Jarosław Kaczyński

[[File:Jarosław Kaczyński, 15 March 2022 (cropped).jpg|thumb|165px|Kaczyński in 2022.]]
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'''Jarosław Aleksander Kaczyński''' {{lived|1949}} is a [[Polish]] politician and leader of the Law and Justice Party (Prawo i Sprawiedliwość, PiS) who served as prime minister of Poland from 2006 to 2007 and as the deputy prime minister twice (from 2020 to 2022 and from June to November 2023). Kaczyński is an extreme anti-communist with a history of defying [[authoritarian]] [[communism]] such as the communist Polish government that controlled Poland  between 1945 and 1989, joining protests in March 1968 during a political crisis in the country. He also participated in protests in 1980 and in strikes in 1988.<ref>[https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/polish-lawmakers-slam-1968-purge-of-jews-praise-protest/ Polish lawmakers slam 1968 purge of Jews, praise protest] ''The Seattle Times''
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==Politics==
[[File:Polish protestors.png|thumb|150 px|Kaczyński being depicted as a Nazi in a protestor’s sign.]]
Since 1989, Kaczyński engaged in Polish politics and made himself a significant presence by taking part in the {{wpl|Polish Round Table Agreement}} that resulted in independent [[trade unions]], and more free elections within communist Poland. Kaczyński later went on to serve as a senator of Poland from 1989 to 1991, starting his career as a politician.

Jarosław co-founded the PiS party with his twin brother Lech Kaczyński (who died the {{wpl|Smolensk air disaster}} in 2010) in 2001, and Jarosław himself became leader of the party in 2003. He served as prime minister while his brother served as president (a rank case of nepotism).

Jarosław opposes [[immigration]] and [[LGBT rights]], decrying them as foreign imports that threaten Poland's [[Catholic]] identity and civilization.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190427222602/http://time.com/5577841/lgbt-poland-jaroslaw-kaczynski/ Poland's Ruling Party Chair Calls LGBT Rights a Threat to the Nation] Time 100</ref><ref>[https://www.voanews.com/a/party-leader-calls-lgbt-rights-an-imported-threat-to-poland/4891764.html  Party Leader Calls LGBT Rights an Imported Threat to Poland] VOA</ref> He has stated that immigrants carry foreign and deadly germs, and that all immigration must be stopped. This is despite Poland no longer having any immigrants entering the country.<ref>[https://www.politico.eu/article/migrants-asylum-poland-kaczynski-election/ Migrants carry ‘parasites and protozoa,’ warns Polish opposition leader] Politico</ref>

Despite his party’s anti-[[Islam]]ic stance, the PiS party (along with [[Hungary]]'s government) went to [[Iran]] to join and support the regime's anniversary of the Iranian revolution despite the rest of [[EU]] and their own citizens protesting and [[boycott]]ing the regime's atrocities.<ref>[https://www.timesofisrael.com/defying-eu-boycott-poland-and-hungary-send-envoys-to-iran-revolution-anniversary/amp/ Defying EU boycott, Poland and Hungary send envoys to Iran Revolution anniversary] Times of Israel</ref><ref>[https://www.politico.eu/article/poland-hungary-ignore-eu-boycott-celebrate-iran-revolution-tehran-ebrahim-raisi/ Poland, Hungary ignore EU boycott to celebrate Iranian revolution in Tehran] Politico</ref>

==Reign==
Under his leadership, he attempted to ban counterprotesting while painting them as traitors threatening the nation and influence far-right protestors supportive of the PiS party (ironically becoming the very same authoritarianism that he fought against in his younger years).<ref>[https://www.politico.eu/article/poles-to-the-right-of-jaroslaw-kaczynski-law-and-justice-poland-ultra-nationalists/ Poles to the right of Jarosław Kaczyński] Politico</ref>

==The only good things==
Kaczyński has had a few stopped clock moments. An example is his support for [[animal rights]] by banning of breeding fur animals in Poland, which ensures protections for any animal species in Poland used prior as sources for fur clothing (like foxes, minks, martens, sables, and other species).<ref>[https://tvn24.pl/swiat/bruksela-kaczynski-apeluje-niech-futra-przejda-do-historii-ra808781-ls2409868 Kaczyński apeluje z ekranu w Brukseli: niech futra przejdą do historii]</ref> He’s also considerably less extreme on [[gay rights]] than his peers (which isn’t much, but it’s saying something). He claims to view gay people as [[human]]s and states that he doesn’t support [[bigotry]] against them and similar groups, but proclaims that they cannot mix in society regardless.<ref>[https://www.thegully.com/essays/gaymundo/051110_poland_election.html New Anti-Gay Regime in Poland Catholic ultra-conservatives bash their way to victory. By Tomek Kitlinski and Pawel Leszkowicz] The Gully</ref> Interestingly, in stark contrast to his [[Trump|American]] and [[Orbán|Hungarian]] counterparts, he is very strongly opposed to Putin's Russia.

==See also==
*[[Donald Trump]], his [[US|American]] counterpart.
*[[Viktor Yanukovych]], his [[Ukraine|Ukrainian]] counterpart.
*[[Viktor Orbán]], his [[Hungary|Hungarian]] counterpart.
*[[Geert Wilders]], his [[Netherlands|Dutch]] counterpart.
*[[Nigel Farage]], his [[UK|British]] counterpart.

==References==
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[[Category:Anti-immigration]]
[[Category:Anti-LGBT bigots]]
[[Category:Catholics]]
[[Category:Christians]]
[[Category:European politicians]]
[[Category:Homophobes]]
[[Category:Islamophobes]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Right-wing activists]]
[[Category:Transphobes]]

Categories: Anti-immigration, Anti-LGBT bigots, Catholics, Christians, European politicians, Homophobes, Islamophobes, Living people, Right-wing activists, Transphobes