Priest Accused of Anti-Semitism Becomes Poland's ‘King-Maker'

WARSAW, Poland — A Polish priest accused of xenophobia and anti-Semitism has become the "kingmaker" of his country's election campaign. Father Tadusz Rydzyk runs the Radio Maryja Catholic network, and his messages to the faithful could influence the outcome of the polls.

The coalition led by the Prime Minister Kaczynski fell apart last month, and an election campaign has begun. While Mr. Kaczynski and his twin brother, President Kaczynski, are well known for their grip on the secular levers of control, Father Rydzyk has emerged as a power broker who says his power comes from a higher authority. In Roman Catholic Poland, the ability to mobilize the faithful in their pews and at the ballot box is critical. Radio Maryja was created by Father Rydzyk in 1991 and has 1 million listeners a day. Others read the priest's newspaper or watch his TV channel.

Radio Maryja has become a crucial political ally of the conservative Kaczynski twins. "Radio Maryja has up to 1 to 2 million listeners. But they are a very specific group — usually old, and very disciplined voters," said Dr. Jacek Kucharczyk, from Poland's independent political think tank, the Institute of Public Affairs. "It has made Rydzyk a king-maker."