Prime Minister Donald Tusk left a session of the National Security Council before the agenda item concerning the dangerous ties of Sejm Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty. During a press briefing today, he described the matter as a “pseudo-scandal stirred up by the president.” He also suggested that raising the issue of Czarzasty’s contacts “was imprudent on the part of President Nawrocki.”
The weekly Gazeta Polska revealed unclear business and social connections between Włodzimierz Czarzasty and a Russian woman, Svetlana Chestnykh, who is said to have links to the Kremlin. At the same time, it emerged that the Left leader has for many years avoided completing a security clearance questionnaire. Meanwhile, the news portal Niezalezna.pl reported that Czarzasty sits on the board of the Great Blue Foundation, whose president, Marian Kubalica, publicly supports Vladimir Putin, disseminates Russian propaganda, and attacks Polish activists, including Andrzej Poczobut.
The issue of Czarzasty’s alleged dangerous ties was raised during the meeting of the Rada Bezpieczeństwa Narodowego(National Security Council). As disclosed by the head of the President’s Office, Zbigniew Bogucki, Czarzasty remained silent during the discussion. However, the Speaker later posted online, commenting on the course of the meeting:
“NSC. SAFE and the Peace Council – important talks. Czarzasty – the setup failed. Thank you for your support! We move forward,” he wrote.
Tusk leaves the NSC meeting
This morning, during a press briefing, Prime Minister Donald Tusk referred to the course of the council meeting. On Wednesday, Tusk left the NSC session before it concluded.
“I informed the president that I would not participate in a discussion about the social contacts of Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty, because, generally speaking, I believe the National Security Council is not the place to debate the contacts of one or another politician with one or another group of people.”
He stated that “it was imprudent on the part of President Nawrocki to make serious allegations based on the fact that someone associates with this or that circle.”
“In the future, I will advise the president not to use such arguments, because they will obviously turn against him,” he added.
Tusk assessed that regarding the Czarzasty matter, the minister-coordinator of special services, Tomasz Siemoniak, “provided concise information on the services’ assessment of this entire pseudo-scandal, provoked in part by the president.”