1. Who is the former head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, Marcin Kierwiński
Marcin Kierwiński was appointed by President Andrzej Duda as the government plenipotentiary for post-flood reconstruction. In order to re-enter the government, the former head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, secretary general of PO, head of the party’s Warsaw structures, agreed to resign from his mandate as an MEP.
The task of the plenipotentiary for post-flood reconstruction is to coordinate activities related to removing the effects of the natural disaster and to support the affected communities.
Marcin Kierwiński’s candidacy for the position of government plenipotentiary for post-flood reconstruction was presented last Friday by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The head of government emphasized that Kierwiński had a technical education as well as experience in local government and crisis management.
In order to become the government’s plenipotentiary, Kierwiński resigned as an MEP, which he won in the June elections to the European Parliament. The politician previously served as head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, from which he resigned in May this year, after which he became the “number one” of the Civic Coalition’s list for the EP from the district including Warsaw and the “Warsaw-surrounding” counties.
The politician, summarizing his work in the ministry, said that “over the last few months he managed to show the scale of destruction that Maciej Wąsik and Mariusz Kamiński (former deputy head and former head of the ministry – PAP note) caused in the Ministry of Interior and Administration.” However, he noted that many of these cases would continue and declared that he was going to Brussels to fight to make Poland safer in the coming years.
Despite obtaining the mandate of an MEP, Kierwiński did not resign from the position of Secretary General of PO and chairman of the Warsaw structures of the Platform.
After river levels rose rapidly in southern and southeastern Poland from mid-September, causing floods, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, together with, among others, Deputy Prime Minister, head of the Ministry of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration Tomasz Siemoniak and Minister of Infrastructure Dariusz Klimczak stayed in the threatened region. During this time, crisis meetings were held every morning and evening with the participation of representatives of the government, local authorities and services, including the Fire Brigade, IMWM and Polish Waters.
On Saturday, Kierwiński, as the future government plenipotentiary, also participated in the meeting of the crisis staff in Wrocław. Kierwiński declared that no one affected by the flood would be left without help. He also informed that he would be in contact with voivodes to prepare specific action plans.
When asked on Thursday on TOK FM radio how long his mission would last, Kierwiński emphasized that it would be until everything necessary was rebuilt. He also noted that the scale of infrastructure damage is enormous and emphasized that losses are currently being estimated. He pointed out that first of all, critical infrastructure should be quickly rebuilt, but specific valuations and expert opinions of engineers working with local governments and voivodes must be prepared. “This is a process that is beginning. However, this is a process that must run very smoothly and very quickly,” he said.
Marcin Kierwiński was born in 1976 in Warsaw. He graduated from the Warsaw University of Technology at the Faculty of Electronics and Information Technology and the Faculty of Production Engineering, as well as postgraduate studies at the Institute of Organization and Management in Industry “Orgmasz”.
He was a member of parliament of the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th terms. In 2010–2011, he served as deputy marshal of the Masovian Voivodeship of the 3rd and 4th term. In 2015, he was secretary of state at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister and head of the political cabinet of Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz.
In December 2023, President Andrzej Duda appointed Kierwiński as Minister of Interior and Administration in Donald Tusk’s third government. In May 2024, before the European Parliament elections, he resigned from his position and received first place on the KO list in the Warsaw district. In the June elections to the European Parliament, he won a seat as an MEP.
He is married and has three children.
2. President to Kierwiński: I keep my fingers crossed for you; please consider my help
I keep my fingers crossed for you and ask the minister to also take into account help from me and my office – emphasized President Andrzej Duda on Thursday (September 26), turning to Kierwiński, appointed minister and member of the Council of Ministers. Kierwiński is to take up the position of government plenipotentiary for post-flood reconstruction.
– I can assure you that I – as the President of the Republic of Poland and also as a human being – will do my best to help you if there are any needs, if you feel that my support – here from the Chancellery of the President – is necessary, please give me a signal, please provide me with information
– said the president, turning to Kierwiński.
Duda pointed out that the flood disaster came at a very unlucky moment.
– It came practically in autumn, when winter is just around the corner. And the task is extremely difficult. Therefore, I am asking the minister to seriously consider help from our side, if necessary
– noted the president.
He declared that he was keeping his fingers crossed for Minister Kierwiński.
3. President: I would like to thank Minister Kierwiński for his pro-state attitude
On behalf of the Republic of Poland, I would like to thank Minister Marcin Kierwiński for accepting the nomination and undertaking the difficult task of helping people affected by the flood; This is a serious, pro-state and pro-civic attitude, said President Andrzej Duda.
During the ceremony, the president thanked the newly appointed minister for accepting this nomination, and also – as he said – for “taking on a very difficult task for which there is not much time and which requires great dedication, skill and heart that must be put into it” help people.”
– Thank you very much for accepting this nomination, because you submitted your mandate to the European Parliament. An elected mandate to take up this position to help people
– said the president.
– I am grateful for this on behalf of the Republic of Poland. I think there would be those who would not do it, because there have already been cases where politicians refused to resign from the European Parliament and did not take up positions in the Polish government. The minister did this in a very important, very difficult, but very socially important matter. And also very important for the state
– he emphasized.
– Thank you for that, Minister. This is a serious pro-state and pro-citizen attitude. Thank you very much for this
– added the president.
4. Tusk: I am impressed by the president’s words, they sound like an appeal to be together in the face of floods
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday that he was “very impressed” by the words of President Andrzej Duda at the ceremony of appointing Marcin Kierwiński as the government plenipotentiary for reconstruction after the flood. According to the head of government, Duda’s words sounded like a very important appeal to be together in the face of floods.
– I am very impressed by the president’s words, they sounded like a very important appeal to all of us in Poland, that regardless of the past, regardless of what emotions and politics sometimes dictate to people – in the case of the flood, in the case of helping people affected by the flood , regarding the great, very ambitious and difficult task of rebuilding post-flood areas, to be together
– said the Prime Minister during the ceremony of appointing Kierwiński to the government.
Tusk emphasized that he watched the president shake Kierwiński’s hand and this gesture has a very symbolic meaning, because the whole of Poland can see how people from other political camps are convinced that they must be together and united regarding the flood.
5. Prime Minister: Kierwiński called me during the flood
Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday that Marcin Kierwiński called him and declared that he was ready to help wherever the flood caused damage.
Tusk said during the ceremony of appointing the new minister that it was Kierwiński who declared his readiness to undertake the task of helping in the reconstruction of areas destroyed by the flood.
– I am full of appreciation for Minister Kierwiński’s decision, these are not such common things in public life (…). He called me to say he was ready, I didn’t encourage him to do so
– he said.
The Prime Minister added that Kierwiński “knew from the very beginning” that he was not coming “to Warsaw”, but to the place where the flood caused damage.
– To all places, without exception, that will require our state, public assistance
– he added.
The Prime Minister promised the President that the government would do everything to ensure that Kierwiński’s nomination was one of “many steps” taken together for the benefit of the flood victims.
