Opposition politicians clashed with security guards outside the Polish parliament

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Mariusz Kaminskis and Maciejus Wasikas, both members of the former ruling PiS, wanted to enter the plenary session of the Seimas. The two former ministers clashed with security guards when they were barred from entering the hall, TVN24 news channel reported on Wednesday. They were told they could watch the session from the viewing gallery.

Former Interior Minister M. Kaminskis and his former deputy M. Wasikas were sentenced to two years in prison in December for abuse of office. President Andrzej Duda, also from PiS, later pardoned them.

Several independent legal experts concluded that politicians automatically lost their parliamentary mandates after the final decision was made and that a presidential pardon did not change that. Nevertheless, PiS demands that Mr. Kaminski and Mr. Wasik be allowed to keep their seats in parliament.

In recent weeks, the dispute has become the biggest rift between Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s recently elected centre-left coalition government and PiS and its ally Duda.