Poland’s President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the opposition Conservatives (PiS), has said he was concerned that European Union institutions may interfere in the country’s May election.
He said that was because Brussels “does not like Conservatives ruling in Poland”, adding that he feared the current centre-left government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk might overrule the result of the election should the PiS win.
On February 5 during an interview with internet channel Kanał Zero, Duda claimed Brussels interfered in Romania’s recent presidential election. The results were annulled after a right-wing candidate unexpectedly won the first round.
Duda also claimed it had previously involved itself in Polish politics when the previous PiS government was in power.
The President said events in Romania “have worried me a lot and I have many doubts” about them and claimed that “prominent members of the European Commission have admitted they interfered in the Romanian case”.
He may have been referring to the remarks made by ex-commissioner Thierry Breton, who had said in a media interview that the cancellation of the Romania ballot was done with involvement of Brussels.
In December 2024, Romania’s Constitutional Court annulled the first round of the election the previous month that had been unexpectedly won by Călin Georgescu.
The court claimed it did so based on evidence of Russian interference.
Duda asked whether “today’s elections in individual countries can only be won by those accepted in Brussels?” adding: “I have this impression and I don’t like it very much.”
The President argued that the European Commission had form in interfering in Polish elections, too. He cited the fact that the body blocked EU pandemic funding for the former PiS government and unblocked them immediately on the election of the centre-left government led by Tusk in 2023.
Duda called the actions of the commission with regard to Poland “political manipulation”, involving “blocking funds because the government was not liked by the EC”. He said that was because of its different approach to many issues such as environmental protection, migration and the rule of law.
Poland’s head of state also said he feared interference of the Romanian variety should the Polish result go against the present government’s main candidate, Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski.
He claimed he feared the way the government was refusing to recognise the Supervisory Chamber of the Supreme Court, charged with certifying the election result, could be the precursor of a decision by parliament to refuse to recognise the outcome on the grounds that no “appropriate” judicial body had certified the poll.
The first round of the Polish presidential election is due to take place on May 18, with the second round set for June 1.
Duda’s second and final term as president expires in early August and parliament should take the oath of office from his elected successor on that day.
