Poland Faces Political and Security Turmoil Amid Sabotage and Immunity Revocation

In November 2025, Poland faced significant political and security challenges, marked by the revocation of former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro's parliamentary immunity and a sabotage attack on a key railway line, which heightened tensions with Russia.

On November 7, the Sejm, Poland's lower house of parliament, voted to strip Zbigniew Ziobro of his parliamentary immunity, enabling prosecutors to pursue 26 criminal charges against him. These charges include abuse of power, misuse of the Justice Fund, and leading an organized criminal group. Allegations suggest that Ziobro misallocated over €35 million from the Justice Fund, including funds used to purchase the Pegasus surveillance system. (reuters.com)

Ziobro, who served as Justice Minister from 2015 to 2023 under the Law and Justice (PiS) government, was reportedly in Budapest during the parliamentary session. He dismissed the charges as politically motivated, labeling them a "witch hunt" orchestrated by Prime Minister Donald Tusk's pro-European Union government. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán supported Ziobro, calling the case a political witch hunt. Additionally, one of Ziobro’s former deputies, Marcin Romanowski, fled to Hungary and received political asylum. (reuters.com)

Shortly after, on November 16, an explosion damaged tracks on the Warsaw-Lublin railway line near Mika, Masovian Voivodeship, a critical route connecting Warsaw to the Ukrainian border. Polish authorities attributed the act to Russian intelligence, leading to the closure of the last Russian consulate in Gdańsk. Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the incident as an "unprecedented act of sabotage," marking a significant escalation in regional tensions. (reuters.com)

Investigations identified two Ukrainian nationals as suspects, believed to have collaborated with Russian intelligence and fled to Belarus. Poland has requested their extradition and deployed thousands of soldiers to secure critical infrastructure. Russia denies responsibility and has accused Poland of "Russophobia," threatening reciprocal diplomatic measures. (apnews.com)

In response to the sabotage, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced the closure of the Russian consulate in Gdańsk, leaving only the Russian embassy in Warsaw operational. Sikorski stated, "I have decided to withdraw consent for the operation of the last Russian consulate in Gdańsk." (euronews.com)

The Kremlin expressed regret over Poland's decision, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stating, "Relations with Poland have completely deteriorated. This is probably a manifestation of this deterioration – the Polish authorities’ desire to reduce any possibility of consular or diplomatic relations to zero." (reuters.com)

These events underscore Poland's ongoing challenges in addressing internal political accountability and external security threats. The stripping of Ziobro's immunity reflects a significant move towards political accountability, while the sabotage incident highlights the vulnerabilities in Poland's critical infrastructure and the complexities of its relationship with Russia.

Poland has a history of strained relations with Russia, marked by incidents of alleged sabotage and espionage. In 2024, Poland closed the Russian consulate in Poznań following accusations of Russian-orchestrated sabotage, including arson attempts. These actions are part of a broader pattern of deteriorating diplomatic relations between the two nations.

November 2025 has been a defining month for Poland, as it confronts internal political challenges and external security threats, shaping the nation's trajectory in the region.