The decision of the National Electoral Commission (PKW) to reject the financial report will cost the Law and Justice (PiS) party 10 million złotys (€2.33 million) in public funding and may further lead to the party losing its annual subsidy for the next three years. PiS is now raising the alarm over what they describe as political revenge.
Former Prime Minister and PiS deputy head Mateusz Morawiecki has condemned the PKW’s decision, calling it a “shameful” act driven by political revenge. Morawiecki accused the current government of using the commission as a tool to weaken the opposition.
“The current authorities are trying to weaken us because they are afraid of losing. Everyone remembers that in 2023, Civic Platform didn’t win the elections — they lost by over a million votes,” Morawiecki said in a statement on the social media platform X.
“If you can’t defeat them, then eliminate them. We cannot allow this to happen — our entire community must unite in the face of this attack!” wrote the former Polish prime minister. Morawiecki declared that PiS would challenge the PKW’s decision in court, asserting that the party is committed to defending Polish democracy and will independently raise funds for future campaigns.
Sylwester Marciniak, chairman of the PKW, stated that PiS, which secured the most seats in the 2023 parliamentary election, would see its expected 38 million złotys (€8.84 million) subsidy cut to 28 million złoty (€6.51 million) due to financial misconduct during the campaign.
Ryszard Balicki, a PKW member, cited specific violations, including political agitation during military picnics and the use of government resources for campaign activities. These actions were deemed to have breached election campaign regulations, leading to a financial penalty of 3.6 million złotys (€837,200).
The PKW’s ruling also included a provision that the funds received by PiS in violation of electoral law — amounting to over 3.6 million złotys (€837,200) — be forfeited to the state treasury.
In September, the PKW will further review PiS’ annual financial report to determine if the party should be stripped of its state subsidy for three years. This potential loss could be a significant financial blow to the main opposition party in Poland.
The PKW’s ruling can be appealed to the Supreme Court within 14 days. If the court sides with PiS, the commission will be required to accept the financial report.
