Self-Defence Rebirth
Self-Defence Rebirth (Polish: Samoobrona Odrodzenie, SO) is a Polish political party founded by the former Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland activists. The party was founded by the former lawyer of Andrzej Lepper, Henryk Dzido, who split off from the main Self-Defence party following numerous scandals and the electoral collapse of Samoobrona. Self-Defence Rebirth was also created over concerns that Samoobrona might form a coalition with the right-wing League of Polish Families. Zbigniew Witaszek is one of the key activists of the new party. The party describes itself as Catholic socialist, agrarian socialist, Soft Eurosceptic and left-wing.
Self-Defence Rebirth Samoobrona Odrodzenie | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | SO |
| Leader | Sławomir Izdebski |
| Founder | Henryk Dzido |
| Founded | 23 June 2007 |
| Split from | SRP |
| Preceded by | SRS |
| Headquarters | ul. Polna 3A lok. 14, 00-622 Warszawa |
| Membership (2018) | 7000 |
| Ideology | Agrarian socialism Catholic socialism Catholic left Laborism |
| Political position | Left-wing |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Colours | Blue |
| Slogan | "Family, nation, faith" Polish: Rodzina, naród, wiara |
| Sejm | 0 / 460
|
| Senate | 0 / 100
|
| European Parliament | 0 / 51
|
| Regional assemblies | 0 / 552
|
| City presidents | 0 / 117
|
| Website | |
| http://samoobrona.mazowsze.pl | |
The main goal of Self-Defence Rebirth to unite all movements that have distanced themselves from Lepper's party but are still based on the Samoobrona party. According to its founder Henryk Dzido, Self-Defence Rebirth is strictly left-wing and aspired to follow the original program of the Samoobrona movement from the 1990s. The party is concerned by the rise of right-wing movements in Poland such as the League of Polish Families. The party also focuses on promoting agrarian and rural interests, with the current leader of the party, Sławomir Izdebski, being a prominent member of a rural national trade union center All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions.