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Krzemiński, Ireneusz
5 articles of this author have been cited in the European Press Review so far.
The Beijing Games are a scandal
On the day the Olympic Games begin in Beijing the daily Dziennik publishes an open letter written by 19 Polish intellectuals harshly condemning the International Olympic Committee (IOC). "Awarding the Olympic Games to China was a disgrace for which the functionaries of the Olympic Committee are responsible. Their claim that they do not want to interfere in politics is cynical and hypocritical. Respecting human rights is a universal norm of civilisation that only communists and fascists fail to observe. We do not condemn the athletes who participate in the Olympics - they did not choose the location. ... But we are expressing our displeasure with all those politicians who, by their very presence in Beijing - regardless of their verbal statements - are supporting a dictatorial state. Above all we want to show our solidarity with all those who are being deprived of their freedom and fundamental rights in China. We are convinced that any dictatorship - even that of a powerful state - must be condemned."
» full article (external link, Polish)
More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Sport, » Poland, » China
All available articles from » Ryszard Bugaj, » Czeslaw Bielecki, » Antoni Dudek, » Kazimierz Frieske, » Jadwiga Koralewicz, » Krzysztof Krauze, » Grzegorz Miecugow, » Paweł Śpiewak, » Grażyna Skąpska, » Aleksander Smolar, » Magdalena Środa, » Wojciech Kilar
Ireneusz Krzeminski on anti-Semitism in Poland
Sociologist Ireneusz Krzeminski of the University of Warsaw explains current-day anti-Semitism in Poland in an interview with Kamila Baranowska. "Polish anti-Semitism is an aversion to symbolic 'Jews'. It is directed against other Poles who people accuse of not being 'really Polish'. So it tends to target politicians people don't like, rather than real Jews. What's more, today anti-Semitism can be considered an indication of a certain world-view. Aversion to Jews is linked to an aversion to all 'others' – Germans, the European Union, gays, feminists. That is a typically chauvinist mentality which includes a kind of xenophobia founded on an authoritarian psychological orientation. ... I assume that similar phenomena exist in Ukraine, as well as Lithuania or Latvia, and possibly also in countries whose history is by no means as strongly anti-Semitic, such as Hungary. In Slovakia, such a nationalist mobilisation has already been observed."
» full article (external link, Polish)
More from the press review on the subject » Religion, » Minorities, » Poland, » Central Europe
Radio Maryja risks trial of strength with the government
The Polish government has announced plans to cut subsidies for the ultra-Catholic radio station Radio Maryja by more than four million euros. The station's boss, Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, has accused the government of wanting to destroy him and has announced demonstrations in Warsaw. Sociologist Ireneusz Krzeminski comments: "This should be a cause of concern above all for the Polish Church. A religious institution, 'the Catholic voice in Polish households' [Radio Maryja's slogan], has called for a purely political anti-governmental demonstration. Naturally this is about money and you can't really deny priests the right to take care of their 'worldly' interests. The question is whether the bishops will be able to convince the public that Radio Maryja's anti-government stance is not representative of the entire Church."
» full article (external link, Polish)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Audiovisual Media, » Poland
Coalition building in Poland
The liberal-conservative Civic Platform (PO) led by Donald Tusk is planning to form a coalition government with the conservative Polish Peasant Party (PSL) led by Waldemar Pawlak. Sociologist Ireneusz Krzemiński is confident that this would be a successful alliance. "In recent times Waldemar Pawlak has made good progress as a politician. There's no trace of the grumpy youth he was at the beginning of his career, when he was obsessed with power but at the same time scared to exercise it. Like Donald Tusk he is now an accomplished political player." Krzemiński concludes that this means there won't be any mutual reservations between Tusk and Pawlak. "Unlike with Jarosław Kaczyński and his brother [President Lech Kaczyński], their desire for power is not the result of deep inner needs."
» full article (external link, Polish)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Poland
Kaczynski government leaves behind a broken state
Ireneusz Krzemiński, a Warsaw-based sociologist, delivers scathing criticism of the so-called "Fourth Republic" under Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński's collapsed government. "Yet another right-wing government has collapsed and failed with its revolutionary socio-political agenda. But this government is leaving behind a particularly disastrous scenario: a broken state with an idle administration, in which incompetent government officials and politicians have made their careers, and a divided society which lives in fear of oppression because it could also affect the innocent. The net results of this government are an extremely negative image of Poland all over the world and the infiltration of a language of brutal aggression into public life."
» full article (external link, Polish)
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Poland
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