The Polish Beer-Lovers' Party (PPPP; Polish: Polska Partia Przyjaciół Piwa, lit. 'Polish Party of Friends of Beer') was a satirical Polish political party that was founded in 1990. Originally, the party's goal was to promote cultural beer-drinking in English-style pubs instead of vodka and thus fight alcoholism,[1] but it eventually developed a serious platform based around tax reform and green politics.[2]
The party was founded by the cast and crew of a late 80's Polish comedy series called "The Beer Scouts" (Polish: Skauci Piwni) as "a continuation of [the] TV program." Janusz Rewiński, an actor on the show, was elected leader of the party in April 1991.[3] Andrzej Kołodziejski and Adam Halber, two editors for the now defunct magazine Pan, were responsible for most of the party's early promotion.[3][4]
The humorous name and disillusionment with Poland's political transformation led some Poles to vote for and/or join the party,[5] with it having 10,000 registered members by July 1991.[2] The nature of the party's appeal to its supporters was reflected in frequently-heard remarks that, maybe with the PPPP at the helm, "it wouldn't be better but for sure it would be funnier."[4]
Although it started as a joke party, its members developed a serious platform with time, such as stopping the domestic sale of leaded gasoline.[2] Moreover, the idea of political discussion in establishments that served quality beer became a symbol of freedom of association and expression, intellectual tolerance, and a higher standard of living.[citation needed]
In the 1991 parliamentary elections, the PPPP won 16 seats in the Sejm, capturing 3.27% of the vote.[6]
Soon after the election, the party split into Big Beer and Little Beer factions,[5][7] despite Rewiński's claims that "beer is neither light nor dark, it is tasty."[citation needed] Leszek Bubel , future president of the Polish National Party, became leader of the PPPP in 1992 after Rewiński was accused of "cryptic financial operations." The PPPP dissolved in 1993 after it suffered a major defeat in that year's parliamentary election,[3] receiving only 0.1% of the vote.[6]
The Big Beer faction assumed the name Polish Economic Program (PPG; Polish: Polski Program Gospodarczy).[1][5][7] Dropping its satirical element, it became associated with the Democratic Union (UD). The Little Beer faction became associated with the Liberal Democratic Congress in a coalition of liberal pro-market parties, which supported the candidacy of Hanna Suchocka as prime minister.[5]
In 2007, there was an unsuccessful attempt to revive the party by activists associated with Bubel.[8]
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