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The United States has said it is “concerned” by Poland's passage of a law on the creation of a commission of inquiry into Russian influence which could “interfere with the elections free” of the fall.
“The United States government is concerned about the passage of new legislation by the Polish government that could be misused to interfere with the free and fair elections in Poland,” the State Department said in a statement released Monday evening.
Washington shares “the concerns expressed by many observers that this law to create a commission of inquiry into Russian influence could be used to block the candidacies of opposition politicians without due process”.
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On Monday, the Polish president gave the green light to the creation of a commission of inquiry into “Russian influence in Poland”, an entity described as “unconstitutional” and “Stalinist” by the opposition and many jurists, with the approach of the legislative elections in the fall.
Composed of nine members chosen by a lower house dominated by the populist nationalist camp in power, the commission will be able to decide whether the country's political leaders have succumbed or no to Russian influence in the years 2007-2022, and condemn them, without effective judicial control, warn observers.
The person found guilty may be banned from holding public positions related to access to public finances and classified information, for 10 years.
According to the Polish populist power, such a Commission is essential to eliminate Russian influence in Poland, a staunch ally of Ukraine attacked by Moscow.
The opposition describes the text as “lex Tusk” (Tusk law) from the name of the leader of the main formation of the centrist opposition Civic Platform (PO), Donald Tusk, former Polish Prime Minister in the years 2007-2014 then President of the European Council, pet peeve of the power in place.
According to it, the law is intended to compromise opponents of the ruling power and prevent Mr. Tusk from winning the fall ballot.
In its statement, the State Department also called on “the Polish government to ensure that this law does not 'not prevent voters from voting for the candidate of their choice and that it is not invoked or misused in a way that affects the perceived legitimacy of the election'.