Donald Tusk Penalized by Parliamentary Ethics Commission for 'Clown' Remark

The Sejm's Parliamentary Ethics Commission has decided to penalize Prime Minister Donald Tusk in connection with an incident in the plenary hall, during which the head of government referred to a Law and Justice MP as a "clown". The case has caused deep divisions not only along the government-opposition line but also within the ruling coalition itself. Representatives of the Polish People's Party voted in favor of penalizing the prime minister, while members of Poland 2050 abstained, which commentators interpret as a signal of growing tensions within the ruling camp. Opposition politicians, including Przemysław Czarnek, do not spare the prime minister harsh words, calling him, among other things, a "pro-German cretin" and promising an adequate response to the "aggression" of the head of government. The Parliamentary Ethics Commission ruled that the language used by the prime minister violated the principles of maintaining the dignity of the Sejm. In the Polish parliament, the rules of parliamentary ethics were formulated in a 1998 Sejm resolution, which obliges parliamentarians to avoid behavior that violates the dignity of others and to safeguard the good name of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland.Parallel to domestic disputes, Donald Tusk is conducting intensive activities on the international stage. A meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan took place in Warsaw, during which the Polish prime minister declared full support for Yerevan's pro-European course. Armenia's accession to European structures is seen as a key element for stabilizing the South Caucasus. Tusk emphasized that Poland will be Armenia's ambassador in Brussels, just as it previously supported the aspirations of Ukraine or Moldova. „Armenia is ready to be closer to the European Union, as much as the European Union considers it possible” — Nikol Pashinyan This visit, like the earlier meeting with the Prime Minister of Iceland, aims to strengthen Poland's role as a leader in EU enlargement policy. The political situation is complicated by the ongoing conflict between the prime minister and President Andrzej Duda. Despite Tusk's declared desire for "joint thinking" on strategic matters, both sides remain in dispute over, among other things, ambassadorial nominations and the pace of implementing judicial reforms. Government critics, supported by conservative media, accuse the prime minister of hypocrisy, pointing out that on one hand he calls for unity, while on the other he uses confrontational language against opponents in parliament. Relations between the government and the president in Poland's parliamentary-cabinet system have often been tense, especially during periods of cohabitation, i.e., the coexistence of an executive branch originating from opposing political camps.