The Historical Policy of Law and Justice Party on the Example of Selected Issues Concerning the Commemoration of the Holocaust in the Light of the Recommendations of the European Union Institutions

Abstract

The article presents the basic assumptions of right-wing historical policy implemented in Poland by the Law and Justice government in 2005–2007 and then 2015–2023, based on the analysis of political programs and articles published by representatives of this trend. Then, selected elements of the method of implementing this policy in the field of commemorating the history of the Holocaust were described, with particular emphasis on decisions and events that seem to be inconsistent with democratic European standards and indicate that the historical policy of the Law and Justice government was implemented without respect for scientific research and conducted in an ideological manner. The last part of the article presents the basic recommendations and guidelines of the European Union institutions regarding the principles of commemorating the history of the Holocaust, as well reactions of IHRA representatives to events in Poland.