Mentzen Criticises Kaczyński, Sparks PiS Reaction

The news in Polish

1. krytykować
   oceniać kogoś lub coś w sposób negatywny ↩︎
2. zachowanie  (n.)
   sposób, w jaki ktoś się zachowuje; postępowanie ↩︎
3. prominentny
   znany, wyróżniający się, mający dużą pozycję społeczną lub wpływy ↩︎
4. oburzenie  (n.)
   uczucie złości z powodu czegoś, co uznaje się za niesprawiedliwe lub złe ↩︎
5. napięcie  (n.)
   stres lub konflikt społeczny lub polityczny ↩︎
6. rywalizować
   konkurować, próbować być lepszym od kogoś ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: Who criticized Jarosław Kaczyński?

Question 2: What did PiS do in response to the criticism?

Vocabulary

Polish	English
krytykować	criticise
zachowanie  (n.)	behaviour
prominentny	prominent
oburzenie  (n.)	indignation
napięcie  (n.)	tension
rywalizować	compete

Read the full story

Sławomir Mentzen, the leader of the Confederation party in Poland, has recently launched a verbal attack on Jarosław Kaczyński, the head of the ruling Law and Justice party (PiS). Labeling Kaczyński as both a “liar” and a “boor,” Mentzen criticised the PiS leader for allegedly exploiting his (Mentzen’s) health condition for political attacks. This has led to a flurry of reactions from prominent figures within PiS, igniting a new conflict between the two political factions.

The controversy erupted during Mentzen’s appearance on Polsat News’s “Political PE with a Guest,” where he accused Kaczyński and his party of manipulating the truth. Mentzen claimed that a recent internal communication within PiS, disclosed by journalists, was filled with blatant falsehoods.

Prominent PiS figures, including spokesperson Rafał Bochenek and politician Janusz Kowalski, condemned Mentzen’s remarks. Bochenek highlighted a perceived alignment of Mentzen’s views with those of Donald Tusk, leader of the Civic Platform. He noted that Mentzen’s actions seemed aimed at deepening divisions and failing to engage in substantive dialogue.

Kowalski further criticized Mentzen for suggesting that Kaczyński lacked understanding of modern technology. He defended PiS as being at the forefront of pursuing advanced solutions for Poland.

Adding to the chorus, Olga Semeniuk-Patkowska, a PiS member, rebuked Mentzen for playing to “the lowest instincts” and questioned the intentions behind his inflammatory statements.

Former deputy cabinet minister Zbigniew Gryglas also weighed in, pointing out the lack of respect in Mentzen’s comments, especially given the age difference with Kaczyński.

From within the Confederation camp, reactions were more supportive of Mentzen, with some members agreeing with his assessment of PiS’s leadership. Ryszard Wilk and Stanisław Tyszka, prominent figures within the Confederation, echoed Mentzen’s sentiments.

The tensions reflect the ongoing struggle between the two right-wing parties, as observed by analysts. Magdalena Chrzczonowicz, a political commentator, noted that while PiS has traditionally sought to eliminate right-wing competitors, the Confederation has been gaining ground.

Rafał Chwedoruk, a political scientist, emphasized the fluid nature of political allegiances, suggesting that current adversaries could become future allies. The current dispute underscores the battle between PiS and the Confederation for the loyalty of right-wing voters.

Info: “Polish Learner News” is a service from “Let’s Learn Polish”, a dedicated language school offering various online courses. Among our offerings, we provide Polish language classes designed to cater to different learning needs.