Roman Giertych has officially announced his membership in the Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska, PO), and according to parliamentary rumors, he is preparing to replace Adam Bodnar as Minister of Justice. His main task as a new member of Donald Tusk’s cabinet would reportedly be to settle scores with opposition figures. This potential appointment would also grant Giertych the tools needed to conclusively neutralize the Polnord scandal, in which he was a central figure, and in which the investigation was recently discontinued under unclear circumstances.
“His access to materials regarding his own case would be extremely dangerous,” Stanisław Żaryn, advisor to the President of Poland, told Gazeta Polska Codziennie.
Throughout his political career, Giertych has been involved in multiple scandals. During the era of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), prosecutors investigated the siphoning of funds from Wielkopolski Agricultural Bank, where he served on the supervisory board. Allegations also surfaced regarding Giertych’s supposed bribery attempt involving a professor at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. His relationship with billionaire Jan Kulczyk further added controversy; Kulczyk accused Giertych, then leader of the League of Polish Families (LPR), of demanding compromising materials against President Aleksander Kwaśniewski in exchange for immunity.
Most notably, Giertych gained prominence from the Polnord affair, facing charges related to causing harm to the company, embezzling PLN 92 million, and money laundering. In 2020, during a Central Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) raid on his home, Giertych fainted and was hospitalized. Shortly thereafter, he left Poland, complicating investigative efforts. After gaining parliamentary immunity, he returned to the country.
Even under Adam Bodnar’s oversight of the prosecution service, the authorities did not forget Giertych, who was repeatedly summoned but either failed to appear or refused to participate in procedural activities, questioning his status as a suspect. Eventually, in January 2025, the prosecution closed the investigation against him.
“There were sufficient grounds for charges against Giertych and others,” said a deputy prosecutor general suspended by Bodnar. “This case certainly should not have been ended so abruptly. Polish law does not provide for such procedures. If it involved an average citizen, he would have had to provide explanations and respond to charges, especially given that this concerns the embezzlement of tens of millions from a publicly traded company.”
It is noteworthy that the prosecution declined journalists’ requests to access the details of the decision to discontinue the investigation, citing investigation secrecy.
A New Mission from Tusk?
Now, Giertych is poised to enter Donald Tusk’s cabinet, potentially taking over from Adam Bodnar as Minister of Justice. Giertych confirmed joining PO in a social media video, stating, “I was independent, and today I submitted my application to join Civic Platform. I hope to bring not just a conservative touch, but also dynamism in developing this party.”
Parliamentary insiders suggest the reshuffle at the Ministry of Justice could occur as soon as next week, with the main priority for the new minister being swift accountability measures against PiS politicians.
If appointed, Giertych would gain direct influence over the prosecution service, raising significant concerns due to his prior legal entanglements.
Experts’ Concerns
Former Deputy Minister of Justice Marcin Warchoł commented, “The Polnord scandal swept under the carpet by Adam Bodnar perfectly illustrates the priorities of this cynical administration: prosecute priests and opposition politicians, while protecting its own corrupt figures. When Bodnar became prosecutor general, the case was abruptly dropped. Evidence didn’t vanish, nor did new exonerating evidence emerge. Simply put, Bodnar arrived, and the case was closed.”
Prof. Genowefa Grabowska, an authority on law, added, “Appointing Mr. Giertych as Minister of Justice would signal a striking lack of personnel within PO. A Minister of Justice must be transparent, and his past should not evoke such extreme controversy. Should this appointment occur, it would clearly indicate that the prime minister is mocking the citizens. Giertych’s desire for revenge certainly won’t improve the situation in Poland’s judicial system but will only deepen the crisis.”