Poland’s ruling Civic Coalition (KO), led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, has voted to lift opposition leader Jarosław Kaczyński’s parliamentary immunity, enabling prosecutors to pursue charges against him.
The allegations stem from a September incident where Kaczyński allegedly struck activist Zbigniew Komosa, who had accused Kaczyński’s late twin brother, former President Lech Kaczyński, of causing the 2010 Smolensk air disaster that killed 96 people.
Komosa, a frequent protester at PiS-led Smolensk commemoration events, displayed a wreath claiming Lech Kaczyński had forced the doomed plane to land under unsafe conditions. Kaczyński admitted reacting out of frustration, accusing Komosa of acting with “impunity.”
Parliament split along party lines on the immunity vote. The ruling coalition backed lifting immunity for the assault charge, while Kaczyński retained immunity for allegedly removing Komosa’s wreath, as Third Way Alliance members deemed the property damage charge too minor. Prime Minister Tusk criticized the dissent within his coalition, warning, “The law should apply equally to everyone.”
Since taking power, Tusk’s government has prioritized accountability for former PiS officials. This includes lifting the immunity of ex-Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro over his refusal to testify in a Pegasus spyware inquiry. Ziobro has cited a Constitutional Court ruling deeming the committee illegal, but the Tusk government, rejecting the court’s legitimacy, continues its investigations.
