well-off.

“In power, Tusk had a heart of stone,” said Mr Morawiecki, whose party has promised to lower the retirement age and boost child benefit. “Our social policy is very comprehensive ... their social policy is less than zero.”

He suggested that, if elected, Mr Tusk would “sell off the forests, the Baltic Sea and the Tatra Mountains” to Germany and other foreign investors.

Even before it went on air, Monday’s debate was mired in confusion and controversy. Polish state broadcaster TVP, with a staunch pro-government line, was criticised for airing the debate at 6.30pm rather than the usual evening slot. Following the debate it aired a film repeating baseless PiS campaign claims that Mr Tusk is an agent of big business and Berlin.

Meanwhile, a state-owned satellite broadcaster, important for Poland’s large voting diaspora, claimed it could not air the debate due to technical works.

[ Poland’s most influential politician leads polls ahead of crucial October election ]

That feeds into controversy over changes to Poland’s diaspora vote. A record number of Poles are expected to use their postal vote on Sunday, leading to fears of long queues at embassies and consulates. In previous elections the majority of the diaspora vote went against the ruling PiS party. It has now changed the law to require all overseas votes to be submitted to Warsaw 24 hours after polls close.

Some analysts fear this and other new requirements may lead to widespread disenfranchisement of non-resident Poles and may be unconstitutional, given these provisions do not apply at home.

In the last week of campaigning PiS has a consistent lead in all opinion polls, with support at 30-34 per cent. However, some polling agencies say the election is too close to call given the outcome depends on the performance – and coalition appetite – of several smaller parties.

One of them, the far-right libertarian Confederation, is pushing the hardest line on migration, another dominant election theme. It accuses PiS of operating an “open border policy”, forcing the ruling party to respond with its own vocal opposition to a common EU migration pact.

“The EU package, forcing Poland to relocate and accept migrants, should be rejected,” said Krzysztof Bosak of Confederation. “There is no basis to consider the current situation a crisis. We need to use force, just like Australia, that strategy works.”