New documentary reveals Tusk's rapid seizure of Poland's state media in 2023
A new documentary exposing Donald Tusk’s swift takeover of Poland’s state media premiered in Budapest on 27 October. The film, Taking Over, details events from December 2023, when Tusk’s government moved against opposition figures and public broadcasters. Its director, Marcin Tulicki, once worked as deputy head of Poland’s state-run TVP news agency during the same period. The documentary highlights Tusk’s immediate actions after taking office in late 2023. His administration arrested former ministers and MPs from the rival Law and Justice (PiS) party. At the same time, it seized control of public broadcasters and the prosecutor’s office.
At the Budapest premiere, Tulicki said he hoped Hungary would never face similar political turmoil. The screening took place at the Uránia National Film Theatre, drawing attention from Hungarian officials. Gergely Gulyás, Hungary’s minister leading the Prime Minister’s Office, used the event to reaffirm his country’s stance on migration and asylum. He stressed that Hungary distinguishes between economic migration and legitimate political refuge—a point underscored by Hungary’s recent decision to grant asylum to Marcin Romanowski, a former Polish deputy justice minister facing prosecution in Poland. Gulyás also criticised the European Commission for framing rule-of-law debates along political lines rather than legal standards. Meanwhile, Zbigniew Ziobro, Poland’s former justice minister, accused Tusk’s government of enforcing a 'pseudo rule of law', where judicial independence is overruled by political power. Despite tensions, Gulyás expressed Hungary’s commitment to ongoing cooperation with Poland within the Visegrád Group.
The documentary’s release puts further focus on Tusk’s controversial reforms and their impact on Poland’s political landscape. Hungary’s response—both in granting asylum and voicing criticism—reflects broader divisions within the EU over judicial independence and political accountability.
