Left or Right?

Fighting & In-fighting

Picture the scene: a country on the verge of complete decay. People with no money, no food; social unrest in the streets, freedom of speech does not exist and Big Brother has such power that people cannot trust their own neighbours. This is a state in collapse, ready to implode and disappear.

Birth of Peace
Then, just as this nation is about to evaporate into nothingness a group of people appear who are ready to fight for survival, fight for freedom and fight for the right to speak out. The non-violent Solidarność is born and with it one of the most famous figures of the 20th century, Lech Wałęsa. Solidarity manages to negotiate  a level of cooperation with the communist authorities and set in motion a remarkable turn of events which, domino-like, bring about the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of communism in Eastern Europe.

Beginning of the End
After the incredible success of the Round Table Talks which sees Solidarność sit down with their adversaries the communists, Solidarity remarkably gain a foothold in government and soon the right-wing, with Solidarity as its chief flag-bearer, becomes a real force to be reckoned with. Poland’s future looks bright and its political system seems to be reaching an equilibrium of sorts. However, with power comes intoxication and Poland’s right-wing begins to bicker, quarrel and eventually fragment. Factions appear and the unity of Solidarity crashes to an unceremonious end.

When Right is Left
A united right-wing is no more. In fact, the idea that the right-wing was ever unified was simply illusory and at most pie-in-the-sky. Solidarity was a trade union. Its doctrine of workers’ rights and equality was socialist in nature, not right-wing. The leaders of Law and Justice (PiS) and Civic Platform (PO) may share a common heritage (in Solidarity) but neither would dream of being called socialist. In reality, the closest Poland has to a Solidarity-like party is the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), the offspring of the communist Polish United Workers’ Party (PZPR), sworn enemies of Solidarność.

PiS vs. PO
Polish politics is a strange beast. PiS claims to be right-wing, although at times it appears to be socialist (worker rights, pensioner rights and social hand-outs), whereas at other times it verges on fascist extremism. PO, also claiming to be right-wing, is often seen to be ultra-liberal, at times dangerously (for them) conservative. Anyone who did not know that they shared a common heritage would be most surprised. It might prove useful to finally do away with this leftist-rightest distinction as it does justice neither to Poland’s parties nor does it help in categorising them.

The Church
The terms left and right do not seem to mean anything anymore. They have become worn-out and arbitrary. In fact, the closest we can get in describing them is through the dichotomy: pro-church/anti-church, or to be more specific, pro-Catholic/anti-Catholic. In other words, in Poland, a right-wing party is (generally) a pro-Catholic party whereas a left-wing party is an anti-Catholic party. If this is the case, does this make Poland a secular or a religious state?

What kind of President are you, anyway?

Oh dear. To be honest the Lech Kaczyński-Donald Tusk tiff is becoming embarrassing. In truth both Kaczyński and Tusk are to blame for the farce that is Polish domestic and international politics.

Sikorski Come Home
Another hot spot blew up when Kaczyński ordered Radosław Sikorski, Foreign Affairs Minister to return to Poland before he went off to the Ukraine. The President demanded he be informed, in person, of what Sikorski wished to discuss while in Kiev. This childlike outburst was both annoying and unnecessary. Sikorski was several minutes before an important speech in Brussels concerning EU-Serbia relations. Kaczyński refused to speak to him on the phone. Rattles were thrown out of the pram. He had to cancel the speech. When Sikorski arrived hastily in Warsaw to meet the President, the conversation turned to US politics rather than Urainian relations. It became obvious that Kaczyński had ordered Sikorski to return to Poland to spite Sikorski and Civic Platform (PO), the ruling party.

President or Bust
What is incredible about the whole Kaczyński-Tusk dispute is the fact that the two of them were neighbours and (allegedly) good friends for a long time. Tusk, as most people know, has designs on the Presidency and will most certainly try and get himself elected President at the next elections. Kaczyński realises this and will do anything to taint the image of his one-time friend and neighbour. What is sad is the fact that the Polish concept of solidarity has gone out the window. Both men were important members of the Solidarity movement. Power corrupts, power is intoxicating and has gone to the head of both men.

