Man charged in Poland with insulting president with Shrek meme

Polish prosecutors have charged Wojciech Ślusarczyk, a councillor on the Radomsko county council, with insulting President Karol Nawrocki over a meme he shared on Facebook in 2025. The case centers on prosecutors’ view that the post—paired with a “And where’s Shrek?”-type question—was meant to devalue the president.

Ślusarczyk denies the meme referred to Nawrocki, arguing that if anything it was connected to the image’s authors, not the president or his wife. A linguistics expert hired by prosecutors reportedly produced a 72-page opinion on whether the reference to “Shrek” could be considered an insult to the president.

The charge carries a potential prison term of up to three years. Separately, he is also charged with criminal insult of Marta Nawrocka via mass media, which is punishable by up to one year in prison. After being charged, reporting said he has moved into the indictment stage and is expected to go to trial.