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Tens of thousands of supporters of the far-right Law and Justice party gathered outside Poland's parliament in Warsaw on Thursday afternoon to protest reforms implemented by the new pro-European government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. On the same day, President Andrzej Duda, also of PiS, said he would pardon two parliamentarians from his party who were convicted in December of abuse of power and jailed this week.
These two events take place in the context of growing tensions in Poland between Tusk's coalition government (pro-European and centrist) and the opposition Law and Justice party, which has led the country for eight years. Since taking power last month, the new government has made several changes to Poland's state apparatus to undo those made by the previous administration. In particular, it fired key executives of public radio and television who had been appointed in recent years by PiS. However, his work is greatly hampered by President Duda, who is trying in every way to obstruct the new political course.
The protest, led by PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, was attended by about 35,000 people, according to municipal estimates. The matter began hours after the Constitutional Court ruled that lawmakers from Tusk's coalition parties could not prosecute central bank governor Adam Glabinski. Tusk had accused him of turning Poland's monetary policy into a political instrument of law and justice.
– Read also: Andrzej Duda vs. Donald Tusk
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