New Documentary 'Taking Over' Exposes Tusk's Intervention in Poland's State Media
A documentary titled 'Taking Over' has premiered in Budapest, Hungary, detailing the intervention of Donald Tusk's government in Poland's state media immediately after he took power in December 2023. The film, directed by Marcin Tulicki, explores the dissolution of the previous government's state media, seen as a propaganda tool for the Law and Justice (PiS) party, and the subsequent restructuring under Tusk's leadership.
Tusk's actions, which included arresting former PiS ministers and MPs, and taking control of public broadcasters and the prosecutor's office, have drawn criticism from the opposition. Zbigniew Ziobro, a prominent PiS figure, described Tusk's model of governance as a 'pseudo rule of law', where political power overrides judicial independence. Meanwhile, Gergely Gulyás, Minister leading the Prime Minister's Office in Hungary, criticized the European Commission, arguing that debates over the rule of law are driven by political alignment rather than legal principle.
In response to Tusk's actions, Hungary granted political asylum to Marcin Romanowski, a former deputy of Ziobro who is facing politically motivated prosecution in Poland. Gulyás and Ziobro discussed the future of Polish-Hungarian relations, with Ziobro predicting that Tusk's period in power would be short-lived.
The documentary, which premiered at the Uránia National Film Theatre in Budapest, serves as a record of Tusk's intervention in Poland's state media. Tulicki, the documentary's director, expressed concern that the situation in Poland has deteriorated further since the events shown in the film, with the judiciary and civil servants also targeted. The film highlights the ongoing political tensions and debates surrounding the rule of law in Poland and the European Union.
