Parliament speaker Szymon Hołownia insists on revoking the mandates of Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik and depriving them of their parliamentary immunity two years after they were sentenced for abusing power in previous posts, Euractiv reports.
In 2015, weeks after the conservative Law and Justice (PiS, ECR) party came to power, President Andrzej Duda pardoned Kamiński and Wąsik, found guilty of abusing power while serving in the anti-corruption agency. The pardon allowed both politicians to join the PiS government.
Lawyers questioned the president’s pardon as it was issued before the court gave a final judgement in their cases. The opposition argued that the decision of Duda, a former PiS member, was politically motivated.
The Constitutional Tribunal, whose impartiality was challenged by the European Commission, ruled last June that the president had the right to pardon Kamiński. However, a few days later, the Supreme Court ruled that the abuse of power case should be reopened.
As a result of last October’s elections, PiS was replaced by a broad coalition (EPP/S&D/Renew/Left) led by Donald Tusk. Kamiński and Wąsik were then sentenced to two years in prison. Following the final court judgement, Hołownia ordered the revocation of Kamiński and Wąsik’s parliamentary mandates and deprived them of their parliamentary immunity.
Both MPs protested against the speaker’s move.
There are no grounds for terminating our [parliamentary] mandates. We do not feel guilty or convicted, we were pardoned by Mr President.
With the support of their party, the recalled lawmakers last week filed an appeal with the Supreme Court’s Chamber for Labour and Social Security. The chamber, created under the PiS government and recognised as unlawful by the EU Court of Justice, overturned the decision of Hołownia, revoking both lawmakers’ mandates.
