Sovereign Poland

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Sovereign Poland
Suwerenna Polska
Leader Zbigniew Ziobro
Secretary-GeneralAndrzej Dera
Founded24 March 2012
Dissolved12 October 2024
Split from Law and Justice
Merged into Law and Justice
Youth wing The New Generation (Polish: Nowe Pokolenie)
Ideology
Political position Right-wing to far-right
Religion Roman Catholicism
National affiliation United Right
European affiliation Movement for a Europe of Liberties and Democracy (2011–2015)
European Parliament group Europe of Freedom and Democracy (2012–2014)
European Conservatives and Reformists (since 2019)
Colours
  •   Blue (until 2023)
  •   Red
Website
suwerennapolska.pl

Sovereign Poland (Polish : Suwerenna Polska, SP), also known as United Poland [6] [7] [8] [9] (Polish : Solidarna Polska; alternatively translated to Solidarity Poland), [10] [11] until 2023, was a Catholic-nationalist political party in Poland led by Zbigniew Ziobro. It was founded in 2012, as the Catholic-nationalist split from the Law and Justice, with whom they later formed the United Right alliance in 2014. Sovereign Poland merged with Law and Justice on 12 October 2024.

Contents

Ideology

The party has been described as national-conservative, [12] nationalist, [2] and Catholic-nationalist. [6] [13] [14] It was also staunchly socially conservative. [3] [5] [4] It was opposed to abortion and euthanasia, and supported extending maternity leave to nine months. [15] It was eurosceptic, [7] [16] Anti-LGBT [17] and its staunch opposition to same-sex marriage was cited as a main reason it left the ECR group in the European Parliament in 2012. [18] It has also been described as right-wing populist mainly due to their opposition to immigration. [19] It has been described as right-wing [20] [21] [22] and far-right. [23] [24] [25] [26]

In its 2013 program, United Poland called for the government intervention in the economy, especially tax policy. [27] The party has called for a 'fat cat' tax on big companies, including supermarkets, and backs higher taxes on those who earn over 10,000 złotych (€2,400) a month. [15]

During the tenure of then-United Poland leader Zbigniew Ziobro as Minister of Justice, Ziobro was the architect of judicial reforms to the Constitutional Tribunal, which resulted in the Polish Constitutional Tribunal crisis. [28] Law and Justice Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has blamed United Poland for failures associated with these reforms, while Ziobro has criticised Law and Justice and President Andrzej Duda for blocking elements of the reform package. [29]

In 2022, United Poland called for tougher blasphemy laws in Poland, such as three-year jail terms for insulting church or interrupting Mass. [30]

History

After Ziobro and fellow MEPs Tadeusz Cymański and Jacek Kurski were ejected from PiS for disloyalty on 4 November 2011, [15] Ziobro's supporters within PiS formed a new group in the Sejm. [31] Despite claims that the new group was not attempting to form a new party, the MPs were expelled from Law and Justice. [32] The party was founded in 2012 by Law and Justice (PiS) MEP Zbigniew Ziobro, who led the party's conservative Catholic-nationalist faction. [33]

In 2012, their MEPs left the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) to join the Europe of Freedom and Democracy (EFD) group in opposition to the ECR's more liberal stance on gay marriage, its support for the EU's climate change policy, and its advocacy of cuts to the Common Agricultural Policy. [18]

The party was officially launched on 24 March 2012. At the time, opinion polls put the party just around 2%. [15] In a 2020 poll, it found that if the party ran independent from the United Right it would gain 5.4% votes. [34]

Sovereign Poland merged with Law and Justice on 12 October 2024 during PiS congress in Przysucha, [35] despite concerns from some high-ranking members of both parties. [36] [37]

Representatives

Members of the Sejm

Member of the Senate

Members of the European Parliament

Election results

Presidential

Election yearCandidate1st round2nd round
# of overall votes % of overall vote# of overall votes % of overall vote
2015 Supported Andrzej Duda 5,179,09234.8 (#1)8,719,28151.5 (#1)
2020 Supported Andrzej Duda 8,450,51343.50 (#1)10,440,64851.03% (#1)

Sejm

Leader: Zbigniew Ziobro Vice-Leaders: Beata Kempa Michał Woś Michał Wójcik Secretary: Piotr Cieplucha Chairman of the General Council: Edward Siarka

ElectionLeaderVotes %Seats+/–Government
2015 Zbigniew Ziobro 5,711,687 [lower-alpha 1] 37.6 [lower-alpha 2] (#1)
8 / 460
 PiS
As part of the United Right coalition, that won 235 seats in total. [38]
2019 Zbigniew Ziobro 8,051,935 [lower-alpha 3] 43.6 [lower-alpha 4] (#1)
10 / 460
Increase2.svg 2 PiS
As part of the United Right coalition, that won 235 seats in total.
2023 Zbigniew Ziobro 7,640,854 [lower-alpha 5] 35.4 [lower-alpha 6] (#1)
18 / 460
Increase2.svg 8 KO–PL2050–KP–NL
As part of the United Right coalition, that won 194 seats in total.

