Trudeau raises Poland's democratic backsliding as prime minister visits Toronto
CTV
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he raised concerns about reports that LGBTQ2S+ rights and democracy are under threat in Poland during a Friday visit with its prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, in Toronto.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he raised concerns about reports that LGBTQ2S+ rights and democracy are under threat in Poland during a Friday visit with its prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, in Toronto.
The visit comes amid unprecedented economic and military collaboration between the two countries.
"I certainly raised concerns that we have around some of the reports coming out of Poland around LGBTQ2S+ rights, around democracy, and we had a frank conversation, as must be the case," Trudeau told reporters Friday.
His comments come amid rising concern about free speech and elections due to policies enacted by Morawiecki's government.
The country recently passed a law that will create a commission to probe alleged Russian interference in the country. Academics and civil-rights groups say the mandate is so vague that the panel of mostly government MPs will be used to attack opposition parties.
"It threatens, for sure, not only the electoral process but also academic freedom, because the commission has such large powers to question people from academia," said Marcin Gabrys, a political scientist with Jagiellonian University in Krakow.
On Monday, the U.S. State Department expressed concern over a new law "that could be misused to interfere with Poland's free and fair elections."
