In response to the United States expressing concerns about the potential impact of a planned commission to investigate alleged Russian influence on Poland’s governments, a presidential aide from Poland highlighted the lack of comprehensive understanding on the matter.
The US State Department had raised apprehensions that the commission might interfere with Poland’s upcoming general election this autumn and urged the Polish government not to exploit it as a means to eliminate political opponents.
Marcin Przydacz, an international policy advisor to the Polish president, addressed these concerns on Tuesday, suggesting that the US response indicated a misinformed perspective on the commission’s functionality. Przydacz reassured that the commission would not possess the authority to disqualify politicians from participating in elections.
Furthermore, Przydacz criticized the US embassy in Warsaw for providing incomplete research on the legislation that established the commission, resulting in a flawed understanding within the State Department. He emphasized the necessity for an in-depth analysis of the regulations governing the commission before passing judgment.
Przydacz clarified, “The legislation on which the commission rests does not allow for the barring of anyone from running in elections.” Nonetheless, the opposition in Poland has expressed concerns that the commission, which has the power to prohibit politicians from holding public office based on their previous associations with Russia, could potentially be exploited to exclude opposition leaders, notably Donald Tusk, the leader of the main opposition grouping, Civic Coalition (KO), from participating in the upcoming general election in autumn.