In Brussels, during today’s meeting of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs (LIBE), an exchange of views took place with Michael McGrath, the European Union Commissioner for the Rule of Law, on countering foreign interference, disinformation, and manipulation in electoral processes occurring within the EU. Speaking on behalf of the ECR Group were PiS MEPs Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik.
“This topic is extremely timely in light of what is happening in my country in connection with the ongoing presidential election,” – stated Mariusz Kamiński, noting that a scandal had erupted in Poland involving the illegal financing of an election campaign with foreign funds, as revealed by investigative journalists from one of the largest independent news websites.
The PiS politician pointed out that over the past few weeks, Polish social media, particularly Facebook, had been flooded with campaign ads promoting the current government’s candidate, Rafał Trzaskowski, and attacking his main rivals associated with opposition parties, and that the funds used to purchase the ads did not come from official campaign funds.
“The people who organized this campaign have been associated with the ruling Civic Platform for years,” Kamiński said, noting that they admitted to acting on behalf of a foreign entity—according to journalists, the Austrian-Hungarian “advertising firm” Estratos, whose owners remain silent about the true origin of the funds for the illegal campaign.
“Commissioner, there has already been foreign interference and illegal campaign financing in the Polish presidential election involving the government’s candidate, Rafał Trzaskowski. The election ends in two weeks. It is unclear how far these people are still willing to go. Act in the name of principles, not party interests!” appealed the PiS politician.
Maciej Wąsik referred to remarks by Commissioner McGrath, who announced that he would not interfere in the Polish elections. “This is interesting in light of the Commission’s not-so-distant interference in the Romanian elections,” the PiS politician noted, pointing out that no one had hidden the fact that the Commission had pressured Romania to invalidate the first round, which took place a few months ago. “What is the difference between these situations, and will the Commission respond to the letter from U.S. congressmen—which was sent to the Commission not long ago—regarding violations of the rule of law in Poland by Donald Tusk’s government, regarding threats to freedom of speech, and regarding the situation in Poland, where the opposition is being outright oppressed by Donald Tusk’s government through arrests, violations of the law, and violations of the constitution?” Wąsik asked.
