Civil society scrambles to replace USAID funding; PiS aims to discredit opponents as elections approach

INTRODUCTION

OPPOSITION ATTEMPTS TO DELEGITIMISE RULING PARTY AHEAD OF ELECTIONS

Ahead of the Polish presidential elections on 18th May 2025, the government has announced its “Election Umbrella” cybersecurity programme, which aims to protect the country from Russian interference. The recently ousted Law and Justice (PiS) party, however, called the programme an attempt at “internet censorship” and launched a counter-campaign called the “Election Protection Movement” with the stated goal of stopping the ruling party from “stealing” the election. As evidence for this threat, they point to the ruling party’s and National Electoral Commission’s refusal to recognise the legitimacy of a chamber of the Supreme Court that was created and staffed when PiS was in power. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) also considers it illegitimate, arguing the chamber is too politically controlled.

Moreover, PiS has claimed that charges of abuse of office against former Prime Minister and PiS MP Mateusz Morawiecki were politically motivated. The charges stem from Morawiecki’s decision to order preparations for the 2020 presidential election to be held via postal vote. According to critics, PiS’s insistence on holding the elections despite the COVID-19 pandemic was related to the fact that polls at the time showed a decline in support for the party.

The election was ultimately postponed and held in person in July 2020, and Polish courts ruled that the instructions given to the postal service were illegal. As a result of this reversal, an estimated 70 million złoty (€17 million) was lost on already printed ballots. The prosecution of Morawiecki fits into a wider effort from the ruling government to hold PiS politicians accountable for illegal acts during the party’s eight years in power.

FORMER JUSTICE MINISTER DODGES PEGASUS PROBE

In line with opposition responses to other investigative probes, Former PiS Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro evaded police for hours on 31st January 2025, attempting to thwart a parliamentary commission investigating his misuse of Pegasus spyware against political opponents while in office. The purchase of the spyware, allegedly used against prosecutors and members of the opposition, fits into a wider scandal involving abuse of 112 million złoty (€26 million) from the justice fund. Ziobro refused to testify in the scheduled hearing and, as a result, was detained for 30 days. A year into this investigation, which was hailed as a top priority for the now ruling party, the PiS has sought to delegitimise the authority of the commission, calling it illegal and dismissing it as political theatrics.

POLAND PROSECUTES INDIVIDUALS CONNECTED TO RUSSIAN ANTI-GOVERNMENT GRAFFITI PLOT

Broadcaster TVN released a report on 24th February 2025 which found that Russian intelligence services paid individuals to spray-paint messages attacking the then-ruling PiS party and distribute anti-war leaflets. Recruits were not trained agents, but existing immigrants and refugees who were hired through Telegram and paid via cryptocurrency. In response to this news, PiS leaders accused Prime Minister Tusk of colluding with Russia to sway public opinion.

In connection with this specific plot, 16 individuals were prosecuted and convicted by the National Prosecutor’s Office, while 27 espionage investigations are ongoing. The Polish government has also since tightened its disinformation laws, and those convicted of such acts can now receive prison sentences of up to eight years.

GOVERNMENT CRACKS DOWN ON MIGRATION

A January 2025 report from Doctors Without Borders detailed the increased violence and militarisation that medical personnel have witnessed for the last two years along the Polish-Belarusian border. The organisation treated 442 refugees, with 50% of them suffering from injuries caused by beatings, dog bites, rubber bullets, and barbed wire. According to the report, cases of violence like this doubled in 2024 compared to 2023. Refugees experience violence on both sides of the border, and many claim to have been forced across it and pushed back many times. There were 13,600 cases of recorded pushbacks by Polish authorities in 2024.

Reflecting this hardening stance, Poland has made a series of policy and enforcement moves to increasingly crack down on migration. After he endorsed cuts to Ukrainian refugee benefits in January, Donald Tusk made clear that Poland would not implement the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum in a statement on 7th February, emphasising that the country would not agree to take on any additional burdens. On 13th-14th February, Polish police and border guards conducted nationwide raids targeting illegal migration. Consequently, 1,474 people were detained, including 204 foreigners. Police then referred 166 cases to initiate expulsion proceedings.

On 21st February 2025, the Polish parliament approved new legislation that grants the government power to deny the right to asylum in cases where irregular border crossings are connected to “instrumentalisation of migration” by a foreign state. This directly violates the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights, yet it received overwhelming support from both the ruling coalition and the opposition. Poland and other European authorities have repeatedly claimed that Belarus and Russia have been sending waves of migrants and asylum seekers to EU countries like Poland in hopes of destabilising them.

