– To a large degree they are people in a sense lost in today's world. Fearful ones who fear dangers. In their view they lurk around each corner and are frequently real, like war, pandemic, situation at borders. They are trying to organize this planet and realize it – he tells us about the voters of Grzegorz Braun, Dr. hab. Rafał Pankowski, sociologist, Prof. Collegium Civitas, co-founder of the NEVERmore Association, advisor to the European Commission on Radicalisation.
– Braun gives them simple, clear instruments of explanation of the world. That is the position that Jews are behind all the problems of this planet – he comments.
Dr Przemysław Witkowski, investigator of the utmost right from Civitas University and the Narutowicz Institute sees Braun's supporter as such: – This is simply a individual who has a advanced level of fear that fuels various kinds of messages about possible threats specified as war in Ukraine or terrorism. Fearing changes that happen in the moral sphere. Feeling that the planet in which she grew up lived and considers it good and right is falling apart. That he is threatened by dark forces that are waiting for Poland and for it personally.
– It is simply a imagination of a individual who feels severely threatened by many criminal-demonic-technical threats. And the hero and defender is the only righteous Grzegorz Braun, who defends her against the wave, which floods Europe, Poland, the planet and religion – he says.
"Braun does it in an absolutely cynical way"
We find this "herohood" on social media. Among the supporters of Grzegorz Braun on various Facebook groups that gather his sympathizers. any number respective hundred-thousand people, and 1 has almost 40,000. Here you can see with what anointing they approach him.
But first, a small reminder.
– These are men aged 18-39, with an advantage of 30-39. With a lower education. Grzegorz Braun had the biggest support in south-eastern Poland. It can be assumed that they are besides voters, whom Braun obtained at the expense of the Law and Justice,” says IBRIS president Marcin Duma.
He points out that it was the PiS that lost the presidential election, after which we observed the jump at Braun, due to the fact that he lost nearly 2 million voters and KO 500,000.
– That difference is striking. These voters went to Grzegorz Braun and the Confederacy. And what Grzegorz Braun is doing today, he's radicalizing them even more so that they don't return to the Law and Justice. I think, unfortunately, she's doing it with success. In a way that goes beyond the standards we have adopted in terms of political culture and perception of values. He's doing it in an absolutely cynical way. In this way, he keeps these people with him, so that they don't gotta go back to the Law and Justice," comments Marcin Duma.
Let us remind, through Poland there is simply a wave of outrage following Braun's words about gas chambers in Auschwitz, but we all remember his another jumps. Recently, for example, Braun demolished a fragment of an exhibition dedicated to the LGBT+ community in the Sejm. And his men caused a scandal in Jedwabne.
The surprise is that the latest polls already give him 7-8 percent of the support. Poles cannot believe that Poland is so brown.
– I think Jarosław Kaczyński has a strong headache today. PiS found itself in ticks between the Confederate, who began to choice up the centre-right voters, and extremist Grzegorz Braun, who takes distant the most extremist right-wing voters from them – draws the wider political background of Marcin Duma.
– It is frightening that today, on specified a narrative, support can be built. If individual said that the pendulum in Poland had leaned left, then possibly we were all delusional. due to the fact that it did not thin to any left-hand side – the head of IBRIS points out.
He besides fears that Braun has seemingly hit susceptible ground.
"Braun calculated it a while ago"
– We'll see if his body grows more or little after the fresh stunts. due to the fact that spitting at the sanctity of the past of the Holocaust and the Auschwitz camp, he crossed another border. We will see if possible Braun voters can accept specified a position," says Prof. Pankowski.
Sociologist does not regulation out that for any of them a minute of sobering up may come. – However, any of them may find that his repeated neo-fascist thesis, negating Nazi crimes, is incompatible with Polish past and Polish patriotism. But there will most likely be those who will not see any problem in it, due to the fact that hatred blinds them so much that it doesn't substance anymore," he comments.
What does this show about our society?
– That there is simply a immense scale of ignorance erstwhile it comes to Polish past and Polish tradition. Unfortunately, Grzegorz Braun and his ideology truly have nothing to do with what is crucial and valuable in the Polish tradition. What he's referring to is any kind of past caricature. In fact, what he cultivates is pseudo-history and pathological warping of cognition about Polish tradition – the expert answers.
Sympathics on Braun. Here's how they look at him.
On Facebook support groups for Braun, this is simply a completely different reality. Shocking, but giving distant as thought part of Polish society. Here are any random quotes:
"I want all politicians had that knowledge. He's the only smart politician and he's not afraid of anything due to the fact that he's telling the truth, "Mr. Braun, you're a very smart guy. 100 percent agree with you", "Let all those who have condemned Grzegorz Braun apologize to Poles. They are guilty of everything, sold Poland and now dare to insult and request punishment for the only Polish MP who is telling the truth. Shame."
You will find here people who compose that Braun opened their eyes and "there is no equal." And "As the only 1 telling the truth," it sounds like a mantra.
"As the only one, Mr. Braun speaks the truth. He's breaking the system. That's why they're attacking him. Fortunately, more and more people wake up and see the truth," "He's the only politician who has the courage to tell the truth. Who fights for the honor of Poland. Who does not kneel before political correctness and dictatorship of false historical narrative. I am with him due to the fact that I see how much courage is lacking in Poland" – he is changing to these groups.
On Sławomir Mentzen, many people do not leave a dry thread here.
