In the spotlight: Aleksander Kwaniewski
According to the Constitution, the President has the right to pardon convicts and is not obliged to reveal the reasons for his decision. This has happened 4,255 times in the last 10 years.
Sobotka was Kwaniewski's co-worker before 1989, when he held the position of Deputy Minister of the Interior and Administration. He was charged with treason in the 'Starachowice leak' and sentenced to three-and-a-half-years behind bars.
Despite a public outcry the President has refused to comment and has forbidden his co-workers to speak to the media. A press release says: "According to the law, the President of the Republic of Poland may pardon any convict. This decision is independent of anyone's opinion and does not require an explanation."
This, however, is not the end of the public debate. The Starachowice scandal is a symbol of the culture of corruption within the Democratic Left Alliance government (SLD). The President says that the basic rules of a democratic state are sustained and Polish democracy is working, if such scandals are revealed and the guilty are sentenced.
With Kwaniewski's chances of becoming UN Secretary General diminishing, he is turning towards domestic politics and seeking the support of the party. In pardoning Sobotka, Kwaniewski leaves himself open to the allegation that his priorities are skewed, and the narrow group of friends he has backed for the last 10 years come before his country.
