WHOSE POLAND WILL IT BE?
Michał Karnowski
Let’s recall the memorable words said by the prime minister Jan Olszewski on 4 June 1992: ‘Today I can see whose Poland it will be, and there must be a decision made about it’. The words are recalled only on the occasion of those events. Wrong. The experience of the 26 years, which have passed since that moment proves that they are still valid, as from time to time there are decisions made about it again. Now we are going to face up such a fundamental decision. The previous month has already brought an official beginning of an election marathon. During the nearest 21 months we will go to ballot boxes four times to elect local councilors and leaders, MPs for the European Parliament , MEPs for Seym and senators as well as the president of Poland.
And we should be careful not to be mistaken by multitude of signboards of political parties and candidates – the question was asked by Jan Olszewski and is very important now. It is worth reflection. And I understand it as follows:
Either Poland will be ambitious, setting its highest political and economic goals or it will be passive, obedient to those who are powerful in the world, which will be flowing along the trend, only if it was the main one and if it was not necessary to make any effort.
Either Poland will be faithful to its civilisational Christian heritage, or in the name of peace equal to the multi-cultural relativistic Europe being ashamed of its roots, reeducating its citizens according to the program of the European leftist wing.
Either Poland will be honest, or corrupted, agreeing to a colonial status, in which inhabitants are doomed to the role of a low-paid labour force, and repressed by local oligarchs and big foreign monopolies. In 2015 most Polish voters did something incredible: they elected a president and government according to their way of thinking, rejecting the outer repressions and not listening to media companies. And then they resisted to an avalanche of condemnations and media attacks which dropped, and they did not join the callings to cancel that result of election violently.
Does this new Poland correspond to dreams? Surely there are mistakes, setbacks, sometimes wrong decisions. Each action of people, especially their way of governing, is burdened with weakness and cannot be perfect by nature. However, in the case of the currently governing formation we are dealing with – at least I think so – the ability for correction, and admitting one’s mistake, changing decision. But what is more important, these mistakes are not so essential to talk about the failure of the course. The basic vector of managing the state issues is stable, according to promises, is pro-Polish.
How do I evaluate it? One of my ways is to try to answer the question asked by the prime minister Olszewski. And here is a clear answer: after those 3 years there is more Poland in Polish hands, starting with industry, through media till the land and banks. I also feel that there is more Poland in hearts, that today those who are in the government are not ashamed of it but like it at least. However, all this is not given for ever and it can be changed easily. Those who lost tens of milliard zlotys will do a lot out of this election marathon so that it would be as it used to.
So, in the nearest 21 months it is worth recalling ourselves that the most beautiful election mottos and promises do not tolerate the fact that here it is all about whose Poland it will be.
Translated by Aneta Amrozik
Niedziela 37/2018 (16 IX 2018)