Polish deputy charged over AI-generated meme featuring first lady and Shrek

Political scandal erupts in Poland over lawmaker's controversial post

According to Главком: A Polish county councilor from the Polish People's Party (PSL), Wojciech Ślusarczyk, is facing legal action after sharing a meme that sparked widespread outrage. The image, created using artificial intelligence, depicted Marta Nawrocka in a princess-like appearance alongside a caption referencing her husband, President Karol Nawrocki. The post was published in August 2025, just eleven days after Nawrocki's inauguration, and asked: 'And where is Shrek?'

The day after the post went live, a complaint was filed with the district prosecutor's office in Radomsko. This led to an investigation under provisions criminalizing public insults against the President of Poland, which carry a potential sentence of up to three years in prison. Ślusarczyk was interrogated during the probe, and prosecutors requested IP addresses from Meta and Facebook to identify users who had shared the meme. An expert was brought in, with services costing around 5,000 zlotys.

Formal charges and public reaction

In May 2026, Ślusarczyk was officially charged, and during a June interrogation, he pleaded not guilty. The complainant, Andrzej Gawlikowski, stated that

“public officials must behave with dignity and not mock their opponents”

. Ślusarczyk dismissed the accusations as absurd, urging law enforcement to focus on more important matters. His lawyer, Michał Spólnicki, argued that investigators ignored the context of the post, noting that images of Marta Nawrocka as a princess had previously been circulated by the president's own supporters.

The incident has triggered intense public debate, with many noting that the meme compared Karol Nawrocki to the main character from the Shrek films and his wife to Princess Fiona. The case continues to unfold, and the next steps in the investigation remain uncertain.

This case highlights the heightened tensions in Poland's political discourse, where insulting the president is treated as a serious crime. The investigation and formal charges could affect the reputation of political figures and public perceptions of free speech in the country. In response, Polish society has increasingly debated the boundaries of satire and political humor, as well as their place in a democratic society.