“When the mind sleeps, ghosts wake up.” How fear of Ukrainians feeds the extreme right in Poland

Four years of war have increased tensions related to the presence of refugees from Ukraine in Poland, which has benefited the most populist and nationalist groups, primarily both Confederations – said experts in an interview with PAP: Dr. Hab. Bartłomiej Biskup and prof. Wawrzyniec Konarski.

Initially, everyone was eager to help people fleeing the war from Ukraine, but over time the mood changed, which – as Bartłomiej Biskup from the University of Warsaw said – was inevitable.

– Natural assimilation problems arise because refugees are people of a different nationality and slightly different mentality, which gives rise to various tensions, especially when there are many of them, the Bishop pointed out. – The political forces that use these issues benefit. This is the most direct impact of the war on the Polish political scene, he added.

Another effect is a change in political discourse and much more attention to security issues. As an example, the political scientist pointed to the SAFE program, which was at the center of the political debate.

– Four years of war have shown that a possible invasion should be taken into account, which influenced the rhetoric of politicians, their actions and the greater presence of security issues in party programs – said the Bishop.

Also political scientist prof. Wawrzyniec Konarski, rector of the Vistula University of Finance and Business, told PAP that the war contributed to the growth of trends referred to in science as “ethnic exclusivism”.

– Ukrainians are perceived not as a nation fighting against foreign aggression, but as a group that poses a certain problem. Less and less attention is paid to the fact that refugees in Poland contribute to the creation of GDP, and more and more is viewed through the prism of growing prejudices. Solidarity towards Ukraine as a country that was attacked is also becoming blunt, Konarski noted.

These sentiments were and are exploited – according to Konarski – primarily by the Confederation of Sławomir Mentzen and Krzysztof Bosak, as well as the Confederation of the Polish Crown of Grzegorz Braun.

Which is, in a sense, natural – Konarski admitted – because both formations are “neo-endek and populist structures.” Like any populist movement, they are movements – he added – that do not have many ideas, e.g. about the economy and other areas of life, but they prey on social fears, in this case on reluctant Ukrainians.

– Every populism has short legs and is unable to govern effectively, but it is able to destroy a certain order – said Konarski. Today, however, he said, especially young people are poorly educated, so it is easier for anti-system organizations to manipulate political views. – As we know, when the mind sleeps, ghosts wake up – emphasized the political scientist.

At the same time – in his opinion – there are certain historical prejudices in Polish society on which such groups prey, but which cannot be denied. – I keep telling our partners in Ukraine that they chose the wrong national heroes and this is not something that brings us closer together – notes Konarski.

Although, as he admitted, Ukrainians can be understood that they are in an extreme situation and are looking for role models that can be a point of reference in the current war situation. And the Polish experience of being a victim should also mean that Poles should understand it more than other European nations.

February 24 marks four years since Russia launched a full-scale war against Ukraine. (PAP)

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