"This referendum is invalid in the deepest and broadest sense," said Tusk.
Paweł Supernak/PAP

Donald Tusk, the leader of the main opposition party Civic Platform (PO), has said he considers the four-question referendum the government wants to hold on the day of the general election as “invalid”.

Tusk also said the questions, which cover the subjects of an EU migrant relocation scheme, the retirement age, the sale of state assets, and the future of the fence on the Belarusian-Polish border, are “an indictment” of Law and Justice’s (PiS) rule over Poland.

“This referendum is invalid in the deepest and broadest sense,” said Tusk

“The questions that (Jaroslaw) Kaczynski came up with are an indictment against PiS,” he said, referring to the PiS leader.

On the subject of migrants, Tusk said that “never in history have Poland’s borders been so open to legal and illegal migrants”.

He added that “we are in favour of Poland being ruled by a political force that is able to really control its borders and its territory.”

Referring to the question about the fence he said that “we want real control and a tight border with Belarus and Russia.”

Tusk also dismissed claims by the government that his party wanted to raise the retirement age, and then went on to take a swipe at the government over its handling of state assets.

Referring to the recent sale of shares in the state-owned oil company, the Lotos Group, to a Saudi Arabian concern he said: “We say ‘no’ to selling Lotos to Arab hands and to Putin’s allies,” adding that “they are stealing the national wealth, lining their pockets with money.”

The referendum, he claimed, “is not valid, it is not legally binding.”

Legislation on the referendum is scheduled to be discussed by the lower house of parliament at its August 16-17 sitting.