MEPs want an OSCE observation mission at the Polish national elections in a resolution put forward by the European People’s Party, Socialists and Democrats, Renew Europe, the Greens and the Left, which condemned Poland’s new Russian interference bill and expressed concerns over the country’s new electoral code.
The amendments, including changes in electoral constituencies and providing transport to polling centres, were explained by the Polish government as aimed at increasing voter turnout and facilitating access to polling stations.
“MEPs have concluded that the amendments to the Polish Electoral Code adopted ahead of the country’s forthcoming parliamentary elections in autumn 2023, and with the June 2024 European elections on the horizon, are deeply concerning,” the Parliament’s press release reads.
The Parliament said the new changes may discriminate against those voting from abroad. They also recall that the Chamber of the Polish Supreme Court tasked with electoral disputes cannot be considered an independent and impartial tribunal.
They “urged the Polish authorities to bring the way they run elections into line with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other international democratic obligations” and standards and called for a full-scale election observation mission for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
The resolution also concerned the controversial law regarding establishing a commission investigating the Russian influence in Polish politics, which faced criticism from many experts, foreign MEPs, and EU institutions.
Under the bill’s initial version, those the new body ruled guilty of cooperating with Russia or acting to Russian interests would be banned from the public offices related to distributing public money.
The law was dubbed in Poland “lex Tusk,” as it is widely believed it was mainly aimed at excluding from any public positions the former European Council President, now the leader of the opposition Civil Platform (PO), whom the ruling conservative camp find its main political adversary.
The EU House called for the Polish authorities to repeal the Russian interference act or at least to suspend it’s coming into force until the Venice Commission releases its opinion and then to amend the law accordingly.
The Parliament also reiterated that the rule of law “has been deteriorating in Poland due to the government’s systematic actions for several years,” among which it mentioned the judicial reforms, including those concerning the Constitutional Tribunal and the National Council of the Judiciary.
The Polish ruling Law and Justice (PiS) MEPs received the resolution with discontent. “Yet another resolution against Poland was passed,” tweeted Zbigniew Kuźmiuk, pointing out that some Polish opposition lawmakers supported the document.
Overall, 472 MEPs voted in favour of the resolution, 136 voted against, and 16 abstained.
(Aleksandra Krzysztoszek | EURACTIV.pl)
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