A town that, nearly four years ago, was among the first of many in Poland to adopt a resolution declaring itself “free from LGBT ideology” has now replaced the document with one expressing opposition to discrimination, including against sexual minorities.
The decision by councillors in Świdnik, a town of 40,000 in eastern Poland, came amid fears that it could lose millions of euros in European funds due to its anti-LGBT declaration.
The initial resolution adopted by Świdnik council in March 2019 pledged to “stop LGBT ideology” and fight “homopropaganda”. It was passed with the votes of councillors linked to Poland’s nationally ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, which has led a long-running anti-LGBT campaign.
The town was one of dozens in Poland to introduce such declarations. Many others adopted “Family Charters” that do not mention LGBT specifically but express opposition to same-sex marriage and pledge to “protect children from moral corruption” (language often used as part of PiS’s anti-LGBT rhetoric).
As a result, in 2021 Świdnik reportedly lost out on 40 million zloty of funds from Norway after the Norwegian government said that it would not allow grants to go to places in Poland that had passed anti-LGBT resolutions. The European Commission has also sought to prevent such places from receiving EU funds.
Subsequently, in November 2021 Świdnik’s council amended the resolution to remove explicit mention of “LGBT ideology”. However, with EU funds for the town still under threat, at the end of December 2022 the council unanimously approved a new declaration “on the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms”.
The document declares that “the dignity of every human being is an inalienable value subject to special protection”. It expresses “opposition to all forms of discrimination based on sex, race, ethnic origin, nationality, religion, denomination, belief, disability, age or sexual orientation”.
The newly adopted text replaces the previous ones adopted in 2019 and 2021, reports local media outlet Nowy Tydzień. The newspaper added that councillors had privately said that the aim of the change was to ensure access to European funds.
“Pecunia non olet – money does not stink – as the ancient Romans used to say,” said Mariusz Wilk, head of the opposition bloc on the council, quoted by Onet. “Without EU funds, Świdnik’s budget will be at risk. In my opinion, this is the only reason that [this change] prevailed.”
Marcin Magier, from the ruling majority on the council linked to PiS-backed mayor Waldemar Jakson, says that the new declaration reflects both “values such as tolerance and respect for minority rights but also those related to family and parenthood”.
Świdnik joins a number of places that have withdrawn their anti-LGBT resolutions over fear of losing EU funds. Others have seen their declarations legally annulled by courts. However, some places have chosen to stick by their resolutions despite financial and legal threats.
Main image credit: Jakub Orzechowski / Agencja Wyborcza.pl
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
