- Poland’s Prime Minister Tusk blames Russian influence for blocking stricter crypto regulations to prevent fraud.
- President Nawrocki does not accept the argument of increasing fraud crimes and claims that the new law would threaten freedom.
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk has Russia accusedto play a role in blocking a law regulating crypto markets in the country. His attempt to overturn President Karol Nawrocki’s veto of the law failed in a secret parliamentary session on December 5 after the opposition refused the support needed for a three-fifths majority.
Tusk claimed that the crypto industry was being used by Russian and Belarusian interests to interfere in Polish affairs. He called this a national security issue and said that “part of the crypto market is clearly infiltrated and controlled by Russian and Belarusian entities.”
During the vote, the parties split along political lines. The opposition, including the conservative Law and Justice party (PiS) and the right-wing Confederation, sided with the president and refused to help the government push through the law.
Presidential veto sparks dispute over crypto rules
President Nawrocki vetoed the bill on December 1, saying the proposed rules were too strict and “a real threat to the freedoms of the Polish people.” He argued the bill gave financial regulators powers that could harm economic freedom because they could too easily block websites and freeze accounts.
Tusk’s government then accused the president of exposing Polish citizens to increased risks of fraud. She pointed out that 5,800 cases of fraud related to cryptocurrencies have been reported in recent years. Tusk warned that those who upheld the veto would “regret their decision in a few days.”
The president denied the allegations. On the YouTube channel Kanał Zero, Nawrocki explained:
“I have not received any information from the security services about the use of cryptocurrencies either before my veto of the law or after.”
He insisted that if there were security concerns, he as head of state should have been informed early on.
PiS MP Janusz Kowalski accused Tusk of using secrecy to spread fear and called for the secret material to be made public. Nawrocki’s chief of staff Zbigniew Bogucki questioned the delay in presenting the bill and asked why the Tusk government did not act sooner if the threat was so serious.
Now Nawrocki wants to present his own version of a crypto law to parliament. His office has not released any details. The dispute increases tensions between the president and the prime minister. In November, Tusk restricted top security chiefs’ access to Nawrocki, who then refused to approve security-related promotions.
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