The government commissioner for information space security has accused German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of leveraging a visa affair to exert political pressure on the Polish government, demanding clarifications regarding alleged irregularities in visa issuance. Stanisław Żaryn, the government commissioner, criticized Scholz’s actions, framing them as a form of political coercion during an ongoing election campaign.
The controversy stems from a demand made by Chancellor Scholz during a Social Democratic Party (SPD) rally in Nuremberg on Saturday. Scholz called upon the Polish government to provide clarity on allegations surrounding a suspected cash-for-visa arrangement for migrants. He underscored the need for enhanced control over illegal migration, emphasizing that the visa scandal in Poland should be thoroughly investigated and resolved.
Interestingly, Żaryn pointed out that Germany itself has faced visa-related problems over the years, with occasional visa purchase scandals surfacing every few years. He urged authorities to address this issue within their own borders while scrutinizing Poland’s visa affairs.
According to Żaryn, the visa issuance irregularities in Poland were deemed “incidental” and were already under investigation by specialized law enforcement agencies. He noted that the Central Anti-corruption Bureau had already detained seven individuals in connection with the case.
The incumbent Polish government is currently grappling with allegations suggesting that thousands of visas were issued by Polish consulates in exchange for bribes. These allegations, initially reported in the media, have been weaponized by opposition parties, who accuse the government of applying double standards, given its staunch stance on immigration control.
The National Prosecutor’s Office, in a recent announcement, stated that its investigation into the visa scandal centered on 268 granted applications for expedited issuance. However, opposition parties vehemently dispute this figure, contending that the scandal may have impacted up to 300,000 visa applications, further intensifying the political and public scrutiny surrounding the affair.