Another day, another European country shifts further towards the far right. This time, it’s Poland’s turn, as Karol Nawrocki, a believer in maintaining ties between the Catholic Church and Polish government and criminalising abortion, wins his presidential seat. Nawrocki has also been vocal in his opposition to the legalisation of same-sex marriage and civil partnerships, believing the Church’s morality on sex and marriage to be beyond reproach.
Meanwhile, other far-right politicians and leaders such as Viktor Orbán, president of Hungary, and France’s far-right National Rally leader, Marine Le Pen, have grimly cheered from the sidelines.
Stoking the fires of anti-LGBTQIA+ hate
In 2019, over 100 municipalities, covering over a third of the country, as reported by activist group Atlas of Hate, imposed ‘LGBT-free zones’, normalising hostility towards LGBTQIA+ communities and single mothers. Ending the reign of these discriminatory zones took tremendous collective effort from the Human Rights Ombudsman, Coalition for Equal Rights’ Equality Watch and KPH, who, after engaging with local authorities, were able to bring these issues to the European Union.
However, five or so years later, generally held opinions on LGBTQIA+ people haven’t improved much. According to data collected by equaldex.com, surveys in Poland have revealed an inherent resistance to the advancement of LGBTQIA+ rights. For example, in 2024, less than half (47%) of those surveyed supported LGBTQIA+ people being open about their sexual orientation or gender identity. In the same year, only 51% were recorded as being in support of LGBTQIA+ rights and protections.
Hate crimes against LGBTQIA+ people in Poland already exceed the EU average, according to a 2024 report conducted by the Centre for Hate Studies at the University of Leicester. Furthermore, the report indicated that LGBTQIA+ individuals in Poland face heightened risks of violence and harassment, without the legal protections for justice. To put this into perspective, in 2022, only 11 cases of anti-LGBTI hate crimes were officially recorded by the police in Poland.
So while Nawrocki’s appointment rings alarm bells, particularly given his personal views, it should perhaps be unsurprising that this is the outcome.