Press "Enter" to skip to content

Who safeguards our rights?

The Advocate for Citizens Rights (Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich) or RPO is claimed to be an independent legal protection authority (SadRejonowyTarnow, 2021), who responsibility is to safeguard the rights of the inhabitants of a certain country. It goes without saying that this role, as well as the responsibilities associated with it, are of extreme importance, nevertheless considering the recent events, which are taking place in Poland, this position proves more significant and problematic than ever.

Stay up to Date – Subscribe to our newsletter.

In the last year Polish citizens have experienced a variety of attacks on their rights, some of which include the de-legalization of abortion, verbal, legal and physical condemnation of members of the LGBTQ community (Karpieszuk, 2021), police brutality against protesters (Żytnicki, 2020) and the threatening the independence of Polish Free Media (wyborcza.pl, 2021). The list, continues, however, and includes more indirect examples such as reforms limiting the autonomy of the judiciary, illegal reforms in the education sector (Suchecka, 2021) and numerous examples of nepotism, corruption and favouritism within the ruling party (Visegrad, 2021). It is clear that the list is dense and extensive, however, it is meant to represent the complexity of the increasing amount of issues that the RPO must face and thus the urgency with which this role should be filled by an objective and unbiased politician.

Nevertheless, there are an increasing amount of concerns surrounding the current state and the future of this role, which make themselves even more visible considering the current human rights situation in Poland and which arise in relation to the recent decision-making processes the government had to take regarding the election of a new candidate for this position.

First off, the RPO is chosen not by the citizens, whom it should serve, but by the parliament and it additionally must answer to the Constitutional Tribunal. Both of those entities are politically aligned to the ruling party. This undemocratic method of election and modes of controlling the actions of RPO are problematic, as they put a question mark on the autonomy of the advocate as well as their intentions to truly safeguard the citizens (Mazurek, 2021). Secondly, based on the recent proceedings taken by the government in regards to this role, it is not difficult to suspect that the RPO will be treated more as an indirect pawn within the political games between the ruling party and opposition and less as a serious advocate for the citizens (mjz//rzw, 2021). Already today, some of the assessment criteria regarding the candidates relate to their stance on the European Union or their relation with conservative values, religion, fundamentalism and nationalism (asty\mtom, 2021). It seems that currently more effort (by both the opposition and the government) is being concentrated on electing a candidate, who will be politically aligned, represent the wishes of a certain ideology and act as a method to manipulate or control political parties (tvn24, 2021).

Even if it is not immediately felt, the increasingly dubious affairs surrounding the RPO will put a strain on the trust and the relationship between the advocate and the citizens, which may inhibit the long term legislative and the short term work of the RPO and thus allow further disregard for human rights in Poland.

 

Sources

asty\mtom, 2021. Kandydat PiS na Rzecznika Praw Obywatelskich z rekomendacją sejmowej komisji. [online] TVN24. Available at: <https://tvn24.pl/polska/bartlomiej-wroblewski-z-rekomendacja-sejmowej-komisji-na-rpo-5067057> [Accessed 13 April 2021].

Karpieszuk, W., 2021. Wyborcza.pl. [online] Warszawa.wyborcza.pl. Available at: <https://warszawa.wyborcza.pl/warszawa/7,54420,26873739,policja-publikuje-portret-nozownika-ale-nie-wspomina-ze-motywem.html> [Accessed 13 April 2021].

Mazurek, R., 2021. Paweł Kukiz: Zaszczepię się, ale rozumiem osoby, które mają wątpliwości. [online] Rmf24.pl. Available at: <https://www.rmf24.pl/tylko-w-rmf24/poranna-rozmowa/news-pawel-kukiz-zaszczepie-sie-ale-rozumiem-osoby-ktore-maja-wat,nId,4941016> [Accessed 13 April 2021].

mjz//rzw, 2021. “Partii rządzącej przeszkadza to, że ratownik na kąpielisku czeka, aż przyjdzie jego następca”. [online] TVN24. Available at: <https://tvn24.pl/polska/rzecznik-praw-obywatelskich-i-jego-kadencja-slawomir-nowak-wychodzi-z-aresztu-profesor-marcin-matczak-komentuje-5066865> [Accessed 13 April 2021].

