HONOUR OF THE FIRST MINISTER
CZESŁAW RYSZKA
The fiscal pact which was implemented in life on 1 January 2013 in the EU countries, which is so broadly discussed in Poland, is an international non-EU treaty, prepared under the aegis of Germany, in order to enforce financial discipline in the EU countries which are economically weaker (breaching the limit of deficit on the level of 0.5 per cent of the gross domestic product will result in strict punishments). Shortly speaking, it is about indebted countries having the common currency would pay off capital with interests for the sake of banks, mainly the German ones, - at the cost of social expenditures and pro-developmental investments.
This pact was signed at the EU summit meeting on 2 March 2012, by the prime minister Donald Tusk and on 20 February this year it was passed by the Seym – unfortunately- by the ordinary majority of votes. The Law was supported by282 MPs from the Civic Platform, the Polish People’s Alliance, the Movement of Palikot and Democratic Leftist Alliance. 155 MPs from the parties of Law and Justice and Solidary Poland were against it. It implies that the Law did not receive suitable support which is required by the 90th article of the constitution which says that resolutions giving some sovereignty to international institutions should be voted in the ratio of 2/3 votes. However, the government decided that if we are not in the EU sphere, we do not participate in the pact formally.
Have the MPs been so manipulated, so blind or trust the prime minister so much that they have not noticed a clause in the pact which states that the pact will be obliging for Poland also in the case of a one-sided declaration made by the government about accepting all liabilities in an arbitrarily chosen moment, so also before Poland’s joining the EU sphere? Who will testify that the prime minister Tusk will not submit such a declaration? If it happened so, it would mean that the MPs would waive influence on the form of the most important Law, which is deciding and passing the budget of the country. Moreover, the MPs would give back their mandates into the hands of Brussels clerks, because not passing the budget, will result in dissolving the parliament!
The Law and Justice party and Solidary Poland announced that they would sue the Law to the Constitutional Tribunal and the spokesman Jarosław Kaczyński even announced that in the case of elections won by the Law and justice party, he will acknowledge this Law as unimportant, because – subordinating a part of the Polish sovereignty concerning the economic policy, budget and public finances to supervision and dispositions of the European Union – it was enacted in accordance with the constitution.
Will the prime minister Tusk take advantage of the mentioned clause? Who knows what he has promised in Brussels for 100 milliard euro which we are supposed to receive in the years 2014 – 2020. If it happened so, we are going to rescue the euro sphere, that is, put money into the European mechanism of Financial Stability. According to the calculations of experts it may be about 24 milliard euro per year, that is, about 1/3 of the domestic budget. Moreover, acceptance of the liabilities of the pact is connected with fines for exceeding the allowed limit of the deficit of public finances. In the case of Poland the fine may be about 3 milliard zlotys per year.
Enactment of the fiscal pact decides about the joining of our country the EU sphere sooner or later. In our situation it means the loss of competitiveness, economic and political sovereignty, reductions in budget expenses and potential increase of fiscal charges, so higher taxes and costs of life. Another cost is going to be tax harmonization in the European Union, which means a new tax rise, especially for entrepreneurs.
There are questions asked: why is the prime minister Tusk pushing Poland into the EU sphere? Would the change of currency cure our finances and economy? I hope that he is not only thinking about taking a position of an observer at the EU summit meeting in March? Or maybe he already knows that we are endangered by a financial catastrophe, so then – according to the prime minister – the only solution is accepting the euro and begging for financial means in the European Central Bank, where is a lower interest of credits?
It is difficult to predict a scenario for Poland indebted for 900 milliard zlotys, but everything points to the fact that all that the prime minister wants, is the welfare for the European Union. It has been even visible in the recent changes in the government. A deep reconstruction was going to be, but it turned out that he must have done an instruction in Brussels: he nominated Jacek Rostowski a vice-prime minister, the least competent Finance Minister, submissive to the European commission in everything. He also gave a clear signal: this year there are going to be even more depredations.
There is no point in expressing one’s opinion about other changes in the government because in fact the prime minister Turk has not dismissed anybody. Certainly he wants – as even leftist politicians think – to destroy the country as soon as possible. And in addition, his team is perfect for it. It would be a shame to lose anyone. After all, a new prime minister could be better and this would slow down the desired destruction.
Where will the total subordination to the ‘leading role’ of the European Union lead Poland to? Where will the policy of such a moral subordination to Brussels of the prime minister Tusk lead to, if he was supposed to persuade MPs of the Civil Platform into belief recently that in his opinion the essence of honour is enactment of the Law about partners relations? What honour are we talking about?
(AA)
"Niedziela" 9/2013