Gay bashing Polish PM in talks with EU
Jaroslaw Kaczynski will make his first official visit outside Poland today since becoming Prime Minister.
He will meet EU Commission President Jose Barossa and other top officials in Brussels, as his foreign minister admitted that Poland has an image problem.
EU relations with Poland have been strained since Kaczynski and his twin brother Lech, who is President of Poland, took office.
Their Justice and Law party is notorious for its anti gay stance. Since they won power earlier this year gay organisations have been banned and ministers have been allowed to freely make homophobic remarks.
Within minutes of becoming Prime Minister in July, Jaroslaw Kaczynski attacked gay marriage saying, “We won’t let ourselves say that black is white, we are going to protect this (marriage) foundation of social life.”
His brother also has some colourful views on homosexuality. When serving as mayor of Warsaw, Lech Kaczyznski attempted to ban Gay Pride marches in 2004 and 2005.
He refused to meet with the parade organisers, saying, “I am not willing to meet perverts.”
During his presidential campaign, Mr Kaczynski said that he would continue to ban gay demonstrations, as “public promotion of homosexuality will not be allowed.”
As a condition of entry into the EU, accession states such as Poland had to pass a range of legislation protecting LGBT rights.
The statements of both Kaczynskis have put Poland on a collision course with the Western states of the EU, most of whom are granting even greater rights to LGBT people.
As well as enraging EU colleagues with their anti-gay stance, the ruling brothers have indicated they believe in a reintroduction of the death penalty.
Prime minister Kaczynski is a confirmed bachelor who lives with his mother.
The twins first came to prominence in Poland as child actors in the 1962 film Two Who Stole The Moon.