Senate

ElectionSeats+/–
2015
2 / 100
As part of the United Right coalition, that won 61 seats in total.
2019
2 / 100
Steady2.svg 0
As part of the United Right coalition, that won 48 seats in total.
2023
1 / 100
Decrease2.svg 1
As part of the United Right coalition, that won 34 seats in total.

European Parliament

ElectionVotesLeader %Seats+/–EP Group
2014 Zbigniew Ziobro 281,0794.20 (#6)
0 / 51
New–
2019 Zbigniew Ziobro 6,192,780 [lower-alpha 7] 45.38 (#1) [lower-alpha 8]
1 / 52
Increase2.svg 1 ECR
As part of the United Right coalition, that won 27 seats in total.
2024 Zbigniew Ziobro 4,253,169 [lower-alpha 9] 36.16 (#2) [lower-alpha 10]
2 / 52
Increase2.svg 1 ECR
As part of the United Right coalition, that won 20 seats in total.

Notes

  1. ↑ Got 277,622 votes
  2. ↑ Got 1.83%
  3. ↑ 331,467
  4. ↑ 1.79%
  5. ↑ 465,024
  6. ↑ 2.15%
  7. ↑ 289,536
  8. ↑ 2.12%
  9. ↑ 575,261
  10. ↑ 4.89%

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References

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  3. 1 2 Napieralski, Bartosz (2017). Political Catholicism and Euroscepticism. Routledge. Both splinter parties remained socially conservative
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  14. ↑ Burdeau, Cain (12 August 2021). "Media, Holocaust laws in Poland draw US condemnation". Courthouse News Service. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "New Polish conservative party launched". TheNews.pl. 26 March 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  16. ↑ "Polish president says changes needed to judges' disciplinary system". Reuters. 30 July 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  17. ↑ "Tęczowe opaski na "Sylwestrze Marzeń" dzielą PiS i Solidarną Polskę. Co z 2 mld zł z budżetu państwa dla TVP?". www.wirtualnemedia.pl (in Polish). 3 January 2023. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  18. 1 2 Brand, Constant (2 January 2012). "Polish MEPs leave ECR group". European Voice . Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  19. ↑ Zagorski, Piotr; Santana, Andres (25 August 2018). Explaining Support for Right-Wing Populist Parties in Central and Eastern Europe. ECPR General Conference. Hamburg. p. 26.
  20. ↑ Freedom in the World 2015. Rowman & Littlefield. 2015. p. 544.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  21. ↑ "The rise of the far-right in Poland: No more Eurovision, vegetarians or cyclists". International Business Times . 13 January 2016.
  22. ↑ "Polish political crisis over EU pandemic recovery fund". POLITICO. 15 March 2021. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  23. ↑ "Nigel Farage heads for row over Ukip's anti-gay allies". The Guardian . 15 December 2012.
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  25. ↑ "Why Poland's "win" on the EU climate budget rings hollow". New Statesman. 28 July 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  26. ↑ "Money for Nothing? PiS Appears Ready to Call EU's Bluff Over Recovery Funds Standoff [EXCLUSIVE]". gazetapl. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  27. ↑ "SolROOF - Zintegrowany Dach Fotowoltaiczny Solarny - SteelProfil - Najtańsze Płyty Warstwowe, Blachy Trapezowe, Płyty PIR i XPS". Archived from the original on 24 December 2013.
  28. ↑ "Crisis erupts as Warsaw court declares Polish constitution trumps EU law". Courthouse News. 7 October 2021.
  29. ↑ "Judicial reforms "haven't turned out well", says Poland's PM, blaming justice minister". Notes from Poland. 17 May 2023.
  30. ↑ "Polish coalition party proposes three-year jail terms for insulting church or interrupting mass". 14 April 2022.
  31. ↑ "Conservative MPs form 'Poland United' breakaway group after dismissals". TheNews.pl. 8 November 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  32. ↑ "MPs axed by Law and Justice opposition". TheNews.pl. 15 November 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  33. ↑ "Party members 'furious' following conservative defeat". TheNews.pl. 11 October 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  34. ↑ "Ziobro's party would win seats if elections were held - daily".
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  37. ↑ Długosz, Dominika (21 September 2024). ""Dlaczego im się tak śpieszy?". Suwerenna Polska zaczęła się bać PiS". Newsweek (in Polish). Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  38. ↑ Prawapolityka.pl Energetyka, samorządy, demografia – WYWIAD z dr Janem Klawiterem http://prawapolityka.pl/2015/11/energetyka-samorzady-demografia-wywiad-z-dr-janem-klawiterem/
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