Polish president proposes changes to law on undue Russian influence

2/6/2023 18:44

        Poland's President Andrzej Duda said on Friday he would propose amendments to the newly-adopted law on undue Russian influence, reacting to criticism that it could result in banning opposition politicians from public office.
        
        Duda said on Monday he would sign the bill to let a panel investigate whether opposition parties allowed Poland to be unduly influenced by Russia and consequently too dependent on its fuel when in power.
        
        The law was met with criticism from lawyers and opposition politicians, as well as the U.S. State Department and European Commission which expressed concerns that it could effectively ban individuals from holding public office without proper judicial review.
        
        He said proposed changes would include provisions banning members of parliament from becoming members of the commission, allowing appeals to a general court, not an administrative court and removing the provisions which would allow to ban people from office.