Independent Polish MP Marcin Józefaciuk discusses gender politics, his suspension from the KO party, and discrimination against men in Poland.
Gender Politics and Parental Alienation
Independent MP Marcin Józefaciuk noted that men’s issues are now perceived as a domain of the right in Polish politics, adding that the left has focused largely on women’s agendas in recent years. He expressed his preference for supporting good ideas regardless of their political origin.
In September, Minister Żurek promised to show draft changes within a month but failed to deliver. Instead, a proposal from Confederation emerged, which Józefaciuk described as non-controversial in content, stating he wanted to sign under it. He believes Minister of Justice wants to seriously address this issue and supports his actions.
Regarding parental alienation, Józefaciuk acknowledged the term shouldn’t be used as a syndrome or mental illness, as the WHO removed it from the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Health Problems. He stressed that while the problem exists, it shouldn’t be automatically assumed that preventing contact is justified without evidence of violence.
Party Suspension and Independent Path
Józefaciuk explained he was suspended by his party club for three reasons: criticizing government actions, suspension of asylum rights, and voting against party discipline. He agreed with these reasons but disagreed with his removal from the Committee on Education and Science.
After his suspension period ended, he was removed from the Education Committee, which led him to leave the club. He believes the KO party could have handled this differently by having a conversation with him rather than simply removing him.
During the controversy surrounding his name, he received significant online hate, with no support from his club. He expressed gratitude for support from Bosak from Confederation and Cieszyński from PiS on social media.
Discrimination Against Men
Józefaciuk stated that men are definitely discriminated against in Poland. He cited an example from Warsaw’s employment office where rules automatically favored women for subsidies, while men needed to be unemployed and meet age criteria. He also mentioned a girls-only competition where female participants received additional points.
He criticized a 5 million złoty program by the Ministry of Digital Affairs offering programming training exclusively for women, calling it discrimination. He emphasized that everyone should have equal access to education and courses, citing Article 32 of the Constitution.
Józefaciuk also mentioned an educational program in Pszczyna where girls received additional points in competitions, despite boys already facing educational challenges and higher dropout rates.
Educational Reform Controversies
Józefaciuk strongly criticized the “project week” component of educational reform, calling it a giant mistake. He noted that not every child with moderate intellectual abilities is prepared for such activities, arguing that teachers should make this decision, not imposed top-down.
He praised President Duda’s veto of the related law but criticized the justification as being at a low level. He offered to help strengthen the president’s argumentation but wasn’t taken up on the offer.
Regarding Education Minister Barbara Nowacka, he found her initial comments about the veto to be unfortunate, using terms like “dumber veto” and “gibberish.” He believed she should have stood behind the teacher from Kielno and withheld judgment until having the full picture.
Political Reflections
Józefaciuk stated that while he still largely supports the government and KO’s program, he disagrees with their education policies and believes more could be done in social policy. He criticized the delay in legislation hoping for a new president from their camp to sign them.
He mentioned communication errors and the lack of a government spokesperson as other issues. Despite facing online hate, he’s trying to turn it into something positive by conducting workshops about hate speech with children across Poland.
Admitting his own early polarizing comments, Józefaciuk noted that his ADHD sometimes causes him to act before thinking. He apologized for some of his past statements and emphasized the need for civilized relations among MPs, though he admitted there are some he doesn’t want to talk to at all.
Personal Stance
Józefaciuk concluded by stating there are MPs he would never shake hands with privately, but he respects their position as elected officials. This included a politician from former Sovereign Poland who, in his view, deserved less respect.