Falanga (organisation)

File:Flag of Falanga (alternative).svg

Falanga was founded by Bartosz Bekier in 2009, based on the Masovian Brigade of the National Radical Camp (ONR). Bekier, who was interested in politics, joined the ONR as a teenager in 2005. Inspired by Italian and Spanish fascism, he became head of the ONR's Masovian Brigade. Bekier left the ONR in 2009 after a failed attempt to take over the organisation and a dispute with former ONR leader Przemysław Holocher. At the peak of its development, Falanga had branches in Kraków, Zielona Góra, Bydgoszcz, Olsztyn, Gdańsk, Poznań and Warsaw. Their ideology is based on opposition to liberalism and globalization. Falanga supports Eurasianism, a geopolitical vision whose core is the alliance of Russia and Western Europe against the United States.{{Cite web |last3=idei |last4=poeta |first4=badacz ekstremizmów politycznych Przemysław Witkowski- |last5=akwizycja" |first5=dziennikarz i publicysta; dwukrotny stypendysta Ministerstwa Edukacji Narodowej i Sportu; absolwent stosunków międzynarodowych na Uniwersytecie Wrocławskim; doktor nauk humanistycznych w zakresie nauk o polityce; opublikował „Lekkie czasy ciężkich chorób"; „Preparaty"; „Taniec i |last6=Angielski |first6=Jego Wiersze Tłumaczono Na |last7=czeski |last8=francuski |last9=serbski |date=April 5, 2018 |title=Polscy faszyści na smyczy Putina |url=https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/polscy-faszysci-na-smyczy-putina/ |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=KrytykaPolityczna.pl |language=pl-PL}} Other notable (current or former) members of Falanga include Michał Prokopowicz, Ronald Lasecki, and Adam Danek.

File:Bekier and old flag.jpg

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Falanga began a mission in Syria in June 2013, engaging with the government of President Bashar al-Assad. Falanga representatives met with Syrian Prime Minister Wael Nader al-Halqi, the country's Grand Mufti, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Christian clergy, government troops, Hezbollah,{{Cite web |title=Narodowcy z Falangi pojechali do Syrii. Spotkali się z premierem oraz przesłuchiwali więźniów |url=http://natemat.pl/65297,narodowcy-z-falangi-pojechali-do-syrii-spotkali-sie-z-premierem-oraz-przesluchiwali-wiezniow |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=naTemat.pl |language=PL-pl}} and representatives of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party.{{Cite web |date=September 3, 2013 |title= Falanga|url=http://falanga.org.pl/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130903093500/http://falanga.org.pl/ |archive-date=September 3, 2013 |access-date=April 18, 2022 }}

File:Leader of falanga and prime minister of donetsk.jpg

During a mission to eastern Ukraine in 2014, Falanga expressed support for the separatist Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic in Donbas.{{Cite web |last=Wenerski |first=Łukasz |date=June 2017 |title=The Visegrad Countries and "Post-Truth" – Who is Responsible for Delivering the Kremlin's Narrative to the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland? |url=http://aei.pitt.edu/90423/1/PB2017_RUSpropaganda_Visegrad.pdf }} Falanga leader Bekier also met with Denis Pushilin, prime minister of the Donetsk People's Republic,{{Cite news |last=Woźnicki |first=Łukasz |date=June 5, 2014 |title=Narodowcy z Polski pojechali na Ukrainę wspierać separatystów. "Polscy Euroazjaci dotarli do Doniecka!" |work=Wyborcza.pl |url=https://wyborcza.pl/7,75399,16104439,narodowcy-z-polski-pojechali-na-ukraine-wspierac-separatystow.html?disableRedirects=true}} and interviewed Pushilin for Xportal.{{Cite web |date=May 30, 2014 |title=Dla Xportalu: Denis Puszylin, przywódca Donieckiej Republiki Ludowej [PL/ENG/RUS/IT/CZ] |url=https://xportal.press/?p=14370 |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=Xportal.pl |language=pl-PL}} In October 2014, Ukrainian border guards detained several Falanga members and banned them from entering Ukraine for three years.{{Cite web |title=Ukraińska straż graniczna zatrzymała polskich narodowców. Trzyletni zakaz wjazdu na Ukrainę |url=https://wyborcza.pl/7,75399,16834853,ukrainska-straz-graniczna-zatrzymala-polskich-narodowcow-trzyletni.html?disableRedirects=true |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=wyborcza.pl}}

