In Katarzyna Gójska’s program “W Punkt”, politicians discussed a video released by Civic Platform (PO), which, instead of promoting the government’s “engagement” in border protection, was in fact used as a tool to discredit the Border Defense Movement (ROG). The politicians present in the studio had no doubts — this was a cynical attempt to portray volunteers patrolling the border as an aggressive fringe group.
Not an analysis, but a political spectacle
Senator Jan Filip Libicki from PSL clearly emphasized that PO’s controversial video is not part of a substantive debate about migration but a component of political marketing. He stressed that this style doesn’t sit well with him, as it instrumentalizes the situation at the border.
“I regret that this is not about analysis, but about politicization. It’s an attempt to exploit what’s happening at the border for political and marketing gain,”
said the senator, adding that similar tactics are used by PiS as well.
Civic Platform is fueling social division
Marek Szewczyk from Confederation pointed out the dangerous stigmatization involved — an attempt to lump together people concerned about their safety with groups that evoke negative emotions in the public eye. In his view, belittling people worried about their families is unfair.
“Portraying short-haired, physically fit people as hooligans is an exaggeration,”
he commented, arguing that the video mainly serves to divide Poles.
Kurzajewski: “Tusk is looking for enemies”
Mateusz Kurzajewski from PiS stated that the video and the overall strategy of undermining the credibility of ROG volunteers is classic Donald Tusk politics — always finding an enemy to distract from real issues. He also addressed the video’s narrative, which suggested the government has always protected the borders and supported the uniformed services.
“Their attack on the Border Defense Movement is brazen, but claiming they ‘stand firmly behind the uniform’ is a multi-layered scandal (…). They exploit uniformed officers by claiming to support them,”
Kurzajewski said.
He stressed that Tusk’s propaganda campaign is meant to divert attention from the government’s problems and to discredit ROG’s efforts in the public eye. According to the PiS politician, the volunteers active along the borders are heroes who deserve respect.
“Donald Tusk is an extreme cynic. The people at the border can be called heroes — they sacrifice their time to fill the gap left by the state,”
he emphasized.