EU member's minister responds to ‘authoritarianism’ accusation

A senior Polish cabinet official has rejected allegations that the government has exploited security threats for political gain

Poland’s digital affairs minister has insisted that the country’s upcoming elections will be free and fair, dismissing allegations of “growing authoritarianism” after critics accused the government of trampling the rule of law.

Speaking to Euronews on Friday, Janusz Cieszynski addressed the claim that Poland’s conservative government has politicized the security situation in the run-up to the elections in October.

“If we don’t invest in our army right now, we might just end up paying for our enemy’s army that’s going to be stationed in Poland in the future,” he told the outlet, claiming that his country is “under almost as much of a threat as Ukraine” from Russian cyber attacks.

Asked whether he could guarantee the upcoming race would be “free and fair,” the minister said “of course,” adding, “If someone says that we have growing authoritarianism, I need examples.”

The Polish government has come under fire from the EU over alleged rule-of-law violations, with the bloc issuing an annual review in July citing “serious concerns” over “the independence of the Polish judiciary.” The Polish government is also known to have used high-powered Israeli software to monitor opposition politicians. 

“Our democracy is fairly young. But in this incarnation, there were never serious accusations about the elections being rigged in Poland. This has just never happened,” he continued.

Warsaw recently opted to step up security precautions along the border with Belarus, announcing plans to station 10,000 soldiers there, effectively doubling the military presence. Polish officials said the decision was meant to bolster border guard officers, though Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also cited claims that Russian private military company Wagner Group was inching closer to Polish territory last month.

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While some opposition figures have said the deployment was a calculated political move ahead of the elections, Cieszynski argued that the detractors “have no credibility when it comes to security and defense.”

“They disbanded military units; they closed police stations. They rationalized this by saying that we don't have the money,” he added.

Earlier this year, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled against Warsaw in a rule-of-law case challenging the legality of various judicial appointments, imposing a fine of €360 million ($385 million). The bloc also continues to withhold various payments owed to Poland until it implements a number of reforms, including money from its €35 billion pandemic recovery fund.

Poland insists that criticisms from Brussels are politically motivated and has accused the European bloc of trampling on its sovereignty. In June, Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro denounced the top EU court as “corrupt.”