Falanga joined the new, pro-Russian Zmiana party in February 2015,{{Cite web |date=February 22, 2015 |title=Powstała prokremlowska partia Zmiana. Dowodzi nią były poseł Samoobrony |url=https://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/polityka/artykuly/483539,powstala-prokremlowska-partia-zmiana-dowodzi-nia-byly-posel-samoobrony.html |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=wiadomosci.dziennik.pl |language=pl}} which was founded by former MP and Samoobrona RP spokesman Mateusz Piskorski.{{Cite web |title=Zmiana – nowa partia byłego rzecznika Samoobrony |url=https://wydarzenia.interia.pl/kraj/news-zmiana-nowa-partia-bylego-rzecznika-samoobrony,nId,1675503 |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=wydarzenia.interia.pl |language=pl}} Bekier became deputy head of Zmiana,{{Cite web |date=March 27, 2017 |title=Walcząc kulturą: Rosyjska siatka wpływów w Polsce |url=https://liberte.pl/walczac-kultura-rosyjska-siatka-wplywow-w-polsce/ |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=Liberté! |language=pl-PL}} and Krakow Falanga member Michał Prokopowicz became its security expert and regional coordinator for Lesser Poland.{{Cite web |last=Redakcja |date=April 10, 2015 |title=Strzelcy z putinowskimi poglądami |url=https://dziennikpolski24.pl/strzelcy-z-putinowskimi-pogladami/ar/3817469 |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=Dziennik Polski |language=pl-PL}} On May 2, 2016, Bekier published a statement about his departure from the party.{{Cite web |date=May 2, 2016 |title=Złożyłem rezygnację z członkostwa w partii Zmiana |website=Facebook |url=https://www.facebook.com/bartosz.bekier/posts/10206375433091012 |access-date=April 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200912213314/https://www.facebook.com/bartosz.bekier/posts/10206375433091012 |archive-date=September 12, 2020 }} Zmiana leader Mateusz Piskorski was arrested 16 days later by the Internal Security Agency, and was later charged with spying for Russia and China.{{Cite web |title=Kulisy zatrzymania Mateusza Piskorskiego z prorosyjskiej partii Zmiana. W Polsce miał się odbyć szczyt anty-NATO |url=https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,20175628,kulisy-zatrzymania-mateusza-piskorskiego-z-prorosyjskiej-partii.html?disableRedirects=true |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=wyborcza.pl}}

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Falanga allied itself with the Czech Republic's National Democracy party (ND) on July 4, 2015, participating in a joint conference on Central European issues and an anti-American protest at the US consulate in Krakow.{{Cite web |title=4.VII A.D. 2015, Kraków: Przeciwko USA, za Europą Środkową |url=http://xportal.pl/falanga/?p=1308 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505203542/http://xportal.pl/falanga/?p=1308 |archive-date=May 5, 2016 |website=Xportal.pl}} On August 15 of that year, a delegation from Falanga and Xportal.pl participated in anti-liberal and anti-immigrant demonstrations organized by the National Democracy party in Prague.{{Cite web |title=15.VIII A.D. 2015 Praga: Delegacja Falangi na antyimigranckiej demonstracji |url=http://falanga.org.pl/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109180749/http://falanga.org.pl/ |archive-date=January 9, 2016}}

