Death threats target Polish president as online law debate intensifies

Polish President Karol Nawrocki has been targeted by a death threat on social media for the second time in a week, officials said, amid a government drive to strengthen regulations on online content.

According to Polish media, the threat, posted on X, either suggested or explicitly called for the assassination of the head of state.

The latest incident follows the arrest of a 19-year-old who posted a photo of a gun with the caption “see you soon, Karolku,” using a diminutive form of the president’s first name. The teenager was placed under police supervision and issued a restraining order.

The government has cited these incidents as evidence of the need to accelerate legislation aligning Poland with European Union rules. Critics — including Nawrocki — warn, however, that the proposed bill could facilitate censorship.

Parliament is currently finalising an amendment to the act on the provision of electronic services. The revision is designed to bring Polish law in line with the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and would provide authorities with faster tools to remove illegal online content.

“There is no consent to breaking the law online! We constantly report all illegal content to social media platforms, especially material containing threats against the most important figures in the country,” said Krzysztof Gawkowski, Poland’s digital affairs minister.

He added: “We’re working on implementing the Digital Services Act (DSA) to quickly remove illegal content.” Gawkowski noted that, once the amendments are approved by parliament, they will be sent to the president for final consideration.

Opponents of the legislation have expressed concern that it risks overreach, arguing that broadening categories such as “hate speech,” “incitement,” and “online harm” could allow authorities to suppress legitimate criticism or journalistic work.

President Nawrocki publicly rejected the draft on October 27, stating: “Under the guise of fighting illegal content and disinformation, the government wants to restrict freedom of speech by introducing a mechanism for blocking statements through arbitrary administrative decisions by officials.”

Several other countries, including the UK, Germany, Türkiye, and Brazil, have adopted similar laws in recent years following threats against elected officials and calls for tighter regulation of online platforms.

By Tamilla Hasanova