Palikot's Movement

Palikot's Movement
Ruch Palikota
Leader Janusz Palikot
Founded 1 June 2011
Dissolved 6 October 2013
Succeeded by Your Movement
Headquarters Warsaw
Ideology Liberalism
Anti-clericalism[1]
International affiliation None
European affiliation None
European Parliament group None
Colours Orange
Website
http://ruchpalikota.org.pl/
Politics of Poland
Political parties
Elections

Palikot's Movement (Polish: Ruch Palikota, RP), until 1 June 2011 known as Movement of Support (Polish: Ruch Poparcia) was a liberal[2][3] and anti-clerical[2][3][4] political party in Poland. The party was headed by Janusz Palikot,[5] a former Civic Platform MP, founded in October 2010. Media variously described the party as libertarian,[6][7] liberal,[8][9][10] anti-clerical,[11] populist[12][13] and left-wing.[14][15]

On 6 October 2013 the party was succeeded by Your Movement (Polish: Twój Ruch).

History

In July 2010, Palikot - then still a Civic Platform (PO) member - suggested that the late President Lech Kaczyński was himself to blame for the Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash in Smolensk, Russia. In the aftermath of the resulting controversy, Palikot announced plans to create his own social movement.[16] On 2 October he organized the "Modern Poland" congress in Warsaw, attended by several thousand. At the congress, Palikot announced his 15-point program.[17] On 6 October, Palikot resigned from Civic Platform,[18] along with Kazimierz Kutz.

On 9 January 2011, Palikot gave his MP ID card to the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity to be auctioned off.[19]

On 1 June 2011, Palikot formally registered his movement as a political party called "Palikot's Movement".

In the October 2011 elections, the party received 10 percent of the vote and won 40 seats in the Sejm,[20] making it the third party in the chamber behind Civic Platform and Law and Justice—one of the best debut performances for a party since the end of Communism.[21] After the election, one of the MPs of Democratic Left Alliance, Sławomir Kopyciński, decided to leave his party and join Palikot's Movement.[22]

Anna Grodzka, the first ever transsexual MP in European history, was elected from the party lists in 2011.[23] Also, Robert Biedroń became the first openly gay MP in Polish political history. However, most MPs elected from the party platform are known for being entrepreneurs, not equal-rights activists. One parliamentarian, Roman Kotliński, is a former priest of the Catholic Church.

On 8 March, Łukasz Gibała, head of the Cracow structures of the governing Civic Platform, joined Palikot's Movement, becoming the 43rd MP of the party. His transfer was somewhat significant in that he is the nephew of the Minister of Justice Jarosław Gowin.

On 3 February 2013, Palikot's Movement and Racja PL started collaboration with Social Democracy of Poland, Labour United and Union of the Left to form an electoral alliance between the centre-left political parties, named Europa Plus, to contest the upcoming 2014 European election.[24][25] The project is led by Marek Siwiec, Aleksander Kwasniewski and Janusz Palikot.

On 6 May 2013 Palikot's Movement registered its first local party committee abroad, which had been formed by Poles residing in Brussels, Belgium.[26]

Political goals

Palikot's Movement wanted to end religious education in state schools, end state subsidies of churches, legalize abortion on demand, lower the voting age to 16,[27] give out free condoms,[28] allow same-sex marriages,[5] switch to the mixed-member proportional representation system, reform the Social Security Agency, abolish the Senate,[29] legalize cannabis[30] and implement flat taxes.[31] The party was also generally pro-European.[32]

The British Financial Times newspaper describe the party's economic views as heterogenous, ranging from in scope from libertarianism to social democracy.[33]

