The US government voices concern over the new Polish law
The US Embassy did not publish a thorough legal analysis of the provisions in question before relaying the information to the US State Department. Marcin Przydacz, who leads the presidential office for international policy, told RMF FM on Tuesday that the Commission for Investigating Russian Influence law does not grant any power to block participation in elections.
The US expresses worries about the bill
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller stated on Monday that Washington is concerned about the Russian Influence Investigation Commission law, arguing it could be used to disrupt free and fair elections in Poland. He urged the Polish government not to use the new law to bar opposition candidates from running for office.
The lack of a formal analysis
Przydacz, speaking to RMF FM, noted that there had not been an in-depth legal analysis of the provisions reported by the US embassy. He clarified that the State Department does not oversee Polish regulatory practices, and that the embassy forwards information to him for consideration.
The conversation also touched on whether the candidacy process could be blocked. Przydacz asserted that such blocking would not occur and that this was widely understood in Poland. He expressed surprise that the US embassy seemed unaware of this perception as it relayed comments to the State Department.
The minister emphasized that the law does not empower anyone to be barred from participating in elections.
According to him, a public official would not be prohibited from holding office merely because they have public funds; instead, compliance with the full procedure and judicial verification would be required.
The law has been referred to the Constitutional Tribunal
When asked whether the president knew the law could be unconstitutional and still signed it, Przydacz replied that any doubt about constitutionality would have prevented signing. He added that the referral to the Constitutional Court stemmed from objections raised during the process.
To address ongoing debates, the court is expected to perform a follow-up audit, he said.
Asked directly if the law is constitutional, the head of the BPM replied affirmatively. He suggested that otherwise the president would have vetoed the measure or sent it to the Constitutional Court as unconstitutional, pointing to a specific provision as an example.
Before noon on Monday, President Andrzej Duda announced his decision to sign the law establishing the State Commission for the Study of Russian Influences on the Internal Security of the Republic of Poland in 2007–2022 and stated that he would refer it to the Constitutional Tribunal.
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wkt/PAP
Source: wPolityce