Poland's Political Climate: A Step Backwards in Time

Having grown up in the Polish culture, and having made several trips back to my homeland (and the land of my conception) over the years, I am no stranger to the all-pervasive conservative atmosphere that marks the roughly 121 thousand square mile area that is Poland. However, having recently been out of the loop as far as Polish politics go, I was in for a shock upon reading of the latest goings-on in my native Polska.

To give some background, Polish government was a mere puppet institution of the U.S.S.R.'s Communist regime until the Solidarity movement, led by Lech Walesa, finally won out in 1989. The next year there were sweeping economic changes as Poland tried to adjust to capitalism. Unfortunately, runaway inflation, leading to a surge in crime, quickly dampened the jubilee over the new democracy and Constitution. The Polish National Assembly, composed of the Senate and Parliament, figured that one of the ways out of this mess would be to join the European Union (EU). While Poland did eventually join the EU (in 2004), several eyebrows were raised when the country first petitioned to join the Union. Closer examination of Poland's government indicated that an ultra-conservative group, called the League of Polish Families (LPF), had gained a significant share of the Parliament seats. Furthermore, though clearly not the majority group of the Parliament (the LPF currently holds 8% of Parliament seats), the LPF had, and continues to have, a strong influence over both Polish government and sentiment.

Some of this influence may be credited to Radjo Maryja, a religious radio station that supports and promotes the work of the LPF. Radjo Maryja has a large loyal following, comprised primarily of older individuals and the deeply religious (my grandmother, for example). Interestingly, both Radjo Maryja and the LPF were initially supported by Uruguay millionaire Jan Kobylanski, who was prevented from entering the US due to his suspected wartime collaboration with the Nazis. This little nugget of information will become relevant later on in my article.