LGBTQI+ RIGHTS STALL DESPITE PRESSURE

Despite the December 2023 elections bringing more liberal leadership to power in Poland, LGBTQI+ people in the country still lack many basic rights. UN experts called for “swift and decisive action” on the problem in a press release issued on 29th November 2024. While a legislative proposal to increase protections against hate crimes has been approved by the government, Parliament has yet to discuss it, and the introduction of same-sex civil partnerships has been slowed by more conservative parts of the coalition government.

On 3rd March 2025, the European Court of Human Rights renewed pressure on the country to act, issuing another judgment reaffirming that Poland’s refusal to provide same-sex couples with the possibility of formalising their cohabitation represents a violation of Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights.

ASSOCIATION

NGOs CALL ON GOVERNMENT TO REPLACE USAID FUNDING

Prominent Polish NGOs like the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, the Campaign Against Homophobia, and the Polish Migration Forum, as well as several media outlets, have been severely impacted by the dissolution of USAID. Having lost significant portions of their funding for pro-democracy work, these groups made an appeal to the Polish government, asking Prime Minister Tusk to supplement the sudden shortfall.

On 12th February 2025, Katarzyna Batko-Tołuć, chair of the NGO network Watchdog Polska, told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) that the government had a duty to support the “third sector,” a term often used to describe civil society organisations. “Some organisations are going to have to lay off staff and stop humanitarian aid and human rights projects as a result of the USAID cuts and we need help from the government,” said Batko-Tołuć.

Tusk’s chancellery stated that the Public Benefit Council would discuss the issue and noted that the 2025 State budget includes an additional 70 million złoty (€17 million) for civil society organisations.

ASSEMBLY

CONSERVATIVES PROTEST NEW HEALTH EDUCATION CURRICULUM

Thousands of people took to the streets of Warsaw on 1st December 2024 to protest a new health education curriculum set to be introduced in Polish public schools in September 2025. Led by conservative organisations and attended by prominent PiS leaders, including presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, protesters accused the initiative of undermining parental authority and promoting “LGBT propaganda” and “untraditional values” that would corrupt children.

The authors of the curriculum rejected these claims, clarifying that the initiative is anchored in scientifically-based knowledge about health and well-being. The draft curriculum covers “physical, mental and social health, nutrition, puberty, sexual health, environmental health, the internet and addiction prevention”. There were no reports of police misconduct against protestors.

FARMERS PROTEST EU AGRICULTURAL POLICY

On 3rd January 2025, as Poland assumed the presidency of the Council of the European Union, farmers staged a protest in Warsaw. Chanting the slogan “5 times STOP”, protestors expressed their opposition to the European Green Deal, the Mercosur trade deal, agricultural imports from Ukraine, EU policies on forests and hunting, and the weakening of the Polish economy. There were no reports of police misconduct against protestors.

This demonstration is one of many from the group on these issues, which have been echoing across Europe since 2023. The Polish government has shown some receptiveness to the demands made, having already implemented some import bans on Ukrainian grains. Capitalising on the moment, PiS lawmakers joined in on the protests to express their solidarity and criticise the current administration for ignoring the needs of ordinary Poles.

POLAND DEFIES ICC WARRANT FOR NETANYAHU, SPARKING DEMONSTRATIONS

On 10th January 2024, the Polish government announced that it would ignore International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrants for any Israeli official who chose to visit Poland for the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The decision was made by Prime Minister Tusk in response to a letter from President Duda which referred to “absolutely extraordinary circumstances”. Although Netanyahu did not plan to attend the event, the move drew sharp criticism, with opponents arguing it undermined international law and weakened Poland’s position with regard to its insistence on the arrest of Vladimir Putin, who is also subject to an ICC warrant. There were no reports of police misconduct against demonstrators.

Several NGOs penned a letter calling on Tusk to reverse the decision, and the Polish Supreme Bar Council also called on the government to uphold and enforce the rule of law. Hundreds of protestors in Warsaw echoed slogans like “Free Palestine” and “Arrest Netanyahu”, wielding banners that read “Asylum for refugees, not genociders”, “Stop the genocide”, and “War criminal”. An opinion poll commissioned by Wirtualna Polska showed that almost 60% of respondents felt that Poland should arrest Netanyahu if he were to attend the event.

LOCALS PICKET LIDL STORES OVER DISTRIBUTION CENTRE CONSTRUCTION IN GIETRZWAŁD

On 14th December 2024, the Gietrzwałd Defence Committee staged a protest outside Lidl stores in Olsztyn and other Polish cities in opposition to the supermarket chain’s plans to build a distribution centre on protected land in the Pasłęka Valley. Residents of Gietrzwałd, environmentalists, as well as right-wing and Catholic groups took part in the protest.

