Polish electoral body says former ruling party violated campaign rules, imposes penalty
Poland’s electoral authority says that the former governing nationalist conservative party violated campaign funding rules in the 2023 parliamentary vote
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's electoral authority said Thursday that the former governing nationalist conservative party violated campaign funding rules in the 2023 parliamentary vote, and imposed a penalty worth millions of dollars that would undercut the party's resources for next year's presidential election.
The State Electoral Commission said that the campaign of the Law and Justice party, which led Poland from 2015-2023 and is now the main opposition force, improperly took 3.6 million zlotys ($930,000) in public money.
The commission ordered the conservative party to repay the money, and it also ordered a cut in the party's government subsidies for the coming years, amounting to about 10 million zlotys ($2.5 million) per year.
The commission’s decision can be appealed to the Supreme Court, where Law and Justice still holds some sway. The court’s verdict would be binding and final.
