"This is terrible, but there is fact in these words." Duda causes a storm with words about hanging for treason

In 1 statement, he included everything that Poland present shares — violent language, tensions around the courts, contempt for the institutions. Andrzej Duda quoted words about hanging for treason. Reactions? An avalanche.

Photo screen shot / youtube @president

Duda quotes, but does not distance

– Recently, 1 man said to me very brutally: “Do you know why there is so much betrayal and brazenness in Poland? For no 1 has been hanged for treason.” It's terrible, but In those words is the truth– said Andrzej Duda in an interview with the right-wing portals of the Open Conservative, the fresh Deal and the Jagiellonian Club, published on 9 July.

He further developed the thought, highlighting the importance of punishment as a deterrent. Context? A dispute over the improvement of the judiciary and announcements of a fresh hand in the ultimate Court.

Not a direct call to violence, but the words, quoted with approval, without distance, sounded like an echo of political revolutions, not a democratic debate. In a associate State of the European Union, which is bound by constitution and global law, specified statements are peculiarly worrying – they can be seen as crossing the borders of democratic discourse.

Reaction avalanche: from consternation to prosecution

The speech immediately revolved around the media and social media. The opposition had no uncertainty – the border fell. Mr Ko Dariusz Joński stated directly: “Duda and his environment are striving for civilian war”. Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz called the words "honorable" and "dangerous", and Anna Maria Żukowska of the Left suggested the request for the prosecutor's response, recalling cases of incitement to force from the past.

The publicists estimated that the president was “sickly hungry for attention” (Radosław Karbowski), and words could “end up with political assassination” (Roman Giertych).

It's not just metaphors. In Poland it is remembered about Pawle Adamowicz, about attacks on politicians and language that preceded violence. In this context, even quoting specified words by the head of the state takes on a burden.

Retaliation and frustration rhetoric

Throughout the speech there is deep frustration – from the deficiency of tools, from the opposition of the institutions, from the "unreformable" system. Duda speaks of judges who, in his opinion, "make politics" and the request to remove them from the profession. This is simply a communicative known from the times of Ziebra reform: court as an enemy, not a partner.

But now that the Law and Justice have lost power and the fresh majority has restored earlier principles, the president is not giving up. In his narrative, the courts are inactive a "crazy element", which must be tamed. Even at the price of a language of retaliation.

Border blurry

You can quote, even violently. You can talk about betrayal, punishment, guilt. But in the mouth of the president, who swore on the constitution and is to be an arbitrator, not a party, specified words have a different weight.

They cover the line between freedom of speech and moral legitimacy of violence. They remind us that the language of politics is not indifferent — that symbolic force frequently precedes physical violence.

Hate or frustration policy?

Some say it's a cynical game. Others: Desperation. But the effect is 1 – another decision towards the rhetoric of violence. And the question that comes back like a boomerang: what happens erstwhile individual takes those words seriously?

In a planet where the President's words spread faster than the laws, all message is simply a possible spark. And Poland in 2025 is simply a barrel of powder.