Dr. Witkowski doesn't even request to read any quotes. Sam guesses the next one, due to the fact that it's like everybody's talking in 1 voice, in the same words.
– I know what the intellectual plan of specified people is. I know what kind of vocabulary they use. I would be able to emulate these people, make a character and talk as 1 of them," he says.
"It is not, however, that Grzegorz Braun is their savior"
According to his observations for many years, Braun's voters are "a combination of a very apocalyptic imagination of past with a parareligious group".
Capable of conspiracy theories that are spread online. There are quite a few anti-vaccinationists out there. Anti-Semites. Against the Polish political class as specified and the political strategy in Poland.
– For them there is simply a terrifying system. Enemy, oppressive, lied and dominated by evil and anti-Polish elites. Here comes Paladin of good origin Grzegorz Braun, who is not afraid of the consequences of property, legal, personal. It stands and stands in values. He's very consistent in his views. It creates quite a few discussion around it. It acts aggressively and controversially. It shows that the law is not after him and the state is ineffective," says Dr. Witkowski.
– But it is not that Gregory Braun is for them a Savior, Messiah, God. Only the structure of the spiritual group is copied, and he is its leader – he adds.
"This is the key to knowing what you can call Braun's phenomenon"
Prof. Rafał Pankowski speaks straight about the followers of Grzegorz Braun. It reminds us of how on a large scale he managed to spread conspiracy theories related to pandemics and vaccines, lined with anti-Semitism. And then the slogan "stop the Ukrainianization of Poland".
– You can see that they are voters older than, for example, voters of Sławomir Mentzen. alternatively men, although it is hard to generalize. quite a few supporters have had in the countryside, where alleged conventional anti-Semitism has been a part of the scenery for many years and it besides preys on it – he comments.
He adds: – I think this is the key to knowing what can be called Braun phenomenon. Of course, among his constituents is simply a full conglomerate of hateful views. There is hatred for various minorities, homosexuals, refugees, Muslims, etc. But hatred of Jews comes first.
So who's Braun's biggest hitter now?
Marcin Duma suggests going to any areas and asking who lives on Polish and who lives on judaic property.
– Everyone will know that. He uses fears that are rooted and inherited. And abruptly they start to revive, but not in the oldest generation, but in the next generation. "We are the victims. It's up to us. No reparations for others" – that's what reasoning comes up. In my opinion, this subcutaneous anti-Semitism is driven by these inherited concerns," says IBRIS president.
– It is very akin to what Jarosław Kaczyński started earlier, only in the release "Germany will return and on western lands will take distant all the land you received after the war," he adds.
"Jarosław Kaczyński will find himself in a situation like Benjamin Netanyahu"
Marcin Duma besides notes that Israel's policy towards the Gaza Strip could besides have influenced Braun's voters.
– Israel's intervention in Gaza sealed the armor, which had stories about the Holocaust so far. I think that's a good reason, too. The crust built by the process of education and culture was so tight that it could not come out. And today, Netanjahu's policy and how it is described what Israel is doing will in a way fill it up," he says.
If Braun and his group enter the Sejm, he thinks Jarosław Kaczyński will find himself in a situation like Benjamin Netanyahu.
– The president of PiS will gotta ally with the truly far right and will pay the price for it. In narrative, in politics, and possibly in historical politics. And center environments can look at it and resent it. But they must take into account whether they will happen to find themselves in a situation where their voters – looking at Braun – will not begin to view the Law and the Confederation as a average right to which it may be worth voting to halt Braun – he warns.
Dr. Witkowski besides points out that paradoxically all this reminds him a bit of what is happening on the political phase in Israel. That to the right of the ruling Likud there were besides 2 rather akin parties in all proportions: the spiritual Zionism of Becalel Smotrics and the judaic Power of Itamar Ben-Gwir.
– The same process happens here and there. There is already a very right-wing populist Kaczyński, there is Netanyahu. And we inactive have in Israel an utmost right-wing spiritual Zionism that could be a Confederate in this comparison and an ultra hardcore judaic Force that would be the Crown," he says.
"Already at that time we paid attention to the impunity of Grzegorz Braun"
It's a lesson for another forces. To analyse and draw conclusions. 'Cause I don't think they were getting out much.
Prof. Rafał Pankowski, co-founder of the NEVER MORE Association, recalls that his association in 2023 published a study on Grzegorz Braun. Right after the fire extinguisher incidental in the Sejm.
– In this large, detailed report, we gave dozens of examples of various aggressive and hateful actions by Grzegorz Braun, and we already pointed to his impunity. Almost 2 years have passed and we are discussing again why Grzegorz Braun remains unpunished. The institutions of the state are sleeping, they're very slim. Braun functions in a sense of impunity and it is 1 large scandal. How did it happen that as a society and a state we stay passive? – he points.
So we grew Gregory Braun ourselves. And he is his constituents.
But why do these people think he's the only 1 who tells the truth?
It's a crisis of authority. specified authority for these people is most likely neither the Church nor the Pope nor anyone else. And they find pseudoauthorites from the virtual world, and that's precisely what Grzegorz Braun is doing. Yeah, he's in the EP, he's come a long way. But it embarrasses us – the expert responds.
From friends of extremist researchers from different countries, he heard that many neo-fascists or racists in the planet accepted a fire extinguisher as their symbol. “This symbol has just been promoted by a Polish politician,” he says.
