Poland’s foreign minister Radosław Sikorski has said that any foreign influence of Polish elections would be illegal.
He made the comments on January 6 in response to questions about Elon Musk’s alleged interventions in German and UK politics.
“We must prepare to protect our election process, so that it is the Polish people who choose our president, not foreigners,” said Sikorski, speaking as guest of honour at the Conference of Ambassadors in Paris.
That came after French President Emmanuel Macron accused US tech billionaire Musk of promoting a “new reactionary international” movement and of interfering in political processes across Europe.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre had claimed Musk’s alleged actions could undermine trust between Western countries.
When asked whether the X owner might attempt to exert influence in Poland, Sikorski replied: “It seems he is already trying to do so in the UK.” He warned that any attempt to interfere in Poland’s election due in May would be considered illegal by the Polish authorities.
The Polish ballot will feature a clash between Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s Liberal Civic Coalition candidate, the Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, and the Conservatives (PiS) candidate Karol Nawrocki who, like his party, is supportive of US President-elect Donald Trump.
Musk had attacked Trzaskowski in May last year over his decision to order his staff to remove the Christian cross from spaces accessible to members of the public, saying the mayor was “copying the worst traits coming from America”.
Polish law makes any overseas funding of parties or individual candidates illegal but does not forbid foreign subjects expressing their views or support.
In 1989, when Solidarity defeated Poland’s Communist party in the then semi-free election, prominent Western artists such as French movie star Alain Delon and US singer Joan Baez took part in Solidarity’s campaign.
Musk has over the past two weeks caused concern with his remarks on X in support of the German right-wing AfD party as “the only hope for Germany” in the coming general election there
He also said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer should be dismissed over his alleged lack of reaction to the UK child-grooming gangs scandal. In addition, he called for the replacement of Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, over his refusal to support jailed activist Tommy Robinson.
The Polish Government has gone on record in welcoming the Romanian Constitutional Court’s decision to cancel the presidential elections there. That occurred amid allegations of Russian foreign interference in favour of at least one of the candidates.
