Controversy about “women drink too much alcohol” in Poland

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice Party, said the country’s low birth rate was unfortunate, claiming it was due to excessive drinking by young women.

Speaking in the northeastern city of Elk, Kaczynski argued that women are more at risk than men from alcohol use. Stating that people in Poland have very few children, Kaczynski pointed out that his party is trying to solve this problem with a series of social programs to financially support families.

Noting that there is a “cultural resistance” to having children in some sectors of society, Kaczynski said that although Warsaw is the richest region in the country, it has the lowest birth rate. Stating that he does not support motherhood at a very young age, Kaczynski said: “If young women continue to drink as much as men of the same age until they are 25, there will be no children. Just kidding, ladies and gentlemen, this is not a good sign. You have to deal with certain facts about these issues,” he said.

Barbara Nowacka, one of the main leaders of the centrist opposition, shared on her Twitter account: “Kaczynski showed that he knows nothing about women, our plans, dreams and lives. These words are unfortunate for young Polish women.” Poles, mostly women, reacted strongly to Kaczynski on social media. (AA)