In many ways, Poland’s election discourse is playing out beyond Warsaw, with the German media spending months on the topic through local correspondents and coverage from Polish opposition outlets. A Belgian historian, Prof. PAP, notes that objective reporting on Polish elections tends to be scarce in German press, a view shared by David English.
“You can’t hear any positive or even neutral voices.”
Aside from a handful of conservative niche publications such as the weekly Junge Freiheit or the monthly Tichys Einblick, there is little room for balanced perspectives on the Polish government in Germany.
Engels adds that media outlets spanning Christian Democrats, liberals, social democrats, greens or post-communists compete by labeling the Polish government as alt-right, populist, nationalist, or even extreme right, often painting life in Poland in stark and troubling terms.
He argues that German coverage tends to present Poland as a country where minorities face threats, where the EU withdrawal is hypothesized, concerns about nuclear plants near the German border are raised, and where freedom of expression is questioned. He notes scenes where Jewish rights are questioned and where industrial pollution allegedly spreads across borders, while subsidies are said to vanish into private pockets.
Alleged scandals have been blown up
Engels claims that real or claimed scandals reported by the Polish opposition press are sensationalized and then eagerly relayed to German audiences through evening broadcasts. He suggests corrections are rare when initial reports prove inaccurate.
One example cited is a visa scandal in which Polish authorities allegedly sold visas to many foreigners, creating a perception that migrants would flood Germany. Engels contends that the fact there were only a small number of visas did not reach the German mainstream. He implies that the media system overlooks that limited data.
The historian also criticizes the German media for focusing on Poland’s decision to tighten border controls as a way to secure the region against perceived unreliability from Warsaw. At the same time, Germany continues to criticize Poland for erecting a border barrier with Belarus, a stance that contrasts with Berlin’s own approach to asylum and population trends. Engels notes that Germany seeks more new citizens each year to counter demographic decline, a dynamic that shapes how audiences interpret Polish policy.
Polish Catholicism
The debate touches on recent priestly misconduct scandals, which German outlets sometimes cite as an example of the broader state of Polish Catholicism and its support of the government. Engels argues that this coverage often lacks balanced reporting about positive church efforts for Polish society.
He stresses that if the scandal proves exaggerated or false, German media may still omit correcting coverage, leaving a lasting impression on readers and viewers.
“The scope of Polish military assistance is seriously downplayed.”
The topic of the war in Ukraine is woven into the discussion. Engels notes that the current friction between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the Polish government is widely discussed in German media, but the context is often distorted.
Over the past year, Polish military aid and refugee assistance have been underreported in German outlets. Mainstream German newspapers sometimes give the impression that Germany is the primary European donor handling most Ukrainian refugees, while Poland is portrayed as preoccupied with anti-Russian sentiment and domestic priorities. Critics argue that Polish contributions to Ukraine and regional stability deserve clearer, more proportional coverage, and that the financial mechanisms backing defense and aid should be understood in context with the broader EU picture.
These perspectives are presented as the view of a Western Institute analyst, who comments that Polish support for Ukraine and refugee aid has not received the emphasis it merits in German media narratives.
In summary, the historian contends that objective reporting on the Polish elections remains scarce in German media and that the coverage tends to emphasize negative frames and selective angles rather than a balanced view.
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Source: wPolityce