United Poland
United Poland[5][3][10][11] (Polish: Solidarna Polska, abbreviated to SP, alternatively translated as "Solidarity Poland"[12][13] or "Solidary Poland"[14][15]) is a right-wing, Catholic-nationalist[5] political party in Poland. It is allied with Law and Justice (PiS), as part of United Right currently ruling in Poland.
United Poland Solidarna Polska | |
---|---|
Leader | Zbigniew Ziobro |
Secretary-General | Andrzej Dera |
Founded | 24 March 2012 |
Split from | Law and Justice |
Ideology | National conservatism[1] Social conservatism[2] Euroscepticism[3] Polish nationalism[4] Economic nationalism[5] Right-wing populism[6] Political Catholicism[5] |
Political position | Right-wing[7][8] to far-right[9] |
Religion | Roman Catholicism |
National affiliation | United Right |
European affiliation | Movement for a Europe of Liberties and Democracy (2011–15) |
European Parliament group | European Conservatives and Reformists (2009–2012, 2019–now) Europe of Freedom and Democracy (2012–2014) |
Colours | Red, Blue |
Sejm | 18 / 460
|
Senate | 2 / 100
|
European Parliament | 1 / 52
|
Regional assemblies | 18 / 552
|
Website | |
www | |
Ideology
The party is socially conservative. It is opposed to abortion and euthanasia, and supports extending maternity leave to nine months.[16] Its staunch opposition to same-sex marriage was cited as a main reason it left the ECR group in the European Parliament.[17]
Economically the party is favor of economic nationalism, calling for government intervention in the economy, especially tax policy. The party has called for a 'fat cat' tax on big companies, including supermarkets, and backs higher taxes on those that earn over 10,000 złotych (€2,400) a month. It opposes the construction of a nuclear power plant in Poland.[16][18]
History
The party was founded in 2012 by Law and Justice (PiS) MEP Zbigniew Ziobro, who led the party's conservative Catholic-nationalist faction.[19]
After Ziobro and fellow MEPs Tadeusz Cymański and Jacek Kurski were ejected from PiS for disloyalty on 4 November 2011,[16] Ziobro's supporters within PiS formed a new group in the Sejm.[20] Despite claims that the new group was not attempting to form a new party, the MPs were expelled from Law and Justice.[21]
On 26 December, their MEPs left the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) to join the Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) group in opposition to the ECR's more liberal stance on gay marriage, its support for the EU's climate change policy, and its advocacy of cuts to the Common Agricultural Policy.[17]
The party was officially launched on 24 March 2012. At the time, opinion polls put the party on just 2%.[16]
Right Wing of the Republic has offered co-operation with United Poland.[22]
Representatives
Members of the Sejm
|
|
Election results
Sejm
Election year | # of votes |
% of vote |
# of overall seats won |
+/– | Govt? |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | 5,711,687 | 37.6 (#1) | 8 / 460 |
Coalition | |
As a part of a coalition with Law and Justice, which won 235 seats in total.[23] | |||||
2019 | 8,051,935 | 43.6 (#1) | 18 / 460 |
Coalition | |
As a part of a coalition with Law and Justice, which won 235 seats in total. |
Presidential
Election year | Candidate | 1st round | 2nd round | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
# of overall votes | % of overall vote | # of overall votes | % of overall vote | ||
2020 | Supporting Andrzej Duda |
Footnotes
- Krzypinski, Dariusz (2017). Ruxandra Boicu; et al. (eds.). Patterns of Recruitment of Polish Candidates in the 2014 European Parliament Elections. Political Communication and European Parliamentary Elections in Times of Crisis. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 245.
- Napieralski, Bartosz (2017). Political Catholicism and Euroscepticism. Routledge.
Both splinter parties remained socially conservative
- Stoyanov, Dragomir (2017). Julie Hassing Nielsen; Mark N. Franklin (eds.). Central and East European Euroscepticism in 2014: Domestic Politics Matter!. The Eurosceptic 2014 European Parliament Elections: Second Order or Second Rate?. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 114.
- Pankowski, Rafal (2012). "Right-Wing Extremism in Poland" (PDF). Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
Solidarity Poland (Solidarna Polska, SP) absorbed a big portion of the radical nationalist ideology
- Nelsen, Brent F.; Guth, James L. (2015). Religion and the Struggle for European Union: Confessional Culture and the Limits of Integration. Georgetown University Press.
- Zagorski, Piotr; Santana, Andres (25 August 2018). Explaining Support for Right-Wing Populist Parties in Central and Eastern Europe. ECPR General Conference. Hamburg. p. 26.
- Freedom in the World 2015. Freedom House. Rowman & Littlefield. 2015. p. 544.
- "The rise of the far-right in Poland: No more Eurovision, vegetarians or cyclists". International Business Times. 13 January 2016.
- "Nigel Farage heads for row over Ukip's anti-gay allies". The Guardian. 15 December 2012.
- Lettau, Felix (21 February 2014). "Poland". Project for Democratic Union.
- Daniel, William T. (2015). Career Behaviour and the European Parliament: All Roads Lead Through Brussels?. Oxford University Press. p. 149.
- Jaskiernia, Jerzy (2016). Donatella M. Viola (ed.). Poland. Routledge Handbook of European Elections. Routledge.
- Stępińska, Agnieszka (2017). Ruxandra Boicu; et al. (eds.). Political Advertising During the 2014 Polish EU Parliamentary Election Campaign. Political Communication and European Parliamentary Elections in Times of Crisis. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 14, 18–21.
- Główny Urza̦d Statystyczny (Central Statistical Office of Poland). Concise Statistical Yearbook of Poland 2012. pp. 68–69.
- "Prime Minister meets Solidarna Polska (Solidary Poland)". premier.gov.pl. 22 February 2012.
- "New Polish conservative party launched". TheNews.pl. 26 March 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- Brand, Constant (2 January 2012). "Polish MEPs leave ECR group". European Voice. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- Gospodarka Archived 2013-12-24 at the Wayback Machine (in Polish)
- "Party members 'furious' following conservative defeat". TheNews.pl. 11 October 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- "Conservative MPs form 'Poland United' breakaway group after dismissals". TheNews.pl. 8 November 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- "MPs axed by Law and Justice opposition". TheNews.pl. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
- Powstanie nowa partia na prawicy? Ziobro i Jurek już rozmawiają, portal onet.pl z 18 grudnia 2011.
- Prawapolityka.pl Energetyka, samorządy, demografia – WYWIAD z dr Janem Klawiterem http://prawapolityka.pl/2015/11/energetyka-samorzady-demografia-wywiad-z-dr-janem-klawiterem/
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Solidarna Polska. |
- (in Polish) United Poland official website