Populist upset: Poland swings back to the right

DW (English)

Poland swings back to the right after presidential vote

Transcript

00:00Long live Poland!

00:07What are Karol Nowrotsky's plans for Poland?

00:11A right-wing populist president.

00:14Many in the queer community are on edge.

00:17I think this will set Poland back.

00:21Ukrainian refugees also feel the change is coming.

00:25I'm worried about what will happen to us Ukrainians now.

00:30While many young people voted for Nowrotsky, not everyone is convinced.

00:35Young Poles will take to the streets.

00:50What's 17-year-old high school student Pawel Mrozek doing at the same?

00:55The Polish parliament.

00:55Pawel launched a campaign to get more young people interested in politics.

01:01He's delivering a letter, asking important questions along the lines of

01:05What do politicians actually do for us young people?

01:09He wants to present the letter to the parliamentary speaker in person.

01:12Is he nervous?

01:13Yes, of course, but I hope for a response.

01:17It's never certain that politicians will respond to young people, activists, and organizations.

01:22But this time, hopefully.

01:24Hi, I'm Paweł Mrozek from the student campaign.

01:46We wrote a letter for the president.

01:48Oh, well, I have a big favor to ask.

01:52We have our own system here.

01:54You would have to go down one floor.

01:56Of course.

01:57I have to go down one floor.

02:00A polite rejection.

02:01Pawel wanted nothing short of a conversation with the parliament speaker.

02:05But now he has to go across the building and down to the mailroom to deliver his letter.

02:09As part of our campaign, Young People Vote, we spoke to hundreds of young people.

02:18They told us about their problems.

02:20Education, mental health, climate, and housing policy.

02:27But why is he bringing all this up now?

02:30Poland is on the brink of a state crisis, one intensified by many young people.

02:34A new president, on a collision course with the government.

02:38Karol Nowrodzki, right-wing populist, boxer, and hardly any political experience under his belt.

02:45And it was people under 40 who gave him the slim majority.

02:4853% of them voted Nowrodzki.

02:51Why is the president so important?

02:54In Poland, the government needs his support.

02:56He has the power to veto laws.

03:00Bad news for Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his government.

03:03When they came into office, the mood was positively euphoric.

03:08Tusk's government marked the end of right-wing rule after eight years under the Populist Peace Party.

03:16But could it really last?

03:18Tusk's four-party coalition, often gridlocked by internal divisions, left voters disillusioned.

03:24According to political influencer, Róża Cieplinska.

03:27The main criticism of voters against the government is that it has not implemented the laws it promised.

03:39The government only has problems.

03:42Internal coalition disputes.

03:44And now this new president, who isn't part of the October 15th coalition.

03:48Plus social discontent.

03:49I almost feel a little sorry for Tusk, given what's happening in the government right now.

03:57Tusk on the left must now work with the right-wing populist.

04:01But how can that work?

04:03Tusk put the question to parliament in a vote of confidence.

04:06Losing it would mark the end of the coalition.

04:09The mood is tense.

04:11In attendance, Paweł Mrozek and Róża Cieplinska.

04:15In the end, Tusk prevails.

04:17A crisis of state narrowly averted.

04:24But the challenges remain.

04:27The biggest problem for the Polish government right now is that it consists of four factions that cannot agree on fundamental issues.

04:34Let's take a look at three of those fundamental issues.

04:43Abortion.

04:45Migration.

04:46LGBTQ rights.

04:50First, we meet with Emilia Niemiec in Warsaw.

04:53Near parliament, her organization ABOTAK, ABORTION YES, offers counseling for women with unintended pregnancies.

05:00A highly restrictive abortion law still remains in effect in the country.

05:05The coalition aimed to loosen it, but failed to reach an agreement.

05:12For us, it's actually gotten worse.

05:15The whole world thinks we have a liberal government, but now we're getting less support.

05:20The government promised after their election victory to address women's rights, LGBTQ issues, and abortion.

05:27But they've done nothing.

05:30For the activists, nothing is normal.

05:34Their organization faces hostility for advocating for liberal abortion laws.

05:39Abortion pills are available here, too.

05:42Outside, they are met with constant noise and stink bombs.

05:47Every few days, sometimes twice a week, or even three or four times a week,

05:51there are protests outside the entrance, terrorizing the entire street, not just us.

06:01Has right-wing populism truly been overcome then?

06:05And what of the previous euphoria?

06:06To find out more, we visit Gdansk, in northern Poland.

06:11Outside a shop in the city center, a line is forming.

06:16Ukrainian refugees.

06:18Nearly a million have registered in Poland since Russia's full-scale invasion.

06:23Today, milk is being distributed.

06:26The demand is high.

06:27Aneta Borkowska started the initiative immediately after the war began.

06:32I see they still need help.

06:35They come to me and plead.

