Democracy Digest: Is Former Polish Justice Minister Headed Into Budapest Exile?
Hungary Media Control and Regional Political Changes
Prime Minister Orbán is consolidating control over the Hungarian media after the country’s largest tabloid, Blikk, was acquired by a pro-government publisher. Meanwhile, a far-right leader has been elected speaker of the Czech Republic's lower house. In Slovakia, petty theft incidents have increased following recent changes to the criminal code.
Legal Troubles for Former Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro
The scrutiny on politicians from Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party (PiS), who were in power from 2015 to 2023, continues to intensify. On Thursday, the parliamentary affairs committee began reviewing a request to lift immunity for Zbigniew Ziobro, former justice minister and current PiS MP. He faces allegations of abusing his office, many of which he has mostly acknowledged. One key accusation involves diverting millions of euros from a crime prevention and victim support fund to the Central Anticorruption Bureau (CBA), enabling the purchase of Pegasus surveillance software.
In October, an indictment was filed against Michal Wos, one of Ziobro’s deputy justice ministers, related to this scandal. At the end of September, Polish police forcibly removed Ziobro from a plane at the airport to escort him for testimony before a parliamentary commission investigating Pegasus spyware use during the previous PiS administration.
“The National Prosecutor's Office wants to bring 26 charges against Ziobro, with the gravest accusing him of leading a criminal group within his ministry that favored entities connected to the justice minister,” according to a 158-page document sent to the speaker of parliament, Euronews reported.
These developments mark a significant chapter in ongoing efforts to hold former officials accountable for alleged violations during their tenure.
Author’s Summary
Former Polish justice minister Ziobro faces serious legal challenges amid political unrest in Central Europe, while Hungary and Slovakia see increased government control and societal impacts.