In June 2016, Michał Prokopowicz and the members of Krakow Rifle Unit Association 2039 (who were associated with him and Falanga) participated in the multinational Anakonda-16 NATO exercises.{{Cite web |title=Falanga i Zmiana idą do wojska. Jedna faszystowska, druga prokremlowska |url=https://oko.press/falanga-zmiana-ida-wojska-jedna-faszystowska-druga-prokremlowska/ |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=oko.press}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=September 19, 2016 |title=Prorosyjska Falanga w elektrowni podczas manewrów NATO Anakonda-16 |url=https://jagiellonia.org/prorosyjska-falanga-w-elektrowni-podczas-manewrow-nato-anakonda-16/ |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=Portal Międzymorza JAGIELLONIA.ORG |language=pl-PL}}{{Cite web |last=OKO.press |first=Konrad Szczygieł |date=September 20, 2016 |title=Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej niewolne od radykałów |url=https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/spoleczenstwo/1681894,1,wojska-obrony-terytorialnej-niewolne-od-radykalow.read |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=www.polityka.pl |language=pl}}{{Cite web |title=Prorosyjska organizacja na ćwiczeniach Wojska Polskiego? MON zaprzecza |url=https://defence24.pl/sily-zbrojne/prorosyjska-organizacja-na-cwiczeniach-wojska-polskiego-mon-zaprzecza |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=defence24.pl |date=September 22, 2016 |language=pl}} The Ministry of National Defense denied inviting Falanga members to the military manoeuvres.{{Cite web |title=Wyjaśnienie MON – Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej – Portal Gov.pl |url=https://www.gov.pl/web/obrona-narodowa/wyjasnienie-mon-7 |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej |language=pl-PL}} Their participation was announced by Krakow Rifle Unit Association 2039 members, and information about the participation of the "Rifleman" groups appeared on the Ministry of National Defense webpage for NATO exercises. In September 2016, former Foreign Intelligence Agency officer Michał Rybak called the state of affairs a "system error".{{Cite web |last=Górzyński |first=Oskar |date=September 20, 2016 |title=Falanga na ćwiczeniach wojska? Ekspert: to "błąd systemu" |url=https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/falanga-na-cwiczeniach-wojska-ekspert-to-blad-systemu-6039289258627713a |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=wiadomosci.wp.pl |language=pl}}

On February 4, 2018, an attempt was made to set fire to the Hungarian centre in Uzhhorod, Ukraine.{{Cite web |last=polukr |date=February 21, 2018 |title=SBU: Polacy z "Falangi" winni ataku na biuro mniejszości węgierskiej na Zakarpaciu |url=http://www.polukr.net/blog/2018/02/sbu-polacy-z-falangi-winni-ataku-na-biuro-mniejszosci-wegierskiej-na-zakarpaciu/ |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=Portal polsko-ukraiński |language=pl-PL}}{{Cite web |title=Prowokacja na Zakarpaciu z udziałem Polaków. Nowy etap wojny informacyjnej? [KOMENTARZ] |url=https://cyberdefence24.pl/prowokacja-na-zakarpaciu-z-udzialem-polakow-nowy-etap-wojny-informacyjnej-komentarz |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=cyberdefence24.pl |date=February 21, 2018 |language=pl}} The Security Service of Ukraine said at the end of the month that several Falanga members who had acted on orders from the Russian special services were responsible for the arson attempt, and they were arrested by the Internal Security Agency on February 21.{{Cite web |title=Za podpalenie na Ukrainie ABW zatrzymała działaczy organizacji proobronnej współpracującej z MON, a równocześnie – neofaszystowskiej Falangi |url=https://oko.press/abw-zatrzyma-dzialaczy-organizacji-proobronnej-wspolpracujacej-mon-a-rownoczesnie-neofaszystowskiej-falangi-podpalenie-ukrainie/ |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=oko.press}}{{Cite web |date=February 21, 2018 |title=Ukraiński urzędnik: Polacy, członkowie organizacji Falanga, próbowali podpalić węgierski ośrodek |url=https://www.gazetaprawna.pl/wiadomosci/artykuly/1106142,ukrainski-urzednik-polacy-czlonkowie-organizacji-falanga-probowali-podpalic-wegierski-osrodek.html |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=www.gazetaprawna.pl |language=pl}} On February 24, Bekier denied that Falanga was responsible for the incident.{{Cite news |last=Trojan |first=Marek |date=February 24, 2018 |title=Ludzie z Falangi odpowiedzialni za atak na biuro węgierskiej mniejszości na Ukrainie? Bekier: to byłaby samowolka » Kresy |work=Kresy.pl |url=https://kresy.pl/wydarzenia/ludzie-falangi-odpowiedzialni-atak-biuro-wegierskiej-mniejszosci-ukrainie-bekier-bylaby-samowolka/}}

