Rally of Poland's right-wing opposition party accuses pro-EU government of law violations

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The leader of Poland’s right-wing opposition party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, on Saturday accused the pro-European Union government of acting against the nation’s interests and violating its laws, at a rally of a few thousand supporters in the capital.

Kaczynski also called on the supporters to be active at social and political levels and to back his Law and Justice party’s candidate in next year’s presidential election. He is still to name the candidate.

Up to four thousand people with national white-and-red flags gathered for the rally held in windy weather outside the Justice Ministry in Warsaw, which has become a symbol of years of deep rifts between the backers of Kaczynski and Donald Tusk, now the prime minister.

Law and Justice that ruled in 2015-23 drew criticism from Brussels and Tusk alike for making changes to Poland’s judicial system that were deemed undemocratic. Many in the nation of 38 million were also tired of the aggressive and divisive language that Kaczynski, who dictated the government's policies from the back seat, used to energize support.

The party lost power in the 2023 election but is still exerting control over the presidential office through President Andrzej Duda, who is allied with Law and Justice.

Duda has been blocking many of the government's draft laws in what is a rather rough cohabitation. Duda's second and last term runs out in August.