Poland's ruling party leader Jarosław Kaczyński sparked outrage with his comments attacking transgender people at PiS supporters rallies in Włocławek and Grudziądz. "It's clear that the upcoming year, a year before parliamentary elections, will be a year of Jarosław Kaczyński setting people against further social groups," Civic Platform secretary general Marcin Kierwiński said in reaction to PiS leader's comments. The Left party announced on Monday it would file a complaint against Kaczyński to the Deputies' Ethics Committee and request he be punished. "One must face responsibility for such words," said Robert Biedroń, one of the New Left leaders.
During meetings with supporters of Law and Justice (PiS) in Włocławek (on Saturday) and Grudziądz (on Sunday), party leader Jarosław Kaczyński spoke about the LGBT+ community.
"Some may not agree with us, some people with left-wing views think that anyone one of us may suddenly say that until half past five I was a man, but now I'm a woman. As the left-wing thinks that's how it should be," he said in Włocławek. "It's allowed to hold such weird views, but I would get it checked," he added.
"Please imagine that one of you gentlemen sitting here comes to work one day and says: 'Dear all, I'm no longer Władysław, my name is Zosia'. And according to what the West recommends, everyone should get along with this or otherwise someone will feel offended. And why am I Zosia? Well... maybe I'll be Władysław again tomorrows, but today I'm Zosia," Kaczyński said the following day in Grudziądz. "We must defend ourself against madness, we must defend family as consisting of a woman, a man, and of course children, if God permits," he added.
"Poland is ruled by a man filled with hatred"
Kaczyński's words attacking non-heterosexual people sparked reactions from politicians on Monday.
"Jarosław Kaczyński cannot handle high prices, inflation, doesn't solve problems of the Polish people, so he attempts to escape these problems and resorts to hatred, very characteristic of him," said Civic Platform secretary general Marcin Kierwiński.
In his opinion, "Poland is ruled by a man filled with hatred... who knows that in order to win the next election, he must generate more conflicts, more antagonisms, and more and more hatred".
"It's clear that the upcoming year, a year before parliamentary elections, will be a year of Jarosław Kaczyński setting people against further social groups. against people who don't support PiS," Kierwiński added.
Polish People's Party spokesperson Miłosz Motyka said PiS leader's words "dehumanised" transgender people. "They (Kaczyński's comments) are obviously unacceptable, but this is pure political calculation, a prelude to election campaign," he said.
"PiS knows that it can win elections based on this, it knows it can lead to political polarisation. That's Jarosław Kaczyński's favourite game," Motyka said.
"That's unacceptable in the 21st century. If anyone needs medical check-up, it's Jarosław Kaczyński, rather than these people," PSL spokesman said.
"Spectacle of hate"
"Kaczyński launches another hate campaign, he seeks scapegoats. He can't handle exorbitant prices, he can't handle debts affecting millions of Polish men and women, he can't handle public debt, he can't handle his own party," New Left leader Robert Biedroń listed. "And of course once again, like always, he launches a campaign against another social group," he added.
"This spectacle of hatred displayed by Kaczyński that we saw this weekend, hate campaign against LGBT people, transgender people in this case, shows that Kaczyński has nothing to offer and has hit the bottom. His policy, the policy of PiS, has hit the rock bottom," Biedroń argued.
He also informed that the Left would file a complaint against Kaczyński to the Deputies' Ethics Committee and ask the panel to punish him. "One must face responsibility for such words. There must be consequences, it cannot be tolerated, we must not stay indifferent to Kaczyński's another campaign that he tries to launch in Poland," he said.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, tvn24.pl