Maverick politician Janusz Palikot has purchased the pen that 'protested' President Lech Kaczynski's signing of the Lisbon Treaty.

Palikot, under the login name 'biuropalikot,' bought the faulty pen that President Kaczynski wanted to use to ratify the treaty on 10 October was purchased in a charity internet auction for 18,100 zloty (about 4,200 euro) to benefit the TVN foundation 'You're not alone' campaign to support children with brain damage.

“It was I, Janusz Palikot, who bought the pen – a symbol of the incompetence of Lech Kaczynski,” stated Palikot Tuesday morning on the news channel TVN24. “It is important to add that I took part in the auction because I really value the foundation. I do not regret spending the money at all.”

The politician added that his office purchased the pen in his name because he was traveling all day and not able to stay by the computer.

“I think it is the first real artifact of the fourth Polish Republic,” added Palikot, referring to the Italian Stipula number 16 fountain pen that balked in irony when President Kaczynski attempted to sign the Lisbon Treaty on 10 October, after much delay.

The auction finished at exactly 23:23 Monday evening, having garnered 105,000 page hits on the allegro.pl, the Polish version of eBay. Between 20:48 and 20:55, the price of the pen jumped to over 700 zloty, and at 21:00, the bidding frenzy had the price at 15,100 zloty (3,500 euro). (mmj)