Triumphant comments after the rejection of Minister Sienkiewicz’s application. “You will be responsible for this”
After the court refused to enter the liquidation of Polish Radio into the National Court Register, the Internet was full of comments from Law and Justice politicians. Many of them announced that they would take consequences against Minister Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz.
On Monday, January 22, the Warsaw registry court refused to enter the decision on the liquidation of Polskie Radio in the National Court Register. The text of the ruling was published on social media by the chairman of the National Broadcasting Council, Maciej Świrski. It was noted that the legislator did not foresee the actual situation we are currently dealing with.
Defeat of Minister Sienkiewicz in court
“Whenever the authorities in Poland change, consideration will be given to putting the public media into liquidation,” pointed out the referendary who made the decision on this matter. As he argued, if Polskie Radio SA was liquidated, the provisions of the Act relating to it would become dead.
The court also noted that the current confusion surrounding public media would not exist if the Constitutional Tribunal’s judgment of 2016, stating the need to take into account the National Broadcasting Council in the process of appointing the authorities of TVP and Polish Radio, had been implemented.
Monday’s decision is not final. It is still subject to appeal to the court of first instance and further appeal to the District Court in Warsaw. Despite this, Law and Justice politicians flooded social media with triumphant comments.
Comments by PiS politicians after the decision regarding Polish Radio
“Recently, there has been a lot of talk about Sienkiewicz and his illegal activities… Both he and all persons illegally occupying public media buildings, as well as participating in their forcible takeover, must take into account legal and criminal consequences. The evidence of lawlessness is increasing – every day,” wrote Rafał Bochenek.
“The registry court dismissed the application to enter the liquidation of Polskie Radio in the National Court Register. As we have indicated from the beginning – there was no legal basis. The presence at the headquarters of Polish Radio of “authorities” delegated by min. Sienkiewicz is unlawful. It was physical strength that made them there. And in a democratic state of law, the force of law should decide,” thundered Marcin Przydacz.
“We warned you. Liquidation of public media without changing the laws is illegal! Lieutenant Colonel Sienkiewicz – you and your men will be responsible for this. Maybe prosecutor Bodnar didn’t tell you, but he is well aware of it – he himself admitted it in a letter to the Constitutional Tribunal,” wrote Paweł Jabłoński.
Roman Giertych cools down the opposition’s mood
However, not all comments online were in this tone. Roman Giertych, a member of the KO club, opposed the idea. “Don’t get excited about the ruling of a referendary appointed by the president of the court, which Ziobro made president. 11 liquidations were registered throughout the country because PiS monitored the nomination of referendaries only in Warsaw,” he pointed out.
“A reference in the content of the judgment to the “judgment” of the Constitutional Tribunal issued by an unconstitutional bench completely disqualifies both the judgment itself and the person signing it. I am convinced that the ruling will be changed on appeal,” he cooled down the mood of his political opponents.
“11 courts ordered the liquidation of state-owned media companies and one court in Warsaw refused. Is it because the head of this court is someone appointed by Judge Piebiak from Ziobro? I don’t know that, but I know that under the law the current liquidators are legal,” echoed his colleague Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz, Minister of Culture and National Heritage.