SRTarnow, 2021. Rzecznik Praw Obywatelskich – Sąd Rejonowy w Tarnowie. [online] Tarnow.sr.gov.pl. Available at: <https://www.tarnow.sr.gov.pl/rzecznik-praw-obywatelskich,new,mg,3,161.html,12> [Accessed 13 April 2021].

Suchecka, J., 2021. Eksperci ministra kontrolowali podręczniki, posłowie kontrolują ekspertów. Są wstępne ustalenia. [online] TVN24. Available at: <https://tvn24.pl/polska/podreczniki-szkolne-eksperci-ministerstwa-sprawdzaja-ksiazki-poslowie-opozycji-przeprowadzaja-kontrole-poselska-ich-prac-5066759> [Accessed 13 April 2021].

tvn24, 2021. Bodnar: Dałoby się wybrać RPO. Brakuje woli, stąd sprawa przed TK, aby za wszelką cenę postawić na swoim. [online] TVN24. Available at: <https://tvn24.pl/polska/sprawa-kadencji-rpo-przed-trybunalem-konstytucyjnym-adam-bodnar-komentuje-5066875> [Accessed 13 April 2021].

Visegrad, 2021. Daniel Obajtek’s Transparency Problem ⋆ Corruption – Visegrad Insight. [online] Your Central European Intelligence. Available at: <https://visegradinsight.eu/corruption-daniel-obajteks-transparency-problem/> [Accessed 13 April 2021].

wyborcza.pl, 2021. Wyborcza.pl. [online] Wyborcza.pl. Available at: <https://wyborcza.pl/7,75399,26786437,europejska-rzeczniczka-praw-czlowieka-atak-na-media-jest-atakiem.html> [Accessed 13 April 2021].

Żytnicki, P., 2020. Wyborcza.pl. [online] Poznan.wyborcza.pl. Available at: <https://poznan.wyborcza.pl/poznan/7,36001,26432998,agresywne-reakcje-policjantow-w-calej-polsce-pis-dopinguje.html?disableRedirects=true> [Accessed 13 April 2021].

The challenges of Development-Induced Displacement in Poland

The previous year 2020 was a year of stagnation for many industries worldwide, including the construction industry and thus, Poland was no exception. As the New Year is starting and medical developments are aiding the society in battling the coronavirus, the Polish construction sector seeks to recover through new investments, aided by the EU 2021-2017 Budget. While the establishment of new projects brings many new themes and hopes, it also reawakens old issues and concerns, one of them being the displacement of people.

The Biden Presidency and an Impending Rift within the Democratic Party

President Trump’s espousal of anti-internationalist doctrine was met with harsh criticism by both wings of the Democratic Party – centrist and progressive alike. During the incoming Biden-Harris presidency, will this alliance between the centrists and progressives sustain or will the party divide into two ideological blocs?

The Lasso of Truth: The American National Security Workforce and the Polygraph

Polygraphs are an incredibly popular tool. They are used in criminal and civil cases, by the prosecution and defense alike, to determine the credibility of sources, defendants, and suspects. However, polygraphs are incredibly problematic. As has been shown by various scientific reports and assessments, they have zero scientific basis, are far too open to individual bias and partial interpretation, and incredibly unreliable. Yet they are in use by nearly every federal law enforcement agency for employment and investigative purposes and are utilized by the courts in certain circumstances. My own view on polygraphs is rather negative, having personally researched the issue and been the subject of such an exam for employment purposes.

China in the Pacific: How is Beijing flexing its power in the region

The Pacific Islands and their vast expanse of ocean have never been a major source of traditional military threats. The post-World War Two security architecture of the Pacific has historically been dominated by the United States. Yet today, China’s diplomatic and economic push into the Pacific is incrementally reshaping the strategic landscape. While its presence in the region is not new, Beijing has capitalised on the dissonance between Washington and the Pacific Island nations by steadily and significantly expanding its commercial and geopolitical clout. As a result, ten of the fourteen Pacific Island nations now recognise the One China policy, which warrants considerable attention from the United States and other regional actors such as Australia.

Be First to Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *