Poland’s ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) has launched an attack on gay rights as part of its election strategy ahead of European elections in May and national elections later in the year. The approach echoes those of the party’s 2015 election campaign, where fearmongering of foreigners was at the heart of the party’s message.

PiS has never hidden the fact that it supports what it calls traditional values. Its latest attack on equal rights follows the signing, by Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski in February, of a 12 point LGBT+ declaration which sets out the city’s policy on issues such as finding shelter for children who have been thrown out of their homes by homophobic parents, as well as bringing sex and tolerance education into the Polish capital’s schools based on World Health Organisation guidelines.

In a speech at the party’s annual convention, PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński, Poland’s most powerful politician, warned voters that by supporting the opposition they would risk losing all their social benefits, and that they would allow nefarious forces to influence the upbringing of their children.

“Our opponents attack our social policy and, even worse, attack families. They even attack children,” said Mr Kaczyński, who called the LGBT+ declaration “unbelievable”.

Mr Trzaskowski was quick to defend himself against the accusations made by Mr Kaczyński. Read more via Emerging Europe