Law and Justice (PiS) leader Jarosław Kaczyński said that there was a need to defend patriotism in Poland because “for many years it had been ruled by those who tried to fight patriotism” and that there is a “strong bloc for national betrayal” which is attempting to return to power.
Kaczyński, who made the remarks at a military picnic on the weekend in the town of Zawichost in southern Poland, said that for years people had lived with the conviction that there would be no more war. However, today, “there is no guarantee that some day war could visit us,” as it is already close by, he added.
The conservative leader said that Poland needed to build a strong army, but that just as important was to ensure that patriotism was preserved to give the country moral strength. He argued that there is a need to develop and defend patriotism because for decades it had been derided and devalued.
The PiS leader said that a campaign of making people feel ashamed of Poland had created a false narrative targeted at making Poles feel inferior, which made them susceptible to acquiescing to rule by foreigners and outsiders.
“It was an attempt to belittle Polish history and the nation’s achievements during the Second World War,” said Kaczyński.
Kaczyński is convinced that the aim of such a narrative was to divide and weaken Poland. He concluded by saying that in order for Poland to be strong “we must know who is who” and to be prepared to make a stand because “there exists in our country a very strong bloc for national betrayal which is attempting to come to power.”
