The US and European Union have condemned a new Polish law that enables the government to investigate opposition leader Donald Tusk. The law aims to examine Russia's involvement in Polish politics, but has caused concern that it could be used to interfere with the contested election scheduled for October. The law allows the special parliamentary panel to prevent officials from running for public office and bypasses the regular court system. These unprecedented powers have sparked protests in Poland, with critics suggesting that the panel is aiming to discredit and block key opposition politicians from participating in the election. The US State Department has urged the Polish government to prevent the law from disrupting the democratic electoral process.
The US has recently been increasing their military support of Poland during the Russian conflict following the invasion of Ukraine. In the past year, President Joe Biden has visited Poland twice to reaffirm the US's support. The new Polish law, however, could damage this relationship. The Polish government has been building close ties with the US, recently striking deals to build a nuclear power plant and purchase military equipment. The EU has also criticised the new law, stating that it contradicts EU rules and potentially violates the Polish Constitution.
Polish Government spokesman Piotr Muller insists that the law will not immediately bar individuals from running for public office, and that an appeals court ruling would be required. However, critics, including lawyers and opposition politicians, argue that decisions made using these powers would take effect instantly, and lengthy court proceedings could take years to reverse a decision.
The new law targets Tusk, the leader of the opposition Civic Platform party, whom the ruling Law and Justice party has accused of tolerating Russian interference during his time as prime minister before 2015. Tusk rejects these accusations and has suggested that the goal of the new law is to eliminate the government's main political rival.
President Andrzej Duda has signed the bill into law, but has referred it to Poland's highest court due to concerns that it may infringe Poland's Constitution.