Forward thinking, pro-European, Polish, and openly gay politician, Robert Biedron, has launched a new political party aiming to shake up the staunchly conservative government currently holding power. The party, called Spring, hopes to win seats from the current ruling right-wing party, Law And Justice, at the upcoming European elections.

Although 87% of Polish people identify as Catholic, a recent survey said that 70% of those questioned believed there should be a separation between church and state. Spring is hoping to capitalise on the support of a young progressive votership.

The pro-European party support more liberal abortion laws, the recognition of same-sex relationships and a universal old-age pension. Alongside, they are pushing for a greener Poland, looking to reduce the energy sector’s dependence on coal and ending deforestation.

Biedron, who is the country’s first openly gay politician, launched Spring in the aftermath of the murder of Gdansk Mayor Pawel Adamowicz. Known for his liberal political views and opposing the ruling right-wing party on issues such as LGBT+ rights, Adamowicz was killed by at a public event by a man with a history of mental illness.

At the launch of Spring, Biedron told those gathered: “There is no room for hate, we have reached the limit. We need a spring that will renew this gloomy landscape.”

He continued: “In recent years we had a really tough choice. On one hand we had the politics of statistics and economical indicators. On the other hand, we had a grotesque caricature of democracy, with constitutional breaches, limitations on women’s rights, and propaganda instead of public media. Neither one side nor the other solved our problems. We have had enough of this war. We won’t let them run Poland instead of us any more. They’ve all let us down.”

Elections to the European Parliament take place in May, while the Polish general election follows later in the year.