National Rebirth of Poland ( pl, Narodowe Odrodzenie Polski), abbreviated to NOP, is an

ultranationalist Ultranationalism or extreme nationalism is an extreme form of nationalism in which a country asserts or maintains detrimental hegemony, supremacy, or other forms of control over other nations (usually through violent coercion) to pursue its sp ...

far-right

political party A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

registered by the District Court in Warsaw and National Electoral Commission. As of the 2015 election, the party had no seats in the Polish parliament. It was a member of the European National Front.

History and politics

National Rebirth of Poland was founded as a nationalist discussion group for young people on 10 November 1981. It joined the Christian National Union when that party was founded in 1989, before leaving in February 1990. The NOP registered as a political party in 1992. The party is the only far-right organisation to claim to be a successor to the National Radical Camp Falanga (ONR), the pre-war nationalist youth organisation, which was banned in 1934.Michael Shafir Varieties of Antisemitism in Post-communist East Central Europe: Motivations and Political Discourse
/ref> NOP publishes the magazines ''Szczerbiec'' (the name of the Polish royal coronation sword), which lists neofascists Derek Holland and Roberto Fiore among the members of its editorial board, ''Młodzież Narodowa'' (''National Youth''), ''Myśl'' (''The Thought''), and ''17 – Cywilizacja Czasów Próby'' (''17 – The Civilization of the Times of Trial''). In 2009, NOP membership in Poland was estimated at 1000. NOP also has supporters outside Poland, notably among the

Polish American Polish Americans ( pl, Polonia amerykańska) are Americans who either have total or partial Polish ancestry, or are citizens of the Republic of Poland. There are an estimated 9.15 million self-identified Polish Americans, representing about 2.83 ...

community, including Polish Patriots’ Association residing in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, and the revisionist Polish Historical Institute in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. In 2001, the NOP tried to enter parliamentary politics for the first time. The newly created NOP front organization, the New Forces Alliance (''Sojusz Nowych Sił''), joined the nationalist electoral bloc, Alternative Social Movement (''Alternatywa Ruch Społeczny''). Among the NOP candidates were Marcin Radzewicz, the leader of the openly neo-Nazi National Socialist Front (''Front Narodowo-Socjalistyczny''). ARS gained just below 0.5% of the votes, and the alliance was dissolved. In the 2005 parliamentary elections, the NOP received 0.06% of the vote. In the 2006 self-government regional elections, it received 0.30%, or about 41 000 votes. In the 2007 parliamentary election, the NOP received 42 407 votes in four electoral districts. In the self-government regional elections in 2010, the party received 0.24% of the vote. In the 2011 parliamentary elections, NOP senate candidate Anetta Stemler, running in the 1st electoral district, received 2934 votes, or 3.10%. The NOP is known for trying to get media attention with its

shock value Shock value is the potential of an image, text, action, or other form of communication, such as a public execution, to provoke a reaction of sharp disgust, shock, anger, fear, or similar negative emotions. In advertising Shock advertising or Sh ...

campaigns.">Wyborczy slogan NOP-u: "Jesteśmy gorsi od faszyzmu" – Wiadomości24
/ref> During the 2007 parliamentary election, the NOP distributed election campaign posters with the slogan "Fascism? We are worse." Another, openly

homophobic Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, m ...

shock value campaign conducted by the NOP was called ''Zakaz Pedalowania'' (the phrase is a pun meaning both "Cycling Forbidden" and "Faggotry Forbidden"). On 17 May 2006 in Toruń, the NOP organized a counter-demonstration against a public

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term ...

rights supporters' meeting. NOP members chanted slogans, including "

gas Gas is one of the four fundamental states of matter (the others being solid, liquid, and plasma). A pure gas may be made up of individual atoms (e.g. a noble gas like neon), elemental molecules made from one type of atom (e.g. oxygen), or ...

the queers" (pedały do gazu) and "there will be a baton for a queer face" (znajdzie się kij na pedalski ryj).

Antisemitism and racism

The NOP is stated to be an antisemitic organisation by a number of

government bodies A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administratio ...

nongovernmental organizations A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in ...

, academic institutions and individual experts worldwide, such as the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government responsible for the country's fore ...

, and the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI). According to The Stephen Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism and Racism, the NOP is promoting violent forms of

neo-fascism Neo-fascism is a post-World War II far-right ideology that includes significant elements of fascism. Neo-fascism usually includes ultranationalism, racial supremacy, populism, authoritarianism, nativism, xenophobia, and anti-immigration s ...

and antisemitism, including

Holocaust denial Holocaust denial is an antisemitic conspiracy theory that falsely asserts that the Nazi genocide of Jews, known as the Holocaust, is a myth, fabrication, or exaggeration. Holocaust deniers make one or more of the following false statements: ...

. According to the British historian, Dr John Pollard, neo-Nazi elements in the NOP and their racism and homophobia continue to give rise to concern in other member countries of the European Union. NOP actions were also condemned by the Anti-Defamation League, which claims that the NOP is an openly anti-Semitic

extremist Extremism is "the quality or state of being extreme" or "the advocacy of extreme measures or views". The term is primarily used in a political or religious sense to refer to an ideology that is considered (by the speaker or by some implied share ...

organization. According to the magazine '' The Warsaw voice'', the manifesto of the National Revival of Poland, which contains a sentence stating that "Jews will be removed from Poland, and their possessions will be confiscated", is taken directly from

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

's '' Mein Kampf''.RACE: Fighting Fascism
Warsaw Voice, 31 July 2003 The magazine also claims that the official greeting gesture used in the party is the Nazi-like gesture of the raised arm. A number of NOP-related incidents received some media coverage in Poland and abroad. According to the European Roma Rights Centre, on July 3, 1998, NOP supporters vandalised the Roma community centre in

Łódź Łódź, also rendered in English as Lodz, is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located approximately south-west of Warsaw. The city's coat of arms is an example of cant ...

