Russian “PiS”: Why Poland's former ruling party is accused of ties to the Kremlin

On May 9, Donald Tusk, the usually composed Prime Minister of Poland and leader of the liberal-centrist Civic Coalition party, made a fiery speech from the tribune of the Polish Sejm. Addressing the rival PiS faction, he shouted: “Traitors on salary, henchmen of Russia!” This outburst was prompted by the escape of Polish judge Tomasz Szmydt to Belarus, along with subsequent allegations of espionage against the jurist by the Polish prosecutor's office.

Judge Szmydt had access to state secrets, including to documents outlining appeals against denials of state secret disclosures by both government bodies and private organizations. Zbigniew Ziobro, the former Minister of Justice and Prosecutor General under the PiS government, had since 2011 been instrumental in advancing Szmydt's career. Ziobro was also a key architect of the judicial reform that shifted the formation and approval of Poland's Supreme and Constitutional Courts from the judges themselves to the parliament and president. In 2019, Szmydt and his then wife, Emilia, became embroiled in the “hater affair,” in which an anonymous onet.pl portal user going by the name “Little Amy” published compromising information about members of the Polish National Council of Judges who were opposed Ziobro's reforms. Polish prosecutors are expected to charge Emilia for acting as “Little Amy,” and it has been alleged that Russian or Belarusian security services played a role in the campaign.

On May 20, Tusk announced the formation of an investigative commission to examine Russian and Belarusian influence on Polish affairs, including at governmental and administrative levels. The tense atmosphere in Poland justifies Tusk's emotional outburst in the Sejm. There have been regular arrests of Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Polish citizens on charges of conducting espionage activities on behalf of Russia. According to investigators, Kremlin agents have been monitoring railway cargo, planning sabotage operations, and spreading propaganda against Polish and NATO member politicians. Russian influence is also suspected in a fire at a paint factory in Wroclaw and in another at a large shopping center in Warsaw. Five people with alleged ties to Russia and Belarus have been arrested in connection with these incidents.

In April, Polish prosecutors reported the arrest of a suspect allegedly planning an assassination attempt on Vladimir Zelensky — on Russian orders. Polish authorities worked with their Ukrainian colleagues to apprehend the suspect. Earlier, in August 2023, Poland announced the detention of 22 individuals suspected of having spied for Russia over a 14-month period. These developments have alarmed the Polish government to such an extent that the Foreign Ministry in Warsaw is restricting the movement of Russian diplomats and consular staff (Russian Ambassador Sergey Antonov excepted). Russian diplomats will be confined to travel in the voivodeship of Masovian, where Warsaw is located. Russian consular officers will be restricted to the regions where their diplomatic institution of assignment is located — be it Lesser Poland, Greater Poland, or Pomerania.