Church abuse documentary leads to pro-eu surge in Poland

POLAND’S pro-eu opposition has a 10-point lead over the ruling nationalists ahead of European Parliament elections, a survey showed yesterday, a sharp turnaround that some analysts linked to a film about sexual abuse scandals in the Catholic Church.

The documentary Just Don’t Tell Anyone, which shows victims of child abuse confronting priests who had sexually abused them, has shocked Poles.

The powerful Catholic Church has close ties with the governing Law and Justice party (PIS).

The European Coalition, which comprises pro-europeans from across the political spectrum, would win 43.6 per cent and PIS 32.9 per cent in the May 26 election, according to the poll by the Institute for Research into Public Affairs (IBSP).

The drop in support for PIS ahead of the EU elections is linked to the release of the documentary, said Lukasz Pawlowski, from IBSP’S parent firm.

The documentary has been viewed more than 18 million times on Youtube since it was released last Saturday.

“The biggest drops are observed in the group of voters who are not closely associated with the Church,” Mr Pawlowski told Newsweek, adding that smaller Right-wing parties had also seen their support increase.

PIS responded to public outcry by announcing tougher penalties for child abuse, but it stressed that the instances of abuse by priests should not be used as a reason to attack the Church.

‘The biggest drops are observed in the group of voters who are not closely associated with the Church’