. Along with racist graffiti, swastikas were sprayed onto the office walls. The perpetrators also left behind their signature as NOP – Narodowe Odrodzenie Polski. During the same night, the same group reportedly vandalised the premises of the Jehovah's Witnesses religious group. In March 2000, in

, swastikas and the slogan "Jews out!" along with NOP symbols were spray-painted on the home of

Marek Edelman Marek Edelman ( yi, מאַרעק עדעלמאַן, born either 1919 in Homel or 1922 in Warsaw – October 2, 2009 in Warsaw, Poland) was a Polish political and social activist and cardiologist. Edelman was the last surviving leader of the ...

, who was the deputy commander in the

Warsaw Ghetto uprising The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising; pl, powstanie w getcie warszawskim; german: link=no, Aufstand im Warschauer Ghetto was the 1943 act of Jewish resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto in German-occupied Poland during World War II to oppose Nazi Germany' ...

and the last of the leaders of the uprising still alive. The incident was condemned by the president and prime minister of Poland, who sent Edelman letters of support and apology. NOP front organization National-Radical Institute (''Instytut Narodowo-Radykalny'', INR) was involved in publishing Western and Polish Holocaust denial literature. In 1997, INR published a volume of translated works of Western Holocaust deniers under the title ''The Myth of the Holocaust''. The same year, INR announced that there were no exterminations in

gas chambers A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or other animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. Poisonous agents used include hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide. History ...

at Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. In 2006, the NOP was involved in campaigning to free convicted British

Holocaust denier Holocaust denial is an antisemitic conspiracy theory that falsely asserts that the Nazi genocide of Jews, known as the Holocaust, is a myth, fabrication, or exaggeration. Holocaust deniers make one or more of the following false statements: * ...

David Irving David John Cawdell Irving (born 24 March 1938) is an English author and Holocaust denier who has written on the military and political history of World War II, with a focus on Nazi Germany. His works include '' The Destruction of Dresden'' (1 ...

from prison in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, and produced a poster containing the slogan "David Irving – Uwolnić prawdę" ("David Irving – Free the truth".) The party also expressed support for the bombing of

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

at the time of the

2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel–Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War ( ar, حرب تموز, ''Ḥarb Tammūz'') and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War ( he, מלחמת לבנון השנייה, ''Milhemet Le ...

, with a poster image stating, "Bomby na Izrael – Już czas !!!" ("Bombs against Israel – it's about time!!!"). On August 13, 2006, NOP leader Adam Gmurczyk published a declaration on behalf of the NOP Executive Council titled ''Izrael musi zostać zniszczony!'' (''Israel must be destroyed!''), calling for the international military takeover of Israel, and offering to put administrative control of

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

in the hands of

Pope Benedict XVI Pope Benedict XVI ( la, Benedictus XVI; it, Benedetto XVI; german: link=no, Benedikt XVI.; born Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger, , on 16 April 1927) is a retired prelate of the Catholic church who served as the head of the Church and the soverei ...

and his successors.Narodowe Odrodzenie Polski, Izrael musi zostać zniszczony!
/ref> On April 14, 2007, in

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

, antisemitic slogans were shouted and fascist-like gestures made by the participants of an NOP demonstration. Investigations by the Public Prosecutor's Office were discontinued on November 26, 2007, as no perpetrators were identified and the case was not classified as an offense.« Anti-Semitic Incidents In Poland »
''

The Jewish Press ''The Jewish Press'' is an American weekly newspaper based in Brooklyn, New York, and geared toward the Modern Orthodox Jewish community. It describes itself as "America's Largest Independent Jewish Weekly". ''The Jewish Press'' has an online ...

'', March 26, 2008

Election results

Elections

In 2001, the NOP tried to enter parliamentary politics for the first time. The newly created NOP front organization, the New Forces Alliance (Sojusz Nowych Sił), joined the nationalist electoral bloc, Alternative Social Movement (Alternatywa Ruch Społeczny). Among the NOP candidates were Marcin Radzewicz, the leader of the openly neo-Nazi National Socialist Front (Front Narodowo-Socjalistyczny). ARS gained just below 0.5% of the votes, and the alliance was dissolved. In the 2005 parliamentary elections, the NOP received 0.06% of the vote. In the 2006 self-government regional elections, it received 0.30%, or about 41 000 votes. In the 2007 parliamentary election, the NOP received 42 407 votes in four electoral districts. In the self-government regional elections in 2010, the party received 0.24% of the vote. In the 2011 parliamentary elections, NOP senate candidate Anetta Stemler, running in the 1st electoral district, received 2934 votes, or 3.10%. She failed to win the Senate seat. After the 2011 parliamentary elections, NOP did not take part in any further elections; be it to Sejm, Senate or even local.

References

External links

NOP - official websiteNational Rebirth of Poland - presentation of the movementNacjonalista.pl - news portal related to NOP
{{DEFAULTSORT:National Revival Of Poland 1981 establishments in Poland Anti-Zionism in Poland Anti-Zionist political parties Anti-communism in Poland Antisemitism in Europe Antisemitism in Poland Catholic political parties Catholicism and far-right politics Eurosceptic parties in Poland Right-wing antisemitism Far-right movements in Europe Far-right parties in Europe Far-right political parties in Poland Formerly banned far-right parties Fascism in Europe Neo-fascist parties Neo-Nazism in Poland National radicalism National syndicalism Nationalist parties in Poland Polish nationalist parties Political parties established in 1981 Political parties in Poland Third Position