Poland has been politically polarised for quite some time now. The second term of currently ruling right-wing government is ending soon, the mood, as usual before elections, is tense and social issues are regularly put in the spotlight.

The most talked-about cases of recent months have been manipulated by the ruling party to antagonise Poles: the murder of Anastazja has been used to incite against refugees and has brought victim blaming to the table. The murder-suicide in Poznan, on the other hand, resulted in disgusting shaming of the woman who survived the shooting.

There is also the case of Joanna from Krakow, which again reminds us of women’s struggle and their fight for access to legal abortion. We were given a foretaste of how the state can interfere with women's choice: involving the police, forcing women to humiliate themselves in front of officers and doctors, putting them up against the wall and treating them like criminals.

In Poland, PiS (the Law and Justice party) has been in power for almost eight years. Moreover, polls show the Confederation's (Konfederacja, another right-wing Polish party) popularity growing. This is not an isolated trend however, as right-wing parties are gaining more and more support across the rest of Europe as well. In Italy last year, the parliamentary elections were won by a right-wing coalition with the Brothers of Italy (ita. Fratelli d'Italia – Centrodestra Nazionale) party at its head. It appears the country has entered a worrying era of neo-fascism as it now has the most conservative government since the reign of Benito Mussolini.

A similar situation is likely to occur in Spain. General elections will be held there on 23 July, in which the far-right Vox party is predicted to be successful. The media are predicting that the relatively new political grouping (it was founded barely 10 years ago) will become a member of the ruling coalition and a viable force in the Spanish parliament.

Quoting feminist activists from Spain CNN writes that Vox's entry into government means "going back 40 or 50 years at a stroke". Activists predict that right-wingers will drastically reduce women's rights.

The Vox programme pledges:

• a tough stance on illegal immigrants,
• preserving the territorial integrity of Spain (suppression of independence movements from regions like Catalonia),
• opposition to "gender ideology",
• withdrawal of the law guaranteeing equality for the LGBT community,
• ban on abortion,
• the creation of a Family Ministry (to replace the Ministry of Equality, dedicated to eliminating social injustice and manifestations of discrimination in public spaces), which would be responsible for promoting higher birth rates and a "traditional" vision of family life.

In addition, the far right intends to repeal the law on gender-based violence. Vox politicians deny that such idea exists explaining that they want to protect "every possible victim of violence in a domestic setting".

Spanish activists point out that since 2003 at least 1,200 women in the country have been murdered by former or current partners. They suspect that Vox party will work against women who will be even more vulnerable to violence and deprived of state’s protection.

"I fear that they would try to implant their sexist ideas and, in some areas, such as sexual and reproductive rights and freedoms, there would be a counter-reform of unthinkable proportions," Laura Nuño Gómez, political scientist, feminist activist and professor at King Juan Carlos University comments for CNN.

Women's rights activists recall that administrative districts that remain under the influence of Vox no longer continue equality initiatives and even censor cultural events. They warn that such a fate could befall the whole of Spain if the far-right party triumphs in Sunday's elections.

The social demands of the Vox party are worryingly reminiscent of the assumptions of the Polish Confederation. Both parties would freely agree on banning access to abortion, fighting the LGBT community, changing migrant policy and even laws protecting victims of violence. Recently in Poland it was only the members of the Confederation and the "Libertarians" that first spoke out and then voted against the so-called "Kamilek bill" protecting children from violence and aggression.

The division of forces in the Polish and Spanish governments is also surprisingly similar. In the west, the centre-right People's Party, which allegedly does not share Vox's radical policies, leads the way. However, all indications are that they are willing to sacrifice their ideals in order to gain an advantage.

Of course, for the People's Party to enter into a coalition with Vox would be dramatically disadvantageous in terms of image. In Poland there are also whispers of a possible alliance between the Law and Justice Party and the Confederation which both parties - for now - also deny.

When gaining or losing actual power is at stake, however, political sympathies can magically change. Should we be worried? The answer is "yes", of course, because the growing right-wing influence is oppressing women more and more. It's the 21st century, the year 2023, but we are slowly but surely returning to ideas from a bygone era.

Source: cnn.com