Little Man, Big Job
The President of a country should be a figure-head, a role model of sorts. However, this little man has about as much charisma as a wet teddy bear. Lech Kaczyński is not and never will be a statesman or a leader of men. He is feeble, boring and very irritating. His body language says it all. He is a suspicious little man, uncomfortable with one of the most responsible positions in one of the largest countries of Europe. His rhetoric is negative and full of bile. And more frighteningly, he is completely at the beck and call of his twin brother. Jarosław says jump, Lech jumps; Jarosław says beg, Lech begs; Jarosław says follow, Lech follows.

PiS President
Lech Kaczyński is joint head of Law and Justice (PiS) in all but name. He represents the views of his brother’s party and his little minions. He does not represent the country. He is not a real president. Opinion polls paint a dark picture. Lech Kaczyński is neither a popular figure nor a politican that Polish people trust. He is regarded by most media commentators as a puppet of Jarosław, his twin brother. Poland has a president but it does not have a President (with a capital ‘P’). The average Polish person feels no pride in the fact that this man represents their country. Sad but true.

Lost Little Boy

It looks like the recent election defeat of Law and Justice (PiS) has tipped Jarosław Kaczyński over the edge. He seems to be flapping about like a lost little boy, thrashing out at times at members of his own party who dare question him or look for reason sfor why the party lost the elections. Humiliated ex-PM Kaczyński recently declared that Civic Platform’s (PO) total control of parliament is a serious threat to democracy in Poland. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!

We all remember former Justice Minister Ziobro calling a press conference every two days to announce yet another fallen politician entwined in the evil black web of corruption. Poland’s judicial system was seriously compromised and its public prosecutors were even given orders to do the bidding of Ziobro. Nice!

Poland’s dirty washing was constantly on show to the world with senior ministers announcing that all of Poland’s previous Foreign Minister were all communist agents. Very tactful! While Tusk and company are trying to patch up relations between Russia and the European Union, Jarosław Kaczyński is using his brother, the President, to do his dirty work and criticise literally every move undertaken by Tusk or his team.

Ignorance, perhaps, may be bliss for Tusk if he does the right thing and ignores the not-so-wise words of the twins…

New Battle Begins

A new battle begins. The forces and good and evil will be pitted against one another once again. But this time, it is the forces of good that have the upper hand.

Civic Platform (PO) – a.k.a. the Pussy Cat Dolls – will now bear the mantle of the forces of good, the beautiful-looking, sweet-smelling cherubs of success. Take a look at the characters we have in PO. Their leader Donald Tusk is a sleek, well-groomed tall man in the charater of a real European man of state. His fellow PO-ites are also usually well-groomed and well-spoken.

The job of Law and Justice (PiS) – a.k.a. Lordi – will now be to break through this shell of perfume and make-up and show the world the true face of ‘The Platform’. However, the collective maws of PiS make a sorry sight. The Kaczyński twins (aka ‘potato heads’) are known for their unkempt looks, out-sized suits and ability to break the sentence of any language.

Brain against brawn? Looks against charm? Parliament re-opens for service on Monday…

Exit Poles – Enter New Poles

To be honest, I am absolutely disgusted, disenchanted and disillusioned with Poland and the fact that Polish people have such a feeble approach to democracy and the freedom to change things themselves. Are Polish people lazy? Do they want someone else to decide for them?

Democracy?
Nothing, it seems, can explain the low turnout in the general elections. 54% is feeble. Once again it shows that Poland is bottom of the European pile for citizen turnout. The argument that 50 years of communism has brain-washed the people is simply invalid. Hungary, Slovakia, Romania arguably had more tough regimes yet turnout is much higher.

Step Forward
Anyway, let’s move on. The latest stats (22nd October, 20:00) paint a grim picture for the former ruling party, Law and Justice:

PO 41%
PiS 32%
LiD 13%
PSL 8%

Finally, we can all breathe easily and sing “Ding Dong the PiS is dead” (listen here). The arrogance and seemingly undemocratic opinions, machinations and direction of the PiS government has gone. The ridiculous idea of creating a ‘new (fourth) republic’ has crumbled away.

Powerful Parliament
Personally, the most important result of these elections is not the fact that PO won, but the fact that there are only four parties in the Polish parliament. Right-wing, extremist LPR and populist Self-Defence have disappeared. Thank God!

The Choice is yours…

Who will you choose on Sunday? Who will you vote for?

Civic Platform (PO)
Law and Justice (PiS)
Left and Democrats (LiD)
The Polish People’s Party (PSL)

The choice is yours…

On the Eve of War

The countdown begins. Millions of Poles will be visiting polling stations around the country to cast their vote and decide who will take Poland forward for the next four years. Many political scientists have said that these will be the most important elections since 1989 with Poles being, at last, fully conscious of the burdens of democracy and the responsibility of choice.

