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Like in other nations across the world, there are severalfar-right (Polish:skrajna prawica) organizations and parties operating inPoland.
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An important element ofPolish nationalism has been its identification with theRoman Catholic religion with its roots in theCounter-Reformation of the 17th century, and one that became established clearly in theinterwar period.[1][2][3][4] Although the old Commonwealth was religiously diverse and highly tolerant,[5] the Roman Catholic religious element withmessianic undertones (theChrist of Nations) became one of the defining characteristics of the modern Polish identity.[6][7][8]Roman Dmowski, a Polish politician of that era, was vital in defining that concept, and has been called the "father of Polish nationalism."[9][10][11] Dmowski was the leader ofNational Democracy. After his death, more radically inclined youth broke off and created theNational Radical Camp.
Following the collapse of the communist system in the country, the far-right ideology became visible. The pan-Slavic and neopagan Polish National Union (PWN-PSN) political party at its peak was one of the larger groups active in the early 1990s, numbering then some 4,000 members and making international headlines for its anti-Semitism and anti-Catholicism. TheNational Revival of Poland being a marginal political party, under the leadership of Adam Gmurczyk, operates since the late 1980s. It is a member of European National Front and a co-founder ofInternational Third Position. The organizationAssociation for Tradition and Culture "Niklot" was founded in 1998 by Tomasz Szczepanski, a former NOP member, promoting Slavic supremacy and neopaganism. Since the mid-1990s, the ultra-CatholicRadio Maryja station has been on air with an anti-modernist, nationalist and xenophobic program.[12]All-Polish Youth andNational Radical Camp were "recreated" in 1989 and 1993, respectively becoming Poland's most prominent far-right organizations.
In 1995, theAnti-Defamation League estimated the number offar-right skinheads in Poland at 2,000, the fifth highest number after Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic and the United States.[13] Since the late 2000s, nativeWhite power skinhead,White supremacy, andNeo-Nazi groups were largely absorbed into more casual and better organized "Autonomous Nationalists".
On the political level, the biggest victories achieved so far by the far-right were in the2001,2005,2015,2019 and2023 elections.
TheLeague of Polish Families won 38 seats in 2001, and 34 in 2005. In 2015, entering parliament from the list ofKukiz'15, the far-rightNational Movement gained 5 seats out of Kukiz's 42. In April 2016, the National Movement leadership decided to break-off withKukiz's movement, but only oneMP followed the party's instructions. The ones that decided to stay withKukiz'15, together with few other Kukiz's MPs, formed parliamentary nationalist association called "National Democracy" (Endecja).[14] The 2015 election was wonLaw and Justice, which is widely described as a far-right party.[15][16]
In 2019, theConfederation gained 1,256,953 votes; representing 6.81% of the total vote in an election that saw a historically high turnout. Together the coalition (although de jure a party) earned 11 seats, 5 forKORWiN, 5 forNational Movement, and 1 forConfederation of the Polish Crown.
In 2023, theConfederation once again broke the record of the best performance of any far-right coalition to date, earning 1,547,364 votes which was 7.16% of the total vote in an election. Together the coalition (although de jure a party) earned 18 seats.
Members of far-right groups make up a significant portion of those taking part in the annual "Independence March" in central Warsaw, which started in 2009, to markIndependence Day. About 60,000 were in the 2017 march marking the 99th anniversary of independence, with placards such as "Clean Blood" seen on the march.[17]Over the years other placards or slogans have included "Pure Poland, white Poland"[18] and “white Europe of brotherly nations”.[19]
There have been reports of hate crimes targetingMuslim minority in Poland.Far-right andright-wing populist political parties and organizations fuel fear and hatred towards Islam and Muslims.[20] Hate crimes such as arson and physical violence have occurred in Poland (despite having a Muslim population of only 0.1%, that is 30,000 out of 38 million).[21][22] Politicians have also made racist and anti-Muslim comments when discussingEuropean migrant crisis;[23] in 2015,Jarosław Kaczyński claimed that Poland "can't" accept any refugees because "they could spread infectious diseases."[24] In 2017, the First Deputy Minister of JusticePatryk Jaki stated that "stoppingIslamization is hisWesterplatte".[25]
In May 2016, despite criticism from human rightsNGOs, opposition parties and left-wing organizations, of the appeasement of the far-right, the right-wing government ofLaw and Justice (PiS) disbanded the governmental advisory and coordinating body that dealt with "racial discrimination, xenophobia and related to them, intolerance" (Rada ds. Przeciwdziałania Dyskryminacji Rasowej, Ksenofobii i związanej z nimi Nietolerancji), by claiming that its mission was "useless".[26]