'Better Palikot with a dildo than Napieralski without balls'

Ouch. You can really feel the sting of political jester Janusz Palikot's latest barb about Grzegorz Napieralski, leader of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD). Palikot, known for a 2008 press conference in which he waved a dildo and a pistol, made the comments to further denigrate Napieralski and the old time leftists in the SLD, his new rivals. Palikot has created a new centre-left party that it looks ever likelier to make parliament.

The always colourful Palikot left the senior ruling Civic Platform (PO) in 2010 after tiring of the PO leadership's several attempts at muzzling him. He held an opening event that attracted thousands but his party, the Movement to Support Palikot (RPP), seemed to lose momentum. Everyone had already buried the party.

But Palikot's party has new vigour. It has doubled its support of late and now usually scores around 4%. The magic number to qualify for seats in the October 9 elections is 5%.

If the RPP does make it, it will be in part thanks to Palikot's former colleagues in the PO. A good chunk of his potential voters are likely to be dissatisfied PO voters.

Palikot's party is also targeting those that can't stomach the ex-communists in the SLD and who want someone to stand up against the Church-loving centre-right and right-wing parties that dominate the current political scene.

What would Palikot's party do if it qualifies for parliament? Cause a fuss, likely. Palikot is a politician, but more than that he is a showman and a jester. He is the classic shit disturber. Very likely, he would continue to cause a commotion wherever he went. But he might, just might, also be able to be a kingmaker.

If the PO were to win elections, perhaps the RPP would have the support necessary for a PO-led government to muster a majority. Palikot even said recently he would support a PO-guided coalition but only if some of the RPP's policies were put in place. This of course has given weight to some observers' conspiracy theories that Palikot struck out on his own with the blessing of PO boss and Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

What exactly does the party of a jester want? Well, he wants to focus the economy on exports, withdraw religion from schools, levy a church tax, and introduce sex education.

It's not clear if Palikot will make it. Much will depend on whether voters really want to risk taking votes away from the PO and helping Law and Justice's (PiS) road to victory. But here's hoping Palikot remains ever the colourful jester and doesn't revert to being just another serious, vacuous political simpleton like most of the rest of Poland's politicians.