In a startling development that challenges Poland’s established political norms, Grzegorz Braun, a prominent far-right leader, has publicly announced his intention to field a parliamentary candidate who is currently on trial for espionage on behalf of Russia and China. This audacious move by the head of the Confederation of the Polish Crown (KKP) party to champion Mateusz Piskorski not only signals an increasingly overt pro-Russian alignment within a segment of the nation’s political fringe but also creates a significant fissure in a country where anti-Russian sentiment is a cornerstone of both public opinion and state policy. The declaration has sent ripples through the political landscape, highlighting the emergence of a small but vocal faction willing to openly align with figures accused of working against the state’s national interests.
A Controversial Leader and His Chosen Candidate
Grzegorz Braun, a serving member of the European Parliament, has steadily carved out a niche on the radical edge of Polish politics, with his party currently garnering approximately 8% in opinion polls. His political rise was significantly boosted by a presidential campaign that leveraged antisemitic, anti-Ukrainian, and anti-LGBT rhetoric, securing him a surprising fourth-place finish. Braun’s career has been punctuated by legal troubles, most notably his ongoing trial for several offenses, including a highly publicized incident in 2023 where he used a fire extinguisher to put out a Hanukkah menorah during a religious ceremony within the Polish parliament. Reports of his pro-Russian leanings have circulated for years, including a documented 2019 meeting in Moscow with a Russian journalist who had been expelled from Poland on espionage suspicions. Furthermore, he has actively promoted conspiracy theories, such as claiming that Russian drone incursions into Polish airspace were a government fabrication designed to escalate conflict.
The man Braun has tapped for a potential parliamentary run, Mateusz Piskorski, possesses an extensive and well-documented history of pro-Kremlin activities, making him a distinct anomaly within the Polish political sphere. A former member of parliament for the populist Self-Defence party from 2005 to 2007, Piskorski has consistently aligned himself with Moscow’s interests. He notably served as the head of a group of self-styled “independent” observers who monitored Russia’s 2014 referendum to annex Crimea, a vote he subsequently endorsed as having been conducted lawfully and without violations. Piskorski has been a vocal critic of what he terms Western stereotypes of “bad Russians” and has accused Western nations of provoking Vladimir Putin’s actions against Ukraine, which he has described as a “failed state.” In 2015, he founded a new political party called Change (Zmiana), explicitly telling the Kremlin-affiliated outlet Sputnik that its primary objective was to “rebuild relations with Russia,” while his think tank has also faced accusations of receiving Russian funding.
The Lingering Shadow of an Espionage Trial
Central to the current controversy is Mateusz Piskorski’s unresolved legal battle with the Polish state. In May 2016, he was detained by Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) and subsequently charged with the grave offense of espionage on behalf of both Russian and Chinese intelligence services. Following a two-year investigation, prosecutors formally indicted him in 2018, and his trial began in April 2019. However, the legal process has been extraordinarily protracted. Nearly seven years after his initial arrest, the case remains without a verdict. The proceedings are classified, meaning that crucial details about the evidence presented by the prosecution and the current stage of the trial are shielded from public scrutiny. This lack of transparency has allowed for a climate of speculation and has enabled Piskorski to continue his political activities despite the serious charges hanging over him. The prolonged nature of the trial adds a complex legal dimension to the already charged political situation.
After spending three years in pre-trial detention, Piskorski was released in May 2019 on a 200,000 zloty bail, under the condition that he not leave Poland. Since his release, he has not shied away from the public eye; instead, he has become a frequent political commentator, regularly appearing on Russian and Belarusian state-linked media outlets. His continued presence on platforms controlled by the very governments he is accused of spying for has further fueled outrage and suspicion among his critics. The gravity of the allegations is underscored by a related case in which another former member of Piskorski’s Change party, identified only as Janusz N., was also indicted on charges of spying for Russia. This pattern suggests a deeper network of alleged pro-Kremlin activities that the Polish security services have been investigating, making Braun’s endorsement of Piskorski even more contentious and politically explosive.
Political Ramifications and Defiant Alliances
Grzegorz Braun’s announcement has been met with swift condemnation from government circles, where it is viewed as an unambiguous confirmation of his political orientation. Government spokesman Adam Szłapka asserted that by naming Piskorski as a potential candidate, “Braun is no longer even trying to hide his connections with Russia.” The far-right leader amplified his challenge to the political establishment by appearing on stage with Piskorski in the city of Szczecin, declaring to his followers that he would be “proud to present such candidates.” This public display of solidarity serves to solidify Braun’s position on the radical fringe, setting him apart even from other factions within the broader far-right movement. This deliberate provocation has drawn clear battle lines, forcing a public conversation about the acceptable limits of political discourse and allegiance in a frontline NATO country.
This audacious political maneuver ultimately represented a calculated test of the boundaries of mainstream politics in a nation deeply suspicious of Moscow’s intentions. Braun’s party had already been expelled from the larger far-right alliance, Confederation, a year prior after he decided to launch a competing presidential bid, a move that underscored his increasingly isolated yet defiant stance. The episode illuminated the emergence of a small but determined pro-Kremlin faction within Polish politics, one that was not only willing to voice unpopular opinions but to openly collaborate with individuals accused of acting against Poland’s core national security interests. This created a stark and unsettling counter-narrative to the country’s prevailing geopolitical alignment, leaving a lasting mark on its political discourse.
