Babosha Ivan Aleksandrovich – Leading Editor, Fundamental Library, INION RAN
The article analyzes the election campaign of the «Confederation of Liberty and Independence» coalition party before the parliamentary elections in Poland on October 15, 2023. The «Confederation» is a heterogeneous association of far-right forces, including nationalists, conservative libertarians, and traditionalist Catholics, who are united by Euroscepticism and a political realism in foreign policy, atypical for the Polish party scene. The «Confederation» was expected to come in third place in the polls (up to 15% of the vote), and its leadership declared that it would remove «Law and Justice» (the ruling party at the time) from power and prevent the «Civic Coalition» (the largest opposition force) from coming to power. However, despite gaining more MPs than in the previous elections (from 11 in 2019 to 18 in 2023) and entering the Sejm, the «Confederation» only received 7,16% of the vote, placing it in the last fifth place. A comparative analysis of the «Confederation»’s election programs for the 2019 and 2023 parliamentary elections shows that the party has significantly toned down its far-right and anti-system rhetoric. The new program no longer includes appeals to traditional values, and the «Confederation» now criticizes the European Union solely for promoting «green energy», which they believe is burdensome for the Polish economy. Unlike the 2019 program, which declared multi-vector approach, the 2023 election program of the «Confederation» doesn’t include a concept of foreign policy. The main emphasis of the election campaign was placed on moderately libertarian slogans such as «simple and low taxes». These slogans were designed not only for the party's traditional far-right admirers but also for the center-right youth and female electorate of large cities. The attempt to broaden the «Confederation»’s electoral base risks splitting the party between supporters of a new, more moderate course and those who advocate a return to its far-right roots.
Poland, «Confederation of Liberty and Independence», Sławomir Mentzen, Krzysztof Bosak, Janusz Korwin-Mikke, Grzegorz Braun, far-right, libertarianism, nationalist parties, Euroscepticism.
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