No place for extremist parties
The answer, sadly, is yes. Roman Giertych, the new Education Minister, comes from a political tradition tainted by extremism and xenophobia. Andrzej Lepper, the new Deputy Prime Minister, elevates demagoguery above democracy.
Młodzież Wszechpolska, or the All-Polish Youth (MW), the youth organization associated with Mr. Giertych's League of Polish Families (LPR), was known in the 1920s and 1930s as a violently anti-Semitic organization. Revived by Mr. Giertych himself, today MW confronts many groups, particularly homosexuals, with ugly rhetoric and, on occasion, physical intimidation.
From the LPR, Poles hear of "Judeo-communist" plots and the danger that Poland will be turned into a "Jewish reservation." On Radio Maryja, listeners are told that Jews are sabotaging the struggle for democracy in Eastern Europe, that the "Holocaust industry" is robbing Poland of its assets, and that - most fantastic of all - Pope Benedict XVI has condemned Radio Maryja because he is a German, and therefore terrified that powerful Jews will label him an anti-Semite.
Watching with alarm
Those watching Mr. Giertych with alarm will be scarcely more comforted by Mr. Lepper and his Samobroona Party. When asked by a Polish journalist about his connections with the Inter-regional Academy of Personnel Management (MAUP), a private Ukrainian university that is run by what is arguably the most vicious cabal of anti-Semites in Europe, Mr. Lepper dismissed the question with the words, "Then write that I am an anti-Semite."
In a democratic European state, a cabinet-level politician is expected to protest that he is not an anti-Semite, because anti-Semitism symbolizes the ugly history that Europe is supposed to have broken with. Mr. Lepper's response, therefore, partly answers the question of why Poland's friends regard the coalition assembled by Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz with such distress.
The chilling thought that young Poles will be taught "patriotism" by a man like Mr. Giertych, who appears to believe that loving one's country is the same as hating foreigners and "outsiders," is another part of the answer.
A simple observation
But what completes the answer is a simple observation: Poland's relations and good standing with the outside world have advanced at breakneck speed. Anyone who has followed and admired Poland's extraordinary transition from communism to democracy will want those relations to advance even further. But a coalition that embraces extremist voices threatens to turn back the clock on these accomplishments.
This is especially true of Polish-Jewish relations. In recent years, incredible strides have been made. The Anti-Defamation League actively supported Poland's request to UNESCO to have Auschwitz classified as a "Nazi German" extermination camp, and not a "Polish" one. As Jews and Poles have joined together to remember and explore our histories, we have emphasized that the responsibility for the three million Jews who perished in Poland during the Holocaust lies with the Nazis. Last September, President Aleksander Kwaśniewski was honored with ADL's prestigious Distinguished Statesman Award for his great strides in improving Poland's relations with the Jewish people and his efforts to combat anti-Semitism and xenophobia.
Immediate measures
Above all else, the protests from Poles themselves against the new coalition are truly heartening. Both the Prime Minister and President need to heed those voices. When it comes to international concerns, three measures would make a significant impact.
Firstly, Mr. Lepper should publicly renounce his associations with MAUP and return the honorary doctorate granted to him by this institution (an award which was also conferred on David Duke, the former leader of America's Ku Klux Klan). Secondly, if Mr. Giertych really must be in the cabinet, then it should not be in the post of Education Minister. Thirdly, bearing in mind the persistent criticism of the political support which it receives from Radio Maryja, the government should take the bold step of reminding the station that broadcasting content that incites anti-Semitism and other forms of prejudice is a violation of Polish and European law.
These three steps would help allay fears that Poland is backsliding on issues of tolerance and human rights. Above all, they would enable Poland and its friends, Jewish and non-Jewish, to continue to focus on how the past can help us build a common future.
Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League and author of Never Again? The Threat of the New Anti-Semitism, was born in Poland.
