Seven days in Poland

Last week in Poland was marked by another series of confrontations between the opposition and the ruling coalition for their place on the political scene. The problem for the left is that right-wing parties are the dominant force in this conflict, and that the left voice is . This week, the ruling groups presented a new economic programme called „New Deal”, later renamed „Polish Deal”. It is a programme designed to push the Polish economy to a new level of development. The economy, like all economies in Europe, is in a terrible state after the pandemic crisis. Poland will receive funds for this purpose from the European Union: billions of euros. The president of the largest coalition party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, presented the main pillars of the new programme: health care, tax reduction for citizens with lowest income, improvement of the housing situation, aid for the countryside, education and culture.

The slogans look good, but the practice so far shows that there is a long way between promises and their implementation by the right wing.

For a long time, one of the symbols around which the fight between the right and the left is taking place in Poland is the Victory Day on 9 May. The right wing is trying at all costs to rewrite the history of those times, denying the decisive role of the USSR in the victory. They need to be reminded of what really happened.

In search of voters’ votes, the right-wing government in Poland is trying to achieve this at the expense of nature. A draft law is just being considered that would allow motorbikes and quads to tear up state forests.

Extreme Catholic fundamentalists are trying to gain new footholds in higher education. A new university has just been established. The founders of this institution are religious fundamentalists from the Ordo Iuris organisation. This organisation has spoken out for a total ban on abortion and against the LGBT movement.

The waning tide of the pandemic provided an opportunity for nurses to fight for their labour rights. During the fight against COVID, they did not claim their own, they fought for people’s health. Now, however, they have said: enough.

The Strike portal, through its participation in the transform!Italia project, can be a stronger left-wing medium.

The president of the Polish Supreme Chamber of Control, the most important control body for state bodies, made the announcement. Audits have shown that attempts to conduct the 2020 presidential election by mail, were carried out in violation of the law. A report to the prosecutor’s office has been filed. The problem is that the president of the NIK is a former functionary of the ruling party. The current audits are his revenge for being removed from influence.

Recent days have brought news that the largest right-wing opposition party is practically falling apart. This is the result of the defeat with the ruling groups and the lack of a political concept.

Translated  into English by Wojciech Łobodziński.