In January 2019, several former Falanga members were charged with committing a terrorist act by a Kraków court.{{Cite web |date=January 13, 2019 |title=Rusza proces Polaków oskarżonych o atak na Ukrainie |url=https://www.tvp.info/40842123/rusza-proces-polakow-oskarzonych-o-atak-na-ukrainie |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=www.tvp.info |language=pl}}{{Cite web |title=Wyborcza.pl |url=https://krakow.wyborcza.pl/krakow/7,44425,24538608,jak-falanga-organizowala-atak-na-ukrainie-stara-nie-puscilaby.html?disableRedirects=true |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=krakow.wyborcza.pl}} According to the prosecutor's office, the operation was aimed at "disrupting the system of Ukraine and deepening the ethnic divisions between Ukrainians and Hungarians".{{Cite web |title=Śledztwo ABW zakończone wyrokiem ws. podpalenia węgierskiego ośrodka na Ukrainie – Służby specjalne – Portal Gov.pl |url=https://www.gov.pl/web/sluzby-specjalne/sledztwo-abw-zakonczone-wyrokiem-ws-podpalenia-wegierskiego-osrodka-na-ukrainie |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=Służby specjalne |language=pl-PL}}

On March 23, 2020, an interim ruling was issued in the case. The Kraków district court of affirmed the position of the prosecutor's office that the crime was a terrorist one, and found all the accused guilty. Arson organizer Michał Prokopowicz was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, and his two accomplices were sentenced to one- and two-year terms. No one appealed, and the judgment became final.{{Cite web |last=S.A |first=Telewizja Polska |title=Sąd skazał trzy osoby za przestępstwa o charakterze terrorystycznym |url=https://krakow.tvp.pl/47243574/sad-skazal-trzy-osoby-za-przestepstwa-o-charakterze-terrorystycznym |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=krakow.tvp.pl |language=pl}}{{Cite web |last=Drożdżak |first=Artur |date=March 23, 2020 |title=Krakowski sąd skazał trzech Polaków za "akt terrorystyczny" na Ukrainie |url=https://gazetakrakowska.pl/krakowski-sad-skazal-trzech-polakow-za-akt-terrorystyczny-na-ukrainie/ar/c1-14874171 |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=Gazeta Krakowska |language=pl-PL}}{{Cite web |date=March 23, 2020 |title=Wyrok ws. próby podpalenia ośrodka Węgrów w Użhorodzie |url=https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/kraj/podpalenie-osrodka-wegrow-w-uzhorodzie-jest-wyrok/1jhxd2y |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=Onet Wiadomości |language=pl}}{{Cite web |date=March 23, 2020 |title=Byli członkowie skrajnie prawicowych organizacji skazani za terrorystyczny atak na Ukrainie |url=https://krakow.wyborcza.pl/krakow/7,44425,25812416,byli-czlonkowie-skrajnie-prawicowych-organizacji-skazani-za.html?disableRedirects=true |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=krakow.wyborcza.pl}}

Prokopowicz testified that the terrorist attack was organised and financed by German journalist Manuel Ochsenreiter, whose spokesperson denied the accusation.{{Cite web |date=January 19, 2019 |title=Prokuratura sprawdza, czy Niemiec zlecił Polakom zamach na Ukrainie |url=https://dorzeczy.pl/swiat/90609/niemiec-zlecil-polakom-zamach-na-ukrainie.html |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=Do Rzeczy |language=pl}} Ochsenreiter then lost his job with Markus Frohnmaier, an AfD member of the Bundestag. Polish and German law-enforcement agencies unsuccessfully sought him for several years, with reports that he had been in Russia and Morocco. In August 2021, Russian authorities and media announced that Ochsenreiter had died of a heart attack in Moscow.{{Cite web |last=Polska |first=Grupa Wirtualna |date=August 19, 2021 |title=Dziennikarz z Niemiec zmarł w Moskwie. Miał na koncie wiele skandali |url=https://www.o2.pl/informacje/dziennikarz-z-niemiec-zmarl-w-moskwie-mial-na-koncie-wiele-skandali-6674056062556832a |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=o2.pl |language=pl}}{{Cite web |title=Flüchtiger AfD-Netzwerker soll in Moskau gestorben sein |url=https://www.t-online.de/-/90657870 |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=www.t-online.de |date=August 20, 2021 |language=de}}

{{unreferenced section|date=May 2024}}

In July 2019, Bekier traveled to Russia for the Second International Forum for the Development of Parliamentarianism. In his appeal to Vladimir Putin and members of the State Duma, Bekier demanded that Poland leave NATO and the EU; the implementation of a Polish-Russian alliance; the partition of Ukraine and the annexation of Lviv to Poland. He also suggested the forced federalization of Lithuania and territorial autonomy for the Vilnius Region.

