Leaked recordings have revealed that Donald Tusk—now Poland’s Prime Minister and formerly President of the European Council—was actively involved in domestic political plotting in 2019, despite EU rules requiring strict neutrality.
The tapes, published by TV Republika, feature conversations between Tusk and Roman Giertych, a political fixer and lawyer who now serves as an MP in Tusk’s Civic Platform party. In one call, Giertych complains about being blocked from running for Senate and lashes out at the alternative constituencies he was offered. He refers to eastern Poland—which tends to be more politically conservative—as “where the people are all sh**s.” Tusk does not push back and instead suggests continuing the conversation in person.
Other recordings show Giertych arranging meetings between Tusk and billionaire Leszek Czarnecki, who is accused of involvement in a major financial scandal, and outlining plans to purge prosecutors linked to the previous conservative government.
Additional tapes reveal Giertych boasting of his influence over judicial reforms and coordinating with senior figures in government. In one recording, he admits that voter signatures collected for his Senate run were secretly passed to another candidate—an act widely condemned as unethical by legal experts and commentators.
