I may have erroneously given the impression that Janusz Palikot is usefully occupying a hitherto-unoccupied quarter in Polish politics, namely a free-market liberal who is at the same time a social liberal. I now gather from the man's latest billboards that he's trying to give Jean-Luc Mélenchon (who polled 13% in the today's first round of the French presidential election) a run for his money.
Mélenchon wants a 32-hour working week, retirement at 60 and 100% top income tax rate. Janusz Palikot wants something even less realistic - zero unemployment. And he wants it now, rather than in some unspecified time in the future.
By bandying about economically impossible postulates (rather like demanding the value of pi be equal to exactly 3), populist politicians risk being seen either as liars or illiterates. Primitive and yet comical.
By trying to outflank the dusty old-guard-led SLD ("Stalin, Lenin, Dno") on the traditional redistributionist left, Palikot is painting himself into a corner. His rainbow-flavoured movement is now seen less and less as a potential replacement coalition partner to the agrarian PSL party.
Having said all that, I like the use of typeface on the billboard - modern with a retro feel to it.
Incidentally, politics-watchers of the rabid right - have you noticed that today is the birthday of a) Donald Tusk (born 22 April 1957) and b) V. I. Lenin (born 22 April 1870). I'm sure you'll find something significant in that.
This time last year:
I cross two unfinished bridges
[the one on ul. Poloneza is still unfinished!]
This time two years ago:
What's the Polish for 'grumpy'?
This time three years ago:
Do not take this road!
This time four years ago:
Seated peacock, Łazienki Park
This time five years ago:
Spirit of place: 1930s Kentucky - or Jeziorki?
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6 comments:
@Mike
I do hope that the day will come when you will finally be able to acknowledge that the only sensibile answer to the Polish right is Jarosław Kaczyński.
It's actually a ploy to bait Hanna Barbera and build popular support for Poland's withdrawal from ACTA.
@toyah, Kaczynski may well be the answer but quite what is the question?
Surely, the birth dates cannot be a coincidence.
to Andrzej K: he is the answer to every question. He is the answer before you even come up with the question.
@Andrzej K.
You should know better.
Let me rephrase the suggestion made to Mr Dembinski: the person mentioned is the only answer to the Polish right, the only right and righteous answer. All you need to do is to acknowledge the fact, so you don't walk in the valley of darkness anymore.
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