In Poland, the electoral commission deprives the nationalist opposition of a large part of public support subsidies.
Poland's former ruling nationalist party, Law and Justice, will be deprived of a significant portion of state subsidies due to misuse of public funds during the election campaign for the 2023 legislative elections, the Electoral Commission (PKW) decided on Thursday, August 29. The commission “Decides to reject the report of the Law and Justice Party's electoral committee”The head of the foundation, Sylostr Marciniak, told the press, indicating that government support for this party would thus be: “reduced”.
The main opposition party, the Law and Justice party, which ruled Poland for eight years, from 2015 to 2023, immediately denounced the decision. PKW decision (…) Shameful. It is part of the current government's political game of revenge and marginalization of the opposition.Former Law and Justice Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said: on.
According to the Polish press, the Law and Justice party could lose up to 57 million zlotys (13.31 million euros), or a significant portion of public subsidies.
“Law and Justice”
Immediately after the PKK's decision, the party announced that it would appeal the decision. “We will of course appeal this decision and file a complaint with the Supreme Court.”Mariusz Blaszczak, a senior Law and Justice party official, told reporters.
He also accused pro-European Prime Minister Donald Tusk of wanting to destroy the opposition. “Tusk presents the Belarusian regime, a regime that does not respect the rights of the opposition, and is trying to destroy the opposition in our country.”He added. For his part, Prime Minister Ali X estimated that with this decision the Law and Justice Party was learning. “The true meaning of the words law and justice”.
Next month, the PKW still has to review the Law and Justice Party's financial report. If the committee decides to reject it, the party could lose all public support for the next three years, according to the PKK leader.
Not the first in Poland
Under Polish law, the PKK limits each party’s electoral spending and returns the money after an audit. Each year, parties that pass the 3% threshold in legislative elections receive public support, also controlled by the PKK.
According to the PAS, a constitutional body responsible for monitoring the entire electoral process in Poland, PiS overstepped its bounds by withdrawing money from public coffers during the last election campaign. PiS came first in the October elections, but failed to create a majority, which went to the pro-European coalition that is currently in power.
In the past, the Electoral Commission has denied support to several political parties due to irregularities in their financial resources.