US legislators want EU to address Soros-associated Polish election ‘violations’
(MENAFN) A group of US lawmakers has urged the European Commission to investigate potential election irregularities in Poland ahead of the June 1 presidential runoff. In a letter addressed to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast and others expressed serious concern over what they view as interference and an uneven playing field.
The lawmakers pointed to foreign-backed online advertising campaigns in support of liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, allegedly funded by outside sources. Poland’s state cybersecurity agency, NASK, recently flagged a series of paid Facebook ads promoting Trzaskowski and attacking right-wing candidates Karol Nawrocki and Slawomir Mentzen. Although the exact funding source remains unconfirmed, a Polish media outlet linked the effort to an NGO tied to billionaire George Soros’ Open Society Foundations.
Additionally, the letter criticized the Polish government, led by Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Civic Coalition, for refusing to release public campaign funding to the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party. The funds had initially been blocked over spending violations during the 2023 parliamentary election, but Poland’s Supreme Court—whose judges were appointed under the former PiS-led government—later ordered the funds be released. The current administration has ignored the ruling, questioning the legitimacy of the judges.
US lawmakers argued that the refusal to release the funds breaches the rule of law. They also highlighted what they see as a double standard: the European Commission previously withheld over $150 billion from Poland during the PiS era over rule-of-law concerns but has remained silent on these recent issues under the Tusk government.
Calling the Commission's lack of response troubling, the lawmakers accused it of selectively applying democratic standards and undermining its credibility. They requested a briefing with Commission officials to address their concerns.
In the first round of voting, Trzaskowski led with 31.1%, followed closely by Nawrocki with 29.7%. While both candidates support aid to Ukraine, Nawrocki opposes Kyiv’s NATO and EU membership unless it recognizes historical atrocities committed against Poles.
The European Commission declined to comment on the letter directly, stating through a spokesperson that it does not oversee national election processes.
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