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Al Jazeera
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
‘Exploding inequality': The fight for the hearts and minds of Poland's left
Krakow, Poland – As Adrian Zandberg, leader of Poland's left-wing Razem (Together) party, prepared to speak to the large crowd at his rally in one of Krakow's central squares on Wednesday this week, he wasn't just getting ready to contest Sunday's presidential election. Speaking with a revolutionary zeal to the cheering crowd, Zandberg put forward his ideals: Quality public services, affordable housing for all, investment in education and science and the end to a toxic right-wing duopoly in Polish politics. Zandberg is one of two presidential hopefuls of Poland's left – the other is Magdalena Biejat of the Lewica (The Left) party. Between the two of them, they represent a political force that has long remained on the margins of politics. Sunday's contest is also a fight for the leadership of this movement which is popular with urban, generally younger people. Opinion polls suggest that the final presidential battle – first-round voting takes place on Sunday – will be between the two favourites, Rafał Trzaskowski and Karol Nawrocki, representatives of right-wing parties Civic Platform and Law and Justice (PiS) which have dominated the country's political scene for the past 20 years. Nevertheless, Zandberg was confident and full of passion as he addressed his supporters. 'I believe that we can build a different, better Poland. I believe that we can afford for Poland to become a country with decent public services,' he declared. 'That we can afford for people in the 20th economy in the world to stop dying in line to see a doctor. That we can afford for young, hard-working people to be able to rent a roof over their heads for a normal price, so that they can afford to start a family.' Calling the current system 'unconstitutional' and one which 'explodes with inequalities', he called for a change. The system, he said, 'is a threat to the future of Poland'. Like other left-wing politicians, he has been a staunch critic of the neoliberal views of the two main candidates, their lack of commitment to securing affordable housing for people (which is a constitutional right), attempts to privatise the healthcare system, and their seeming embrace of rising anti-migrant sentiment within the country. The day before, in another square in central Krakow, Biejat, Zandberg's main competitor for the hearts and minds of Poland's left and deputy marshal of the Senate, stood before her own crowd of supporters. Unlike Zandberg's Razem, her party, Lewica, is part of the ruling Civic Coalition along with the centre-right Civic Platform. Lewica's decision to enter the coalition government in late 2023 prompted criticism among some on the left, and has become the main bone of contention between the two leftist presidential candidates. Speaking at her rally on Tuesday, Biejat defended the decision to join the coalition as the right one. According to her, it has allowed her party to have a real effect on politics in Poland. She listed their achievements: 'It is thanks to Lewica being in the government that we managed to introduce a pension supplement for widows. We managed to introduce a pilot programme which shortened working hours. We managed to increase the funeral allowance,' Biejat said. 'We have changed the definition of rape, so that women no longer have to explain to the judges that it was not their fault that someone had hurt them. Thanks to us, parents of premature babies have received additional leave days for each week spent in hospital with a small child.' The Krakow crowd, albeit smaller than Zandberg's, cheered Biejat's declarations of support for the rights of women, LGBTQ people and those with disabilities and for affordable housing. The two-term presidency of the left-wing Aleksander Kwasniewsk, an independent but also one of the founders of the Democratic Left Alliance, was highly successful. Under his presidency, which ended in 2005, Poland joined NATO and the European Union and introduced a new constitution. Since his departure, however, the left has been in crisis. While the ideals of the left-wing candidates barely differ from those of left-wing candidates in other European countries, their appeal in Poland is limited these days as people have become disillusioned with immigration, and resentment towards the one million Ukrainian refugees taking shelter from the war with Russia has grown. According to Politico's latest aggregate poll, the two leftist candidates are each expected to win 5 percent of the vote. In the most recent European election in 2024, Lewica secured just 6.3 percent of the vote, the lowest score in its history. In the most recent parliamentary elections of 2023, the party secured just 5.3 percent of the vote. The question now is whether leftist parties can start to make a comeback. Some observers see signs of a possible resurgence – but it is fragile. 'Any result above 5 percent for each of the candidates [in the upcoming presidential contest] would be a good score. And below 4 percent – a bad one,' said Bartosz Rydlinski, a political scientist at Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University in Warsaw. He credits Zandberg with 'restarting the Razem party project' by appealing to younger voters. 'Recent studies show that he is competing with Slawomir Mentzen [the highly popular ultraconservative and free-market-enthusiast leader of the Confederation Party] to be number one among the youngest voters. 