WARSAW, May 26 (Reuters) – Polish lawmakers could vote on Friday on a bill that would create a commission to study Russian influence in the country, in what the opposition says is an attempt by the government to launch a witch hunt against political opponents in an election. course
The ruling nationalists Law and Justice (PiS) say the liberal opposition Civic Platform (PO) party allowed Poland to become dangerously dependent on Russian fossil fuels when it was in government from 2007 to 2015, raising questions about whether they were under the rule of Moscow.
PO rejects these criticisms and opposition figures have labeled the bill “Lex Tusk”, saying it is only aimed at removing PO leader and former prime minister Donald Tusk from the political scene ahead of elections planned for in October or November.
“We want the law on the commission to examine Russian influences to come into force and for the commission to be able to function,” PiS spokesman Rafal Bochenek said on Thursday.
“If Mr Donald Tusk has anything on his conscience… he should be afraid.”
The idea of forming a commission to study Russian influence in Poland was actually first raised by Tusk in 2022.
The commission would investigate the period 2007-2022 and would have the power to bar people found to have acted under Russian influence from having a security clearance or working in roles where they are responsible for public funds for ten years, effectively disqualifying them for public positions.
Its members would be chosen by parliament, where PiS may have a narrow majority.
Poland’s human rights defender Marcin Wiacek has said the bill is unconstitutional and would mean a public administrative body would carry out functions that should be reserved for the courts.
Poland’s upper house of parliament, the Senate, voted to withdraw the bill, a position that was upheld by a parliamentary committee on Wednesday.
The bill would need to be signed by President Andrzej Duda to become law.
Reporting by Alan Charlish and Anna Wlodarczak-Semczuk
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