Włodzimierz Karpiński, a former Treasury minister in the PO-PSL government and a prominent Civic Platform (PO) politician who is facing corruption charges, has been released from custody to take up his mandate as a Member of the European Parliament, a move that can only be described as unbelievable, incredulous, and shameful.
Particularly, because on the very day we found out that Karpiński had accepted a European Parliament seat, the appropriate European Parliament committee lifted the immunity of four Law and Justice (PiS) MEPs at the request of a judge from Iustitia — the society of lawyers close to the Civic Platform (PO).
The case, initiated by a convicted fraudster named Rafał Gaweł, pertains to the four PiS MEPs liking their party’s campaign video on Twitter, which criticized EU immigration policy.
Despite the accusation appearing farcical, the judge, affiliated with the PO’s judicial wing, Iustitia, may deem these likes as promoting racism and could potentially sentence the PiS members to five years in prison and impose a ban on them from running for office.
As a result, either Patryk Jaki or Beata Kempa is expected to replace Karpiński in detention, which ironically makes sense in the context of the European Parliament’s current landscape.
The parliament, which includes members like the infamous Eva Kaili, found by Belgian police with a suitcase full of cash and under specific charges of bribery, seems to accommodate such scenarios. Mrs. Kaili has since returned to her respected position in the parliament without rebuke, exemplifying the institution’s tolerance for ambiguous income sources. This includes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who managed a multi-million “deal” on vaccines and has refused any investigations with the understanding of European elites.
In this light, Karpiński’s accession to the European Parliament is seen by some as a fitting addition, adhering to the principle of “like attracts like” – the right man in the right place, indeed.