Poland shocked after the words of the leader of Civic Platform (PO/EPP), who uses the language associated with Nazism and compares opponents to vermin

During the Civic Coalition in Poznań, the leader of Civic Platform brutally attacked Law and Justice (PiS) and the supporters of this formation. He resorted to the language associated with Nazi propaganda comparing the polemicists to insects and vermin.

We must win these elections and mobilize all positive forces and shake the healthy tree of our country off the PiS’s locusts

— said the Civic Platform politician.

These words caused a profound shock.

A publicist Michał Karnowski wrote:

It is shocking that the language equating political opponents with insects that need to be eliminated is nowadays possible from the leader of the formation belonging to the European People’s Party (EPP) - supposedly enlightened, supposedly democratic, supposedly willing to die for European values.

So today, I am asking the European colleagues, the Platform’s politicians, liberals and leftists, I am asking the European People’s Party: Do you accept Schetyna’s language? Do you accept comparing half of Poles to locusts and insects, which inevitably arouses associations with Nazi and totalitarian propaganda? How does the „PiS’s locusts” fit in with the European values?

Quieter about it than about the rudeness and primitivism of President of Legionowo (We wrote about it here), but in reality it’s more serious. Apparently nazi-liberalism has broken into our public life.

In Piotr Skwieciński’s opinion, such words have consequences in politics:

There is only one thing that remains to be added to numerous comments on the picturesque phrase of Grzegorz Schetyna about the „PiS’s locusts”.

Before Tutsi’s genocide began in Rwanda, media associated with the dominant Hutus had long and consistently been using the words „cockroaches” in relation to the representatives of these people. As a result, when the watchword for the starting of a carnage was given, it was possible to associate it with the extermination of disgusting vermin, and in general with the necessity of disinfestation action. The enemy must be dehumanized first, and the best way to achieve it is to associate it with insects. And then machetes can be set in motion.

Is this Schetyna’s objective? Of course it is not. But objectively he has contributed not a single brick, but quite a few bricks to enable such development of the situation. Because it is not only the concept that brings consequences but the used language itself as well.

If there is no repentance (and this applies to both sides of the conflict, because none of them is blameless; including a right-wing supporter who kicked a leftist in „Studio Polska” TVP; before he did so he had heard a lot from his authorities), if verbal escalation, even instrumental one continues (because Schetyna said what he said, obviously instrumentally), eventually the machetes will be set in motion. And then it will hardly be possible to claim that it was difficult to predict.

Still one more opinion from Konrad Kołodziejski:

Grzegorz Schetyna was kind enough today to describe his opponents as „locusts that need to be shaken off the tree”. And although he has consciously offended on this occasion about 40 percent of Poles, they were not the addressees of these words. Schetyna, using such language, simply tries to mobilize the most radical anti-PiS electorate under his wings

This electorate is not at all in love with Civic Platform and Schetyna. Many vote for Civic Platform, because they do not see any other alternative. These people have one thing in common: hatred for Law and Justice (PiS), which sometimes takes atavistic forms. And it is this group of people that Schetyna has addressed his words about „PiS’s locusts” to. He wanted to present himself as one who hates PiS the most, more than all potential competitors from the opposition.

It brings to mind the auction of paid thugs, each of whom trying to top the others with a more brutal offer. The first one promises his clients that he will rip the victim’s legs out, the second one, that he will pluck her eyes, the third one, that he will skin her alive. Finally, the fourth one comes and assures that not only will he do the same as the others, but he will also impale a victim on a pike, cut it to pieces and finally burn it.

The Schetyna’s program is based on a similar scheme. I will destroy, shake off and slit the throats much more effectively than others. I don’t think any of you have doubts that it is about more than that.

Tłum. KJ