Polish far right seeks to ban left-wing party

Robert Winnicki (C), Artur Zawisza (L) and Marian Kowalski: photo - PAP/Radek Pietruszka

Robert Winnicki of the All Polish Youth (MW) made the announcement on Sunday in response to SLD's own declaration that it would attempt to ban MW and another far right grouping the National Radical Camp (ONR) for promoting “fascism.”

Winnicki declared he was also consulting lawyers to see if he could file a case against liberal party Palikot's Movement.

“The SLD and Palikot's Movement are the new Bolshevism,” Winnicki claimed, as quoted by the Polish Press Agency (PAP) adding that the parties are “a threat to the life of the nation and the state.”

Winnicki held the conference by Warsaw's statue of Roman Dmowski (1864-1939), the pre-war Polish politician and nationalist who was denounced last week by former Israeli ambassador Shevah Weiss as an anti-semite.

He was joined by ONR spokesman Marian Kowalski and Artur Zawisza, vice chairman of an association of wartime resistance veterans from the National Armed Forces (NSZ) grouping.

The MW and ONR co-organised one of the marches on Independence Day on 11 November, during which clashes occurred with the police.

The march's organisers announced a new so-called 'National Movement', an association of far-right groups.

In response to the march, SLD and Palikot's Movement held a joint meeting on Saturday under the title of 'For Europe, Against Fascism."

“We need to work together and cooperate,” said SLD MEP Wojciech Olejniczak.

“The threat from the right is visible and prompts more and more anxiety,” he said. (nh)