WARSAW – Poland’s Prosecutor General has formally requested the European Parliament to lift the immunity of Michal Dworczyk, a European Union lawmaker and former top aide to ex-Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, to allow for his prosecution over allegations of obstruction of justice.
The current government, led by Donald Tusk’s pro-European coalition since December, has prioritized holding accountable those it accuses of misconduct during the previous nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) administration. However, the process has been hindered by the fact that some PiS appointees still hold significant positions, particularly within the judiciary, according to political analysts.
Prosecutor General Adam Bodnar has accused Dworczyk, who previously served as the head of the Prime Minister’s office, of neglecting his duties as a public official. This includes allegedly using a private email account for official communications, some of which involved classified information. Additionally, Dworczyk is accused of obstructing criminal proceedings by permanently deleting emails from his private account following a reported hacking attack.
In 2021, Poland experienced one of its most significant cyberattacks in recent years, which targeted over 100 email accounts belonging to current and former government officials. The Polish government attributed the attack to Russia. At the time, Dworczyk acknowledged that some emails and information had been stolen from accounts belonging to him and his family and were published on Telegram, while some of the published content was allegedly falsified.
For Dworczyk to be prosecuted, the European Parliament must first consent to the removal of his immunity, a process that requires formal approval from the institution.
Dworczyk has responded to the prosecution’s motion, describing it as a “political attack.” Speaking to private radio station RMF on Thursday, he expressed his belief that the action against him is politically motivated.