Jul 27, 2023 | Law, Politics, Society Poland’s opposition has launched an audit of government spending on dozens of “family picnics” being organised around the country to promote the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party’s flagship child benefit policy They say that the events – at which the public are given free entertainment and food including one case in which sweets were dropped from a plane – are being used to “illegally” promote PiS’s campaign for this autumn’s parliamentary elections Even though payments will be automatically increased the government has announced a series of dozens of “family picnics” around Poland to promote the child-benefit scheme whose name has been changed from “500+” to “800+” Those events are paid for with state funds 😊 Bądźcie z nami na piknikach rodzinnych w całej Polsce 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦🇵🇱 💡Dowiedz się więcej o #800plus na https://t.co/09lQ8gWOSv#NoweKonkrety pic.twitter.com/eJokgBGlVX — Kancelaria Premiera (@PremierRP) July 15, 2023 “This programme [800+] is a symbol of the rule of Law and Justice, which understands one of the fundamental tasks: support for families and the weakest,” said PiS MP Michał Jach at one of the picnics last weekend in Szczecin, quoted by state-owned broadcaster Radio Szczecin The events provide entertainment for children – such as bouncy castles balloon sculptors and face painting – and free food At the picnic in the village of Korzenna in southern Poland earlier this month, “children could take advantage of outdoor cinema, illusionist shows, horse rides…and sweets dropped from a plane”, wrote local newspaper Gazeta Krakowska, which is owned by state energy giant Orlen who has attended and given speeches at some of the events said at one in Krotoszyn in western Poland that “at picnics all over Poland we meet with people because it is Poles who write our programme Piknik Rodzinny "Rodzina 800 Plus" w Krotoszynie z Panem Premierem @MorawieckiM 👶👨‍🦱👩🧒☺️❤️🇵🇱@pisorgpl @MRiPS_GOV_PL @PremierRP pic.twitter.com/v6Z9Dq3q5X — Jan Mosiński (@MosinskiJan) July 22, 2023 announced they were launching a process known as “parliamentary inspection” at the ministry of family and social policy to investigate the spending on the picnics The events are clearly intended to “promote [PiS] leader Jarosław Kaczyński and the ruling camp” “The authorities are spending public money to increase the chances of winning the elections.” “This is hidden, illegal financing of PiS’s election campaign. They are organising party rallies with taxpayers’ money,” added his colleague, Arkadiusz Marchewka. Poland has strict rules on how political parties and their election campaigns can be financed Pikniki 800+ to:– nielegalne finansowanie kampanii PiS z publicznych pieniędzy– bezczelna propaganda robiona na pomocy społecznej– masowa, polityczna korupcja.Dlatego dziś byliśmy z poselską kontrolą w Ministerstwie Rodziny i Polityki Społecznej. Dość tego nielegalu!… pic.twitter.com/smrSCp0aoo — Marcin Kierwiński (@MKierwinski) July 26, 2023 “It is important that Poles have full information about the pro-family policy that the government is implementing because it is in our heart,” she told broadcaster Polsat “This is really the DNA of PiS’s social policy.” She added that the events include an “information campaign” to “show Poles the entire process for submitting applications” for child benefits The government has previously proclaimed “how easy” it is to submit such applications also told the Gazeta Wyborcza daily that one of the “tasks of government is to inform [the public] about the laws it has adopted so that everyone they are addressed to can use them” Main image credit: KPRM (under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 PL) Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications , , Karol Nawrocki even suggested that the state security services were involved in creating the scandal , , The 1,200 square metre national symbol was unfurled on the beach in Międzyzdroje , , The proportion of Poles saying the US has a positive influence on the world has also fallen to its lowest recorded level Apr 30, 2025 | , , , That response will include “large Polish and NATO exercises in Poland” Apr 29, 2025 | , , , Those employed in Poland work on average the third-longest hours in the European Union Apr 28, 2025 | , , , , Westinghouse and Bechtel were first chosen in 2022 as partners on the 192 billion zloty ($51 billion) project please consider helping us to continue and expand it [email protected] Copyright © 2025 Notes From Poland | Design jurko studio | Code by 2sides.pl Senior Research Fellow at the Global Europe Centre ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Weronika Strzyżyńska is currently studying journalism at Goldsmiths as a Scott Trust Bursary recipient She  has written on issues immigration and Brexit for New Statesman and Prospect Agnieszka Wądołowska is managing editor of Notes from Poland She has previously worked for Gazeta.pl and Tokfm.pl and contributed to Gazeta Wyborcza ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland and assistant professor of history at the Pedagogical University of Krakow The Independent and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Stanley Bill is the founder and editor-at-large of Notes