Polish PiS politicians to face corruption charges this month

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Coalition special commission to investigate the alleged corruption of outgoing Justice and Law Party (PiS) government during its eight years in power will convene later this month.

The hearings will be screened on public television as the local government election campaign begins. The Civic Coalition says the commission will be a chance for people who have based their views on information from PiS-friendly Polish state TV to finally “get the facts”. 

PiS top brass in the dock

The coalition defeated the right-wing Justice and Law Party (PiS) on 15 October 2023. When asked about his government’s plans in December, he said “those who stole must answer.”

Polish President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally who can veto the ruling coalition’s proposals for 18 months, who will face proceedings at the special commission for refusing to take the oath of office from three judges of the Constitutional Tribunal elected by the Sejm Parliament.

Erstwhile PiS prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki will face accusations of attempting to hold an election by postal vote in 2020. Both PiS and the Civic Coalition campaigned last year on setting up inquiry commissions into the attempted postal vote election, which ultimately failed.

Other politicians set to face the special commission include former deputy prime minister Jacek Sasin for “unlawful spending of PLN 70mn” on the failed postal vote election and one-time justice minister Zbigniew Ziobro for using the Justice Fund for party purposes, and erstwhile Polish National Bank (NBP) head Adam Glapinski “for destroying the independence of the NBP and failing to fight high prices”.

The coalition’s hit list also includes ex-National Broadcasting Council chairman Maciej Swirski and ex-culture minister Piotr Glinski “for the destruction of public media”.

PiS MP Przemyslaw Czarnek said “the fight for illegally appropriated public media unites and strengthens us, and this is key: if they trip over their own feet, we must be ready to take over.”

PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski told local media: “We must defend Poles’ right to information, because it is the only chance, or even the only guarantee, that Poland will get back on track.

“We are in the middle of a fight,” he added. “This is not a very easy moment, but this fight is inherently difficult because we are confronted with an opponent who simply does not follow any rules. Who rejected the law, who rejected the Constitution?” Kaczynski asked.

More election battles ahead in April, June

The first half of the year in Poland will also see whether the ruling coalition can deliver on their “100 promises in 100 days campaign” pledge, as well as new elections for local government in April and the European Parliament in June.

Critics of PiS say Poland will now return to democratic rules at public institutions, although the first month of coalition rule has been marked by a controversial battle with PiS for control of public media, as PiS-adjacent public media officials were removed from the state television TVP and state news agency PAP buildings, amid scuffles and the blocking of entrances. 

In an ironic twist for many, at its planned demonstration for Thursday, 11 January, PiS intends to present itself as a defender of free media, democracy and the Polish Constitution.

Liberal daily Gazeta Wyborcza wrote ‘freeing the public media from PiS propaganda has already been achieved: now freeing them from any political influence is one of the big challenges of the Tusk government.