Polish leader sparks outcry with 'benevolent masters' claim

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The leader of Poland's ruling party is facing accusations that he used offensive and divisive language when he said that members of his ruling party are "benevolent masters."

Jaroslaw Kaczynski made his comments Wednesday as he argued in parliament that his ruling Law and Justice party has behaved better during its time in power than the previous governing party, Civic Platform.

He said: "We are benevolent masters because we are masters, unlike some others."

The language evoked a time when Polish society was divided between serfs and their masters, or lords.

Civic Platform leader Grzegorz Schetyna said Kaczynski's words carried the "worst historical connections," implying notions of "a nation of masters and a master race."