Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński rejects Olaf Scholz in an election campaign clip. What does the party expect from the staged video?
Olaf Scholz wants to make a phone call and Polish Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński simply hangs up – the national conservative ruling party PiS is now campaigning with this staged video clip. The clip caused a stir in Poland.
The party published the video on Platform X, formerly known as Twitter. It shows the interior of the German embassy in Warsaw to the music of Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries”. An actor dressed as an ambassador picks up the phone and calls Kaczyński.
In halting Polish with a strong German accent, the supposed diplomat explains that he wants to transfer a conversation with the Chancellor to Jarosław Kaczyński.
Dispute over retirement age
Scholz wants to ensure that the retirement age in Poland is raised again, as was the case during the term of office of the former head of government, Donald Tusk – Kaczyński’s political opponent. Kaczyński says in the video: “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.
Poland election campaign against Germany
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 had been increased under Tusk’s liberal-conservative government. However, 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.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
