European Parliament Lifts Immunity for Polish MEPs Michał Dworczyk and Daniel Obajtek

The European Parliament, meeting in Strasbourg, voted on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, to lift the legal immunity of two Polish Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), Michał Dworczyk and Daniel Obajtek. This decision paves the way for Polish prosecutors to proceed with criminal charges against the two politicians, both affiliated with Poland's opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party. The vote was conducted by a show of hands during the midday voting session.

Allegations Against Michał Dworczyk

Prosecutors in Poland seek to charge Michał Dworczyk with several offenses stemming from his tenure as head of the Chancellery of then-Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki between 2017 and 2022. The accusations include:

• Failing to fulfill obligations as a state official.
• Acting to the detriment of the public interest.
• Obstructing criminal proceedings.
• Unlawfully using an uncertified and unsecured private email account for official communication, including classified information.
• Ordering the deletion of messages from his inbox, which prosecutors allege could have 'helped the perpetrator of the hacker attack avoid criminal liability'.

These allegations are linked to a 2021 scandal involving the hacking and leaking of emails from Dworczyk's private inbox. He resigned from his government position the following year.

Charges Against Daniel Obajtek

Daniel Obajtek, who served as the chief executive of the state oil and fuel group PKN Orlen from 2018 to 2024, faces allegations related to the misuse of company funds. Prosecutors claim he used Orlen's resources to pay private detectives for non-corporate purposes and private interests. Specifically, it is alleged that he caused PKN Orlen significant financial harm, amounting to 393,600 PLN, by commissioning investigation services that were not economically justified and served his personal agenda. Auditors have also indicated that he commissioned detective services to gather information on members of the then-parliamentary opposition. Separate requests for lifting his immunity concerning charges of giving false testimony and violating press freedom laws are still pending before the European Parliament.

Political Context and Process

The decision by the European Parliament follows formal waiver requests transmitted by Polish authorities in 2024. The Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee (JURI) had previously recommended waiving the immunity for both MEPs. This move is viewed as an early success for Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government, which has pledged to pursue accountability for alleged abuses during the previous PiS administration, which governed from 2015 to 2023. Both Dworczyk and Obajtek have denied any wrongdoing, portraying the actions as politically motivated. Obajtek stated on X that the Parliament's decision facilitates 'political repression' by the Tusk government. Under EU law, MEPs enjoy immunity to protect them from legal proceedings in member states while performing their duties. However, this protection can be lifted by the Parliament if national authorities present a substantiated request and the Legal Affairs Committee determines that the proceedings do not concern opinions expressed in parliamentary functions and are not intended to cause political damage. The lifting of immunity does not constitute a finding of guilt, but rather allows domestic prosecutors to proceed with investigations or trials under national criminal procedure.