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Sten Berglund (1 April 2013). The Handbook of Political Change in Eastern Europe. Edward Elgar Publishing. p. 193. ISBN 978-1-78254-588-0.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Thierry Chopin; Foundation Schuman; Michel Foucher (30 April 2012). Schuman Report on Europe: State of the Union 2012. Springer. p. 119. ISBN 978-2-8178-0318-0. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Roger Schoenman (29 May 2014). Networks and Institutions in Europe's Emerging Markets. Cambridge University Press. p. 190. ISBN 978-1-107-03134-0.
  4. ↑ Wayne C. Thompson (1 August 2012). Nordic, Central and Southeastern Europe 2012. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 340. ISBN 978-1-61048-891-4. Retrieved 19 July 2013.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "10 percent support for rebel MP’s party?". TheNews.pl (Polskie Radio). 5 October 2010. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  6. ↑ "From goggle box to ballot box". The Economist. Sep 27, 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  7. ↑ "Palikot's surprise". Warsaw Business Journal. 10 October 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  8. ↑ Borowski, Chris (Oct 10, 2011). "Liberal maverick to push for secular Poland after win". Reuters. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  9. ↑ http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/56350,Palikot-moves-into-third-in-race-for-parliament
  10. ↑ http://www.wbj.pl/article-61566-palikot-founds-europa-plus-movement.html
  11. ↑ "Anti-Clerical protest in Gdansk". .demotix.com. 4 November 2010. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  12. ↑ Kulish, Nicholas (10 Oct 2011), "Provocateur’s Strong Showing Is a Sign of a Changing Poland", New York Times, retrieved 13 Oct 2011
  13. ↑ A glance at main parties in Poland's elections, Associated Press (AP), 9 Oct 2011, retrieved 13 Oct 2011
  14. ↑ AP: Polish PM Begins Building New Government After Win
  15. ↑ Gera, Vanessa (Oct 7, 2011). "AP Interview: New Polish party on the rise". The Associated Press. Retrieved 30 October 2011.
  16. ↑ Wybranowski, Wojciech. "Wirtualny Ruch Poparcia Janusza Palikota". rp.pl.
  17. ↑ Gądek, Jacek. "Kabaret eksperymentalny Janusza P. z biskupami pasibrzuchami w tle". onet.pl.
  18. ↑ Palikot, Janusz. "I Resign (Janusz Palikot's blog)".
  19. ↑ "Palikot przed kamerami oddaje legitymację poselską na aukcję WOŚP". gazeta.pl. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
  20. ↑ Elena Semenova; Michael Edinger; Heinrich Best (13 December 2013). Parliamentary Elites in Central and Eastern Europe: Recruitment and Representation. Routledge. p. 81. ISBN 978-1-317-93533-9.
  21. ↑ "Elections 2011 - Election results". National Electoral Commission. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
  22. ↑ "Poseł Kopyciński z SLD przeszedł do Ruchu Palikota" (in Polish). .dziennik.pl. 2011-10-20. Retrieved 2011-11-13.
  23. ↑ "Transgender woman poised for seat in Poland's new parliament". .telegraph.co.uk. 2011-10-10. Retrieved 2012-02-05.
  24. ↑ http://www.warsawvoice.pl/WVpage/pages/article.php/23648/news
  25. ↑ http://www.tvn24.pl/wiadomosci-z-kraju,3/palikot-rp-i-sdpl-razem-do-europarlamentu,304143.html
  26. ↑ "Tak sie zmienia swiat". blog pl. Retrieved 2013-06-02.
  27. ↑ https://ruchpalikota.org.pl/popieram-poselskie-projekty-ustaw-ruchu-palikota
  28. ↑ Strybel, Rob (3 October 2010). "Polish maverick MP launches anti-clerical party". Reuters. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
  29. ↑ "Modern Poland's postulates on their website" (in Polish). January 15, 2011. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
  30. ↑ http://wolnekonopie.pl/idealistka/relacje-z-akcji/771.html
  31. ↑ "What does Palikot's big win mean for Poland?". Warsaw Business Journal. 10 Mon, Oct 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2011. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  32. ↑ Wayne C. Thompson (28 August 2013). Nordic, Central, and Southeastern Europe 2013. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 328. ISBN 978-1-4758-0489-8.
  33. ↑ http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/681003bc-355a-11e1-84b9-00144feabdc0.html

External links