32 ▶ Political
Short on Law and Justice Piotr Miszczuk
T
he recent presidential campaign has yet again laid bare the very flaws of Polish politics. Empty promises put forward by candidates have revealed why Poland’s internal conflict continues to fester. The two biggest political groupings, the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) and the opposing Civic Platform (PO), are keenly heading for fierce bipartisanship, whereas the other political players are nibbling away at the support of the two main political powers. Clinched in an endless feud, Poles find themselves forced to choose one side and one side only. A side that abhors the other one. ‣ No bridging of differences, no dialogue, no trade-offs. Since the conservative Law and Justice came to power in 2015, the social divide in Poland has turned into a fathomless chasm. It had all been kicked off by the tragic Polish presidential airplane crash in 2010; a disaster that killed 96 people including Lech Kaczyński, the head of state and the twin brother of then-opposition leader Jarosław Kaczyński. Now, the ruling party’s all-powerful chairperson, Mr Kaczyński, still hasn’t come to terms with his brother’s untimely death and keeps harbouring resentment towards the Civic Platform, whom he holds responsible for not bringing back the airplane wreckage from Russia. Plotting to garner popular support, Kaczyński eventually pulled off an election victory five years ago, securing
a majority in both houses of the Polish Parliament. Since then, his party has given out huge handouts, pandering to much of the electorate. In particular, they convinced the poor and uneducated who put their trust in Law and Justice, allowing it to remain in power (in the lower house) for its second consecutive term in the parliamentary election last year. ‣ The mandate the ruling fundamentalists received from Polish voters fuelled several negative phenomena. After having taken over the state-owned media, the government said goodbye to most of the journalists working there. The reshuffles tarnished the image of the national broadcasters and since that moment the tide of adverse changes has been marching on. From manipulated Polish Radio to delusional news ticklers on Polish Television, the national media have shown their true colours by slandering the ruling party’s political rivals. At the behest of party leaders, the government’s mouthpieces took derogatory swipes at the opposition and ignored the rulers’ incompetence and omnipresent cronyism. ‣ Yet, the ruling party’s transgressions don’t stop at the media. They also ran afoul the judiciary, prompting a reaction from EU institutions. The far-reaching judicial changes have been putting Poland in the EU dock every now and then. Under the guise of defending the country’s sovereignty, Law and Justice leaders have many a time
