Poland – As health restrictions imposed by the authorities under pretext of the coronavirus pandemic – Poland awaits, like many other countries, a possible new wave due to the humpteenth variant -, will be further strengthened starting Wednesday, December 15 , the national-conservative members of the Konfederacja have turned up the volume by several notches in their hostile declarations to the PiS government.
“Stop health segregation”
On Tuesday, December 14, the right-wing opposition to the government of Mateusz Morawiecki organised a new demonstration outside of the Diet’s main building protesting against health restrictions and compulsory vaccinations imposed on certain professions (doctors, teachers and uniformed civil servants). This rally was the occasion for a verbal escalation on the part of the Konfederacja. Not only did one of its representatives, Tomasz Grabarczyk, called the Polish government “thuggish, lawless and unjust” on Twitter, but MPs Janusz Korwin-Mikke, Artur Dziambor, Grzegorz Braun, Robert Winnicki and Konrad Berkowicz posed in front of a banner on which read: “Vaccination sets you free” (Szczepienie czyni wolnym), a direct allusion to the inscription on the portals of Nazi concentration camps (Arbeit macht frei – Work sets you free).
“Lack of respect for the victims of Auschwitz”
This strong and controversial message prompted a strong reaction from many people, especially government supporters. For example, former Prime Minister Beata Szydło said:
“The political use of a banner the content and form of which refers to the gate of the Auschwitz museum, a symbol of the execution of over a million people, is a shameful act. It is a total disrespect for the victims of German crimes at Auschwitz and all the death camps. ”
Moreover, the Auschwitz Museum was also keen to react: “The manipulation of the symbol of the the victims of Auschwitz’s suffering – the largest cemetery in Poland and the world – is a scandalous manifestation of moral corruption. It is particularly embarrassing when this is done by Polish MPs “.