Let Battle Commence
Turnout is what is most important in these elections. Only a large turnout will guarantee a genuine mandate for government for the political party that wins. A large turnout would also bring an end to the apathy and disenchantment surrounding Polish politics since 1989.

Knights in Shining Armour
As a commentator it would be irresponsible and unfair of me to pinpoint a candidate or a party who I prefer or like. Yes, I criticise Law and Justice (PiS) but the job of commentators and journalists is to keep the government on its toes, whoever it is. Let’s briefly look at the four parties that, I believe, really matter.

PO
Most people believe Civic Platform (PO) is the only powerful and viable alternative to PiS. Their strength lies in the fact that they have a positive approach to free enterprise, social relations, freedom of thought and most of the core values of democracy. Their members are generally centre-right and come from intellectual, academic or business backgrounds. In his recent mano-a-mano debate with the Prime Minister, PO leader Donald Tusk proved to be a tough and witty adversary outclassing the PM with concrete and elegant ripostes.

PiS
The ruling party has not made many friends in the international or domestic world during their two years in government. It began with the dismissal of charismatic PM Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz by party leader Kaczyński who later took over the PM mantle. Without doubt their greatest sin was forming a coalition with populist Self-Defence (Samoobrona) and right-wing, extremist League of Polish Families (LPR). Both minnows were later ejected by the PM which, in effect, caused the destabilisation of government and the need for new elections.

LiD
The Left and Democrats (LiD) were initially supposed to be a party of unification and dialogue bringing together people from the centre-right and centre-left, however, they appear leader-less and weak. Leader Wojciech Olejniczak is leader in name only and their figure-head, former President Aleksander Kwaśniewski, rather than boost the party’s popularity (which he initially did) has rambled slovenly from one media blunder to another. Kwaśniewski recently appeared drunk in public on two occasions and is known for his penchant for the hard stuff.

PSL
The dark horse of these elections is without doubt the Polish Peasant Party (known also as the Polish People’s Party) headed by Waldemar Pawlak. Unbeknown to many, PSL is actually Poland’s oldest political party with traditions dating back to the parliament of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. PSL has over the past few years evolved into a party of quiet intelligence avoiding controversy and commentating only on those issues that require discussion. It is the only party to actively search for dialogue and cooperation. Through the recent acquisition of young entrepreneur and Gadu Gadu founder Łukasz Foltyn, PSL has shown it will also be a force for business and innovation.

And the Winner is…
Four parties with four different approaches to politics and four different visions of Poland’s future in Europe and the world. PO and PiS will be fighting head-to-head for the largest slice of the pie but what is of additional interest is how much of the pie will be given to LiD and PSL. Will LiD become Poland’s ‘third’ power? Will PSL be able to win the rural vote and spread into the towns and cities? Zero hour is Sunday.

Wise Words of Wałęsa

I find it sickening when I hear the invectives and abuse targeted at Lech Wałęsa by members of Poland’s ruling elite crowd. I have always been a great fan of Wałęsa for moving mountains. I may not love all of his policies, but he showed the world that everything is possible. The humble electrician who outshone the throngs of academics and seasoned politicians around him.

Kacz-Attack
Both Jarosław and Lech Kaczyński have been eager to convince the nation of the need for moral cleanliness and good manners. They have also been first to recognise an erosion in the standards of Polish politics. Odd really that it should come while they are in power. Strangely enough it was Jarosław Kaczyński who took part in the disgusting act of the 4th June 1993 when members of his former party Centre Agreement decided to hurl abuse at the then President Lech Wałęsa by demonstrating outside the Belweder Presidential Palace whilst carrying pictures of a red swine soiled with the words “Bolek” – a reference to the ridiculous insinuation that Wałęsa was a communist collaborator. They also burned an effigy of Wałęsa demonstrating their aversion to the President.

Wałęsa Speaks
Many might laugh at the way Wałęsa conducts himself linguistically, but the meaning behind his words is often worthy of analysis and it is obvious that the man was made leader of Solidarity and President of Poland for the other skills he possesses. Wałęsa has an uncanny ability to quickly understand a situation, evaluate it and capture what is actually going on. Wałęsa is gifted with a wisdom most politicians would give their right hand for.

