Michael Winiarski: First mass shooting shakes Poland

Poland has a history of invasions, wars and occupation. And in recent years, bitter domestic political battles. But in modern times, Poland has been spared from what has become increasingly common in many other countries: acts of terrorism and mass shootings. Until now, there have been a number of stabbings at Polish schools, but so far no shootings. Poland has lost its image as an exceptionally safe country.

Saturday's shootings in the tourist-dense medieval square in Kraków therefore have a particular shock effect on Poles. The deed has so far claimed nine lives and took place at the same time as the country is shaken by an internal political confrontation between Prime Minister Donald Tusk's coalition government and the right-wing nationalist opposition.

As recently as just over a week ago, dramatic scenes unfolded at the Constitutional Court in Warsaw, after the government suspended the chief judge. Demonstrators gathered at the court and shouted "coup d'état!" Riot police surrounded the building. The country's right-wing nationalist president, Karol Nawrocki, forced his way into it.

Until Sunday and Monday, the united right-wing opposition had announced protest demonstrations against Tusk's government. But after Saturday's terrorist act, it was decided to postpone the demonstrations, since the president announced two days of national mourning in Poland.

This means that the sharp political clash is muted, at least for now. The suspected murderer is a Polish citizen and, according to Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński, has "very radical views and is fascinated by extreme right-wing ideologies". This makes it more difficult for the right-wing opposition to use the terrorist act as a political weapon against Tusk. One can easily imagine that right-wing nationalists and other xenophobic forces would have had new arguments against the government if the 24-year-old had been Ukrainian or had other foreign origins.

Some right-wing media nevertheless tried to disinform and exploit the tragedy for political purposes. Shortly after the attack, TV Republika, closely linked to the right-wing nationalist Law and Justice (PIS) party, claimed that there were no police officers in the square in Kraków, completely without evidence. And on another TV channel, wPolsce24, it was said that "crime will increase because the government is busy destroying democracy".

In fact, it looks like the police acted with exemplary speed. Thirty police cars were sent to the scene, and within minutes the perpetrator was shot and rendered harmless.

There is so far no information that confirms that the perpetrator had a purely political motivation. The macabre find in the man's home in the small town of Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski in southeastern Poland rather indicates a mental disorder. There, the police found the remains of three murdered people: the man's 52-year-old mother, 53-year-old father and 21-year-old sister. This is in addition to the six people he later shot dead in Kraków.