In Poland, hundreds of thousands of people are demonstrating against the right-wing nationalist PiS government. The reason is also a new law that endangers the opposition.
Warsaw – In Poland, more than a hundred thousand people took to the streets on Sunday (4 May) against the policies of the national-conservative ruling party PiS. The participants of the protest march marched densely packed through the center of Warsaw. The demonstrators carried placards with the inscription "Europe, we apologize for the PiS", "Abracadabra – gone is the PiS macabre" and "PiS in the urinal". The demonstration was also attended by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former head of the Solidarity trade union, Lech Walesa.
The protest was called by former head of government and opposition leader Donald Tusk of the liberal-conservative Civic Platform. But other opposition parties also joined. The organizers spoke of 500,000 participants, the PAP news agency reported 100,000 to 150,000 demonstrators, citing unofficial information from the police.
Anti-PiS protests on 4 June: People demonstrate against new Polish law
The protest is also directed against a new law that provides for the establishment of a commission of inquiry into Russian influence. Critics accuse the PiS of wanting to use this law a few months before the parliamentary elections to pillory the opposition for its alleged Russia-friendliness. The Commission is to examine whether MEPs in the years 2007 to 2022 under the influence of Russia have taken decisions that endanger Poland's security.
Polish media speak of a "Lex Tusk" – a law coined for Tusk. The Gdańsk native was Poland's head of government from 2007 to 2014 and is considered the fiercest political opponent of PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski. The PiS government accuses him of concluding unfavourable gas contracts with Russia.
June 4 is an important date in Poland: in 1989, the first partially free elections took place on this day – a triumph of the democracy movement and the Solidarity trade union, which at the same time ushered in the end of communist rule. "No, democracy will not die in Poland. There will be no calm. We will shout loudly," Tusk shouted at the demonstrators against this background. (nak/dpa)
