Franco's ghost in EU?

European politics just got a strange twist last week, as Maciej Marian Giertych, leader of the right-wing and somewhat unappetising League of Polish Families, decided to depart from the usual script" the EU Observer reports.

"The presence of such personalities as Franco, Salazar or DeValera in European politics guaranteed Europe's preseverance of traditional values. We lack such men of action these days."

Aki Paasovaara, the President of Europe United, calls Mr. Giertych's comment a perfect example of how reactionary forces are raising their heads at present due to the lack of European vision and wary EU leaders. "The delay in European integration process gives an opportunity to the reactionary forces" said Mr. Paasovaara.

Mr. Giertych's League of Polish Families combines nationalism with isolationism and populist policies, based upon its own interpretation of Catholic social teaching. "The values and vision League of Polish Families represent are simply unpalatable to me" Mr. Paasovaara noted and continued: "Those "good, old days" described by Mr. Giertych would lead Poland back in time before separation of church and state, an isolated Poland without change in the globalised world."

League of Polish Families is anti-EU and was the only significant political force in Poland that unconditionally opposed Polish membership in the EU. However, after Polish accession to the EU the party participated in European Parliament elections, in order to have actual influence over decisions made regarding Poland.