Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radosław Sikorski, has issued a firm condemnation of increasing racist and anti-Semitic rhetoric across the country, warning that such sentiments damage Poland’s global image and societal values.
In a video message published on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Sikorski stated, “Anti-immigrant hysteria harms Poland. It awakens the worst demons, and Holocaust denial excludes us from civilised nations.”
His remarks come amid a surge in far-right rhetoric and xenophobic incidents, including a controversial statement by far-right MEP Grzegorz Braun, who falsely claimed that the gas chambers at Auschwitz were a fabrication. Sikorski directly rebutted the comment, referencing the legacy of Witold Pilecki—a Polish officer who voluntarily entered Auschwitz in 1940 to document Nazi atrocities. Pilecki escaped after three years and authored reports on the Holocaust before being executed by communist authorities in 1948.
“Pilecki did not volunteer for Auschwitz so that now some scoundrel undermines his report for political gain,” Sikorski said.
The foreign minister also highlighted recent incidents in the city of Zamość, where foreign artists participating in the Eurofolk Festival were subjected to verbal abuse. Participants from Spain, India, Senegal, and Serbia were insulted, and local authorities received complaints referring to the event as a “refugee invasion.”
“These are not isolated incidents,” Sikorski warned, pointing to anti-immigrant demonstrations at the Polish-German border, where self-organized groups have shouted hostile slogans targeting migrants and Germany. The Polish government introduced temporary border controls with Germany and Lithuania earlier this month in response to increased returns of migrants from German authorities.
Sikorski stressed that while Poland has a legitimate right to monitor its borders through authorized agencies, this does not justify racism or xenophobia. “We have the right to know who is legally in Poland, but there is no tolerance for the escalating campaign of racism and the anti-Semitism it fuels,” he said.
As Poland’s top diplomat, Sikorski emphasized the importance of protecting the country’s international reputation. “I am proud of Poland. Poland has always been a hospitable nation. Poles and Polish women are better than those who sow division and hatred,” he concluded.