'Magdalena Biejat, on her part, represents women from the middle class, living in large cities. She is their mirror image. The election will show which one of them is more popular,' Rydlinski said. At the last presidential election five years ago, Robert Biedron of Lewica, who now serves as a Polish member of the European parliament (MEP), won just 2.2 percent of the vote. This time around, the left is expected to do better, but its appeal remains limited. According to experts, the left has lost much of its traditional support base to the nationalist conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, which attracted voters with generous welfare packages. In this presidential election, Karol Nawrocki, who is backed by PiS, is expected to take 25 percent of the vote in the first round, according to Politico's aggregate poll. This is despite the fact that Nawrocki has abandoned Law and Justice's commitment to social welfare and has embraced free-market thinking with a focus on strengthening an alliance with the US while distancing Poland from the EU. His main competitor,Rafał Trzaskowski of the centre-right Civic Platform, is polling at 31 percent.'The left is continuously trying to win back pro-social Law and Justice voters, but so far it has failed,' Jakub Majmurek, a commentator at the left-wing Krytyka Polityczna media outlet, told Al Jazeera. 'First of all, because these voters are often calculating and feel that the Law and Justice is a much more credible welfare provider than the weak left. 'Second, these voters are largely pro-church and much more conservative when it comes to social issues than the left.' A good result for the left in the Sunday election could have the effect of bringing left-wing politics back to the agenda, analysts say, and make some inroads into reversing the long-term trend of far-right and centre-right politicians dominating government. 'If the combined result of Biejat and Zandberg is around 10 percent, in the second election round, Trzaskowski or even Nawrocki will have to try to claim this left-wing electorate somehow,' Majmurek explained. 'That would be the best scenario for the left. Especially if both candidates receive a similar percentage of the vote. That would show that none of them is a hegemon and cannot build the left without the other.'
Mid East Info
12-03-2025
- General
- Mid East Info
RIT Dubai Researcher Asserts Family Language Policy is Key to Preserving Arabic Among Second-Generation Expats in the UAE
Expert highlights the role of FLP in shaping Arabic language maintenance among UAE expat youth As more Arab expats in the UAE adopt English as their primary language for communication, a researcher from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) of Dubai has been exploring why the language shift from Arabic and how the nation's mother tongue could be sustained among future generations. Assistant Professor of Anthropology Dr. Reem Razem says that the key to preserving the Arabic language lies in a Family Language Policy (FLP), a bottom-up approach, where small changes in homes and communities can significantly shift societal communication. Parents act as catalysts for informal societal change, while mother tongues create a vital connection between offspring and their parents, linking generations to both their past and future. Inspired by observing her own children during COVID-19, Dr. Razem embarked on a study to explore the prevalence of English speaking in the case of the second generation among Arab families. A Jordanian expat and a motherscholar, Dr. Razem explained, 'I have three bilingual sons, and when we were confined to our homes, I began to wonder why my boys spoke English to each other and sometimes responded in English when I addressed them in Arabic. This developed into an autoethnography research project, where I filmed my boys' conversations during the lockdown. This revealed that 30-40% of my sons' speech was in English, whereas conversations between myself and my husband, and when addressing our children was 90-95% Arabic.' Dr. Razem continued, 'I then explored why they use English in conversation at home. Usually, it was to talk about issues related to online learning; in every topic related to English, such as technology-related issues, they would switch to English. The second trend was intriguing because with anything relevant to entertainment, they would switch to English as well. Whether it be music, movies, or a series that they wanted to talk about, they would revert instantly to English. This means they didn't have the Arabic words to discuss it.' Building on her autoethnography study, Dr. Razem extended her research into the wider Jordanian expatriate community to explore whether other families witnessed the same phenomenon. She explained, 'I'm a part of a social media group for Jordanian mothers in the UAE. I noticed so many posts delving into language shift, parents being unhappy and frustrated with Arabic language loss, and their children not understanding or valuing Arabic. The majority of the posts on the subject were seeking advice on how to instil the love of Arabic, revitalise and preserve the Arabic language in their children's upbringing, and encourage them to use Arabic at home and in their communities.' Dr. Razem found that there were a number of issues impacting Arabic literacy, including the shift to English as a medium of instruction in schools and universities, which meant English had become the language of communication and education. She also pointed to small, unconscious acts, such as selecting English over Arabic at an ATM, which were contributing to the decline in usage. Discussing potential strategies to boost Arabic language use, Dr. Razem concluded, 'There is an intersectionality between the role of the parents at home and the role of the immediate community, and then the crucial role of schooling. We must consciously choose to preserve the language through a bottom-up approach. Family is a nucleus of social change, and taking small steps to raise awareness and practice Arabic can help to create a larger-scale movement. Much like the Butterfly Effect, where a seemingly small flap of wings can trigger far-reaching consequences, the decisions parents make daily, such as the language they choose to speak at home, the schools they select, and the day-to-day social and cultural practices they emphasise, carry the potential to reverse language shift and preserve Arabic as a cornerstone of identity and heritage.'
