Election campaign: PiS leader Kaczynski attacks Olaf Scholz and Donald Tusk

In Poland, an anti-German election campaign advert from the national-conservative ruling party PiS is causing a stir. In the clip, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) is rejected: PiS chairman Jaroslaw Kaczynski refuses to make a phone call to the SPD politician and simply hangs up.

The video, which the party published on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter, shows the interior of the German embassy in Warsaw to the music of Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.” A fictional ambassador picks up the phone and calls Kaczynski.

Accusation: Germany is controlling former Prime Minister Tusk

In bumpy Polish with a strong German accent, the supposed diplomat explains that he wants to put a conversation with the Chancellor through to Kaczynski. Scholz wants to clarify that the retirement age in Poland will be raised again – as it was during the time of Kaczynski’s political opponent, the former head of government Donald Tusk.

Kaczynski says: “Tusk is gone and these habits are over.” Then he hangs up. The PiS has long been attacking Tusk with the insinuation that he is acting on behalf of Germany.

Referendum on the retirement age is imminent

Background to the bizarre video: Parallel to the parliamentary elections on October 15th, the PiS government wants to let voters vote in a referendum on, among other things, the retirement age. This was increased under Tusk’s liberal-conservative government, but the PiS, which has been in power since 2015, reversed this.

Tusk is chairman of Poland’s largest opposition party, the liberal-conservative Civic Platform (PO). After his government in Poland, he was President of the EU Council until 2019. He is now back in Polish domestic politics. With a victory in the parliamentary elections, Tusk wants to oust the PiS government from power.