Sławomir Mentzen announced on Monday, May 18, that a formal request to waive his parliamentary immunity has been filed, following his use of a flare during last year’s Independence March.
Immunity and Political Protest
“I’ve finally been waiting for this,” Mentzen wrote on X, confirming he has no intention of waiving his immunity voluntarily. He argued that immunity exists to protect opposition figures during political activities, such as his act of lighting a flare behind a banner, rather than to shield criminals or traffic violators.
Bureaucratic Delays and State Inefficiency
Mentzen criticized the state’s slow response, noting that the flare was lit on November 11, 2025. He outlined a timeline showing that the Police Chief requested action in March 2026, followed by further delays in the offices of the Prosecutor General and the Speaker of the Sejm.
He compared the state’s sluggish bureaucracy to “moving like flies in molasses.” Mentzen suggested that if it takes seven months to process a simple immunity request, the government would be unable to manage more serious matters within two legislative terms.
Context of the Independence March
The incident stems from the Independence March in Warsaw, where certain participants violated a ban on pyrotechnics issued by the Mazovian Voivode. Following the event, Mentzen published a photo showing himself holding a lit flare.
Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski noted that a significant number of participants ignored the pyrotechnics ban. Trzaskowski previously announced that the police would hold those responsible for the violations accountable.