Khaleej Times
11-03-2025
- General
- Khaleej Times
Dubai professor calls for ‘family language policy' to boost Arabic use among youth
A professor from a Dubai university has emphasised that the key to preserving the Arabic language lies in implementing a 'family language policy' (FLP). Dr Reem Razem, an assistant professor from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Dubai, highlighted that a bottom-up approach, with small changes at the family and community level can spark a significant shift in societal communication, ultimately helping to protect and promote Arabic. The Arab expert explained that parents play a crucial role in driving informal societal change. The use of mother tongues, she said, forms a vital connection between children and their parents, linking generations to both their past and future. This idea was sparked by her observations of her own children during the Covid-19 lockdown, which led her to embark on a study exploring the prevalence of English speaking among the second generation in Arab families. Drawing from personal experience As a Jordanian expat with three bilingual sons, Dr Razem noticed a language shift during the lockdown. "When we were confined to our homes, I began to wonder why my boys spoke in English to each other and sometimes responded in English when I addressed them in Arabic," she said. This curiosity led her to undertake an autoethnography research project, where she filmed her sons' conversations. The results revealed that 30-40 per cent of their speech was in English. '(But) Conversations between myself and my husband, and when addressing our children, was 90-95 per cent Arabic,' she shared. She identified key factors influencing this language shift. 'When discussing topics related to online learning or technology, my children would often switch to English,' she explained. 'Similarly, anything related to entertainment, like music, movies, or series would prompt them to use English. This means that they didn't have the Arabic vocabulary for those subjects." Building on her autoethnography (qualitative research method) study, Dr Razem expanded her research to include the wider Jordanian expat community in the UAE. She discovered a common theme across social media groups for Jordanian mothers in the UAE — many expressed frustration over their children's loss of Arabic. 'I noticed so many posts delving into language shift, parents being unhappy and frustrated with Arabic language loss, and their children not understanding or valuing Arabic. The majority of the posts on the subject were seeking advice on how to instil the love of Arabic, revitalise and preserve the Arabic language in their children's upbringing, and encourage them to use Arabic at home and in their communities,' she shared. Issues impacting Arabic literacy Dr Razem found that there were a number of issues impacting Arabic literacy, including the shift to English as a medium of instruction in schools and universities, which meant English had become the language of communication and education. She also pointed to small, unconscious acts, such as selecting English over Arabic at an ATM, which were contributing to the decline in usage. Discussing potential strategies to boost Arabic language use, she added that there is an intersectionality between the role of the parents at home and the role of the immediate community, and the crucial role of schooling. 'We need to make a conscious choice to preserve the language through a bottom-up approach. Family is a nucleus of social change and taking small steps to raise awareness and practice Arabic can help to create a larger-scale movement,' she said. Dr Razem likened this to the Butterfly Effect, where small, deliberate actions can set off far-reaching consequences. 'The decisions parents make daily, such as the language they choose to speak at home, the schools they select, and the day-to-day social and cultural practices they emphasise, carry the potential to reverse language shift and preserve Arabic as a cornerstone of identity and heritage,' she explained. Strategies in preserving Arabic Meanwhile, educators in the country agree that family language policy plays a key role in preserving Arabic among second-generation expatriates in the UAE. 'Parents can promote the use of Arabic at home, encouraging daily reading and conversation, while communities can support cultural and educational activities that reinforce linguistic identity. Providing engaging educational and recreational environments in Arabic also helps to establish it among new generations,' Abhilasha Singh, Principal Shining Star International, Abu Dhabi said. Experts pointed out children have a remarkable ability to acquire multiple languages effortlessly from an early age. 'When they are encouraged to express themselves freely in both Arabic and English, they are not only equipped for a diverse social life but also develop an open-minded perspective, where differences are accepted as natural rather than as sources of conflict,' said Girish Hemnani, Life Coach and Energy Healer based in Dubai. 'This bilingual foundation erases cognitive dissonance, allowing children to navigate various cultures seamlessly. It fosters intellectual flexibility, improves problem-solving abilities, and enhances emotional intelligence — skills that are invaluable in today's interconnected world,' Girish added.
