Poland ex-minister on hunger strike as row between PM and president deepens
Al JazeeraDec 30, 2023
Polish Opposition Holds Mass Anti-Government Protest
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Image copyright: Omar Marques/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
Supporters of the now opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) rallied outside Poland's parliament Thursday to protest changes to public media that Prime Minister Donald Tusk's new government has introduced, as well as against the arrest of former Interior Minister Mariusz Kamiński and his deputy Maciej Wąsik.
The rally, which has been dubbed the "Protest of Free Poles,” was the largest anti-government demonstration since the ruling coalition took office in mid-December, testing the opposition's ability to mobilize voters ahead of local elections in April and European Parliament elections in June.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Tusk was expected to face an uphill battle to free Polish institutions from the political control of the undemocratic PiS. However, the situation has proven harder than he and his plural coalition might have envisioned. During its eight-year rule, PiS was able to overcome power-balancing mechanisms to gain control over public media services as well as the judiciary.
Establishment-critical narrative
These developments expose the hypocrisy of European liberal circles. If any other political leader adopted Tusk’s tactics, there would be outrage, disquiet, and widespread claims of illiberalism. Yet, the simple fact that Tusk is a Brussels-backed former president of the European Council apparently gives him a free pass to do whatever he pleases.
