A message to my compatriots one week ahead of the election…

…which is battle for the shape of Poland in years to come. I have not authored the italicised text below. It has been written by professor Jan Widacki in July 2019 and can be read in Polish here.

The very presence of PiS does not bring misery on Poland; the tragedy is that 40% of Poles see eye to eye with PiS. Even if the opposition miraculously won the autumnal election, set against hard-line electorate PiS it would have their hands tied, particularly they would not hold Kaczynski’s party accountable for violating the constitution nor for all other ignoble deeds. Putting any politician of PiS before the State Tribunal is out of reach. To make it happen, the opposition needs a swingeing victory over PiS, an score it does not stand a chance to get. Mending the institutions of the democratic state looms impossible as well. We will be wallowing in the mire for a long time, pushed aside to the sidelines of Europe.

Under those circumstances, focusing on PiS makes no sense; the attention has to be paid to the 40% of Poles who vote for PiS. Poking fun or insulting them does the opposite effect. It prompts them to close ranks and induces their affinity with those not only do not ridicule them, but who turn their drawbacks and wicked instincts into merits, namely with PiS.

For my part…

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Next Sunday do not stay passive, go to your polling station and cast your vote. It does not matter PiS wins anyway. Every vote against them decreases their majority in the parliament and their legitimacy to wield autocratic power. In this fight of David against Goliat if they do not win simple majority, I will call it a victory. I hopes Poles get mobilised as they did 12 years ago. Kaczynski fears it already, mind it!