Democracy Digest: Is Former Polish Justice Minister Heading Into Budapest Exile?
Orban Strengthens Media Control in Hungary
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has tightened control over the media landscape after the country's largest tabloid, Blikk, was acquired by a pro-government publisher.
Political Shifts in Neighboring Countries
- Far-right leader elected as speaker of the Czech lower house.
- Slovakia experiences an increase in petty theft following changes to the criminal code.
Legal Troubles for Poland's Former Justice Minister
The scrutiny of Poland's Law and Justice (PiS) party intensifies as officials investigated for alleged rule-breaking during their 2015-2023 tenure face growing pressure.
On Thursday, Poland's parliamentary affairs committee started debating the removal of immunity for former justice minister and PiS MP Zbigniew Ziobro. He is accused of abusing his office, allegations he has partially admitted.
"Misallocation of millions of euros from a crime prevention and victim support fund to the Central Anticorruption Bureau (CBA) so it could purchase the Pegasus surveillance software."
An indictment was filed in October against Michal Wos, one of Ziobro's deputy justice ministers, related to this case.
In late September, Polish police removed Ziobro from a plane to escort him to testify before a parliamentary commission investigating Pegasus spyware use by the previous PiS government.
The National Prosecutor's Office aims to press 26 charges against Ziobro, the gravest accusing him of leading a criminal group within his ministry that rewarded entities connected to the justice minister, according to a 158-page document shared with the parliament’s speaker, as reported by Euronews.
Author's Summary
Former Polish justice minister Ziobro faces mounting legal charges amid political shifts in Central Europe, highlighting ongoing struggles with media freedom and rule of law in the region.