Law and Justice (PiS) is claiming a surge of interest in Poles wanting to join the party in the wake of the Smolensk air disaster which killed many of their top politicians.

The local party in the port city of Szczecin claims over 70 people have wanted to join the Law and Justice party in the last several days. A similar situation can be observed in the western cities of Poznan and Wroclaw, claim party activists.

A recent opinion poll (8-14 April) by TNS OBOP supports the claim with support for Law and Justice up by 9 percent, to 33 percent. The ruling Civic Platform maintains a clear lead over the opposition party, however, with 52 percent of respondents giving them support if in parliamentary elections were held this week, though this is down seven percentage points from before the presidential plane crash killed President Lech Kaczynski and 95 others.

One political scientist says that the Smolensk disaster has had the effect of humanizing politicians. “Poles suddenly noticed that the party leaders are not only politicians but also ordinary people like them,” Rafal Chwedoruk from the University of Warsaw told the Rzeczpospolita daily. (mg/pg)