Gietrzwałd is also a historically and culturally significant religious site. Thousands of pilgrims visit its Marian Sanctuary annually, as it is the only place in Poland where Vatican-recognised apparitions of the Virgin Mary have occurred. Lidl maintained that it aims to be a “good neighbour,” promising job creation and assuring that the centre would not pollute the area or emit unpleasant odours. There were no reports of police misconduct against demonstrators.

EXPRESSION

BILLIONAIRE OFFERS TO SUPPLEMENT FUNDING FOR LEFT-WING MAGAZINE AFFECTED BY USAID CUTS

On 1st February 2025, CEO of InPost Rafał Brzoska offered help to Krytyka Polityczna in the wake of news that the magazine had been affected by sweeping US foreign aid suspensions under the Trump administration. The magazine frequently criticises the billionaire and his logistics firm, but after an X user shared the news of the funding loss, a journalist asked Brzoska if he would support the magazine. He responded that he would gladly help, but would expect in return “uncompromising criticism, because you [Krytyka Polityczna] are completely wrong, but pluralism in the media is seriously important”. It is unclear whether this offer will translate into actual financial support.

GOVERNMENT CRACKS DOWN ON ANTI-LGBTQI+ HATE SPEECH

On 28th November 2024, the Polish government approved draft legislation that adds sexual orientation, gender, age and disability as protected categories under its hate crime laws. This is a significant move for the nation, as Poland has consistently been ranked the worst country in the EU for LGBTQI+ people for the last five years. Commitment to this policy move was foundational to the agreement that brought the new liberal government coalition into force in 2023, after eight years of conservative control under PiS. Those found guilty of hate speech against the categories outlined in the law could face prison sentences of up to three years. The legislation now awaits a vote in Parliament.

If enacted, the law would reinforce a broader trend of recent Polish court rulings against conservatives who have made defamatory or hateful statements about the LGBTQI+ community. In February 2025, conservative activist Kaja Godek was ordered to apologise to a group of LGBTQI+ people who sued her for statements she made calling homosexuality perverse and pedophilic. While the defendant attempted to argue otherwise, hate speech is not protected by freedom of expression principles.

CHARITY FUNDRAISER CALLS ON COMPANIES TO PULL ADS FROM CONSERVATIVE TV STATION

On 27th January 2025, president of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity (WOŚP) Jerzy Owsiak announced that he would no longer collaborate with companies that advertise on Telewizja Republika. This ultimatum came after a weeks-long hate campaign against him and his organisation incited by the broadcaster.

WOŚP, Poland's largest annual charity fundraiser, supports the healthcare system by purchasing medical equipment. However, it has long been targeted by Polish conservatives due to Owsiak’s secular and liberal views. In his recent statement, the president called TV Republika “anti-oncology, anti-haematology, anti-human at times”. In response, confectionery company Wawel announced that it would stop advertising on the channel, and Lidl Polska confirmed it would do the same if the two parties could not reach an agreement. Companies including IKEA, mBank, and Media Markt have also stopped advertising with the broadcaster over incendiary statements.

POLISH REGULATOR FINES TVN OVER “INCITING HATRED” AGAINST CONTROVERSIAL CATHOLIC PRIEST

On 22nd November 2024, the National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) issued a 142,800 złoty (€32,883) fine against the country’s largest private TV broadcaster, TVN, for “inciting hatred and discrimination”. The move came in response to the airing of a documentary about Tadeusz Rydzyk, a Catholic priest and owner of several religious and conservative media outlets, which detailed antisemitic and racist statements he had made. The broadcast also explored Rydzyk’s close ties with PiS and the 380 million złoty (€87 million) his ventures received from state institutions and state-owned companies under PiS leadership.

The fine was issued by KRRiT chairman Maciej Świrski, who was appointed to the position when the PiS was in power. Both Rydzyk and PiS are highly critical of TVN. This move raises alarming questions about political pressures on the media in Poland.

POLITICIANS DISCREDIT JOURNALISTS DURING INTERVIEWS

In two separate incidents, PiS politicians disparaged journalists during interviews, questioning their integrity. The first occurred on 17th December 2024 in parliament when former Prime Minister and PiS MP Mateusz Morawiecki discredited TVP journalist Justyna Dobrosz-Oracz by insinuating she had ties to suspected Russian intelligence agent Pavel Rubtsov, also known as Pablo González. González, a Spanish-Russian freelance journalist, had been detained by Polish intelligence before being freed in a prisoner exchange with Russian authorities. Dobrosz-Oracz denied any connection and announced plans to sue.

The second incident took place on 28th December 2024 during a broadcast of RadioTrójka’s 'Breakfast on Trójka'. When host Renata Grochal questioned PiS MP Marcin Przydacz about the budget deficit, he accused her of bias, calling her a political functionary. After Przydacz refused to apologise, Grochal instructed him to leave the programme.