The return of Beger

Feeling down? Listless? A little depressed? Think it’s maybe the start of those pesky autumn blues?

Well, you are wrong. You are feeling like that because you have been deprived of the joys of having former MP Renata Beger constantly occupying the TV politico-spotlight. Now she (left of photo) is back! But who is that woman she is leaving the court building with?

I suppose this post should be labelled: “post-fourth republic nostalgia”. Of all the weird and whacky characters during those heady, Law and Justice/Self Defence,/League of Polish Families coalition years, Renata Beger was one of my favourites.

But since her party - led by another all time great of Polish politics, Andrzej Lepper - was chucked out of parliament last autumn by the wise voters of Poland, Renata has disappeared from our screens.

Until now. She is starting her trial for allegedly using small bribes to get people to round up the thousands of signatures needed before they can officially become a parliamentary candidate.

Renata, bless her, says that she has been stitched up by the media. Gazeta Wyborcza had done an undercover exposé on her, which is how she came to be in court for electoral fraud.

Her party - Samoobrona, or Self Defence - is no stranger to the courts and the legal process. In fact, Andrzej Lepper and his bunch of merry men - and Renata - have seen more legal action than many of the lawyers that represent them.

Sex scandals, public order offences, dubious electoral behaviour…you name it, they been accused of doing it.

So, after the court was adjourned today, Renata,who loves having her photo taken, was captured walking out of the building. Or maybe it wasn’t today but one of those other times?

But who is that woman with her in the slightly….well, I want to be a gentleman here, so you can fill in the rest of that sentence by yourself. Clue - it’s something to do with her dress sense. And the age she is. And the profession she practices.

Is she one of Renata’s good-time girlfriends? Is she her PR? For sure she can’t be her stylist!

Nope…that’s her lawyer!!!

Get the feeling she is going to lose this case? Renata faces a 10,000 zloty fine - around 5,000 dollars.