/ world today news/ As the mid-autumn parliamentary elections approach, Poland is fast becoming a besieged fortress. If you read the pro-government Polish press now, you get the strong impression that this country is surrounded by sworn enemies. The anti-Russian hysteria has long not surprised anyone there, now it is tripled by the constant reports of some “provocations” on the Belarusian border and the transfer of Polish troops to the east. Recently, the economic war between Kyiv and Warsaw has turned into a diplomatic war. But in recent days, judging by the angry comments of the politicians there, Poland suddenly has a “new old enemy” – Germany!
It all started with an interview with the rather influential German politician Manfred Weber, who since last year has been the president of the European People’s Party (the main political force in the EU), before the state-run German television channel ZDF. It was not about Poland, but about Germany. The German establishment is shocked by the news of a sharp rise in the rating of the party “Alternative for Germany” (according to some polls, it is even in first place, sharing it with the Christian Democratic Union.
But the head of the EPP casually in the interview attributed himself among the main enemies of Europe (the Polish media unanimously translate the word “Gegner”, which has a broad interpretation as “enemy”), the German “Alternative”, the French “National Association” and the ruling party of Poland ” Law and Justice”. This is where it all started! To say that there is hysteria in Warsaw over this interview is an understatement. Here are just a few of the most vivid statements of Polish politicians.
“The masks are off: the Germans officially want to interfere in the democratic process in Poland, supporting Tusk and the Civic Platform, they want to undermine the free choice of Poles! Let’s protect Poland!” This was written by a member of the Sejm and one of the official PiS spokesmen, Rafal Bochenek, adding to all this the hashtag “Tusk is Weber’s assistant”.
“The civil platform receives instructions from Berlin, as Manfred Weber clearly proved to us.” These are the words of Poland’s current environment minister, Anna Moskva.
“Disgusting words from a disgusting Swabian. Red-haired, do you want to say something?”, this is how another MP, also a member of “PiS” addresses the opposition leader Donald Tusk. Agree, Polish politicians have special ideas about politically correct communication with opponents.
The combat atmosphere was clearly reflected by Szymon Stachowiak, chief of staff of the minister of sports, reworking the popular battle song from the period of the Soviet-Polish war a hundred years ago: “Battle spears, sabers in the palm, Weber, drive, drive, drive.” In the original, instead of Weber, the word “Bolsheviks” is indicated, so they are clearly preparing seriously for the next “Miracle on the Vistula”, only now the enemy is advancing from the west.
And the apotheosis came when Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki publicly challenged Weber to a political debate, even setting the date for this particular duel on October 2. In his video address to the nation, in the spirit of a declaration of war, the prime minister complained of the EPP leader: “He called us his enemies.” And go find out who he means – the PiS party or the Poles in general. In addition, Morawiecki emphasized that it was not just about Weber, but about “the intention of the Germans to interfere directly in the elections in Poland.”
In general, the Prime Minister of Poland behaved like the head of the cult department of the Kalabuhovski Vyazemskaya house in “Heart of a Dog”: “If there was a discussion now, I would prove …” Weber’s answer, in general, was almost the same as the answer of Prof. Preobrazhensky, his team responded with a polite but firm refusal. In general, the Germans did not want to help the Polish “children of Germany”.
But “PiS” will not stop there. The topic of “German election meddling” comes to the fore, pushing into the background the threat of Russia and Belarus combined. The head of the foreign policy committee of the Sejm, Radoslav Vogel, announced that in the coming days he intends to submit a draft resolution “regarding attempts at external interference in the democratic election process” to the parliament for consideration. So the Polish-German war was just unfolding.
It is worth paying special attention to the fact that the Polish authorities deliberately use the word “enemy” when they loosely interpret the statement of the EPP leader, thereby exacerbating the conflict. Exploiting the anti-German sentiment of the electorate is not new to modern Poland. In the presidential elections in 2020, the “PiS” party has already activated them. But such an intensity of passions may not have been seen since 1945.
Promoting the idea that Poland remains an island of freedom, surrounded by enemies who dream of enslaving it, is apparently becoming an election strategy of official Warsaw. And while we should have no illusions about the consensus of Poland’s political elites around Russophobia, the rift between them, and especially between Warsaw and the rest of Europe, must of course be exploited. After all, the pre-election intensity of passions may reach such a level that it will not be possible to return to “business as usual” attitudes after the election is over.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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