In Warsaw, former MP Grzegorz Braun faces trial while a loose network of supporters—from a Stalinist fan to UFO‑angel theorists—is broadening, forming ties with far‑right MPs, anti‑vaccination voices, and pro‑Russian journalists.
What’s Going On with the “Firefighter Front”
A loose, informal group of Grzegorz Braun supporters has adopted exotic symbols and expanded its ranks. A meeting in Brussels with Korona chair and Ryszard Czarnecki, a former European deputy still registered with PiS, attracted attention. Earlier, former PiS MP Sławomir Zawiślak joined the front, securing seats in the Sejm, and later Marek Woch of Independent Local Self‑Governments joined, with the aim of contesting Senate seats.
“Cultivate, Don’t Extinguish”
During his election‑eve address on 18 May, Braun described the front not as a single movement but as a wide‑minded anti‑systemic right. The front’s presence was seen in Warsaw’s court proceedings; one supporter, Wojciech O., known as “Jaszczur,” a patostreamer and radical activist, allegedly handed Braun a firefighting axe sourced from a volunteer fire brigade.
Niżnik on “Descendants of Satan”
Konrad Niżnik, head of the Korona district in Gdańsk and 2023 Konfederacja candidate, publicly supported Braun. Niżnik is notorious for repeating anti‑semitic slogans, claiming that “there is no such thing as Polish Jews” and labeling them “descendants of Satan.” His anti‑vaccination posts and use of Russian propaganda were widely circulated.
Nuremberg Notes
Piotr Heszen, a fringe candidate who claims that Ukrainians bring disease and denies the COVID‑19 pandemic, promotes a UFO‑angel theory that “UFOs are fallen angels.” He edits the “Nuremberg Notes” series and is involved with Norymberga 2.0, an initiative organized by Braun’s Polskie Veto foundation to hold leaders accountable through trials resembling Nazi war‑crime proceedings.
At the Match with Walus
Photographs surfaced of Braun with Janusz Walus, a former South African nationalist leader convicted of murdering Chris Haniek in 1993. The pair watched a Legia Warsaw versus Sparta Prague match, with Braun remarking that the match was “polite” and “family‑friendly.” Walus, released from prison in December 2023, traveled with Braun to South Africa, citing security concerns.
Mourning the Loss of Aleksandr Dugin
During the same court session, Braun was accompanied by Mateusz Piskorski, a pro‑Russian journalist formerly imprisoned on spying charges. Piskorski, who writes for Myśl Polska and has interviewed Aleksandr Dugin, is slated to meet Braun in Szczecin to discuss Piskorski’s book “Ostatni więzień Rakiewcki.”