Former presidents: Poland moves to authoritarianism

Three former presidents of Poland, Lech Wałęsa, Aleksander Kwaśniewski and Bronisław Komorowski, as well as a number of former Foreign Ministers and anti-communist dissidents have wrote a letter in which they argue that the coming months will be decisive when it comes to Poland's rule of law and democracy. "The rulers have chosen to confront with the Euro-Atlantic community. The Constitutional Tribunal crisis threatens Poland with the limitation of rights in the European Union. Anti-European and xenophobic statements and actions undermine the cohesion of the European Union, promoting the interests of imperialist Russia. From a reliable and respected partner of the EU and NATO, Poland becomes  a country of "special concern". The foundations of our security and economic development are shaking. Poland is moving towards authoritarianism and isolation," the letter read. The signatories called for "a full mobilization" of the society and the opposition to withhold this trend. They expressed their respect for the judges of the Constitutional Tribunal, for the Committee for the Defense of Democracy (KOD) and the UE and NATO. They also appealed to politicians of the ruling camp to not to participate in actions that destroy democracy and the state. "The signatories of this appeal differ in the assessment of numerous Poland's problems, but we are united in the conviction that reasonable changes are conditioned on maintaining democracy in Poland," the letter concluded.