For several days, a wave of protests has been sweeping through Poland over the ruling of the Constitutional Tribunal on the incompatibility of the current provisions on abortion with the Constitution. The scale and nature of these protests, as well as the reactions of people and circles reluctant to them, indicate that we are dealing with a continuation and escalation of the process of polarization of our society, which has been going on for many years and which is increasingly threatening the good future of all of us. The Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe, working for the peaceful coexistence of nations, social groups and individuals, observes this process with growing pain and anxiety.
Abortion is a very controversial topic that evokes extremely strong emotions. Modern democracies have not yet found model solutions that would satisfactorily protect both life from conception and women's right to subjectivity and self-determination. It is precisely due to the conflicting, polarizing potential of disputes over abortion, as well as the fundamental difficulty in developing appropriate legal solutions, that this topic should be approached with great responsibility.
Optimal solutions to difficult and controversial issues must be the result of dialogue and consensus. Forcing controversial legal solutions contrary to the opinion of a significant part of society, including, above all, many women who will be affected by these provisions, will not contribute to the development of good, permanent regulations. In addition, such a difficult topic as abortion should not be tackled in a situation where the temperature of the political and social dispute is high, and at the same time we are facing a second wave of the pandemic that threatens the health and life of many Polish women and Poles. And finally: it is difficult to settle conflicting, complicated legal issues, when the authority of the Polish judiciary, including the Constitutional Tribunal, has suffered a lot as a result of controversial decisions and political disputes in recent years.
Some feel discomfort with the nature of the current protests, the accompanying vulgar language, aggressive attitudes and emerging demands. However, it is important to remember that vulgar and disrespectful attitudes have dominated political debates for some time. The growing brutalization of language, verbal violence, questioning the patriotism of people with different political views and stigmatizing entire social groups due to their sexual orientation have unfortunately become a common element of the political landscape in Poland in recent years.
In this situation, we appeal to the rulers to begin to appreciate the value of dialogue, compromise and community building more than ever before, also with that part of society in which they do not see their electorate. Only in this way can we ensure a good future for our socially diverse society.
We also appeal to the protesters not to succumb to the logic of polarization and conflict. In certain situations, you have to defend your beliefs very decisively. However, this should not lead to such a radicalization in words and actions that permanently closes the way to dialogue and understanding.
The temperature of the dispute in Poland is so high that part of the society rejects the logic of dialogue and compromise, preferring to force their views and marginalize those who think differently. However, we must not succumb to this temptation! Dialogue can be very difficult, and a compromise usually does not fully satisfy anyone, but the alternative is increasing polarization, escalation of conflict and erosion of social ties. And these occurrences are disastrous for any community.
We recognize that appeals have a very limited effect. Therefore, as a Foundation, we want to focus on what we can do ourselves. We assure you that we will remain faithful to the heritage of Krzyżowa, i.e. the culture of dialogue, consensus-building and cooperation across divisions. In an increasingly polarized and conflicting environment, we want to continue to be a place where diversity and respect go hand in hand. We encourage all of you to do so.
The Management Board of the Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe
Dorota Krajdocha, dr Robert Żurek
