President Andrzej Duda assessed that after the presidential elections, a situation may arise where “there will be major legal doubts about what to do next.” He criticized Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the finance minister, accusing them of violating the law in the case of withholding subsidies for PiS.
“I Am Not Calm”
When asked in an interview with TV Trwam whether he was legally confident about what would happen after August 6, when his term ends—especially regarding some politicians questioning the validity of elections as confirmed by the Supreme Court’s Chamber of Extraordinary Control—Duda replied:
“I am not calm. However, I want to emphasize (…) the unbelievable hypocrisy. The same political group in the European Union had no problem recognizing this Chamber when it confirmed the 2023 elections, which allowed Donald Tusk and his allies from Civic Platform to form a coalition and ultimately take power in Poland.”
“An Obvious Violation of the Law”
Duda argued that the 2023 elections were accepted because “they brought victory to the right candidates and the right political force.” He added:
“When elections go the way the liberal-left camp wants, then democracy is intact, and everything is fine. But when, God forbid, the result is not to their liking, suddenly democracy is undermined, its foundations are destroyed, and the Supreme Court’s Chamber is deemed illegitimate.”
When asked whether cutting subsidies for the largest opposition party (PiS) could lead to the elections being deemed unfair or invalid, Duda said that would be for the courts to decide.
“The fact is, what Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his finance minister are doing is—in my opinion—a clear violation of the law. These decisions were made by the National Electoral Commission and confirmed by the Supreme Court. The government’s actions are outright lawbreaking.”
Legal Doubts
Duda warned that recent events represent “a blatant violation of the law, unlike anything we’ve seen in Poland in the last 30 years.”
“My term is ending, but we may face a situation where there are major legal doubts about the next steps. We are analyzing these legal issues, considering various possible scenarios and constitutional interpretations regarding potential post-election situations.”