United Poland

United Poland[4][6][10][11] (Polish: Solidarna Polska, abbreviated to SP, alternatively translated as "Solidarity Poland"[12][13]) is a far-right, Catholic-nationalist[4] political party in Poland. It is allied with Law and Justice (PiS), as part of United Right currently ruling in Poland.

United Poland

Solidarna Polska
LeaderZbigniew Ziobro
Secretary-GeneralAndrzej Dera
Founded24 March 2012
Split fromLaw and Justice
IdeologySocial conservatism[1]
National conservatism[2]
Polish nationalism[3]
Economic nationalism[4]
Right-wing populism[5]
Euroscepticism[6]
Political Catholicism[4]
Political positionRight-wing[7][8] to far-right[9]
ReligionRoman Catholicism
National affiliationUnited Right
European affiliationMovement for a Europe of Liberties and Democracy (2011–2015)
European Parliament groupEurope of Freedom and Democracy (2012–2014)
European Conservatives and Reformists (2019–now)
ColoursRed, Blue
Sejm
18 / 460
Senate
2 / 100
European Parliament
2 / 52
Regional assemblies
21 / 552
Website
www.solidarna.org

Ideology

The party is socially conservative. It is opposed to abortion and euthanasia, and supports extending maternity leave to nine months.[14] Its staunch opposition to same-sex marriage was cited as a main reason it left the ECR group in the European Parliament.[15]

Economically the party is favor of economic nationalism, calling for government intervention in the economy, especially tax policy. The party has called for a 'fat cat' tax on big companies, including supermarkets, and backs higher taxes on those that earn over 10,000 złotych (€2,400) a month. It opposes the construction of a nuclear power plant in Poland.[14][16]

History

The party was founded in 2012 by Law and Justice (PiS) MEP Zbigniew Ziobro, who led the party's conservative Catholic-nationalist faction.[17]

After Ziobro and fellow MEPs Tadeusz Cymański and Jacek Kurski were ejected from PiS for disloyalty on 4 November 2011,[14] Ziobro's supporters within PiS formed a new group in the Sejm.[18] Despite claims that the new group was not attempting to form a new party, the MPs were expelled from Law and Justice.[19]

On 26 December, their MEPs left the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) to join the Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) group in opposition to the ECR's more liberal stance on gay marriage, its support for the EU's climate change policy, and its advocacy of cuts to the Common Agricultural Policy.[15]

The party was officially launched on 24 March 2012. At the time, opinion polls put the party on just 2%.[14]

Right Wing of the Republic has offered co-operation with United Poland.[20]

Representatives

Members of the Sejm

Election results

Sejm
Election year # of
votes		 % of
vote		 # of
overall seats won		 +/– Govt?
2015 5,711,687 37.6 (#1)
8 / 460
 8 Coalition
As a part of a coalition with Law and Justice, which won 235 seats in total.[21]
2019 8,051,935 43.6 (#1)
18 / 460
 10 Coalition
As a part of a coalition with Law and Justice, which won 235 seats in total.

Presidential
Election year Candidate 1st round 2nd round
# of overall votes % of overall vote # of overall votes % of overall vote
2015 Supported Andrzej Duda 5,179,092 34.8 (#1) 8,719,281 51.5 (#1)
2020 Supported Andrzej Duda 8,450,513 43.50 (#1) 10,440,648 51.03% (#1)

Footnotes
  1. Napieralski, Bartosz (2017). Political Catholicism and Euroscepticism. Routledge. Both splinter parties remained socially conservative
  2. Krzypinski, Dariusz (2017). Ruxandra Boicu; et al. (eds.). Patterns of Recruitment of Polish Candidates in the 2014 European Parliament Elections. Political Communication and European Parliamentary Elections in Times of Crisis. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 245.
  3. Pankowski, Rafal (2012). "Right-Wing Extremism in Poland" (PDF). Friedrich Ebert Foundation. Solidarity Poland (Solidarna Polska, SP) absorbed a big portion of the radical nationalist ideology
  4. Nelsen, Brent F.; Guth, James L. (2015). Religion and the Struggle for European Union: Confessional Culture and the Limits of Integration. Georgetown University Press.
  5. Zagorski, Piotr; Santana, Andres (25 August 2018). Explaining Support for Right-Wing Populist Parties in Central and Eastern Europe. ECPR General Conference. Hamburg. p. 26.
  6. Stoyanov, Dragomir (2017). Julie Hassing Nielsen; Mark N. Franklin (eds.). Central and East European Euroscepticism in 2014: Domestic Politics Matter!. The Eurosceptic 2014 European Parliament Elections: Second Order or Second Rate?. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 114.
  7. Freedom in the World 2015. Freedom House. Rowman & Littlefield. 2015. p. 544.
  8. "The rise of the far-right in Poland: No more Eurovision, vegetarians or cyclists". International Business Times. 13 January 2016.
  9. "Nigel Farage heads for row over Ukip's anti-gay allies". The Guardian. 15 December 2012.
  10. Lettau, Felix (21 February 2014). "Poland". Project for Democratic Union.
  11. Daniel, William T. (2015). Career Behaviour and the European Parliament: All Roads Lead Through Brussels?. Oxford University Press. p. 149.
  12. Jaskiernia, Jerzy (2016). Donatella M. Viola (ed.). Poland. Routledge Handbook of European Elections. Routledge.
  13. Stępińska, Agnieszka (2017). Ruxandra Boicu; et al. (eds.). Political Advertising During the 2014 Polish EU Parliamentary Election Campaign. Political Communication and European Parliamentary Elections in Times of Crisis. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 14, 18–21.
  14. "New Polish conservative party launched". TheNews.pl. 26 March 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  15. Brand, Constant (2 January 2012). "Polish MEPs leave ECR group". European Voice. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  16. Gospodarka Archived 2013-12-24 at the Wayback Machine (in Polish)
  17. "Party members 'furious' following conservative defeat". TheNews.pl. 11 October 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  18. "Conservative MPs form 'Poland United' breakaway group after dismissals". TheNews.pl. 8 November 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  19. "MPs axed by Law and Justice opposition". TheNews.pl. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  20. Powstanie nowa partia na prawicy? Ziobro i Jurek już rozmawiają, portal onet.pl z 18 grudnia 2011.
  21. Prawapolityka.pl Energetyka, samorządy, demografia – WYWIAD z dr Janem Klawiterem http://prawapolityka.pl/2015/11/energetyka-samorzady-demografia-wywiad-z-dr-janem-klawiterem/
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