from Poland.He is also Senior Lecturer in Polish Studies and Director of the Polish Studies Programme at the University of Cambridge Stanley has spent more than ten years living in Poland He founded Notes from Poland in 2014 as a blog dedicated to personal impressions cultural analysis and political commentary He is committed to the promotion of deeper knowledge and understanding of Poland He is the Chair of the Board of the Notes from Poland Foundation ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Professor of European Studies at Oxford University ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Professor at the Institute of History of the Jagiellonian University ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Executive Director of Taube Family Foundation ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Associate Professor at the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Science ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR By submitting the above I agree to the privacy policy and terms of use of JTA.org If you were born poor and premature in early 20th-century New York City and the mortality rate for preemies was staggering Under the clamoring crowds who flocked to Coney Island for freak shows and ocean-side entertainment over 6,500 infants thrived under the care of a man calling himself Dr And remarkably, the families did not have to spend a dime on their babies’ care—all expenses were covered by entree fees But every part of the identity of the so-called “incubator doctor” was fictional, it turns out, including his title. Nonetheless, as detailed in Miracle at Coney Island: How a Sideshow Doctor Saved Thousands of Babies and Transformed American Medicine this life-saving miracle man fooled doctors and families alike—all the while saving lives and contributing enormously to neonatal medical knowledge Photo: Beth Allen (the pictured baby) and the Coney Island History Project JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent I accept the Privacy Policy A remote island in western Japan is a spiritual home for sumo wrestling a competition in Shimane Prefecture's Okinoshima town has honored a local deity Among more than 200 people who took part in the latest event were wrestlers from Poland who discovered that the sacred ritual is far more than just a sport People familiar with Japan's national sport are likely to associate it mainly with Grand Sumo whose tournaments are televised on NHK World But sumo has been practiced in various forms for different purposes throughout its long history Sometimes events were held to entertain emperors and shoguns Some parts of Japan continue to preserve sumo's most traditional aspects Its residents hold a sacred sumo event once every few years as an offering for a local deity the island hosted its sumo event for the first time in 12 years Hundreds of people ranging from their teens to their 60s were getting ready to participate as rikishi Among them were three men from the other side of the globe – the first time anyone living outside Japan took part in this event on the island is one of the strongest sumo wrestlers in the Polish city of Krotoszyn where the European Sumo Federation is headquartered "I want to go to Japan and see what sumo is really like," he said ahead of his trip "I'd like to see a real tournament that's not just about the sport Grenda and two other Polish wrestlers arrived on the island two days before the event They practiced in a dohyo ring and learned specific actions they needed to perform before their matches Grenda seemed bewildered by the unfamiliar moves but the locals kindly taught him the ropes a group seeking to keep traditional sumo alive He told the Polish rikishi about the importance of paying respects to the deity and to his opponents "I'm looking forward to seeing Grenda fight," Yoshiyama said before the event Yoshiyama invited the three Polish visitors to a dinner party with people from the district the locals did their best to make their guests feel like part of the community Grenda was moved by the welcome he received The event is said to be watched by a deity who descends from the heavens after sunset After a Shinto priest performed a ritual inside the ring Grenda's turn came five hours into the event The crowd threw lots of salt as he entered the ring a tradition thought to repel evil and give the rikishi strength Grenda swiftly moved to the right side of his opponent Grenda used that power to throw him and win because fighting the same person twice in a row and sharing one victory each is one of the event's traditions This special practice is meant to eliminate hostility between the rikishi and preserve peace on the small island Grenda and his opponent shook hands and pledged that they are now "brothers." Yoshiyama smiled as he watched Grenda fight while following all of traditional sumo's customs and called his match "terrific sumo." He said he hopes he will share the spirit of what he learned with the people of Poland Grenda was relieved to finish his match after a long day He said he learned from the islanders that sumo is more than just a competition It is a practice that makes him grow as a person through perseverance "I was able to fulfill my dream and see the religious and traditional side of sumo," Grenda said.