At the initiative of PiS MEP Arkadiusz Mularczyk, 26 MEPs from three political groups submitted a question to the European Commission regarding the statement by EC Vice-President Henna Virkkunen on a “roundtable” on the elections in Poland. In their question, the politicians demand that the European Commission provide evidence that it is not interfering in the internal affairs of member states.
“Given Commissioner Henna Virkkunen’s prior political support for Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski—as evidenced by her tweets supporting Mr. Trzaskowski during his 2020 campaign for mayor of Warsaw— questions arise regarding the commissioner’s neutrality in the ‘roundtable’ discussions on Poland ahead of the 2025 presidential election, particularly in the context of discussions on media freedom. The extent of the Commissioner’s prior political involvement and support for Mr. Trzaskowski could lead to the “roundtable” being perceived as political interference by the European Commission in the upcoming elections, favoring the candidate of the Warsaw mayor’s political party.
Statements and actions by members of the European Commission have previously been viewed as attempts to influence elections in EU member states, for example through comments prior to the elections in Italy or pressure following the elections in Romania regarding judicial matters. “These precedents raise concerns that the Commission’s involvement in the Polish pre-election debate could be perceived as political interference rather than a neutral effort to uphold democratic standards,” the parliamentary question states.
In light of the above, MEPs want to know whether the European Commission has specific guidelines regarding the avoidance of conflicts of interest and the maintenance of neutrality in the work of commissioners.
Furthermore, the politicians are asking whether the European Commission will commit to full transparency by publishing transcripts of the meetings between Commissioner Virkkunen and Rafał Trzaskowski, in order to dispel any possible allegations of interference in the presidential election.
