Polish Lawmaker Grzegorz Braun Delivers Antisemitic Tirade Outside Auschwitz

Controversial Remarks at Historic Site

Grzegorz Braun, a far-right Polish lawmaker and head of the Confederation of the Polish Crown party, delivered an antisemitic tirade outside the gates of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Oświęcim. The remarks, made on a Saturday and reported on November 24 and 25, 2025, included the statement that 'Poland is for Poles. Other nations have their own countries, including the Jews.'

During his speech, Braun further claimed that 'Jews want to be super-humans in Poland, entitled to a better status, and the Polish police dance to their tune.' He also likened the promotion of Jewish life in Poland to 'inviting Hannibal Lecter to move in next door.' Braun vowed that his party, if it gained political influence, 'will scatter the International Auschwitz Council to the four winds,' stripping it of its legal foundation and budget. He additionally asserted that the area of the German Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau is 'de facto an extraterritorial zone' and 'no longer a Polish territory.'

Official Condemnation and Legal Action

The lawmaker's comments prompted immediate and widespread condemnation across Poland. Waldemar Zurek, Poland's Prosecutor General and Justice Minister, publicly stated that he would take action against Braun and his party. Zurek emphasized that 'There is no place for antisemitism in Poland, and such statements cause significant damage to the Polish state internationally and within our country.' He added, 'We will not allow anyone to express such views with impunity. We will pursue them resolutely.'

This incident occurred as Poland was in the process of adopting its first national strategy to counter antisemitism and strengthen Jewish life between 2025 and 2030. Polish law explicitly forbids Holocaust denial, and Zurek has previously sought to strip Braun of parliamentary immunity for denying the existence of gas chambers at Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Pattern of Antisemitic Behavior

Braun, who also serves as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), has a documented history of antisemitic actions and controversial statements. His past incidents include:

• Extinguishing a Hanukkah menorah in the Polish Sejm with a fire extinguisher in December 2023, calling it 'Satanic worship.'
• Invading a Holocaust lecture and destroying equipment in 2023.
• Publicly denying that Nazis used gas chambers at Auschwitz concentration camp in July 2025.
• Being barred from the European Parliament until October 2025 for disrupting a minute of silence for Holocaust victims in January 2025.
• Being charged with seven criminal offenses stemming from multiple incidents between 2022 and 2023 in July 2025.

Despite these controversies, Braun was re-elected to the Sejm in 2023 and became an MEP in 2024.