The leader of Poland's ruling Law and Justice party, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, has caused outrage with statements about women drinking.
The left-wing opposition alliance Lewica announced an official complaint to the Parliament's Ethics Committee on Monday in Warsaw.
During an appearance on Saturday, Kaczynski claimed that excessive drinking by younger women was responsible for the low birth rate in Poland.
The statistical average birth rate there in 2020 was approximately 1.4 children per woman.
In Germany the value was 1.5, in France 1.8.
"If, for example, the situation persists that girls, young women, drink as much as their male peers up to the age of 25, then there will be no children," said the 73-year-old, according to the PAP agency.
In addition, Kaczysnski claimed that men could drink excessively for 20 years before they developed alcoholism - but women only two years.
outrage on the internet
Left-wing politician Robert Biedron spoke of “shameful statements.
Soccer star Robert Lewandowski's (ex-Bayern Munich, now Barcelona) wife Anna Lewandowska wrote on Facebook: "Enough - I get annoyed when politicians unfairly blame women instead of seeing the real problems." Fitness trainer Ewa Chodakowska - one of the best-known influencers in Poland - spoke of a "summit of hatred" against women.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski was Poland's Deputy Prime Minister until June and the country's Prime Minister from 2006 to 2007.
As co-founder and leader of the ruling PiS party, Kaczynski is seen as one of Poland's most influential politicians.
The PiS has repeatedly come under criticism in recent years because women's rights in the country are being increasingly restricted.
For example, abortion law has been tightened so that abortions are only exempt from punishment if their life is in acute danger.