Former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was charged with abuse of power for his involvement in attempting to organize a mail-in presidential election during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, according to Poland’s national news agency on Thursday.
A spokesperson for the prosecution stated the charges stem from two administrative decisions issued by Morawiecki, which allegedly bypassed Poland’s National Electoral Commission and other electoral bodies by assigning election preparations to Poczta Polska (the national postal service) and the Polish Security Printing Works. The spokesperson stated that these actions led to financial losses of approximately PLN 53 million (USD 13.3 million) for Poczta Polska and PLN 3.5 million (USD 900,000) for the Polish Security Printing Works.
Morawiecki appeared at the prosecutor’s office on Thursday to hear the charges. Before entering, he defended his actions and emphasized that, if given the choice again, he would make the same decision to ensure the elections took place. The former prime minister also responded to the issue on X, stating that he was not afraid of making difficult but necessary decisions in his role. He said he performed his duty of ensuring order and the smooth functioning of the state during the COVID-19 crisis.
In January 2025, Morawiecki waived his parliamentary immunity regarding the charges because he stated that the truth would prevail. After leaving the prosecutor’s office on Thursday, Morawiecki announced that he had refused to testify but would do so once he had reviewed the case files.
At the height of the first wave of COVID-19 in the spring of 2020, the then-ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party sought to organize the presidential election entirely by mail, citing health concerns. However, critics argued that the move was politically motivated, as an early election would have favored the PiS-backed incumbent, Andrzej Duda, who was seeking re-election.
On September 15, 2020, the Regional Administrative Court in Warsaw ruled that Morawiecki’s decision to hold the election by mail was invalid, citing a gross violation of the law and a lack of legal basis.
