Left-Wing Fascism in Poland? The Judge, the License, and the Coup Against Free Speech

Poland's most-watched information channel faces shutdown—just weeks before the election. We need your help - share this post!

Donald Tusk has decided to impose a totalitarian regime in Poland. Yes, you read that right: the Prime Minister of Poland—a country of 40 million people at the heart of Europe, which for decades suffered under the yoke of Soviet communism and only recently broke free; a country whose culture has long celebrated civil liberties; a NATO frontline state—has decided to strip Poles of their freedom of speech. As you know, the “Rock Rachon We Rollin” Substack began as a companion to our TV show, first broadcast on TVP World and later—after Tusk’s “commissioners” illegally seized public television—on TV Republika. Now Tusk wants to strip TV Republika of its broadcasting license. The most-watched news channel in Poland (not just the top conservative one) is being silenced. A voice of freedom, reaching millions daily, is being gagged. The largest media platform not playing to the tune of the liberal-left government is being destroyed—just a month before a critical presidential election. This is unprecedented in our nation’s history. An assault on free speech is an assault on democracy. So no, these words about totalitarianism are not exaggerated.

We have a simple request to all of you—readers and fans of Rock Rachon We Rollin: Spread the word. Share this post. Show it to your Senator, Congressman, MP, or delegate—however they’re called where you live. Don’t let freedom in Poland die in silence. The only thing that can stop Tusk is a massive outcry and an international scandal.

Yesterday the Provincial Administrative Court in Warsaw overturned the National Broadcasting Council’s (KRRiT) decision to grant TV Republika a broadcasting license. The ruling was issued by Judge Barbara Kołodziejczak-Osetek, who claimed the Council made a “flawed assessment” of applications, dismissing arguments about pluralism and public interest as “loosely thrown in.” Let’s be clear—this is not about procedures. It’s about silencing a dissenting voice in the media landscape.

The KRRiT had lawfully assigned a spot on digital multiplex MUX-8 to TV Republika after a transparent and legally sound process. The license was issued on July 3, placing the station on channel 51. The legal challenge came from MWE Networks, a competitor who lost out in the process and has long sought to shut down its conservative rival. The Broadcasting Council stated clearly: the decision was made based on thorough financial and substantive analysis, as required by law. Lawyer, assistant professor at the University of Warsaw, former Minister of Justice and Prosecutor General Marcin Warchoł minced no words in response to the ruling. “A textbook example of gross judicial overreach,” he called it. “There’s no question this will be taught in law faculties.” According to Warchoł, who is a doctor habilitated in legal sciences, administrative courts are not allowed to rule on whether a licensing decision was "right or wrong"—only whether it was legal. And legality, in this case, was never seriously in question.

He also slammed the judge’s rationale as absurd, noting that the court accused the Council of failing to assess the security implications of the war in Ukraine on station operations—an obligation that doesn’t exist in any Polish law. Even more bizarrely, the judge questioned the legitimacy of donation-based financing—despite the fact that no law prohibits it. As Warchoł summed up: “The ruling breaks records for absurdity and will go down in history as one of the most scandalously political judicial decisions ever made.”

Fortunately, the fight isn’t over. KRRiT Chairman Maciej Świrski has already announced that the Council will file a cassation appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court. Until the case is resolved, the license remains valid. But we know what this is: an attempt to buy time until the election passes, when Tusk’s government hopes no one will notice the suppression of Poland’s most-watched conservative media outlet.

Judge Kołodziejczak-Osetek has a long record of political activism.

We also know who stood behind this ruling. Judge Kołodziejczak-Osetek has a long record of political activism dressed up in robes. In 2022, she joined over 1,500 judges calling for the “accountability” of judges who followed legal reforms introduced by the then-conservative government. These reforms were passed by parliament and followed the rule of law. But for the activist caste entrenched in post-communist judicial structures, legality only matters when it protects their privileges.

This blog has never shied away from saying what others won’t: much of the so-called “defense of the rule of law” during conservative rule was nothing but a fight to preserve the communist legacy within the judiciary. Judges like Kołodziejczak-Osetek weren’t defending democracy—they were entrenching a decaying system from another era. It’s no surprise that the same judge now works to silence voices like ours. After all, TV Republika was among the few platforms brave enough to expose what they’d rather hide.

Poles are demonstrating against the withdrawal of TV Republika's license. If Tusk's courts actually get their way, we can expect large-scale public demonstrations in defense of the most popular news channel.

International voices are starting to take notice. CPAC chairman Matt Schlapp commented bluntly: “This is left-wing fascism.” He pointed out that in Poland, they try to shut down conservative TV for hosting people like him. He’s right. In France, they’re blocking election candidates. In Israel, they put Netanyahu on trial weekly. And in Poland? They’re killing the free press—on the eve of a national election.

It’s not enough to be outraged. Now is the time to act. We are calling on our readers and allies across the free world—especially in the U.S.—to help us shine a spotlight on what’s happening in Poland. Don’t let Donald Tusk and his so-called judges rob millions of Poles of their voice in silence. Make noise. Raise hell. Because that’s what it takes to stop totalitarianism.

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