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10 Oct 2011 14:41

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World: Far-left party gains unexpected strength in Polish Parliament

  • We’re fighting a culture of delegalisation. In Poland, you go to jail for insulting the President, for a word, for insulting religious feelings, insulting an official. You go to jail for drinking beer and then walking with your bike. You go to jail for smoking a joint. For abortion. This is a nihilist policy which hurts people.
  • Janusz Palikot, Polish MP • Laying out a cursory platform for his eponymous “Palikot Movement,” a far-left political party which unexpectedly surged in Poland’s election on Sunday, capturing 10% of the vote. Palikot now sits atop the relatively inexperienced liberal wing of the Polish parliament, and has been uncompromising in his advocacy of a liberal secularization of Poland. Of particular note, given the prominent role the Catholic Church plays in public life in Poland — he’s calling for an end to public funding for religious courses taught in state schools. Palikot, a former vodka magnate, was first elected in 2005. source