Polish senator appears to yank off journalist's microphone pinned to her jacket: 'Please do not touch me'

As she held out her microphone, the senator leaned towards it and appeared to interfere with the device. (Image: @nexta_tv/X)

A brief interview attempt inside Poland’s Sejm ended in a dispute after a recording of the exchange circulated widely online. The footage showed journalist Justyna Dobrosz-Oracz approaching Senator Wojciech Skurkiewicz to ask for his view on Poland’s position in discussions related to the war in Ukraine.

As she held out her microphone, the senator leaned towards it and appeared to interfere with the device. Dobrosz-Oracz immediately objected, stating, “Please do not touch me, please do not violate my personal integrity.” The conversation did not continue, and the clip ended shortly after the interruption.

The video was uploaded on X by the account NEXTA, prompting extensive commentary. Viewers criticised the senator for handling the journalist’s equipment and for approaching her physically during the exchange.

🇵🇱In Poland, a journalist’s conversation with a senator suddenly turned into a scandal: “Please do not touch me.”The confrontation broke out in the corridors of the Polish Sejm during a discussion about ending the war in Ukraine and Poland’s alleged absence from the negotiation… pic.twitter.com/XJqTADGz0j

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) December 11, 2025

Reactions online reflected anger and concern about the interaction. One user wrote, “If he did that to a man, he’d get knocked out.” Another commented, “This is where martial arts training comes in handy.” A third user questioned the senator’s conduct, saying, “Honestly, why is he touching her? This lady clearly looks uncomfortable.”

Others condemned the behaviour more strongly, with a user stating, “What a pathetic creep. This should be a career-ending incident for a politician. He’s literally groping a female journalist.”

Another user offered a broader interpretation, arguing that the issue was about political accountability rather than gender: “When a politician grabs a mic, it is not man vs woman, it is power vs scrutiny. People obsess over gender here because it is safer than admitting how casually the political class feels entitled to mute the press.”

Supporters of the journalist also weighed in. One user said the incident was regrettable and underscored the importance of press freedom: “That’s really unfortunate to see. Journalists should be able to do their job without being physically interfered with, no matter how heated the discussion gets. Basic respect goes a long way.”

Some commenters argued that the incident illustrated a wider problem concerning how certain politicians respond to scrutiny, while others debated whether the journalist’s approach had been too direct.

No statement had been issued by Senator Skurkiewicz at the time of writing, and the Sejm’s press office has not commented on whether any formal complaint would be reviewed.