A peculiar incident occurred during a recent session of Poland’s National Council of the Judiciary (KRS) — one that has raised eyebrows and sparked public debate.
The KRS conducts its meetings in a hybrid format, allowing members to participate remotely. However, what happened during the latest session was unprecedented. MP Anna Maria Żukowska, a representative of the Left party and recently elected to the KRS, reportedly joined the official proceedings… while relaxing in a bathtub.
“Someone is signaling to speak, I believe one of the remote participants. MP Żukowska?” asked Judge Dagmara Pawełczyk-Woicka, chairwoman of the KRS, during the live meeting.
Following the incident, the relevant segment of the official broadcast was removed by order of Judge Pawełczyk-Woicka. However, a miniature video feed displayed on the right side of the screen gave viewers a glimpse of what had transpired — enough, apparently, to prompt what was later described as an “anonymization” of the footage.
This isn’t the first time Żukowska has attracted attention for her views on the Council. After her election to the KRS, she reiterated her belief that the body is “contaminated” and excluded from the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary. Yet despite her critical stance, her participation — even from a bathtub — entitles her to receive full allowances for attending the meetings.