06:36Aneta, help us, help us.

06:38350 people are still coming.

06:40In the beginning, it was 600.

06:42But the mood is shifting, and solidarity with refugees waning.

06:45Will they lose their official refugee status?

06:47The political change was already palpable.

06:49Now, it's helped right-wing forces win the election.

06:52I'm worried about what will happen to us Ukrainians now.

06:55No, we don't expect privileges.

06:57We don't expect privileges.

06:59We don't expect privileges.

07:01We don't expect privileges.

07:03We don't expect privileges.

07:06We don't expect privileges.

07:08We don't expect privileges.

07:11We can and want to work.

07:16Many volunteers still help here, and the project is funded by donations.

07:21But recently, social resentment is increasing, says Danuta Kruk,

07:24a translator who is in regular contact with Ukrainian refugees.

07:29Of course, there are many people here who want to help,

07:32but some people can be very negative.

07:35Often children experience exclusion and rejection in school.

07:40Not far from Gdansk lies Gdynia, a popular Baltic Sea vacation spot.

07:48Gdynia is home to Marcin Wojciechowski and Radek Szumowski, a gay couple.

07:54We met them once before in February 2024.

07:57That was just after the change of government.

08:00Emotions were running high.

08:04Things were no different for Marcin and Radek.

08:07Over coffee and cake, they dreamed of soon being able to marry, just like anyone else in Poland.

08:13Marriage equality was a big hope for the new government.

08:16I've already started inviting everyone, telling my family,

08:22listen, it will probably be possible in two or three years.

08:26They are very much for it, like most people I know.

08:29And today, are they still planning their wedding?

08:34Marcin and Radek are managing their expectations,

08:37even if the government can finally manage to introduce marriage equality.

08:42There's no longer any enthusiasm for the issue.

08:45The new president won't sign a law on registered partnerships.

08:48We'll have to postpone by at least five years.

08:52The mood has shifted.

08:55Holding hands in public is out of the question for the couple.

08:58Alone in the woods? Maybe. But just for a moment.

09:02The social environment doesn't allow people who aren't straight to show their emotions and feelings on the street.

09:14That sort of situation really stresses me out.

09:19The idea that a country can simply overcome populism, has it failed?

09:25I believe it's setting us back as Poles.

09:28This isn't the way to become a European, modern country,

09:31where everyone can feel at ease.

09:35European, modern, labels that often rub people the wrong way here,

09:40were in eastern Poland, not far from Ukraine.

09:47Calling Hytchanow county a right-wing stronghold would be an understatement.

09:51Nawrotsky received almost 95% of the votes here.

09:58Mayor Marcin Sulowski is pleased with the result.

10:01A fair amount has happened to allow a president who is not part of the establishment

10:09and not connected to political parties to be elected.

10:12The establishment of the European Union funded many projects here, though.

10:19So, what is it that bothers people?

10:21Meet Andrzej Jaworski.

10:28The 33-year-old farmer cultivates fields and keeps bees.

10:33There are many things Andrzej opposes.

10:35Many things which he finds the new president should prevent.

10:38K-marriage, new genders, he won't agree to such things.

10:46We, as farmers, have to stop this green agriculture and immigration, too.

10:52That also has to stop.

10:54Even solidarity with refugees is diminishing here, despite the close proximity to Ukraine.

11:00We put it to Andrzej.

11:02How long does he think the government will last?

11:05This government won't last.

11:10In September they'll have problems passing a budget.

11:13We're back in Warsaw.

11:16Róża and Paweł still have faith that Poland can beat right-wing populism.

11:21We expect the government to govern efficiently and not hide behind the potential sabotage of laws by the president.

11:32I can assure you that young people, young Poles, will take to the streets if the government doesn't start fulfilling its promises.

11:39The government has one last chance to do something for young people.

11:44It's time for Paweł to finally deliver his letter.

11:49I have a letter for the president.

11:52I already sent it by e-mail, but I wanted to deliver it in person, too.

12:03My contact details are at the bottom.

12:05Thanks very much.

12:11Delivered.

12:15Paweł hopes he'll get a response that will lead to constructive discourse.

12:18But he knows, too, that the president and the government will likely obstruct each other,

12:23which threatens to hold back the dream of progress.

12:27I don't have a路.

12:28I have a reinforcement today.

12:30It's very nice that there will be an opportunity for progressive encourager.

12:34Yeah, let's go.

12:36I don't know.

12:37I want to keep his work inhabilité.

12:38People are absolutely він mur to follow.

12:40So we've made itdepth.

12:41I encourage you to make a fulfillment order in the website.

12:44And I want to make a fulfillment order.

12:46So you can find events.

12:47Yes, I would say it.

12:48It's fortunately for broadcasting, obviously.

12:50Advanced programming is so complicated.

12:52אחד permeations.

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