Shocking Revelation: Poland’s Explosive Plan for Immigration and Controversial Referendums Unveiled!
Poland’s ruling party, the Law and Justice party (PiS), is making immigration from the Middle East and Africa a central theme in its upcoming electoral campaign for the parliamentary vote scheduled in October.
Recently, Poland has introduced a new question for a referendum regarding the European Union’s policy on asylum seekers from the Middle East and Africa. The referendum aims to gauge whether Polish citizens support the acceptance of “thousands of unauthorized migrants from the Middle East and Africa” as part of an EU relocation program. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki conveyed this information on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
The referendum is slated for October 15, aligning with the parliamentary elections.
In contrast to accommodating over a million Ukrainian refugees, Poland has been less receptive to asylum seekers from countries with Muslim-majority populations. In recent times, there have been attempts by individuals from the Middle East and Africa to cross the Belarusian border into Poland. The Polish government has accused Belarus of exploiting vulnerable individuals for political purposes.
The PiS aims to utilize the migration issue once again for electoral gains. The party is actively focusing on migration as a significant electoral topic to counter the opposition Civic Platform’s attempt to gain power. The Civic Platform (PO), led by Donald Tusk, who served as Poland’s prime minister from 2007 to 2014 and later as the president of the European Council.
In the 2015 elections, the PiS capitalized on anti-immigrant sentiment to secure an absolute majority in the lower house of parliament, the Sejm. During that year, Europe witnessed a substantial influx of asylum seekers, many of whom were fleeing conflicts in countries like Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
In June, the European Union reached a consensus on key asylum and migration regulations within the bloc. This consensus stipulates that member countries must either share the responsibility of accommodating asylum seekers or contribute to a joint EU fund.
Poland, alongside Hungary, has rejected the EU’s proposal concerning asylum seekers.
The PiS has frequently associated Donald Tusk with EU migration policies, alleging that Tusk has prioritized Germany’s interests over Poland’s. Some elements of the Polish electorate still harbor anti-German sentiments rooted in World War II.
Tusk has previously stated that the proposal for a migration referendum reveals the PiS’s concerns about its electoral prospects. Factors like rising inflation and dissatisfaction with Poland’s strict abortion laws could sway voters to support the Civic Platform in this election cycle.
Moreover, the PiS has scheduled several other referendums for October 15.
One of these referendums addresses whether Poles support the privatization of state-owned enterprises. PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski has asserted that Germany seeks to influence Polish affairs to facilitate the sale of public assets.
Deputy parliament speaker Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska has criticized this referendum as a manipulation orchestrated by the PiS. She highlighted that the government has already partially divested the state oil company Lotos, with Saudi Arabian state-controlled enterprise Saudi Aramco acquiring certain assets.
Another referendum question planned for October pertains to public sentiment about raising the retirement age. The PiS had previously lowered the retirement age to 65 for men and 60 for women.
During his tenure as Prime Minister, Tusk supported an increase in the retirement age for both genders. However, he admitted in 2021 that this decision was a mistake.
The Polish government is anticipated to reveal a fourth referendum topic on the upcoming Monday.
By: M Z Hossain, Editor Sky Buzz Feed
