ARTICLES WIELOKULTUROWość… Politeja No. 4(61), 2019, p. 149-166 https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.16.2019.61.09 Elżbieta WIącEK Jagiellonian University in Kraków
[email protected] ThE RhETORIC OF THE “MARCH OF INDEPENDENCE” IN POLAND (2010-2017) AS THE ANswER FOR THE POLICY OF MULTICULTURALIsm IN EU AND THE REFUGEE CRISIS ABSTRact In 2010, Polish far-right nationalist groups hit upon the idea of establishing one common nationwide march to celebrate National Independence Day in Poland. Since then, the participants have manifested their attachment to Polish tradi- tion, and their anti-multicultural attitude. Much of the debate about multicul- turalism and the emergence of conflictual and socially divisive ethnic groupings has addressed ethical concerns. In contrast, this paper focuses on the semiotic and structural level of the problem. Key words: March of Independence, nationalism, refugees, values, patriotism 150 Elżbieta Wiącek POLITEJA 4(61)/2019 fter Poland’s accession to the European Union in May 2004 new laws on national, Aethnic and linguistic minorities were accepted and put into practice.1 However, cur- rent Polish multiculturalism is different from that of multi-ethnic or immigrant societies such as the UK. Indeed, multiculturalism in contemporary Poland can be seen as a his- torical phenomenon, one linked to the long-lasting ‘folklorisation’ of diversity. For in- stance, although ‘multicultural’ festivals are organised in cities, towns and in borderland regions, all of them refer to past ‘multi-ethnic’ or religiously diversified life. Tolerance is evoked as an old Polish historical tradition. The historical Commonwealth of Poland and Lithuania (1385-1795) was in itself diverse linguistically, ethnically and religiously, and it also welcomed various ethnic and religious minorities, especially Jews.