“There is, unfortunately, a group within the Polish judiciary which, in my personal opinion, has lost all sense of reason out of fear that their privileges and dominant position may be threatened, out of fear of losing their elite status. I do not know what exactly lies at the heart of this issue. In my view, they have lost their minds by denigrating other judges,” said the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, during a press conference today. The full video is available in the window above.
Remarks by the Head of the National Electoral Commission
Judge Sylwester Marciniak, Head of the National Electoral Commission (PKW), spoke yesterday during the official ceremony confirming Karol Nawrocki’s election as President. He emphasized the need to end the “Polish-Polish war” as well as the “judge-against-judge conflict.”
President Duda: A Betrayal of State Interests
Speaking at a press conference in Singapore today, President Andrzej Duda responded to Marciniak’s statement:
“I have great respect for the Chairman. I thank him for his wise words. I am pleased that a judge with such extensive experience and regard has clearly expressed his personal view on the matter. I, of course, also address this issue in my own words, calling on others not to demean judges who have been appointed over the past nine years. We must not belittle these individuals by using terms such as ‘neo-judges.’”
He continued:
“Unfortunately, there is currently a group within the Polish judiciary which, in my personal opinion, has gone mad—driven by fear that their privileges and dominant role are at risk, by fear of losing their elite status. I do not know the true reason. In my view, they have lost their minds by mistreating fellow judges. We are witnessing shocking cases in which criminals and murderers are, in effect, released from prison due to verdicts being overturned solely on the grounds that the judicial panel included a so-called ‘neo-judge.’ It is hard to imagine a greater display of irresponsibility.”
According to the President, “this constitutes a betrayal of state interests.”
“It is an action against the safety of Polish citizens to absolve a murderer of responsibility merely because someone harbors delusional personal preferences or political views—views that they allow to interfere with their duties, despite having chosen to serve in the judiciary. This demonstrates a complete misunderstanding of the role one assumes by becoming a part of the third branch of government in Poland—that of being a judge. To me, this is utterly incomprehensible,” he concluded.