Jarosław Kaczyński announced at a meeting in Poznań that his party would want to abolish immunities “in the name of the principle of equality and fairness.” The PiS president has announced this several times in the past.
– Our program is divided into points, at least 150, but you could also say 300 different types of points, but one of them has not been noticed – that is, ladies and gentlemen, the abolition of immunities. We want to abolish immunities, said the PiS president Jaroslaw Kaczynski on Saturday in Poznań during the presentation of Wielkopolska candidates elections parliamentary.
He argued that PIS wants to abolish immunities “precisely in the name of this principle of equality and fairness.” – We will see what our current opponents will say on this matter, because they (opponents) have often expressed their views on this matter – added Kaczyński.
READ ALSO: Kierwiński vs. Sellin: who is hiding behind immunities, who has them waived
This is another time when Law and Justice raises the issue of abolition of immunity. The announcement of changes to the immunities of MPs and senators was included by PiS in its 2019 election program. In September 2022, during a meeting with voters, Kaczyński said, among other things, that PiS wants to “introduce some change”. – It will be difficult because it is a largely constitutional issue, i.e. abolishing the so-called formal immunities – he said.
He emphasized that it was about formal immunities, because material immunities “must be preserved.” – It cannot be that an MP is held criminally liable for how he votes or for what he says from the podium. Unless it’s insulting people and we have a private complaint. However, in other cases it is excluded from criminal liability. And this must be preserved, he said.
In November last year, the PiS club submitted a project to abolish formal immunity, including a proposal for appropriate changes to the constitution.
Jarosław Kaczyński at the convention in PoznańPAP/Paweł Jaskółka
Two types of immunity
Formal immunity protects deputies and senators against criminal liability and covers all acts committed by a parliamentarian – in particular acts other than those resulting from the exercise of their mandate.
At the same time it also applies material immunity – stipulating that a parliamentarian cannot be held liable for his/her activities falling within the scope of exercising a parliamentary mandate (e.g. speeches in parliament, voting method, submitted legislative initiatives).
READ ALSO: Kaczyński: “in many European Union countries” there are no immunities. It depends which ones
Main photo source: TVN24