Prime Minister Donald Tusk testified in court in a lawsuit he brought against "Gazeta Polska." – "In my opinion, we were dealing here with a very brutal crossing of red lines" – he said.
The case is related to the cover of a weekly magazine from 2022. In it, we can see Donald Tusk with an outstretched fist. A shadow falls on his upper lip, reminiscent of Adolf Hitler's characteristic mustache. Under the photo, there is the slogan "Gott mit uns" ("God with us"), adopted in 1701 as the state motto of the Kingdom of Prussia, used during World War II by the German army (and until the 1970s).
Donald Tusk filed a lawsuit against "Gazeta Polska" and Tomasz Sakiewicz for infringement of personal rights. The trial in this case began on Friday at the District Court in Warsaw. The head of government gave his testimony remotely.
"Do you know of an example of a prime minister of any democratic country who took journalists to court over a satirical cover?" - Tomasz Sakiewicz, the editor-in-chief of Gazeta Polska, asked Donald Tusk during his testimony.
"I don't think I need to convince anyone or prove that I am not abusing the Polish justice system or my right to sue the authors of hateful materials about me. I couldn't do anything else but file lawsuits from morning to evening. That I filed a lawsuit in this case is certainly not proof of my hypersensitivity. Still, in my deep belief, it is caused by a radical crossing of any boundary of decency and the law," – said Tusk.
The Prime Minister wants an apology and a payment of PLN 100,000 from the defendant for the Polish Humanitarian Action.
PN: Polish politicians have a history of suing their opponents, not asking for anything for themselves but demanding steep penalties paid to "humanitarian" causes. This ensures financial ruin for many and discourages others from speaking out.
- Based on reporting by Niezalezna(.)pl and Dorzeczy(.)pl
