A fact-finding mission in Warsaw by European patriotic politicians concluded this week that the leftist-liberal government of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is systematically eroding democratic norms and the rule of law under the guise of “militant democracy.”
The delegation also condemned the European Union’s silence on these abuses, accusing Brussels of applying a double standard that favours liberal governments while punishing conservative ones.
Since coming to power in December 2023, the Tusk government has arrested opposition MPs and former ministers, withheld state funding from the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, carried out the forceful takeover of public media and the prosecutor’s office, unlawfully removed judges, and has disregarded court rulings issued by judges it perceives as being pro-PiS.
The government even tried to overturn the results of the recent presidential election, which was won by Karol Nawrocki, an independent candidate opposed to the Europhile policies of Donald Tusk.
Prime Minister Tusk has openly embraced the controversial notion of “militant democracy”—the idea that liberal values must be defended even through measures that override legal norms. In practice, this approach has allowed the government to sidestep judicial independence and censor opposition voices in the name of ‘safeguarding democracy.’
The fact-finding delegation, named the “Freedom Shield Committee,” is investigating reports of breaches of democratic principles and the rule of law.
The committee, led by Spanish MEP Hermann Tertsch of the Patriots for Europe (PfE) group, met with lawyers, judges, former civil servants, and civil society representatives, as well as victims of government repression.
These include the attorney of Michał Olszewski, a priest who was detained on corruption charges and held in prison for seven months in conditions that qualify as torture, and Marek Grabowski, the president of a pro-family organisation whose house was searched by six armed, masked agents from the counter-intelligence agency in the presence of his four frightened children.
Directors of organisations with a conservative or Christian profile have similarly been intimidated by the state services.
Hermann Tertsch emphasised that establishing the Freedom Shield Committee is a response to the actions of liberals and the Left across the continent, who use undemocratic methods to combat the rising popularity of conservative-nationalist parties.
In the eyes of Tertsch and his colleagues, Poland “has become a laboratory of authoritarian actions supported by Brussels.”
Hungarian Ministerial Commissioner for EU Affairs Boglárka Bólya was a member of the delegation to Warsaw and warned that the Tusk government’s methods could soon be replicated elsewhere in the region.
In a written comment to europeanconservative.com, she said:
The Tusk government is dismantling the rule of law “in the name of the rule of law.” This paradox came up repeatedly, as those affected described how the notion of the rule of law is being weaponised to silence voices which disagree and tighten political control.
These stories reveal a dark reality of political persecution, with alarming echoes of the communist era.
Meanwhile, Brussels remains silent. There are no threats of sanctions and other tools eagerly deployed against the previous conservative government in Poland and still used against Hungary today.
This is the EU’s double standards for all to see. Poland has become the testing ground for a dangerous political experiment—one designed to crush sovereignist voices once and for all. There is no doubt Brussels intends to export this “Tusk model” to other Member States, including Hungary.
As Bólya stated, the main goal of the visit in Warsaw was to ensure that “what we heard and witnessed in Poland does not remain behind closed doors. We are committed to keeping this issue high on the European agenda and will continue working to support those standing up for the rule of law and democratic principles in Poland—and beyond.”
“I must make it clear: if this dangerous political experiment continues without challenge, the future of sovereignist Member States in Europe will be at stake—and with it, the rights of nations and citizens to define their own democratic future,” she added.
