PiS’s stance was initially uncoordinated. There are many Cossacks on the Internet and a tougher electorate, so a tough, purely political and highly confrontational message towards Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government was more common. But outside of social media, PiS politicians held their tongues. Especially as people die in the floods, others lose their homes and those far from the flood site fear for their loved ones.
“We support flood victims first”
It may seem trivial, but during a flood, the most important people are the flood victims. In the end, it is all about politics anyway – especially calls to deal not with politics during a flood, but with the flood victims. The best policy is to focus on the flood victims and act efficiently to help them and respond to people’s emotions.
And social emotions are rising in line with the scale of the disaster. — When it became clear that the situation was really bad, our people stopped attacking so violently. People want to support the firefighters, soldiers and flood victims, and they don’t want to see politicians beating the heads of those fighting the floods. First, we support the flood victims and then we will hold the government accountable, the PiS spokesperson adds.
The opposition does not have the state instruments to help flood victims, but it can create pressure on the government. PiS has demanded that an extraordinary session of the Sejm be convened to pass a special law increasing aid to flood victims. It is an open auction: the government offers 10,000 zlotys immediately. PLN and PiS want to increase emergency aid to 24,000 PLN. The government will allocate up to 200,000 PLN for renovation and reconstruction of housing. PLN and PiS say: the full cost of renovation or reconstruction of houses and agricultural buildings.
– We are not attacking with much force for now – says one of our interlocutors from this formation.
After the initial uncoordinated and even highly conflictive messages, PiS has softened. It prefers to collect donations for flood victims and declare aid, rather than simply fight with Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
— Even if our core electorate wants to, we cannot mess with the government. We cannot do it too forcefully when the flood is in full swing – we heard from one of the PiS politicians.
Kaczyński retreated into the shadows
Interestingly, PiS chairman Jarosław Kaczyński did not comment on the flood for a long time. With his activism, we hear in PiS, he could alienate people. It is only a matter of time before he is in the front row – but for now he is giving way to the younger generation.
The PiS chairman spoke, albeit not verbatim, in a brief written statement sent to the PAP – only on Tuesday evening. This statement was absolutely calm in its delivery. Of course, he accused Donald Tusk’s government of inaction, but briefly. Jarosław Kaczyński emphasized the aid to flood victims and made sure to stress that it should be non-repayable support and not loans (which the head of the Climate Ministry Paulina Hennig-Kloska spoke about, provoking the fury of Prime Minister Donald Tusk). He stressed that PiS is raising funds for flood victims and “in the face of the disaster, we act according to the principle: all hands on deck, because the lives and health of our citizens are priceless.”
Błaszczak as a signpost
In practice – when the president is absent or only speaks symbolically – Mariusz Błaszczak, the party’s deputy chairman and former head of the Ministry of National Defence, serves as a guide for party activists on which direction to take in communication. In PiS, it is completely clear: Błaszczak is currently number 2 – after Jarosław Kaczyński. What Błaszczak communicates is the PiS line and an example to follow. Mateusz Morawiecki, for his part, runs his own communication, largely independently of Nowogrodzka.
The tragedy of flood victims may be much greater than expected in forecasts. Lądek-Zdrój, Kłodzko, Nysa, Stronie Śląskie – smaller towns have been flooded. Big waters are moving towards Wrocław.
The ruling camp and even the Wrocław authorities underestimated the risk. The prime minister’s statement before the flood wave was reassuring – PiS still uses it frequently today. Donald Tusk stated on Friday, September 13, that “there is no reason to panic” and “the forecasts are not overly alarming.” — Today, there is no reason to predict events on a scale that would pose a threat to the entire country, Tusk said. However, the forecasts have changed. Diametrically.
Although, based on predictions and reports at the time, the Prime Minister may have been right at the time, after a few days the predictions did not hold up to reality.
This is not a matter of literal reading, but of social emotions. Prime Minister Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz was also literally right in 1997 when he said that it was worth taking out insurance, but it later turned out that he himself was wrong with this advice. Donald Tusk himself stumbled over his statement, but so far it has not caused a significant social wave against him. However, the Prime Minister is already sensitive to the messages of his ministers. The aforementioned Hennig-Kloska of Poland 2050 also provided PiS with ammunition.
PiS and the media outlets that support this party use even trivial things like the photo of Donald Tusk, which he posted on social media, eating sorrel soup in a hurry in improvised conditions, for communication purposes.
The government wants to go with the tide
When reality turns out to be far from the original predictions, the ruling camp flees. Donald Tusk decided to introduce a state of natural disaster in the areas affected by the floods – thus the voivode (de facto government) assumed responsibility for managing the crisis and emergency aid was launched.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister demands activity: – I do not accept the explanation that someone is not acting with sufficient vigor, but rather in accordance with the regulations. There is no time for procedural convenience; I expect commitment and vigilance.
Tusk publicly reprimands his ministers for acting too slowly. He also sends people in power – at all levels – to help the injured. Even if flood victims cannot be helped quickly, they must not feel abandoned.
