This evening, the Sejm will hold a vote concerning Zbigniew Ziobro. The session will include both a vote to lift the PiS politician’s parliamentary immunity and to authorize his temporary detention. How will lawmakers from the various political parties vote?
The Sejm’s Rules Committee has recommended that the chamber lift the immunity of former Minister of Justice and PiS MP Zbigniew Ziobro and grant permission for his detention and temporary arrest. The decision followed several hours of intense debate over the prosecution’s request on Thursday.
“Thursday’s meeting of the parliamentary Rules Committee was demagoguery and manipulation instead of facts and law,”
said former Justice Minister and current PiS MP Zbigniew Ziobro in an interview from Budapest with Telewizja Republika.
The Vote Takes Place Today
Earlier, Sejm Speaker Szymon Hołownia had announced that if the committee finished work on its report regarding the prosecution’s motion against the former minister, the vote would take place on Friday evening during the main voting block. The key issue to be voted on is the request for detention and arrest.
What will the MPs decide? The answer will not be known until the evening. However, in recent days, Law and Justice (PiS) politicians have appealed to MPs from Polska 2050 and the Polish People’s Party (PSL)—as their votes may determine the outcome of the case surrounding Zbigniew Ziobro.
“I’m advising MPs from Polska 2050 and PSL: lift the immunity, Minister Ziobro will appear whenever summoned by the prosecutor’s office or any other law enforcement authority.
You don’t have to throw him in jail [detention – ed.] just because Tusk or Żurek have gone mad,” appealed Przemysław Czarnek a few days ago.
The stance of the Confederation (Konfederacja) movement is largely known. Both Krzysztof Bosak, one of the group’s leaders, and Przemysław Wipler have recently spoken out against Waldemar Żurek’s actions.
According to statements made to the Polish Press Agency (PAP), MPs from the ruling coalition, including those from PSLand Polska 2050, have declared that they will vote both to lift Ziobro’s immunity and to approve his temporary detention. Interestingly, both the Civic Coalition (KO) and PSL are expected to enforce voting discipline.
Yesterday, in an interview on Telewizja Republika with Katarzyna Gójska, Ziobro admitted that Donald Tusk “would also very much like me to stop criticizing him.” He accused the December 13 Coalition leader of having already “decided” that the former minister would be arrested.
“This isn’t about law—it’s about Tusk’s interests,” Ziobro explained.
He also clarified that he has not applied for asylum in Hungary.