Sejm Marshal Czarzasty holds President accountable after refusing to sign the KRS law, triggering an old selection procedure.
President Takes Full Responsibility
Sejm Marshal Czarzasty announced that the procedure for selecting judicial members of the KRS has been initiated as previously announced. He stated, “I asked the President to respond to the matter and sign the KRS law within two days. He did not sign, therefore the President takes full responsibility for me having to initiate the procedure under the old, bad law.”
Czarzasty criticized that current regulations “take away subjectivity from judges” and have destabilized the legal system. He challenged the President, “Mr. President, you did not have the courage to clean up, so according to the old law, we will select the KRS.”
The Marshal appealed to judges and citizens to participate in the procedure and to the “democratic side of the Sejm” to select candidates indicated by the judicial community.
National Security Council Criticism
A significant portion of the Marshal’s speech was devoted to the February 11 meeting of the National Security Council. As he recounted, the meeting began with the President’s one-sided statement. Czarzasty suggested the President avoided giving voice to at least the Prime Minister, stating, “I know why – he was afraid of the statements of government representatives.”
“You showed courage, Mr. President. It’s easy to say your piece and dismiss journalists and just adopt the principle that I’ll say my piece and no one else can say anything,” Czarzasty added. He confirmed that questions about the President’s past were raised during the meeting but did not reveal details, citing confidentiality. “It was absolutely embarrassing, so it’s difficult to mock in front of journalists,” he added.
Stance on Peace Council
Czarzasty also addressed the issue of Poland’s potential participation in the so-called Peace Council. “The Left was, is, and will be against Poland’s entry, Poland’s President as an institution or personally into the Peace Council. I am glad that the government, which the Left co-creates, has taken the same position,” he said.
Defying Resignation Calls
The Marshal also addressed accusations directed at him and suggestions that he should resign. He recalled the words of former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki: “We are doing this so that Marshal Czarzasty resigns.” Czarzasty responded, “I have bad news, Mr. Prime Minister. You can spit on me, you can tell nonsense… I will not resign, Mr. Prime Minister. I simply will not yield to such suggestions. You missed the mark, Mr. Prime Minister.”
In response to the President’s comment that he is “one heartbeat away from the presidency,” Czarzasty responded ironically: “I didn’t know that my person was so highly valued by the President, ‘one heartbeat away from the presidency.’ I’ll tell you honestly, in 4.5 years I’ll have to think about it.” He added that when discussing the point concerning him, Prime Minister Donald Tusk left, while Czarzasty stated: “I had to participate in this showdown.”
Access to Classified Information
During the conference, questions were also raised about access to classified information for Chief of the National Security Council Sławomir Cenckiewicz. Czarzasty confirmed that one-time access was granted. “Whether it was legal or illegal, some court will probably speak out on this matter at some point. I will not appeal this,” he said. He emphasized that the coordinator of special services provided full information regarding his case during the RBN meeting.
