Polish opposition leader Jarosław Kaczyński warned of possible bloodshed if Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s government refuses to accept defeat in the parliamentary election in 2027. The warning came amid a sharp escalation of the country’s political conflict.
Kaczyński, who leads the Law and Justice party, said on the eve of Independence Day that he expects his party to win the next parliamentary vote and return to power. He nevertheless allowed for an escalation if the governing camp refuses to acknowledge the result.
Accusations against the government
In response to a question from TVN24, Kaczyński said that those in power were “capable of anything”. According to him, they serve foreign interests and are so unscrupulous and brutal that they may be ready to spill Polish blood.
Kaczyński provided no evidence for the claim that the government would resort to violence. His statement was made as a political assessment of the governing coalition’s actions, rather than as an announcement of a specific planned attack or plot.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk responded in his Independence Day speech in Szczecin. He described the opposition leader’s words as an “unnecessary statement” and said: “We are responsible for ensuring that Polish blood is never spilled for Polish reasons.”
The dispute over the Constitutional Tribunal
The indirect clash between the two politicians is unfolding against the backdrop of an institutional crisis surrounding the Constitutional Tribunal. Tusk’s government says it is taking steps to restore the court’s independence and remove the consequences of controversial appointments made during Law and Justice’s time in power.
The opposition and the presidential camp, which is politically close to Law and Justice, accuse the government of illegally taking control of the institution. The dispute led to protests outside the tribunal building and further deepened the divide between the pro-European government and the national-conservative opposition.
The conflict is intensifying about a year before the parliamentary election. In recent weeks, tensions were further heightened by violence in the streets. On November 7, six people were killed and around 15 injured in a shooting in the central square in Kraków. The authorities linked the attacker to far-right views.
On November 11, President Karol Nawrocki joined the nationalist march in Warsaw. According to an estimate cited by the Associated Press, around 250,000 people took part, while the organizers reported a significantly higher figure. The march passed without major incidents.
Against this backdrop, the president called for a strong and functioning state, while Tusk appealed for political unity. So far, there is no evidence of any specific actions confirming Kaczyński’s warning of impending bloodshed.
Sources: t-online.de, krone.at, apnews.com