Polish Sejm Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty has sanctioned Confederation MP Konrad Berkowicz with a salary reduction following a controversial display in Parliament.
Confederation MP Faces Sanctions
Sejm Speaker Włodzimierz Czarzasty announced Wednesday he signed a decision to penalize Confederation MP Konrad Berkowicz for displaying a modified Israeli flag featuring a swastika during a plenary session.
As a result, Berkowicz will receive half of his parliamentary salary for three months.
Berkowicz’s Controversial Statement
Konrad Berkowicz made the controversial statement during a formal motion debate on Tuesday, April 16th, addressing the conflict in the Middle East. He accused Israel of using banned phosphorus bombs and causing civilian casualties, including women and children.
Berkowicz stated, “Israel is committing genocide with particular cruelty, Israel is the new Third Reich,” before displaying the altered flag with a swastika replacing the Star of David, claiming it represented how Israel’s flag should look.
The Sejm’s presidium had already imposed the maximum penalty – a 50% salary reduction for three months – for this conduct, as Czarzasty informed the public last Friday.
Speaker Czarzasty’s Response
Czarzasty stated that Berkowicz was penalized primarily for using Nazi symbols within the Sejm. He emphasized his opposition to the presence of swastikas in the Polish Parliament.
He also requested that the Sejm’s decision not be interpreted as a penalty for the content of Berkowicz’s speech itself, asserting that each individual is responsible for their own words.
Reactions from Israel and Polish Politicians
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to Berkowicz’s actions on Tuesday, with a statement shared by the Israeli embassy in Poland on X (formerly Twitter). The statement criticized Berkowicz’s “questionable past, including public support for Nazism,” and warned against the dangers of racism and antisemitism, noting Poland’s historical experience with these ideologies.
The statement demanded that Polish authorities take “decisive and swift action.”
Berkowicz’s Rebuttal and Demands
Berkowicz responded on X, stating that Poland, not Israel, would determine who sits in the Polish Parliament. He accused Israeli authorities, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, of being Nazis and called for more Poles to recognize Israel’s “crimes.”
He also expressed hope that accusations of his “public support for Nazism” would be met with a response from Polish authorities and the justice system, and demanded immediate action from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its head, Radosław Sikorski, regarding the Israeli statements, asserting Poland is not a colony.
Condemnation and Calls for Action
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz condemned the Israeli embassy’s statement as unacceptable, while also criticizing Berkowicz’s actions as foolish and harmful to Poland. He called for the embassy’s post to be removed.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Maciej Wewiór, stated that Berkowicz is facing consequences for his behavior, including a 500 złoty fine and the Sejm’s penalty, and that the prosecutor’s office is investigating his statements. He reiterated that Polish citizens, not foreign embassies, choose their representatives.
Prosecutorial Investigation and Legal Consequences
The Warsaw District Prosecutor’s Office has initiated an investigation into Berkowicz’s use of the modified Israeli flag, assessing whether it constitutes public defamation of a foreign state’s flag (Article 137 §2 of the Penal Code) or defamation of a group or individual based on national, ethnic, racial, or religious affiliation (Article 257 of the Penal Code).
Berkowicz stated he was prepared to accept the consequences for his actions.
Prosecutor General Waldemar Żurek emphasized on X that the swastika is not a provocation or joke, but a symbol of a criminal ideology, and any attempt to use it in public debate, especially in the Sejm, must be met with a clear response from the state.