Rising Tensions: Polish lawmakers detained within Presidential Palace amidst escalating power struggle”
Amidst a fierce political clash, two populist Polish lawmakers were dramatically arrested on corruption charges inside the Presidential Palace, intensifying the showdown between the country's new ruling party and its former government
Two populist Polish legislators were arrested on corruption allegations inside the Presidential Palace on Tuesday, sparking one to initiate a hunger strike and intensifying a heated standoff between the new government and the ousted ruling party.
Mariusz KamiÅski and Maciej WÄ sik, both members of the previously ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, were apprehended on Tuesday after reportedly seeking shelter inside President Andrzej Duda's palace in Warsaw.
Last month, they were sentenced to two years in prison and prohibited from serving as MPs for five years due to corruption charges related to PiS's initial term in office from 2005 to 2007. The sentencing angered the PiS-aligned president and many party members, as Duda had previously pardoned the pair before their conviction. The Supreme Court deemed the pardon void, but the Constitutional Tribunal, filled with PiS loyalists, argued that it should be upheld.
The case, and the dramatic events it caused at the Presidential Palace, underscore a fierce conflict between the new centrist government, headed by Donald Tusk, and PiS, the party that orchestrated an illiberal takeover of Poland's institutions before being ousted in October's election.
Police cars were seen outside the Presidential Palace during Tuesday's dramatic events.
Jaap Arriens/NURPHO/AP
Tusk has been assertive in his initial attempts to address the takeover of public institutions and the decline of the rule of law, a concerning trend under the PiS government that has raised alarm among international watchdogs and led to a prolonged standoff between Warsaw and the European Union.
However, the PiS has responded angrily, with Duda publicly criticizing Tusk's actions and making it clear that he will obstruct large parts of Tusk's agenda.
KamiÅski denounced his conviction as "a political vendetta" and announced plans to go on a hunger strike in protest, according to a statement from the Polish news agency PAP. Despite being barred from holding public office, both of them have disregarded their convictions and attempted to take seats in Poland's parliament.
In a speech on Wednesday, Duda expressed his dismay, stating "I am deeply shocked that individuals who have always fought for a free Poland are now imprisoned. Meanwhile, there are others facing corruption charges who are free to roam."
But Marcin KierwiÅski, the new governments Interior Minister, said on X after their arrests: "Everyone is equal before the law."
A bitter political confrontation
The ultimate conviction of KamiÅski and WÄ sik came after nearly a decade of hearings and their initial trial in 2015. This was in relation to their involvement in a scandal over covert agreements between the Agriculture Ministry and Polish businesses, which ultimately led to the early downfall of PiS's first government. In 2015, Duda, backed by PiS, granted the pair a pardon before the verdict was officially issued.
The corruption charges resulted in a lengthy legal battle that culminated in a final conviction by a Warsaw court last month.
"I continue to maintain that Mariusz KamiÅski and Maciej WÄ sik and their associates were pardoned in 2015 in accordance with the constitution, and I stand by the validity of this pardon," stated Duda on Wednesday.
The final decision by the courts was that the pardon, which was issued before the pair were found guilty and sentenced, was not valid. The Warsaw court, which sentenced the pair, denied a request from their lawyers to delay detaining the two convicted politicians. Instead, the court issued an order on Tuesday morning to detain the two MPs and place them in solitary confinement.
The MPs were arrested hours later inside the Presidential Palace, where Duda, who is the president until 2025, is based. Despite serving as members of parliament and government ministers for PiS while their cases were ongoing, they are now prohibited from sitting in the Sejm.
Tusk triumphed in October after a tight and bitter election campaign, but governing will bring fresh challenges.
Omar Marques/Getty Images
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Despite their promise to disregard the final court ruling and attend the proceedings, the Speaker of the Sejm has decided to suspend the planned session on Wednesday. This notable standoff further escalates political tensions in Poland following a divisive election that resulted in the removal of PiS from government.
Shortly after assuming office, Tusk made a bold move to replace the leadership of Poland's public broadcaster TVP, which had been accused of being biased in favor of the government under PiS, aiming to restore independence to the country's airwaves. However, his aggressive tactics prompted protests from PiS members and raised concerns among Polish NGOs about potential overreach.
TVP went off the air during the Christmas period due to a standoff, and its news website has been inaccessible for weeks. President Duda then threatened to veto Tusk's budget, which included funds for public media management. In response, the government placed the network and Polish news agency PAP into liquidation. An opposition-led protest is planned for Thursday in Warsaw to exert pressure on Tusk.
The veteran of pro-European centrism has garnered support from many in Poland who want to see accountability for PiS leaders' eight-year term that undermined media, judiciary, state-owned companies, and cultural institutions. Tusk was Poland's prime minister from 2007 to 2014 and led the European Council from 2014 to 2019. He promises to bring about a new era of cooperation between Poland and the EU, aiming to restore Poland's position as an EU leader.
