Four political groups in the European Parliament—the European People’s Party, Socialists and Democrats, Renew Europe and the Greens—agreed on Tuesday to stage a debate in the European Parliament on Wednesday. The focus would be Poland’s law to create a special committee tasked with examining Russia’s influence on Poland’s internal politics and security, as noted by MEP Andrzej Halicki (PO) to PAP. Opposition members of the European Parliament are pushing for what they describe as another political attack on Poland, according to MEP Izabela Kloc (PiS).
The opposition schedules a debate in the EP
The decision was made Tuesday afternoon, with the session planned as an urgent discussion. The four groups agreed to title the debate as a call for the European Commission and the Council of the European Union to respond to what they view as an assault on democracy in Poland, Halicki explained.
Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders will address the European Commission during the debate on the Lex Tusk matter, Halicki added.
READ MORE: Anti-Polish obsession. A debate in the EP on the Russian Influence Committee later this week? Zalewska questions Gazprom payments. Laughter echoed in the room.
“Zero loyalty” claims from the opposition
The debate faced criticism from MEP Izabela Kloc (PiS).
The EP debate is seen by some as a pre-emptive political maneuver by opposition figures and their Brussels allies. If there is no clear blame to assign for contacts with Russia, one could wonder if similar concerns are growing in Germany or France. Yet those in opposition, bent on another round of political pressure against Poland, are accused of stamping themselves with a mark of zero loyalty to the Polish raison d’état, Kloc told PAP.
READ MORE:
– Minister Rau responds to Reynders in the review committee: likely only one of us has read this bill
– EC reportedly expresses concern about the review committee. Sadoś reveals one commissioner allegedly gave false information to the media
On Monday, President Andrzej Duda announced his decision to sign the law establishing a commission to investigate Russian influence on Poland’s internal security for the years 2007 to 2022, and he planned to refer it to the Constitutional Tribunal for a follow-up step. In mid-April the Sejm passed the bill creating the commission, which began forming last December. PiS delegates argued that the commission should operate similarly to the verification committee used during the re-privatization of Warsaw.
In May, the Senate moved to reject the bill, while on a Friday the Sejm voted against the Senate’s resolution.
The intended tasks of the committee include analyzing official activities, creating, duplicating, and sharing information with third parties, assessing pressures on decision-makers, identifying harmful actions, overseeing directives for a government agency or company, and supervising contracts or the management of public or corporate funds.
Possible outcomes of the committee include revoking an administrative decision influenced by Russia, imposing a ban on performing certain public functions for up to ten years, and suspending security clearances for a decade. Deputy Foreign Minister Arkadiusz Mularczyk stated in an interview with PAP that the aim of the commission to investigate Russian influence is not political strife or election meddling but a factual examination of Russian influence in Poland.
kk/PAP
Source: wPolityce