"Polish President Duda Pardons Imprisoned Politicians in Political Clash"

Polish President Andrzej Duda pardoned two jailed politicians from the nationalist Law and Justice party, sparking a clash with new Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The politicians had been convicted of abuse of power and were in jail for the past two weeks. Duda's move is seen as a significant defeat and aligns him with PiS, giving him the ability to thwart Tusk's reform attempts. The pardon comes after a previous one issued in 2015 was deemed invalid, and the two politicians were convicted in December. Despite public and justice ministry opposition, Duda succumbed to pressure from PiS leaders. The pardon eliminates the penalty but does not cancel their conviction, leaving their parliamentary seats vacant.