Poland. Media and public figures mock Andrzej Duda. "When you put on such a circus that they only talk about you"

Andrzej Duda met with Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik. During the meeting, the politicians hugged and clapped for each other. The photos from the encounter have been widely shared and commented on social media.

The entire nation of Poland has been following these events for weeks. On December 20, 2023, Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik from PiS received their final judgments from the court of second instance. They were sentenced to two years of absolute imprisonment for the illegal activities of the CBA during the so-called “land scandal” of 2007. Both politicians were heads of the CBA at that time.

A cordial reception: President Duda welcomes Kamiński and Wąsik following their pardon for corruption charges

On January 9 of this year, Kamiński and Wąsik were arrested during their visit to the Presidential Palace. Subsequently, they were transported to prisons, where they served their sentences. The politicians went on a hunger strike there. Ultimately, under the law of pardon applied to them (for the second time) by the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, the convicts were released on Tuesday, January 23.

They clapped for each other with President together, and commentators have criticized the Head of Poland gesture.

The very next day, on January 24, Kamiński and Wąsik visited President Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Palace. Numerous recordings and photos taken during this meeting, later published on the X website, showed warm hugs and greetings between PiS MPs and the head of state.

This matter was commented on by Krzysztof Brejza, who until recently served as an MP of the Civic Coalition and, since January of this year, is a member of the European Parliament (having replaced Radosław Sikorski). On X, he added a telling photo showing Duda hugging Kamiński.

"Everyone is equal before the law, but Andrzej Duda's friends are more equal," he wrote. The whole thing was accompanied by the hashtag #DudaPomocDlaCriminals from PiS.

https://twitter.com/KrzysztofBrejza/status/1750172532034953561

https://twitter.com/poselTTrela/status/1750169670869454849

But that's not all. At one point, Duda, Kamiński, and Wąsik started clapping. This moment was captured by the presidential photographer, and the photo of the clapping politicians was posted on the profile of the Chancellery of the President.

Observers of political life and supporters of the ruling coalition immediately commented on this.

Andrzej Bobiński from Polityka Insight ironically stated that he does the same with his child.

"I know! My child and I often say 'bravo, bravo, bravo'" the platform's director wrote on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/andrzejbobinski/status/1750175467393409442

In turn, representatives of the youth wing of the Razem Party simultaneously criticized the president, Kamiński, Wąsik, and the Polish media.

"When you and your boys create such a circus that all the media and all politicians only talk about you, instead of what is important to the remaining 37 million Poles - the housing program, the right to abortion, or the fight against the climate catastrophe," wrote young politicians on social media.

https://twitter.com/mloderazemki/status/1750183841703108912

Visiting the president the day after leaving prison

On December 20, 2023, the District Court in Warsaw sentenced Kaminski and Wąsik to two years of imprisonment. On January 9, 2024, the police detained both men, and later they were imprisoned in prisons in Radom and Przytuły Stare, from which they were released on January 23, 2024, a few hours after being pardoned by the president.

As of today, the reasons behind the President's effort to pardon his colleagues convicted of corruption remain speculative. Nevertheless, we anticipate that clarity will emerge, and the truth will be revealed to the public.