Polish Beer-Lovers' Party

The Polish Beer-Lovers' Party (PPPP; Polish: Polska Partia Przyjaciół Piwa, lit.'Polish Party of Friends of Beer') was a satirical Polish political party that was founded in 1990. Originally, the party's goal was to promote cultural beer-drinking in English-style pubs instead of vodka and thus fight alcoholism,[1] but it eventually developed a serious platform based around tax reform and green politics.[2]

Polish Beer-Lovers' Party
Polska Partia Przyjaciół Piwa
AbbreviationPPPP
Registered28 December 1990 (1990-12-28)
Dissolved28 May 1993 (1993-05-28)
HeadquartersWarsaw
Membership (1991)10,000
IdeologyInitially:
Political satire
Beer-drinking advocacy
Anti-communism
Later:
Reformism
Green politics
Political positionBig tent

History

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Formation

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The party was founded by the cast and crew of a late 80's Polish comedy series called "The Beer Scouts" (Polish: Skauci Piwni) as "a continuation of [the] TV program." Janusz Rewiński, an actor on the show, was elected leader of the party in April 1991.[3] Andrzej Kołodziejski and Adam Halber, two editors for the now defunct magazine Pan, were responsible for most of the party's early promotion.[3][4]

Rise and 1991 election

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Janusz Rewiński and Leszek Bubel (third and fourth from the left) during a PPPP political convention

The humorous name and disillusionment with Poland's political transformation led some Poles to vote for and/or join the party,[5] with it having 10,000 registered members by July 1991.[2] The nature of the party's appeal to its supporters was reflected in frequently-heard remarks that, maybe with the PPPP at the helm, "it wouldn't be better but for sure it would be funnier."[4]

Although it started as a joke party, its members developed a serious platform with time, such as stopping the domestic sale of leaded gasoline.[2] Moreover, the idea of political discussion in establishments that served quality beer became a symbol of freedom of association and expression, intellectual tolerance, and a higher standard of living.[citation needed]

In the 1991 parliamentary elections, the PPPP won 16 seats in the Sejm, capturing 3.27% of the vote.[6]

Disbanding and successor groups

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Soon after the election, the party split into Big Beer and Little Beer factions,[5][7] despite Rewiński's claims that "beer is neither light nor dark, it is tasty."[citation needed] Leszek Bubel [pl], future president of the Polish National Party, became leader of the PPPP in 1992 after Rewiński was accused of "cryptic financial operations." The PPPP dissolved in 1993 after it suffered a major defeat in that year's parliamentary election,[3] receiving only 0.1% of the vote.[6]

The Big Beer faction assumed the name Polish Economic Program (PPG; Polish: Polski Program Gospodarczy).[1][5][7] Dropping its satirical element, it became associated with the Democratic Union (UD). The Little Beer faction became associated with the Liberal Democratic Congress in a coalition of liberal pro-market parties, which supported the candidacy of Hanna Suchocka as prime minister.[5]

In 2007, there was an unsuccessful attempt to revive the party by activists associated with Bubel.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Feusette, Krzysztof (25 Jan 2003). "Rozmowy - Janusz Rewiński - Lepiej nie będzie, ale weselej" [Conversations - Janusz Rewiński - It won't be better, but it will be happier]. teatry.art.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 6 Oct 2007. Retrieved 6 Oct 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ a b c Cieszkowska, Joanna (7 Jul 1991). "The blossoming of democracy in Poland has produced a..." United Press International. Retrieved 9 Mar 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Henzler, Marek (9 Nov 2011). "Palikot? A pamiętacie Partię Przyjaciół Piwa?" [Palikot? Do you remember the Beer Friends Party?]. Polityka (in Polish). Retrieved 12 Mar 2024.
  4. ^ a b Rissanen, Mika; Tahvanainen, Juha (2016). "Scouting for Parliament". Down Beer Street: History in a Pint Glass. Translated by Urbom, Ruth. Souvenir Press. pp. 197–204. ISBN 9780285643383 – via Academia.edu.
  5. ^ a b c d "Poland - Beer-Lovers' Party". Library of Congress Country Studies. Archived from the original on 8 Nov 2023. Retrieved 2024-03-09.
  6. ^ a b Nohlen, Dieter; Stöver, Philip (2010). Elections in Europe: A Data Handbook (illustrated ed.). Nomos Publishing House. p. 1491. ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7.
  7. ^ a b Barber, Tony (16 Jul 1992). "Big Beer's spirited alcohol tax reform falls flat". The Independent. Archived from the original on 9 Mar 2024. Retrieved 9 Mar 2024.
  8. ^ Wróblewski, Artur (31 October 2014). "Polska Partia Przyjaciół Piwa: polityczne kuriozum w potrójnie filtrowanej postaci" [Polish Party of Beer Friends: a political curiosity in a triple-filtered form]. Interia Historia (in Polish). Archived from the original on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2014.