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WORLD NEWS Monday 4 February 2019

Progressive politician seeks Polish ‘Spring’ with new party

Civil Platform governed Poles now get only 1,000 tion crowd he would con-
from 2007-2015 and over- zlotys ($270). tinue the legacy of Gdansk
saw fast economic growth, Some activists and critics Mayor Pawel Adamowicz,
but Biedron faulted it for ig- of the Law and Justice- a supporter of women and
noring growing economic led government have ac- minorities who was fatally
equality and struggles of cused Biedron of further stabbed in mid-January
many Poles. weakening an already di- amid the heavy ideologi-
He said his party would vided opposition with poor cal animosity.
raise the minimum pension prospects of unseating the “We do not want any more
to 1,600 zlotys ($425) per ruling party. of this Polish-Polish war,”
month, noting some older Biedron told the conven- Biedron declared.q

Robert Biedron addresses the founding convention of his new
centre-left party “Wiosna” (Spring), in Warsaw, Poland, Sunday,
Feb. 3, 2019.
Associated Press
By VANESSA GERA stays like green energy and
Associated Press women’s rights eagerly
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — anticipated the launch of
A former lawmaker who Biedron’s party.
is openly gay launched a It remains unclear how
progressive party in Poland much support he will be
ahead of two elections this able to muster in an era
year, presenting a program when right-wing nationalists
Sunday that includes phas- have gained popularity in
ing out coal production Europe. Some of Biedron’s
and liberalizing the abor- positions also could prove
tion laws. unpopular.
At an inaugural conven- In a country heavily depen-
tion in Warsaw, Robert dent on coal for jobs and
Biedron announced the energy, he said he would
new party’s name, Wiosna, focus on fighting the as-
or “Spring,” and vowed to sociated heavy smog by
work to unify the bitterly di- phasing out coal produc-
vided country. tion by 2035. Biedron’s un-
“The last years were cold apologetically secular pro-
and gloomy. Instead of gram included ending the
conversations we got con- teaching of religion from
stant conflict; instead of public schools, a direct
the good of the communi- challenge to the Catholic
ty, party interests,” Biedron Church that holds great
told a crowd of thousands. sway in Poland.
“Let this finally come to Biedron said he wants to
an end. We need a spring give women in the country
that will renew this gloomy with Europe’s most restric-
landscape.” Biedron, 42, tive abortion laws the right
has long been the hope to terminate pregnancies
of many progressive Poles, to the 12th week. Some
thanks to his charisma, en- conservatives already
ergy and relative youth. have accused him of trying
He got his start in politics to make Poland a “civiliza-
as an LGBT activist during tion of death.”
the 1990s and became the “Poland is a woman,”
first openly gay member of Biedron said. “Her suffering
parliament in 2011. He most is our suffering.”
recently served as mayor of At the convention, Biedron
Slupsk in northern Poland. presented himself as an
The left-wing political scene alternative both to ruling
in Poland since commu- right-wing ruling party, Law
nism fell in 1989 has been and Justice, and the main
dominated by ex-commu- opposition party, the cen-
nists who are now aging trist pro-business Civic Plat-
and in some cases, have form party. He portrayed
been discredited by cor- the new party as a chance
ruption scandals. Many of for change after years of
those hoping for a party fo- hostility between the two
cused on progressive main- political camps.