Polish PM Prickled by "Spud" Slander

A satirical article in a German newspaper has prompted a major diplomatic row after the Polish President Lech Kaczynkski was compared to a potato. The President's twin-brother, newly appointed Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynkski, has called on the German government to take action against the paper as German-Polish relations further deteriorate.

Published by the leftist national newspaper Die Tagezeitung, the editorial first appeared some two weeks ago. The column -- renowned for its irreverent, sending-up of political heavy-weights -- chose Polish President Lech Kaczynski as the subject for parody and a few harsh words of criticism. Under the headline "Young Polish Potatoes -- the Rogues who Want To Rule the World," the column attacked Kaczynkski and his twin-brother, panning their "dark vision," conservative politics and alleged homophobic views.

The Polish government has reacted with ill-concealed outrage. Last week, President Kaczynski pulled out of a tripartite summit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Jacques Chirac, citing bad health. But it appears his absence had more to do with a diplomatic huff than health. Kaczynski is furious about his portrayal in the German paper. His spokesman confirmed he had been angered by the article, which he described as "disgusting" while Polish Foreign Minister Anna Fotyga went on the attack, accusing Die Tageszeitung of employing methods reminiscent of the Nazi-era newspaper Der Stürmer. However, German government spokesman Ulrich Willhelm declined to criticize the newspaper, saying it was not policy to comment on press articles about foreign politicians.
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Within Germany, there is palpable disquiet over the path the populist conservative Polish government has taken. Openly homophobic comments, coupled with alleged anti-Semitism and a chronic fear of corrupt "communists within" have not gone down well in Berlin. Israel announced on Monday that it would have no dealings with new Education Minister Roman Giertych because of anti-Semitism in some wings of his League of Polish Families (LPR) party. After the party's election success last year, members of junior government coalition partner LPR's youth wing were seen giving the Hitler salute. But Giertych has denied the claims made against his party, saying there is "no place for anti-Semitism in Poland."
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