Poland:A growing row over abortion in Poland is set to rob the ruling Kaczynski twins of a crucial source of support: the fundamentalist station Radio Maryja.
The station, a mixture of prayer and polemic, is popular in rural areas and its support helped Lech and Jaroslaw Kaczynski secure their presidential and parliamentary election victories in 2005. But the alliance is now under pressure after the brothers refused to back Radio Maryja's campaign for a blanket ban on abortion.
President Lech Kaczynski's wife, Maria, even publicly signed a declaration in support of the existing laws, which permit abortion if the pregnancy is the result of rape, the foetus is damaged or it poses a danger to the mother's life.
"I am disillusioned with [Law and Justice] that it allows such behaviour from such famous people," said Fr Tadeusz Rydzyk, the station's director. "I regret that Poland lacks a pro-Polish party."
Fr Rydzyk could now turn his allegiance to the League of Polish Families (LPR), the ultra-conservative party and junior coalition partner he dumped two years ago in favour of the Kaczysnkis.
"Now LPR will try to worm itself into Fr Rydzyk's favour," said Jolanta Szypinska, a Law and Justice MP. "They are cynically using the fight for protecting life for party political reasons. I guess they are counting on their rebellious cries giving them a few points more in polls."
The abortion row has come at an opportune party for LPR, which has steadily lost support to the Kaczysnkis since taking office in a fractious three-way coalition that is never far from collapse. Last week LPR leader Roman Giertych, the deputy prime minister, called for an EU-wide ban on abortion.