The latest opinion poll by Social Changes for news portal wPolityce.pl validated the intuition of many commentators: The opposition, especially Donald Tusk’s party, fell into its own trap. That trap was tacky propaganda in which the consequences of war, high prices, inflation, and the economic slowdown were separated from their cause, which is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
After seven years of Law and Justice’s (PiS) government you cannot use tricks that were successful in the years 2005-2007. Poles are in a different place, and Poland has a new economic and political environment. Poles are now strongly attached to Law and Justice’s effective governance and will not give up easily. This changes a lot.
When a crisis begins, tough times ensue, and the opposition is very effective in reminding Poles that it has no social program. Poles are reminded of how passive the opposition is, and how when a crisis occurs, the opposition has a habit of passing its cost on to ordinary Poles.
Tusk’s embarrassing social media posts bring him applause from the “total opposition” but are incomprehensible to the wider society. Tusk gives the impression of a dramatic detachment from the specifics of everyday life and the real problems facing Poles.
Jarosław Kaczyński’s Law and Justice answered the crisis seriously: It took measures that significantly lowered the impact of higher energy prices, introduced tax cuts where it was able to, and maintained social programs. Despite the fact it has not been an easy time for many Poles and Polish entrepreneurs, Poland is really a green island compared to the rest of Europe.
It does not face mass unemployment or a wave of bankruptcies. In fact, it has the most generous support program for its citizens in face of the effects of the wave of crises.
The measures of Mateusz Morawiecki’s government were full of hard choices even while faced with a hopeless situation. Is it possible to win against Tusk’s turbo-populism with patience, explain complicated issues persistently, and finally, by applying consistent hard work on many fronts? The research by Social Changes proves that this strategy is starting to bring real results.