Wise Words
So what has Lech Wałęsa been saying? One of his first acts after the election of the Kaczyński twins was to resign as honorary head of Solidarity wary of the influence the Kacz twins would have on the future of the trade union. Wałęsa was proved right. When asked to comment on the new PM and new President, Wałęsa was quick to warn the nation that voters will regret their choice of party in PiS as all the Kaczyńskis are able to do is destroy, create divisions and cause hurt. Mr Wałęsa hit the nail on the head. Wałęsa recently said that he is concerned that there is no effective opposition in Poland. Low and behold, out of nowhere PiS have overtaken Civic Platform in the polls.

Listening to Lech
These two messages are important. Firstly, the Kaczyńskis have an uncanny ability not to be liked, twin politicians who occupy a mindset quite unlike the world around them. As Wałęsa said, they are great at creating divisions and burning bridges. Secondly, Wałęsa was again right in scolding the opposition for having no policies. Should PiS win the next general election the fault will lie firmly with LiD and PO, and of course all those voters who decide not to vote. The conclusion is to listen more to the wise words of Lech Wałęsa. I recently Skyped dear old Lech. I hope he replies…

Elections or Bust

It seems more than likely that the moral burden of early elections will fall upon us like Thor’s Hammer come late Autumn. Poland is facing its most important vote since the fall of communism and 1989. I believe that there are two possible scenarios which we have to be prepared for.

Civic Platform Wins
The first possibility is that Law and Justice (PiS) becomes so utterly disgraced, arrogant and stubborn in its ways that it fails to see its house tumbling down around its feet and fails to win the next elections leaving Civic Platform (PO) to reap the winnings and become right-wing party number one. The responsibility on PO to win the next elections and be successful is therefore huge. Many (intelligent, educated and generally nice) people who I have spoken to have already said that if PO wins and fails to bring success, tolerance and moderate economic stability to Poland then they will never go to the elections again. This is in a country which already struggles to get a fifty percent turn-out in most general elections. And who’s to blame them with the failings of Solidarity and the constant splintering of the right-wing which was supposed to bring freedom and wealth after the torment of the communist years?

Law and Justice Wins
There is a dark part of my mind that believes indifference and apathy have become so ingrained in the Polish psyche that not even this amount of arrogance, scandal or treachery will do anything to make the Poles stand up and be counted and do something to change the way their country is being run. This second scenario will see the election turn-out to be around forty percent with the dark emissaries of anti-Semitic Tadeusz Rydzyk (see previous post) and his unholy followers turning out in vast hardcore numbers against the witless few representing Poland’s embryonic middle-class who make up the largest proportion of the disenchanted and apathetic masses. A PiS victory would bring about an end to economic growth, an end to enlightened European tolerance and an end to a once proud country. Poland would quite literally be on its knees.

European Perspective
Whatever the outcome, whoever the winner, the repercussions of these elections will be widespread not just for Polish history, society and culture but for Europe also. Like it or not, Poland is one of the larger EU member states and with a very large population; a large population who have a penchant for travelling, moving and working in other countries which means that political decisions taken in Warsaw could well influence what goes on in London, Paris, Berlin and Brussels.

The End is Nigh

It’s been fun watching Poland’s politicians make complete idiots of themselves. This running saga of PiS attacks Self-Defence, Self-Defence counterattacks, PiS strikes LPR and LPR counter-strikes has become ridiculous.

The so-called coalition has hit an impasse and it’s difficult seeing a way out for either PiS or it’s baby brother LiS. To be honest, this farce has been going on for nigh on one and half years when the cracks first began to appear. For all their ridiculous ideas and policies, PiS is nowhere near as populist and anti-intellectual as they appear to be or as dictatorial as Self-Defence and LPR (LiS). The coalition was therefore always at risk with such a clash of cultures.

The art of politicking must surely rely on the skill politicians have in discussion and negotiation. This fact is most clearly lacking in the entire Polish parliament. Even Civic Platform (PO) was unable to reach an agreement with PiS two years ago and we have to remember that it takes two to tango…

So what will happen now? The invectives will probably continue for another week or two, perhaps longer until PiS decides all is lost and their standing in the polls starts plummeting. The problem (or not) is the fact that PiS’ standing in the polls isn’t dropping whereas LiS’ standing is. What is certain is that earlier elections depend entirely on PiS. Only when PiS is completely convinced that it can gain the maximum possible result will the PM declare the next elections.