Poland's President, Andrzej Duda, has given his support to legislation allowing a committee the power to investigate Russian influence in the country between 2007 and 2022. The move has raised eyebrows, given the importance of the upcoming election in October, which could see the fall of the Law & Justice Party. The party leader, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, has long accused opposition leader Donald Tusk of allowing Russia to influence his time as prime minister prior to 2015. This is what the proposed panel will seek to investigate.
President Duda signed the law this week, and told reporters that Russia's influence had to be addressed, addressing concerns by some in the public. However, critiques of the bill argue that the committee’s powers would be excessive, with the potential to ban officials from public office. Many see the committee as a clear attempt by the government to discredit the opposition before the election.
Despite these concerns, President Duda has stated that he will seek a review of questions over the law’s compliance with Poland's constitution. This move reflects a wider concern in the public over what is perceived as a highly non-democratic move by the government.