Poland’s State Forests spent millions supporting right-wing media

Under the previous PiS government, Poland’s State Forests diverted millions meant for conservation to fund friendly, mostly right-wing media, religious pilgrimages for Catholics, and other political events unrelated to environmental protection, according to analyses.

Instead of spending on conservation, Poland’s State Forests under the PiS government spent millions on right-wing media propaganda and organizing pilgrimages to the Pope, according to a Supreme Audit Office report.

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According to a report by the Supreme Audit Office (Najwyższa Izba Kontroli, NIK), analyzed by the daily Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland’s State Forests (a government agency managing the country’s forests) allocated substantial funds to right-wing media outlets during the tenure of the nationalist-populist Law and Justice (PiS) government.

The funds were directed under the oversight of Sovereign Poland (Suwerenna Polska), a right-wing party led by former Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro.

Which media outlets in Poland received the largest share of the State Forests budget?

Between 2022 and 2023, the State Forests spent approximately 2.4 million PLN ($580,000) on advertising and other payments to the publishers of the right-wing weekly Do Rzeczy.

Other beneficiaries included the weekly Sieci (1.1 million PLN, ~$270,000), the Catholic daily Nasz Dziennik (588,000 PLN, ~$140,000), the tabloid Super Express (441,000 PLN, ~$107,000), and the Catholic magazine Niedziela, which received the same amount.

Right-wing newspapers Gazeta Polska and Gazeta Polska Codziennie each received 392,000 PLN ($95,000), while the Catholic weekly Gość Niedzielny and Tygodnik Solidarność received 147,000 PLN ($36,000) each.

Media piszą o nowym raporcie NIK o nadużyciach w służbach informacyjnych Lasów Państwowych za poprzedniej ekipy.
Dobrze, że powstał, choć o nadużyciach i ich skali wiedzieli już wszyscy.
Pytanie brzmi, dlaczego Lasy Państwowe jako instytucję tak łatwo przejąć? Czemu wtedy… pic.twitter.com/Az3tKiQixj

— Lasy i Obywatele (@lasyiobywatele) December 3, 2024

Public funds diverted to... religious pilgrimages

Dozens of events and expenses were sponsored using funds that should have been allocated by the State Treasury for nature conservation or ecological initiatives. Instead, the money was spent on activities such as pilgrimages to religious sites like Jasna Góra in Poland.

The forestry service also generously funded pilgrimages to the Vatican, where participants sought Pope Francis’ blessing for tree seedlings during an audience—at a total cost of 83,800 PLN (~$20,000 or ~€18,700).

Wstrząsający raport o Lasach Państwowych za PiS. Miliony na promocję, tysiące na zlecenia "na gębę", lewe etaty.

Audiencja u papieża, sady im. Jana Pawła II, znikający sprzęt dla Ukrainy, miliony na reklamy w sprzyjających mediach i na spotkania wyborczehttps://t.co/O1UNWSR7v9

— Bartosz T. Wieliński 🇵🇱🇪🇺🇺🇦 (@Bart_Wielinski) December 3, 2024

Aid for Ukraine misused: medical bags distributed at local picnics in Poland

Significant controversy also arose when 42 medical bags, intended to aid Ukrainians during the war with Russia, were distributed within Poland by politicians from the right-wing Sovereign Poland party, led by Zbigniew Ziobro.

The bags were handed out at local fire department picnics rather than reaching their intended recipients.

Source: Gazeta Wyborcza/NIK/X/@lasyiobywatele/@Bart_Wielinski

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