Polish embassy, USA News (London/Warsaw): The Polish embassy in Britain has drawn sharp criticism for posting about pickles on social media as Poland’s top court accused Prime Minister Donald Tusk of attempting to stage a coup. On Friday night, riot police were deployed to and entered the Constitutional Tribunal in Warsaw amid clashes with protesters voicing their fury at the removal of Tribunal President Bogdan Swieczkowski.
President Karol Nawrocki cut his international visit to Senegal short and raced back to Poland amid the standoff between the pro-EU administration of Mr Tusk and those connected to the previous Eurosceptic Law and Justice (PiS) party government. But as chaos ensued on the streets of the Polish capital, the country’s embassy in Britain shared a post about gherkins.
Social Media Backlash Over Pickle Post
Reacting to an article from The Economist concerning Andy Burnham’s Budget, the Polish Embassy posted a photo showing a copy of the newspaper’s front page next to a jar of Krakus pickled dill cucumbers. The caption read: “We hope importing more Polish gherkins is a good step towards an even better relationship between Poland, the UK, and the EU!”
The post sparked fury among social media users, with one arguing a discussion around pickles seemed to be “a somewhat inappropriate focus right now”. The embassy has yet to publicly comment on the constitutional crisis gripping Poland.
Constitutional Crisis and Clashes in Warsaw
On Friday, Justice Minister Waldemar Żurek demanded the court strip Mr Swięczkowski, who previously served as PiS deputy justice minister, and vice-president Bartlomiej Sochanski of their immunity from prosecution so that criminal charges can be brought. The Constitutional Tribunal stated on social media that all persons participating in these actions are committing the crime of a coup d’etat, adding that forces acting on behalf of the current government unlawfully entered the building and are preventing legally appointed judges from entering.
Mr Tusk addressed the chaos on social media, insisting that restoring the rule of law is their duty. He stated that after years of PiS-led lawlessness, it is a difficult and sometimes painful process requiring decisive action, warning that otherwise, they would be led out of the European Union.
In dramatic scenes, Mr Nawrocki was filmed attempting to enter the Constitutional Tribunal, pushing through security. In a statement, he asserted that the constitutional order of the Republic of Poland was violated and a constitutional state body was taken over by force. He called for the restoration of the legal order, the departure of coercive forces sent by the government, and convened urgent consultations with parliamentary groupings to stabilize the political situation.
