The electoral authority in Poland revealed on Thursday that the previous ruling right-wing party breached campaign funding regulations during the 2023 parliamentary election. As a result, a penalty amounting to millions of dollars has been imposed, affecting the party’s financial resources for the upcoming presidential election in the following year.
The State Electoral Commission announced that the Law and Justice party, which governed Poland from 2015 to 2023 and is currently the primary opposition party, unlawfully obtained 3.6 million zlotys ($930,000) in public funds. Consequently, the commission instructed the conservative party to reimburse this amount and also decreed a reduction in the party’s state subsidies for the forthcoming years, totaling around 10 million zlotys ($2.5 million) annually.
These penalties, which can be contested, are expected to notably diminish the party’s financial capabilities for the 2025 presidential election, where it aims to maintain its hold on power. Mateusz Morawiecki, who previously served as Prime Minister under Law and Justice, criticized the decision as “shameful” and accused the current government of engaging in a “political game” aimed at retaliating against the opposition.
Morawiecki expressed the party’s intention to appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. Earlier statements made by party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski alleged that the electoral commission’s actions were influenced by pressure from the current centrist and pro-European Union government led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Kaczynski warned that any punitive measures would jeopardize democracy in Poland.
The decision of the electoral commission can be challenged in the Supreme Court, where Law and Justice still maintains some influence. The ultimate ruling by the court will be definitive and binding. The electoral commission is mandated by law to scrutinize the financial reports of all participating parties in an election, and any overspending beyond the party’s budget by more than 1% results in returning the surplus funds and incurring a fine.
The Law and Justice party, known for its Euro-skeptic stance and contentious relationship with Brussels, received the highest number of votes in the October 15 general election. Nonetheless, a coalition led by Tusk secured a comfortable majority of parliamentary seats, consequently ousting the conservatives from power.
Subsequently, the current government initiated investigations into alleged abuses of power and mismanagement of state finances by its predecessor. Kaczynski and his allies have dismissed these actions as politically-driven attempts to undermine the opposition.