Other Feminism
In the first circular of elections, crucial support was received from candidates who openly disregard women's rights and do not take their side.
Does this mean normalising anti-femininity in public debate? Or does it show a weakening of feminism itself?
We discuss this with Dr Stefan Marcinkiewicz, sociologist and lecturer at the University of Warmia and Mazury.
– Feministic environments, which, although playing an crucial role, are internally divided and highly diverse. In the public debate, the issue of women's rights was mostly narrowed down to abortion. And abortion is just 1 of many issues concerning women's rights. This raises a problem, especially since right-wing media are moving a sharp propaganda campaign, utilizing terms specified as "feminon@zistki" or "feminotherrorists" to discredit the feminist movement," the sociologist notes.
Marcinkiewicz recalls that even 20 years ago, erstwhile he himself studied, identifying with feminism, especially in his liberal edition, i.e. advocating equality and equal pay, was something common. Today, as he says, he sees in the young generation a clear decline in interest in this current.
– Since 2021, which was a breakthrough minute (escalation of women's strikes-ed.), we have been observing the gradual demobilization of women in public life," emphasises the sociologist.
He notes that we are surviving in a time of large uncertainty: first pandemic, then war in Ukraine, economical crises.
– It all makes society yearn for a strong leader, a macho type, to guarantee people feel safe. It's a kind of atavism: a man as the 1 who provides protection, takes responsibility, fights. This favours conservative leaders, alleged hawks, who are identified with force, decisively and conventional manhood," he says.
In this context, Dr Marcinkiewicz draws attention to the phenomenon of the crisis of manhood. On the 1 hand, the presence of gender-related themes and sex identity is increasing, and on the another hand, especially in provinces and more conventional environments, this is perceived as a breakdown of the classical male model.
“We besides have Donald Trump, who creates himself as a strong leader fighting against ideologies, rejecting alleged leftist fantasies about sex or ecology, treating them as inventions of leftist environments,” he notes.
And he adds:
– Let us not forget that the process of socialising many women is inactive taking place in a very conventional framework. The dominant cultural communicative emphasizes that a female is to be quiet, obedient, modest, and a man – strong, decision-making, ready to fight.
The Sociologist cites the symbolic example of the First Lady, Agata Kornhauser-Dudy, referred to in the network as "a patron of electoral silence".
– She is simply a female who is actually invisible, brought into the function of the back room, completely different from the erstwhile First Lady, like Maria Kaczyńska or Jolanta Kwasniewska, who addressed topics crucial to women and performed publicly.
According to our interviewer, this besides shows how the current power marginalizes female subjectivity. As he goes on to say, this structure is besides reinforced by the Church, under whose strong influence women remain.
Marcinkiewicz besides notes, for fresh years in the public space dominated a message of a right-wing nature.
– It is not possible to change attitudes that are the consequence of many years of work. They do not arise overnight – he notes.
Need for leaders
The sociologist stresses that it would be good if more activists appeared, who would actively address crucial social issues. She recalls that there was erstwhile a strong group of women active in the fight for women's rights, i.e. like the leader of the Women's Strike Marta Lempart or Clementina Suchanov, who protested against the PiS's actions.
– It was an environment that actually fought for women's affairs. Magdalena Biejat besides tried to rise these topics, although the Left is divided and speaks with different voices," notes the sociologist.
It does not hide that today, without strong, bottom-up activism of women, it will be hard to overcome change.
– If women do not fight for their affairs, no 1 will.
He besides recalls that many crucial topics have disappeared from the political agenda for migration, safety or war.
“Ecology, as well as women’s rights, have been mostly sidelined, and if no 1 takes on these issues and they do not return to mainstream public debate, the situation is becoming more difficult,” he says.
He besides notes that it is easier to be against something than to be behind something concrete.
– erstwhile the Law and Justice was limiting women's rights, it was easier to protest. However, there are now serious problems to constructively propose and implement solutions within the current coalition,” he points out.
Broken Poland
In the net space, after the first circular of elections there were sharp accusations against Poles, but the sociologist recommends caution in clearly defining Poland as a xenophobic or racist country.
– Looking at the utmost wings, represented by politicians specified as Braun or Mentzen, it is clear that anti-Ukrainian and anti-Semitic slogans go to any part of the electorate and are managed by them. But can you call all Poland that? I wouldn't go that far. Poland is mostly broken in half. I understand, however, that the upcoming second circular of elections results in an alarm beating – he says.
Sociologist notes that the right side of the political scene has become very strong, which – as he emphasizes – is not without blame on the ruling side either.
– specified discourse and acquisition of right-wing attitudes are besides present in the coalition itself. An example is Donald Tusk himself, who has late reached for patriotic slogans that even contact nationalism. Rafał Trzaskowski, on the another hand, pushes restrictions on Ukrainians' right to benefits – so you can see a shift to the right – notes the sociologist, pointing out that it is like giving the field to opponents and taking credibility.
Dr Stefan Marcinkiewicz has no fear of a second circular of elections:
– To be honest, more than anything else, I am horrified by the possible that a man who is simply a fraud, a liar and a dishonest individual connected to the criminal planet and a fascinating gangster can sit at the Presidential Palace. The fact that it originates from an environment that can be described as nationalistic scares less. In the historians' community, Mr. Nawrocki is rather well known as a man from what is called dirty, brutal work.
As he continues, it is hard to imagine that specified a individual is afraid about formalities, articles of law or paragraphs, as president Duda, for example, who is simply a doctor of law, does.
– We may have different reservations about its use, but it is simply a different category – it compares. – As Prof. Antoni Dudek said, Nawrocki is 1 of the most dangerous people on the modern political stage. It can be assumed that he will do anything to break up the coalition and set up fresh elections, hoping to win the right. In what configuration precisely – we do not know that.
Polarisation
What do the results of the first circular of presidential elections say about the condition of Polish society? We asked Dr. Matthew Zaremba, a political scientist, to comment.
“The turnout was rather advanced for Polish conditions, and this can be considered a affirmative signal,” he says. – However, there is simply a clear gap between the youngest and oldest voters. Young people voted completely different than seniors, which could be applicable in the long term.
As he adds, it will be crucial if voters can be mobilized for the second round. – We already know that any of the voters of Sławomir Mentzen declare that they do not want to participate in the next circular of voting. This may have a crucial impact on the final outcome," emphasised the political scientist, recalling, however, that in the fresh presidential elections it was in the second circular that the attendance increased.
There are voices in the public space that almost 22% support for the far right is simply a sign of the dusk of feminism in Poland. It draws attention to the fact that women themselves besides voted for openly anti-female candidates.
– We do not yet have detailed data to clearly measure how the individual groups, including women, voted. However, there is simply a clear polarisation: on the 1 hand, the voters are progressive and on the another hand supporting candidates with anti-feminist messages. These attitudes drive each another – says Dr Zaremba.
In the opinion of a political scientist, protests specified as the Women's Strike were groundbreaking due to the fact that women first massed out to express their opposition, but besides brought any unforeseen consequences. – The mechanics is simple: the action stimulates the reaction. Progressive movements fighting for change inadvertently led to the strengthening of the other side – the political scientist concludes.
