Konrad Kołodziejski condemns the Civic Platform’s (PO) smear campaign of a dissented politician. He warns that these actions are reminiscent of persecutions during Poland’s communist era.
PO and Modern’s irritation with councilman Wojciech Kałuża’s decicision to leave their coalition is understandable. After all, it allowed Law and Justice (PiS) take control over Silesia. Their persecution of Kałuża, however, should build dread in any normal person.
Although Kałuża’s transfer should be taken with a grain of salt, because such politicians should not be treated seriously, you cannot call it “political prostitution” as PO has. This is simply careerism or weaselling. PO itself is full of such people.
In Kałuża’s case, however, we are dealing with a phenomenon unseen since Poland’s communist era. He has become the target of mass persecution. We have even seen odd mass party protests, where people are carrying banners with obscenities such as “Kałuża you d*ck.”
Journalist Piotr Semka has warned “Hatred is rising” and shared one of the posters on twitter, in it, Kałuża’s face is behind the words “Let every Silesian see the SNOUT of the TRAITOR”:
Although during the Stalinist mass rallies people were forced to carry such banners, here we can see some sort of possession. If this carries on, then during PO’s possible return to power, people like councilman Kałuża will find themselves dragged through the streets. This is going too far.
PO MP Paweł Olszewski is an example of this, as he shared a tweet with Kałuża’s face and subtitled it: “Although you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, this face fits PiS perfectly.”
The reason for this persecution? To strengthen the ranks before the deciding elections next year. This is so anyone, not only councilmen, who support the opposition, will not break ranks: judges, journalists, clerks. If they do, they can be sure they’ll be treated like trash, publicly shamed and hunted down.
This isn’t just sick. This is dangerous.
