r/europeanparliament

The European Parliament has voted to lift the legal immunity of four Polish opposition MEPs: radical-right leader Grzegorz Braun, two members of the national-conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, and a politician from the far-right Confederation (Konfederacja).

All four are facing legal proceedings in Poland in cases unrelated to one another. But the votes on their immunity all took place on Tuesday, with a majority of their fellow MEPs in each case approving requests from Polish prosecutors.

For Braun, this is now the fifth time that the European Parliament has lifted his immunity to face a series of charges in Poland in relation to various antisemitic, anti-Ukrainian, anti-LGBT and anti-abortion rhetoric and actions.

In the latest case, he is accused of unlawfully hindering traffic on a public road last year as part of a protest against commemoration of the 1941 Jedwabne pogrom, in which hundreds of Jews were burned alive in a massacre carried out by Poles under the oversight of the Nazi German occupiers.

Braun and many others on the Polish right dispute the involvement of Poles in the massacre, arguing that it was carried out by the Germans and claiming that the tragedy has been used as part of efforts to falsely shift blame onto Poles for Holocaust crimes.

Braun, who finished a surprise fourth in last year’s presidential election with 6.3% of the vote, is already on trial in Poland for four alleged crimes, including attacking a Jewish Hanukkah ceremony in the Polish parliament in December 2023.

Another MEP today stripped of immunity is Daniel Obajtek of PiS. He is accused by Polish prosecutors of violating the press law when, as CEO of state energy giant Orlen, he ordered the withdrawal from sale at Orlen-owned outlets of a satirical magazine featuring a cover mocking former Polish Pope John Paul II.

Obajtek was already stripped of immunity last October to face separate charges of using Orlen’s funds to serve his own private interests.

He condemned today’s decision, saying that the European Parliament had “given the [Polish ruling] coalition the green light to continue repressing political opponents”.

Obajtek defended his actions in ordering the withdrawal from sale of a magazine, saying he had been preventing the offending of religious feelings, which is a crime in Poland carrying a prison sentence of up to two years.

One of Obajtek’s party colleagues, Patryk Jaki, a deputy leader of PiS, was also today stripped of immunity to face both criminal and civil proceedings for alleged defamation of a judge, Igor Tuleya, whom Jaki accused of authorising the use of Pegasus spyware by the security services.

In 2023, Jaki and three other PiS MPs were also stripped of immunity to face hate-crime charges in Poland in relation to a party advert that suggested the country could be flooded with refugees. That case remains ongoing.

Like Obajtek, Jaki today wrote that the legal cases he is facing in Poland are part of an attempt by the government to “persecute the political competition”.

The final Polish MEP who today lost his immunity was Tomasz Buczek of Confederation. He is facing accusations that he violated the bodily integrity of a female demonstrator when he forcibly removed a megaphone from her.

Members of the European Parliament automatically enjoy immunity from prosecution. However, that can be waived if a majority of MEPs vote in favour of doing so.

The lifting of immunity does not imply guilt. It simply allows the national authorities where the MEP is accused of an offence to move forward with proceedings against them.

Daniel Tilles

Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.

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Europe faces new challenges and needs the resources to tackle them.

This week, Parliament set out its position for negotiations with EU countries on the 2028-2034 long-term budget. 

This budget allocates the EU's internal finances across policy areas over a seven-year period, setting spending limits for each.

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Across the EU, people’s rights are under growing pressure, including discrimination against vulnerable groups, the erosion of democratic participation, and threats to equality before the law. 

Parliament calls for a safer digital space, stronger action against gender-based violence, the protection of LGBTIQ+ rights, an end to the ill-treatment of migrants, and much more.

But imagine Europe without the EU. What if the things that quietly protect and empower us every day suddenly disappeared? Or if the stability and opportunities it brings suddenly went away?

 

We must protect what matters to us.

 

This Europe Day, let's celebrate our unity.

It’s not always easy to know what’s legit.

The European Parliament is pushing for stronger rules for financial influencers to tackle scams and misleading claims.

Learn more: https://link.europa.eu/hFPKXw

On 19 May, in a special ceremony for the European Order of Merit, we will honour those who continue that work and contribute to Europe’s shared future.

Discover who the laureates are here: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/at-your-service/en/be-heard/european-order-of-merit

If you as a country want to join the EU, you will have to meet some conditions and there are rules to follow. This is how we get along despite our differences.

But being part of the EU is an investment in stability and prosperity across Europe.