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Polish prosecutor receives complaint about Nawrocki's 2018 visit to Moscow

17.03.2025 16:07
The Polish prosecutor's office has received a complaint filed by Krzysztof Brejza, a Member of the European Parliament from the ruling Civic Coalition (KO), regarding Karol Nawrocki's 2018 trip to Moscow.
Supported by the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, Karol Nawrocki, the president of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), speaks at a meeting in the southwestern part of Poland, in Ostrów Wielkopolski, on March 15, 2025.
Supported by the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, Karol Nawrocki, the president of the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), speaks at a meeting in the southwestern part of Poland, in Ostrów Wielkopolski, on March 15, 2025.Photo: PAP/Tomasz Wojtasik

Nawrocki, the presidential candidate supported by the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, was serving as the director of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk at the time. Brejza is questioning whether public funds were misused during the visit.

Questions raised about Nawrocki’s Moscow journey expenses and details

The trip cost around 25,000 PLN (approximately 5,974.13 EUR or 6,521.95 USD), but the museum did not release any press statements or photos or other information about the visit.

At the end of February, Member of the European Parliament Krzysztof Brejza asked the Museum of the Second World War for details regarding Nawrocki’s visit to the Victory Museum and the Polish Institute in Moscow. He inquired about the outcomes of the visit and the roles of Nawrocki’s four colleagues who accompanied him, including his deputy, spokesperson, marketing manager, and diplomacy specialist.

Questions regarding Nawrocki's visit to Russia

In response, the museum stated that it found no information regarding the visit in its archives. Karol Nawrocki, the presidential candidate supported by the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, served as the director of the Museum of the Second World War from 2017 to 2021 and has been the head of the Institute of National Remembrance since 2021.

Lack of information in museum archives

"PiS’s candidate was at one of the most deceptive places on Earth, a museum that undermines Polish historical memory," Brejza argued on social media.

MEP Brejza is demanding an investigation into whether public funds were misused in relation to Nawrocki’s delegation and his four colleagues. He also seeks details from Nawrocki regarding the trip, the meetings, and the reasons for keeping the visit secret.

Nawrocki's explanation of his stay in Russia

Karol Nawrocki clarified that during his visit to Moscow, he visited the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, where he argued that World War II began in 1939, not in 1941 as stated in the exhibit. He also met with the Polish Ambassador in Moscow to propose organizing an exhibition on the struggle of the Polish people in 1939. The PiS candidate added that similar trips took place in other cities as part of preparations for the World Forum of Battlefield Museums.

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Source: IAR/PAP/X/@krzysztofbrejza