On Tuesday, the European Parliament voted by a show of hands to lift the immunity of two Polish lawmakers, Daniel Obajtek and Michał Dworczyk, allowing national prosecutors to proceed with charges concerning alleged abuses of power. After assuming office in 2023, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has committed to ensuring accountability among politicians from the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, who held power from 2015 to 2023.
Tusk and his supporters have accused PiS of utilising state institutions to advance their political interests. However, reforms to the justice system implemented by this party have significantly restricted the prosecutor general’s ability to pursue Tusk’s accountability initiatives.
The immunity of MEPs Daniel Obajtek, the former chief executive of the state energy company PKN Orlen, and Michał Dworczyk was revoked to facilitate the pursuit of specific charges, as requested by Polish authorities in applications submitted to the European Parliament in 2024.
Allegations against Obajtek include the misuse of Orlen funds to finance private investigations. Dworczyk is accused of conducting official business, including the sharing of classified information, through his private email address while serving as the head of the office for then-Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki from 2017 to 2022. Some of these emails were reportedly released by hackers on Telegram in 2021, which ultimately led to Dworczyk’s resignation in 2022. Both Polish MEPs have denied the allegations.
“Thus, the European Parliament—so vocal about defending democratic values, human rights, and freedoms—is making it easier for Tusk’s team to pursue further political repression against me,” Daniel Obajtek posted on X.
