It was clear who the losers had been within the dispute between Poland and Belarus. The 1000’s of migrants who grew to become stranded on the border in freezing situations had their goals of a brand new future in Europe dashed, and a few at the moment are being repatriated to their dwelling international locations. However for Poland’s authorities, the disaster helped to divert consideration from a sequence of uncomfortable points.

The nationalist Legislation and Justice get together (PiS), which received an outright majority in 2015, has seen its grip on parliamentary energy weaken within the years since. It is usually roiled in battle with the European Fee over the rule of legislation and faces huge opposition, particularly in city areas, to its place on cultural points.
Earlier this month, the loss of life of a pregnant Polish girl reignited debate over the nation’s close to whole ban on abortion, with protesters once more taking to the streets.

Set towards this backdrop, the drama that performed out on the nation’s japanese border with Belarus — whereas unsolicited by Poland and severe for all concerned — could be seen as a useful distraction for the ruling PiS.

This migration disaster is sort of helpful from the attitude of the home political agenda for the get together as a result of they’re in the mean time in hassle. They usually have been in hassle for fairly a time already, with the parliamentary majority changing into slimmer and slimmer,” Piotr Buras, head of the European Council on International Relations’ Warsaw workplace, instructed CNN.
The best-wing get together’s ruling coalition narrowly managed the decrease home, the Sejm, till the summer season, when three MPs defected, costing PiS its formal majority and forcing it to depend on the assist of independents. The get together had already misplaced management of Poland’s higher home in 2019 elections, and President Andrzej Duda, backed by PiS, solely narrowly received a second time period final yr.
In the meantime, rising inflation is inflicting monetary ache for a lot of in Poland, and polling signifies assist for the federal government has dropped in current weeks, stated Buras.
“I don’t need to play down the scenario as a result of it’s dangerous and severe, fairly a troublesome political scenario as a result of it entails a safety battle and a humanitarian disaster… however there’s after all additionally an try and capitalize politically on this disaster,” he stated.
Judy Dempsey, editor of the Strategic Europe weblog for the thinktank Carnegie Europe, agreed that the disaster had been “enjoying out very effectively” for the ruling get together.
Assist for the federal government had fallen, she stated, amid protests over the loss of life of the pregnant girl. However Dempsey added: “With this complete disaster on the Belarusian-Polish border, Legislation and Justice now could be seen as a champion of defending Polish sovereignty and, after all, defending Europe.”