FT: Polish government reaching out to global PR firms

The claims follow a wave of negative coverage from major media outlets in the US, the UK and Germany, among others, as well as the launch of a probe into the rule of law in Poland by the European Commission.

“Warsaw has approached a number of public relations companies based in London for global crisis communication services, the Financial Times has learned, in an attempt to bolster its sliding reputation,” the paper's Central European correspondent wrote.

The paper stated that the conservative Law and Justice government “is turning to western spin doctors for advice on how to win friends and influence people, as the new administration faces mass public protests, nervous foreign investors and criticism from international allies.”

On 11 May, human rights watchdog the Venice Commission - an advisory body of the Council of Europe – urged the Polish government to respect a ruling of the country's Constitutional Tribunal, after the court rejected reforms voted through parliament by Law and Justice's majority.

Law and Justice won the 25 October general election, following two consecutive terms of a coalition of centrist party Civic Platform and agrarian grouping the Polish People's Party.

The European Commission's probe was launched in mid-January, after the Polish parliament rushed through reforms to the Constitutional Tribunal, public media outlets and the civil service.

Following a wave of negative publicity, Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski wrote an extensive article that was published in numerous international media outlets, including The New York Times and The Guardian, claiming that democracy is not under threat in Poland. (nh/pk)