Donald Tusk's decision to accept the appointment of president Andrzej Duda in the case of neo-Judge Krzysztof Wesołowski caused a wave of criticism in both the judiciary and the ruling camp. This choice was peculiarly emotional due to the political background and the controversy surrounding the changes in the justice strategy introduced by the United Right Government.
Decision Tusk and the outrage of the judiciary
Donald Tusk, leader of the Civic Platform and erstwhile Prime Minister, accepted the appointment of Krzysztof Wesołowski as the commissioner supervising the election of the fresh president of the civilian Chamber of the ultimate Court. This decision has been faced with harsh criticism, especially from that part of the judiciary that questions the changes made by the Law and Justice Government. It is worth noting that Wesołowski was called to the ultimate Court by the Act on the National Judicial Council, which was 1 of the elements of the improvement of the judiciary by the Law and Justices. These reforms have been controversial and politicising the judiciary for years.
Prime Minister's reaction: "There has been a mistake"
At a press conference, Donald Tusk addressed the situation without avoiding work for events. The Prime Minister openly admitted that there was a mistake. – “I will not beat around the bush. I want to say very clearly that there has been a mistake" He said. He stressed that the authoritative liable for the papers did not see the political nature of the nomination, which led to a situation that could be avoided. "The official... did not see the political nature of the paper which constituted the appointment of the neojudge by the president, which required my countersignature and a situation which should not have occurred" added Tusk, taking full work for the situation.
Adam Bodnar: The decision will not halt the changes
During the discussion panel “The Lawfulness in Practice” held within the framework of the Campus of the Polish Future, Adam Bodnar, erstwhile Ombudsman, was asked about the case of justice Wesołowski. 1 of the participants of the panel, identified as a law student from Warsaw, expressed his disappointment with this decision, calling it a "great shame".
Bodnar, responding to critical remarks, stated that this decision, albeit unfortunate, should not be seen as an obstacle to the pursuit of the regulation of law in Poland. "Donald Tusk explicitly said he was not liable for this decision. He emphasized that it was a mistake. This cannot be regarded as an obstacle to what we do to bring the regulation of law in Poland” said Bodnar.
The erstwhile Ombudsman besides stressed that this situation would not affect any further changes in the judiciary that the current government is working on. "This decision will not halt the changes in justice we are working on" – Bodnar assured, again referring to the words of Donald Tusk, who admitted that the full case was a mistake.
Daniel Głogowski
Expert in his field – Publicist, author and social activist. The first articles were published in 1999 for global publishers. For more than 30 years, he has gained his experience through cooperation with the largest editorial offices. In his articles, he seeks to address controversial topics and present first viewpoints that allowed for a deeper knowing of the issues discussed.
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"It's a shame." Bodnar heard a hard question during Campus Polska. The audience clapped and the minister sweated
