The commission tasked with examining Russian influence may hold its initial meeting within the current term of the Sejm. The head of the parliamentary justice committee, Marek Ast, stated in the PAP studio that nothing prevents the committee from starting its work during this period.
Meeting of the Russian Influence Commission
On August 30, at the final session of this term, the Sejm designated nine members to form the Committee on Russian Influence on the Internal Security of the Republic of Poland for the years 2007-2022. All selections came from PiS, with the opposition not nominating candidates and not taking part in the vote.
The appointed members were Sławomir Cenckiewicz, the Director of the Military History Bureau; Professor Andrzej Zybertowicz, who chairs the Security and Defense Council of the President of Poland; Professor Przemysław Żurawski, known as Grajewski; Łukasz Cieszotura; Michał Wojnowski; Józef Brynkus; Marek Szymaniak; Arkadiusz Puławski; and Andrzej Kowalski.
Marek Ast, when asked in the PAP Studio about whether the Committee to Investigate Russian Influences would begin its work in this Sejm term, replied that it cannot be ruled out.
There is nothing preventing the committee from initiating its work, he emphasized.
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Ast: ‘It will be a painstaking task’
Ast noted that the committee could begin its work after a chairman is chosen. The prime minister has fourteen days from the election of committee members to appoint a chairman, and once a chairman is in place, the first meeting will almost certainly be convened immediately.
Ast added that the committee’s impact might become evident after the next parliamentary elections, regardless of whether work starts before those elections. Careful handling of documents to which the committee will have access will be essential.
He stressed that the committee also has the advantage of operating independently of any single Sejm term, meaning it can act during the current term, in the next term, or even in a subsequent term if questions require resolution.
EC Activities
Ast also referred to the European Commission’s critical stance on appointing the commission. Brussels has warned that if the committee begins its work before Poland’s elections, it could move to the next stage of the infringement procedure.
The guest from the PAP Studio contended that the EC is overstepping its authority and acting against the spirit of proportionality, describing it as an intrusion by a more powerful body.
Ast argued that the United Right government must win the elections to demonstrate its mandate to govern. He said that constant dialogue with the European Commission, individual commissioners, and the president of the commission is ongoing, albeit challenging due to the EC’s ties to European political groupings in which other parties also participate. He suggested that another victory for Law and Justice might prompt reflection among Europe’s ruling elites.
Ast’s assessment reflected his belief that building consensus is essential amid European debates.
May 31, 2007, marked the launch of the law creating the commission to investigate Russian influence on Poland’s internal security for 2007-2022. The president signed the law after it passed parliament, and a draft amendment was subsequently submitted to the Sejm. The amendment was approved in June and signed into law at the end of July, taking effect in August.
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wkt/PAP