Geremek refuses to cooperate

The Kaczyński government faced heavy criticism last week in the European Parliament and the EU's Court of Human Rights over its law to unmask former communist agents. MEP Bronisław Geremek, Poland's highly respected former Foreign Minister and a veteran anti-communist activist has refused to submit to vetting.

According to Polish law, Geremek should now lose his post as a member of the European Parliament. Parliamentarians in Strasbourg were furious that Geremek, who played a significant role in Poland joining NATO and entering the EU, might be forced to step down. "Geremek rightly objects to the witch-hunt his government seeks," said Graham Watson, chief of the parliament's Liberal Group.

Geremek said he had already declared that he had not worked with the communist secret police and would not address the issue again.

"I believe the demand for the submission of another vetting declaration under threat of losing my mandate [as an MEP] conflicts with national law and ignores the decision of 121,805 voters," Geremek wrote in a statement. "I have only one answer to this imperative demand of humble submission: I refuse."

EU parliamentary officials said the legislature or one of its political groups could challenge the Polish law in the European Court of Justice or the European Court of Human rights. (Reuters)