Poland’s Law and Justice Party expressed outraged at French presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron for a slur against Jaroslaw Kaczynski, head of the governing Law and Justice Party (PiS), alleging he is allied with Russian President Vladimir Putin, along with other nationalist candidates and leaders, such as Macron’s opponent in the upcoming French runoff election, Marine Le Pen.
“We all know who Le Pen’s allies are: the regimes of (Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor) Orban, Kaczynski, Putin. These aren’t regimes with an open and free democracy. Every day they break many democratic freedoms,” Macron said on Monday.
Poland’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement: “Pointing to a supposed alliance between Le Pen and the leader of Law and Justice is a manipulation. And the inclusion of Jaroslaw Kaczynski in the ranks of ‘Le Pen’s friends who break numerous freedoms’ is improper and highly unsuitable,” reported Reuters.
Last week, Macron declared, if elected, he would impose sanctions against Poland for alleged anti-democratic policies imposed by the ruling party.
“We also want to remind that anyone who knows the history and Poland’s internal situation has no right to accuse Poles of affinity towards imperial Russia,” the foreign ministry said.
Poland accuses Russia of being guilty in the death of Polish President Lech Kaczynski via a plane crash in 2010.
