Catholic and Nationalist Populism in the Current Poland

Abstract

This paper is dedicated to Catholic and nationalist populism that has become a part of political party called Prawo i Sprawiedliwoœæ (Law and Justice), the faction which currently rules in Poland. This attitude of populism is characteristic also for its leader Jaros³aw Kaczyñski who builds his political strategy on populist slogans concerning nationalist and Catholic elements. The level of populism has permanently been growing since the origin of PiS. The great power that supports these tendencies is the Catholic hierarchy. A folk version of religion is a main face of Polish Catholicism. It is one of the sources of populism in Polish society. The Catholic Church in Poland has lost its intellectual image. Author underlines that populist slogans try to mobilize right-wing electorate but consequences for Polish political system, the place of Poland in Europe and international relations as well as for the future of the European Union can be dangerous.