The departure of Zbigniew Ziobro to the United States has triggered a political storm. While politicians from the ruling coalition are already talking about extradition and pressure on the American administration, a wave of criticism is growing online – directed at the government of Donald Tusk. An analysis by Res Futura Data House shows that most online comments assess the authorities’ actions as chaotic.
On Sunday evening, on TV Republika, Zbigniew Ziobro confirmed the station’s findings and admitted that he had traveled to the United States. In his first interview from overseas on TV Republika, he said, “I am in the United States, I arrived yesterday. I am traveling across the U.S. for the third time – it is an extremely complex, beautiful country, the strongest democracy in the world,”. The Minister of Justice, Waldemar Żurek, has already commented on the matter, announcing that Poland would обратиться to the United States and Hungary “with a question about the legal grounds that enabled Zbigniew Ziobro to leave the territory of Hungary and enter the United States”.
Today, Włodzimierz Czarzasty, Marshal of the Sejm from the New Left, was asked about the issue on Radio ZET. He echoed Żurek, saying that Poland should demand Ziobro’s extradition from the United States.
“We need to think about something – what is this friendship [with the U.S.] really like. I believe it is genuine. I believe we should seek close ties with the U.S. But we have interests in the U.S., and the U.S. has interests here. All of this must be balanced, and NATO and our long-standing friendship oblige us far more than defending a potential bandit and thief who faces 25 years in prison,” he said.
He added, “if the American authorities, our closest ally, do not hand over Mr. Ziobro, it will turn out that my previous assessments of leadership in the U.S. are once again partly confirmed, and as a Polish state we will have to rethink our policy regarding various decisions we make jointly with the U.S.”
Social media is ablaze with discussion about Zbigniew Ziobro’s trip to the United States. According to an analysis published by Res Futura Data House, most comments regarding the actions of Donald Tusk’s government are clearly critical.
Negative comments dominate toward the government
According to the analysts’ data, as many as 60 percent of posts and comments published online express frustration, anger, or criticism of the current authorities’ actions. Internet users primarily accuse the government of ineffectiveness and inconsistency.
According to the analysis, only 18 percent of comments defended the government. The reach of the entire discussion is estimated to have reached around 12 million social media users.
Another image problem?
Res Futura Data House indicates that many comments suggesting “chaos and helplessness of the state” toward an opposition politician have appeared online.
The authors of the report emphasize that the analysis covered comments published on platforms such as Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. Both the emotional tone of posts and their reach and intensity of user reactions were analyzed.
The case of Ziobro’s departure may turn out to be another image problem for Donald Tusk’s camp. Increasingly, voices are appearing online that promises of holding politicians of the previous government accountable do not match reality.
A coalition partner sees it too
The phenomenon observed on social media has also been noticed by Magdalena Biejat, Deputy Marshal of the Senate from the New Left. In an interview with Wirtualna Polska, she admitted:
“Do you think it will be even harder to bring Zbigniew Ziobro back to Poland than it was in the case of Budapest after the change of government?” she was asked.
“I think so. It is no coincidence that Zbigniew Ziobro chooses such destinations. […] We know this is a very serious problem in relations between Poland and the United States,” she continued.
As she stated, this may cast a shadow over Polish-American relations.
“This is a very serious problem in relations between Poland and the United States. We have a close ally, but if it decides to protect Zbigniew Ziobro, who is being pursued by the Polish justice system, it will call into question democratic procedures and the rule of law in Poland. This is a serious issue in Polish-American relations,” she said.