In October 2020, during the Women's Strike protesting the tightening of abortion regulations in Poland, an interview with Bekier was posted on Onet.pl. According to Bekier, "about 10,000 nationalists are expected to appear in Warsaw in the first week of November, and {{frac|1|3}} to half of them are trained in combat tactics".{{Cite web |date=October 30, 2020 |title=Szef Falangi: 10 tys. narodowców w Warszawie. Nawet połowa z nich przeszkolona z taktyki walki |url=https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/nawet-10-tysiecy-narodowcow-mobilizowanych-w-warszawie-na-najblizszy-weekend/m738nxh |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=Onet Wiadomości |language=pl}}{{Cite web |date=October 31, 2020 |title=Lider Falangi w Onecie podsyca społeczne nastroje. Działania zgodne z interesami Kremla? |url=https://www.tvp.info/50588534/bartosz-bekier-lider-falangi-w-onecie-podsyca-spoleczne-nastroje-dzialania-zgodne-z-interesami-kremla |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=www.tvp.info |language=pl}}{{Cite web |date=October 30, 2020 |title=Narodowcy szykują się na weekend. "Mobilizujemy ludzi. Niewykluczone, że dojdzie do walk na większą skalę" |url=https://www.wprost.pl/kraj/10382677/narodowcy-szykuja-sie-na-weekend-mobilizujemy-ludzi-niewykluczone-ze-dojdzie-do-walk-na-wieksza-skale.html |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=Wprost |language=pl}} On the evening of October 30, several thousand protesters demonstrated.{{Cite web |title=Skończył się jeden z największych protestów w najnowszej historii Warszawy |url=https://tvn24.pl/tvnwarszawa/najnowsze/warszawa-strajk-kobiet-30-pazdziernika-protesty-na-ulicach-relacja-4736837 |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=TVN Warszawa |date=October 31, 2020 |language=pl}} Thirty-seven people were arrested, 35 of whom had attacked protesters.{{Cite web |title=37 osób zatrzymanych po protestach w Warszawie. Wiemy, kim są zatrzymani |url=https://www.rmf24.pl/fakty/polska/news-37-osob-zatrzymanych-po-protestach-w-warszawie-wiemy-kim-sa-,nId,4827066 |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=www.rmf24.pl |language=pl}}{{Cite web |title=37 osób zatrzymanych po Marszu na Warszawę. Mieli przy sobie pałki, gaz i wyroby pirotechniczne |url=https://warszawa.wyborcza.pl/warszawa/7,54420,26464787,37-osob-zatrzymanych-po-marszu-na-warszawe-strajku-kobiet-wiekszosc.html?disableRedirects=true |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=warszawa.wyborcza.pl}}{{Cite web |date=October 31, 2020 |title=Policja zatrzymała 37 osób podczas strajku kobiet. Większość z nich to pseudokibice |url=https://www.gazetaprawna.pl/wiadomosci/artykuly/1495002,strajk-kobiet-policja-marsz-na-warszawe-aborcja.html |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=www.gazetaprawna.pl |language=pl}}

Falanga has cooperated with:

• Hezbollah
• Syrian Social Nationalist Party
• Zmiana
• The Other Russia[https://kresy.pl/wydarzenia/spoleczenstwo/falanga-i-inna-rosja-domagaly-sie-w-warszawie-rozbioru-ukrainy-foto/ Falanga i "Inna Rosja" domagały się w Warszawie rozbioru Ukrainy]
• National Democracy (Czech Republic)
• Donetsk People's Republic
• Luhansk People's Republic
• Syria (Syrian Arab Republic)
• Russia

• [https://xportal.press/ Official website of the Xportal]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20180809183907/http://falanga.org.pl/ Official website of the Falanga] archived by [https://archive.org/web/ Wayback Machine] (December 1, 2021)

Category:Organizations established in 2009

Category:National radicalism

Category:Third Position

Category:Eurasianism

Category:Russophilic parties

Category:Anti-American sentiment in Europe

Category:Polish nationalism