- PiS politicians face arrest
- Duda’s contested pardons
- Tusk coalition challenges PiS
On a day of unprecedented political drama in Warsaw, the former Interior Minister and Deputy Interior Minister were detained by Polish police inside the presidential palace.
Last month, Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik received two-year prison terms for abuse of authority while in charge of an anti-corruption office in 2007.
Marcin Kierwiński, the newly appointed Interior Minister, wrote on X after the arrests, “Everyone is equal before the law.”
The political unrest between the Law and Justice (PiS) party and the new pro-EU coalition is highlighted by the arrests.
The men, who were elected PiS members of parliament in October, refused to acknowledge the court’s ruling from last month on the grounds that President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the PiS, pardoned them for the offence in 2015. Mr. Duda has additionally stated that he rejects the court’s decision on the grounds that his pardon remains legitimate.
On Wednesday, in a televised address, the Polish president expressed profound shock at the incarceration of the two men and characterised them as candid.
Despite having their parliamentary mandates revoked, both the two MPs and President Duda maintain that the pardon allows them to continue serving as lawfully elected representatives.
Palace Drama and Political Arrests
A warrant for the men’s detention was issued by the court to the authorities on Monday evening. Notwithstanding this, on Tuesday morning, Mr. Duda extended invitations to both individuals to the Presidential Palace in Warsaw. Where they were to partake in a ceremony commemorating the sacrament of two former colleagues who had been appointed as presidential advisers.
They left the palace for a brief press briefing after many hours. Mr. Kamiński stated that if arrested, they will be considered “political prisoners” and thanked Mr. Duda for his support.
“We are confronted with an extremely critical state crisis.” “An ominous dictatorship is taking shape,” stated Mr. Kamiński. Subsequently, they reentered the palace while the political spectacle continued.
The circumstance was described as “unbelievable” by Prime Minister Donald Tusk at a news conference moments later. He said the court’s ruling must be upheld and suspected President Duda was helping the men dodge justice.
“The prime minister and interior minister have no guidebook for how to conduct themselves when convicted criminals are present in the Presidential Palace.” “This is obviously exploiting a circumstance in which no one would resort to force against an institution like the president,” he further stated.
Several hundred PiS supporters gathered outside the palace in support of the men after their arrests.
On Wednesday morning, Mariusz Kamiński declared that he would begin a hunger strike, stating, “Since my initial day of incarceration, I have been a political prisoner.” Polish hunger strikes are common and do not always involve complete abstinence from food and liquids.
While neither individual was a political prisoner, the deputy minister of justice said all detainees might reject food or alcohol.
Legal Battles and Media Reforms
The Polish Supreme Court rendered a decision last year declaring Mr. Duda’s pardon from 2015 void on the grounds that it was granted during the men’s appeal against their conviction, that is, prior to the finalisation of the initial conviction. Mr. Duda disputes this and maintains that the pardon remains valid.
A new Supreme Court chamber, composed of judges nominated by PiS, has ruled in favour of Mr. Duda. This further complicates the situation, along with the support from the Constitutional Tribunal.
Mr. Tusk suggested that Mr. Duda reconsider his pardon of the men now that the verdict is final. That, however, would cast doubt on the legal standing of the initial commutation.
Last month, Mr. Tusk’s coalition assumed power with the commitment to reverse the modifications made by PiS to the judiciary, public media, and civil service, which numerous international organisations and the European Commission assert have compromised the rule of law in Poland.
It began by overhauling state television, radio, and news agency, which PiS had transformed into a propaganda factory.
However, its strategies were comparable to those of PiS. Initially, it employed a government minister to dismiss media committees and appoint new members in advance of legislative reform.
The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights acknowledged that PiS’s rise had hampered media reform. The organisation argued that such reform was “urgent” due to the media’s transformation into a “propaganda mouthpiece.” However, it expressed scepticism regarding the new government’s proposed changes.
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Accusations of Hypocrisy and Brutality
Former PiS Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told that despite vocally promoting democratic principles, Mr Tusk’s administration lagged significantly behind in practice.
“The current situation is an unprecedented assault on the rule of law.” The government of Tusk determined that it could torment public television and the media. This is not in accordance with democratic principles. Such government brutality has not been witnessed since the fall of communism. “It is even more abhorrent that these actions are taken by individuals who vocalise democratic slogans,” stated Mr. Morawiecki.
Numerous Tusk supporters argue that such claims are hypocritical given PiS’s history of running public institutions.
