Hoyer Statement on Poland's Censorship Law
Press Types
Press Release
For Immediate Release:
February 7, 2018
Contact Info:
Mariel Saez 202-225-3130
WASHINGTON, DC – House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today on Poland's censorship law:
“Poland’s long fight for democracy and its embrace of democratic norms have served as a model for European nations in transition and countries around the globe. Poland remains a NATO ally which has provided critical support to the United States since the September 11 attacks and continues to serve as a key partner in blunting the Kremlin’s malign influence in Europe.
“Given that history, I am disappointed with the censorship law signed yesterday regarding Holocaust-era crimes, which now awaits approval by the Constitutional Tribunal. Notwithstanding its intent or scope, this law is inconsistent with our nations’ shared values. Poland suffered immensely during the Second World War, and numerous Poles risked their lives to rescue Jews and actively resisted the Nazis. However, while the Polish state did not collaborate with the Nazi occupiers and was not responsible for the Holocaust, there were individual Poles who committed heinous crimes against their Jewish neighbors, both during and after the war. Further, a stream of anti-Semitism – sometimes masked as anti-Zionism – has festered in certain quarters of Polish society well past the Second World War, rearing its ugly head during the 1968 purge committed by the Communist regime.
“No nation on Earth – including the United States – can fully step forward into the future until it has reckoned fully with its past, even the darkest chapters. Taken alongside the highly problematic judicial reforms pushed through earlier this year, this new law could have a chilling effect on Poland’s democratic political culture and institutions and fuel a white-washed narrative of Poland’s history. I urge an immediate reassessment of this law – along with a robust discussion between the United States and Poland to ensure that this regrettable development does not provide the Kremlin an opportunity to sow dissent in our close relationship.”
“Poland’s long fight for democracy and its embrace of democratic norms have served as a model for European nations in transition and countries around the globe. Poland remains a NATO ally which has provided critical support to the United States since the September 11 attacks and continues to serve as a key partner in blunting the Kremlin’s malign influence in Europe.
“Given that history, I am disappointed with the censorship law signed yesterday regarding Holocaust-era crimes, which now awaits approval by the Constitutional Tribunal. Notwithstanding its intent or scope, this law is inconsistent with our nations’ shared values. Poland suffered immensely during the Second World War, and numerous Poles risked their lives to rescue Jews and actively resisted the Nazis. However, while the Polish state did not collaborate with the Nazi occupiers and was not responsible for the Holocaust, there were individual Poles who committed heinous crimes against their Jewish neighbors, both during and after the war. Further, a stream of anti-Semitism – sometimes masked as anti-Zionism – has festered in certain quarters of Polish society well past the Second World War, rearing its ugly head during the 1968 purge committed by the Communist regime.
“No nation on Earth – including the United States – can fully step forward into the future until it has reckoned fully with its past, even the darkest chapters. Taken alongside the highly problematic judicial reforms pushed through earlier this year, this new law could have a chilling effect on Poland’s democratic political culture and institutions and fuel a white-washed narrative of Poland’s history. I urge an immediate reassessment of this law – along with a robust discussion between the United States and Poland to ensure that this regrettable development does not provide the Kremlin an opportunity to sow dissent in our close relationship.”