Government accused of seeking revenge through budget cuts for IPN, NIK

The Sejm's Public Finance Commission (SKF) decided in a vote yesterday to cut the budgets of two state institutions, the National Remembrance Institute (IPN) and the Supreme Board of Inspection (NIK), each by zl.15 million. Both institutions are currently managed by politicians who do not have ties to the governing coalition. "The SKF decision is political revenge... In the NIK case, this is a 20% budget reduction and it raises questions about its ability to continue operating. The Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) cannot liquidate such institutions, even though it does not like them, so it is trying to restrict their activities," observed Civic Platform (PO) deputy Zyta Gilowska. IPN president Leon Kieres claims the budget cut will impede the Institute's development. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A5) M.T.