Grzegorz Braun supported the candidacy of the Czech Euro MP Ondřej Dostál as vice-president of the European Parliament delegation on EU-Russia relations on 10 September. The vote ended with a draw of 8:8, and the dispute blocked the planned proceeding of Russian opponents. For Poland it is simply a warning: sovereign rhetoric must not lead to the indulgence of imperial Russia.
Draw 8:8 and interrupted sitting
There was an acute dispute on 10 September at a gathering of the Delegation to the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee. As described by OKO.press, Czech Euro MP Ondřej Dostál demanded that the late Vice-President of the delegation be held before the invited representatives of the Russian opposition. president Ville Niinistö wanted to keep the other order.
Dostál received support from Grzegorz Braun and Slovak Euro MP ̄uboš Blaha. Braun has repeatedly demanded a vote. The Czech candidate obtained 8 votes, precisely the same number of people opposed. The further procedure stopped the reported deficiency of translation into French, and after nearly an hr of disputes the gathering was interrupted. The Russian oppositionists who were expected to talk about the conditions of the elections to Duma met with Euro MPs already outside the formal part of the meeting.
Delegation valid despite frozen contacts
The European Parliament's cooperation with Russian Pride remains frozen after Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The delegation itself continues to deal with relations with Russia, contacts with Kremlin opponents and sanctions policy. Official list of the European Parliament confirms that Braun, Dostál, Blaha and Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz are members of this group and are chaired by Ville Niinistö.
The invitation was received by representatives of the Russian Anti-War Committee. Among the guests were Dmitri Gudkow, Kirił Martynow, Anastasia Shevchenko, Jelena Łukjanova and Anna Victoria Politkowska. They were to present an evaluation of the elections to Duma, including the participation of occupied territories and the situation of anti-war candidates. Instead, much of the time was consumed by the procedural battle.
Dostál and his political direction
According to the information collected by OKO.press Dostál, in 2024 he visited the BRICS gathering in Sochi, in May 2025 he participated in Moscow's celebrations of the end of planet War II, and later appeared in the parliament of Belarus, where he criticized Western sanctions policy. In July 2025, Moldova refused him entry, recognising him as a possible threat to the safety of the state. Dostál questioned the merits of this decision.
The larger image was published in November 2025 by an analysis of EUobserver and fresh paper Europe. The authors checked the votes on resolutions relating to Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. They indicated a group of Euro MPs regularly voting in a manner consistent with Kremlin's interests. These included Dostál, Braun and Blaha. That's a description of parliamentary behavior, not evidence of secret connections. specified a discrimination is necessary.
Sovereignty Requires hard Realism
The Polish right has the full right to criticise the federalist urges of Brussels, an costly sanctioning policy if it hits Polish families, and strategical errors of the EU elite. However, opposition to EU centralism must not be mixed with mildness towards Moscow. The Russian state is at war in Ukraine, threatening the countries of our region and treating Polish independency as an obstacle for generations.
Therefore, the 10 September event is more crucial for Poland than another Brussels brawl. National realism must see both threats: the limitation of sovereignty by the EU centre and the imperial policies of the Kremlin. If a politician from Poland helps a candidate associated with leniency of Moscow take over the function in a delegation dealing with Russia, voters have the right to request a clear explanation.
The case remains unsolved. The Vice-President is to be elected back at the next meeting. Parliamentary arithmetic may give Dostál another chance, but the Polish interest is constant: no illusions towards Russia. Earlier the European Parliament waived the immunity of Grzegorz Braun in a separate case, which further increases the focus on its activities in Brussels.
Source: OKO.press, European Parliament, EUobserver
Source: OKO.press
