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Attack in Poland: From the middle of society
Poland is in shock over the fatal shootings in Krakow. The fact that the perpetrator is a countryman doesn't make it any easier. more...
Deutsch (original) ·Auto-translated to English
Terrorism is new territory for Poland. Something like this happens in Germany, France, Spain and Belgium, where the perpetrators murder innocent people primarily out of religious fanaticism and “in the name of Allah”. Poland put a stop to this from the beginning, almost only accepting Christians and refugees who were close to Polish culture, and was thus spared from the terror.
And now it is a young Pole, of all people, who is randomly murdering people in Krakow's main market in olive green camouflage clothing. The passionate sports shooter was a complete stranger to the police until the violent act at the weekend. The shooting attack has significantly dampened the feeling of security of many Poles. According to the latest German-Polish Barometer, an annual survey of relations, many Poles felt safer in their own country than in Germany.
But now it turns out that the “terror import” is not the problem at all. Terror is at the heart of Polish society. And all it takes is an initial spark to turn a supposedly “normal” young man into a terrorist who randomly shoots foreign tourists and Polish residents in the middle of the cultural metropolis of Krakow. Once again, Poles must rethink their self-image.
The taz is an independent, left-wing and opinionated daily newspaper. We have been arguing in our comments, essays and debate texts since the taz was founded in 1979. We often cannot and do not want to agree on an opinion. That's why you'll find some completely opposing positions here - all part of the very broad left-wing spectrum of opinions.
It is simply not the case that “the immigrants” – whether Syrians, Afghans or Ukrainians – are “the bad guys” and the native Poles are “the good guys”. This had already been shown by the sometimes fatal stabbings in Poland's schools and the often violent attacks by Polish "patriots" on Ukrainian war refugees. Nevertheless, hatred and malice in Polish society have not diminished. But terror thrives in exactly this kind of climate, fueled by Poland's right-wing nationalist opposition.