Karol Nawrocki's triumph in the presidential elections in Poland was a shock to many, besides due to what this consequence says about the state of Polish politics, society and historical memory.
As the writer notes The Jerusalem Post, Hagay Hacohen, Warsaw – the heart of liberal Poland – reacted with silence. But in this silence, in his opinion, there was a cry of disappointment and fear.
"The streets of Warsaw, usually vibrant even in political disappointment, fell into sinister silence after announcing the results of the second round. Even the regular sound has died. In trams and buses, the calls stopped, the phones stopped. The capital looked like she had stopped breathing," Hacohen writes.
Warsaw voted almost unanimously for Rafał Trzaskowski. But outside the metropolitan area Poland chose differently – more conservative, national, Catholic.
Hacohen isn't just focused on emotions. He points out that this turn to the right is besides the consequence of disillusionment with the governments of Donald Tusk and his Civic Coalition, which took power after the Law and Justice in 2023, with the enthusiastic support of large cities.
"These elections were the cheeks of the ruling coalition – Donald Tusk and his allies promised reforms to modernize the country. But besides many of these promises have not been fulfilled," Hacohen notes.
The coalition was to reconstruct the independency of the judiciary, facilitate access to abortion, improve the situation of women and unlock EU funds. However, as the writer points out, besides small has changed to keep support.
"For many city pro-European voters, the consequence of the elections was a blow to the face – a sign that Poland is profoundly divided between modernisation and tradition," he writes.
The character of the fresh president raises Hacohen's peculiar interest. Karol Nawrocki is not a classical politician, but a doctor of past and erstwhile head of the Institute of National Memory. His triumph is, according to the journalist, the triumph of historical revisionism over European universalism.
"This is not a politician from the crowd – she is simply a doctor of past who knows how to form a collective memory. His run was as much about the future as about the past. Nawrocki is simply a symbol of right-wing rebellion against liberal elites. He builds his identity on Catholic past and values," Hacohen emphasises.
As the head of the IPN Nawrocki promoted a communicative powerfully focused on Polish victims of planet War II, while marginalizing hard topics, as the participation of any Poles in the Holocaust, claims Israeli.
"His imagination of past – with heroism, martyrdom and unequivocal national pride – is something that appeals to an electorate tired of guilt and complexity," the writer notes.
Nawrocki's triumph means not only a symbolic phrase, but besides real difficulties for the Tusk government. A PiS-origin president can block legislative reforms, as Andrzej Duda did for years.
‘PiS president, government from KO. It is simply a prepared recipe for stagnation and subsequent conflicts in the Sejm and Constitutional Court. He does not intend to decision Poland out of NATO or from the EU. He knows that the war in Ukraine and relations with Washington are besides crucial to give up," Hacohen writes.
In the summary of the article Hacohen returns to the metaphor of silence that fell over the capital after announcing the results.
"Warsaw voted otherwise. Warsaw wanted to proceed its march towards the West. But Poland – especially its state – said no. It wasn't a failure of 1 party. It was a failure of the liberal imagination of Poland – at least for a moment" - concluded the writer The Jerusalem Post.
