The party officially adopted the new name at a conference in Warsaw on Wednesday, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
The event was attended by some 2,500 participants, according to organisers.
In a speech to the conference, Zbigniew Ziobro said: “We are changing our name to Sovereign Poland to say a firm ‘no’ to those who seek to deprive us of our sovereignty, and consequently of our independence.”
He added that the party had been active “for almost 12 years” and thanked officials for this period “during which we have managed to achieve so much.”
The justice minister told the conference that “Poland is facing big challenges.”
'Threats from Russia and EU'
Ziobro said: “Today, Poland’s sovereignty is in greatest danger since the fall of communism. Two dangerous processes are taking place at the same time.”
According to Ziobro, “on the one hand, Russia is waging a bloody war of aggression against our neighbour, which may also pose a direct threat to Poland,” while “on the other, left-wing fanatics in Western Europe are pushing to turn the European Union into a federal state under German leadership.”
He said that Sovereign Poland was launched on May 3, Constitution Day, the anniversary of Poland’s landmark constitution of May 3, 1791, because “just as 18th-century reformers were defending Poland … so today we must defend Polish sovereignty against German collaborators in Polish politics.”
"If we surrender, we won’t have democracy," Ziobro told the gathering. He accused former Polish prime minister Donald Tusk and "his clique" of "doing Berlin’s bidding.”
He declared that his party was working together with its senior coalition partner, Law and Justice (PiS), to “build a strong and modern Polish army ... amid the threat from Russia.”
Ziobro thanked Law and Justice leader Jarosław Kaczyński and Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak for their efforts to strengthen the country's armed forces, the PAP news agency reported.
During Wednesday’s conference, Sovereign Poland unveiled its "six main policy proposals," including "the rejection of attempts to create a single EU state in place of nation states."
The party pledged to support policies to strengthen NATO and create "a regional security system between the US, the UK and Poland.” It also announced further efforts to “put a stop to gender ideology,” according to the PAP news agency.
(pm/gs)
Source: PAP, polsatnews.pl