Quick Hit:

Polish President Andrzej Duda faces a court case for allegedly insulting citizens by quoting a controversial statement regarding the film Green Border. The lawsuit, initiated by an NGO, claims Duda’s comments offended those who watched the movie.

Key Details:

• President Duda is being sued for quoting a phrase comparing Green Border viewers to “swine.”
• The court hearing is scheduled for October 2025, after Duda leaves office.
• The lawsuit stems from controversy surrounding Green Border, a film about the migration crisis at Poland’s Belarus border.

Diving Deeper:

Poland’s President Andrzej Duda is set to face a court hearing in 2025 after being sued for allegedly insulting Polish citizens. The lawsuit, brought by the Centre for Monitoring Racist and Xenophobic Behavior (OMZRiK), stems from a statement Duda made last year criticizing the film Green Border. The film, directed by Agnieszka Holland, portrays the migration crisis at Poland’s border with Belarus.

Duda, who aligned himself with the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, expressed regret over the film’s release, claiming it tarnished the reputation of Polish border guards. During a TV interview, he quoted a statement used during Nazi occupation, saying, “only swine sit in the cinema,” a phrase used by Polish citizens to criticize those who watched Nazi propaganda films during World War II.

The NGO claims that Duda’s use of this phrase insulted Poles who watched Green Border, a film that received critical acclaim both in Poland and internationally. The film won awards at the Gdynia Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival but faced backlash from Poland's political right, who viewed it as distorting the reality of the migration crisis and defaming the border guards.

OMZRiK, which advocates for human rights, demanded an apology from Duda, arguing that the president had effectively insulted his own citizens. Duda, however, has maintained that he was merely quoting border guard officers and not directly calling anyone “swine.”

The court hearing is scheduled for October 2025, well after Duda’s term ends. The proceedings will be held online, and the public will have the opportunity to view the broadcast. 

"Andrzej Duda Odsłonięcie pomnika Wojciecha Korfantego w Warszawie" by Kancelaria Sejmu / Rafał Zambrzycki licensed under CC BY 2.0 DEED.