German Kaczynski satire becomes an affair of state

On July 4, the Polish presidential chancellery and government sharply condemned a satirical article about Polish president Lech Kaczynski published on June 26 in the German tageszeitung. Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz described the article as "repugnant". The presidential chancellery and Foreign Minister Anna Fotyga called on German politicians to publicly condemn the article. Rafal Zakrzewski agrees that the satire is in bad taste but goes on to make fun of Kaczynski. "This vulgar article has triggered a chain reaction... If we don't break that chain we could face a nuclear explosion that leaves Poland's foreign policy looking ridiculous. In today's Europe you can't react to a satirical article that's not funny without looking ridiculous, particularly in the light of Germany's calm, diplomatic reaction to the cancellation of the Weimar Triangle meeting scheduled for Monday on the grounds of Lech Kaczynski's illness."

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