Bans from office are possible
Duda approves controversial law
May 29, 2023, 3:41 p.m
After the vote in the Polish parliament, President Duda signs the law aimed at investigating “Russian influence” on Polish officials. They could even be banned from office. The law comes at the right time for the ruling PiS party.
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda has signed a controversial law that would set up a commission of inquiry into possible Russian influence. Russian influence has led to a lot of turbulence, the result of which is the war of aggression against Ukraine and the energy problems in Europe, Duda said in Warsaw. “There is therefore no doubt that this needs to be clarified.” At the same time, he will instruct the constitutional court to review the law, Duda continued.
Critics accuse the national-conservative PiS government of using the law, a few months before the parliamentary elections in the fall, primarily to discredit opposition leader and former head of government Donald Tusk. In addition, the Commission could also ban officials from office. According to the draft law, a commission of inquiry will examine whether public officials succumbed to Russian influence in the years 2007 to 2022 and made decisions that harmed the country’s security. This includes, for example, entering into contracts that could favor Russian influence and passing on relevant information to third parties.
The Commission should also be able to impose penalties. Among other things, it can ban officials from holding an office for a period of up to ten years if this office also involves control over public funds. There is no provision for an appeal. The commission is to be composed of nine people appointed by the lower house of the Polish parliament, the Sejm. The PiS has the majority there.
Tusk finalized gas deal with Russia
Former EU Council President Donald Tusk was Polish Prime Minister from 2007 to 2014. The PiS government accuses him, among other things, of having concluded unfavorable gas contracts with Russia. Tusk leads Poland’s largest opposition party, the liberal-conservative Civic Platform. The Danziger is considered the worst political opponent of PiS boss Jaroslaw Kaczynski.
Opposition officials called the law a “disgrace”. Tusk responded with irony. “Mr. President, I invite you to a public deliberation on June 4. We will be heard and seen clearly from the windows of your palace. Are you coming?” he wrote on Twitter. On June 4, the Civic Platform in Warsaw called for a demonstration against PiS policies.