EUROPEAN GRILLING
MIROSŁAW PIOTROWSKI
It is not all about catching a rabbit but chasing it
In the mid of last December we were flying to Brussels with a group of euro-deputies. Like nearly every week. But that week was probably to be particular. Ryszard Petru, a leader of formation Modernity had already draw others’ attention to himself. In corridors of the European Parliamet, Grzegorz Schetyna was appearing in front of Polish cameras. Not on his own, but in the company of euro-deputies of the Civic Platform party. He assured, similarly as Petru outside the building of the European Commission, that he did not want any debate about Poland in the international forum, that it was too early for that. He had only arrived at Brussels to calm others, stifle anxiety…etc. In the EP building chiefs of all political groups were just having a debate in order to make a decision whether during the nearest plenary session in Strasburg the arrangement of debates would include a point about an alleged threat for democracy in Poland. This idea was being enforced by a group of the European Peasant Party, to which MPs of the Civic Platform and the Polish Peasant Party belong. The first ones, in their opinion, let others know, that it was the matter of the latter ones. For people familiar with Brussels policy, the operations seemed ridiculous, even childish. However, the whole information was addressed not to us, but the public opinion in Poland. The Civic Platform Party had touched the string again: ‘What a dishonor in the international arena’, whereas colleagues from the Law and Justice party were giving their answers in the light of Brussels, but in fact, Polish cameras: ‘Well, how can we be involved in others’ business’. Asked for a comment by the Television Trwam, I expressed a slightly different opinion saying that in the European Parliament we had already discussed various issues, among the others, about double-cover toilets, the role and significance of a circus in the European Union, etc., so, why not to talk about problems of the Civic Platform party after its lost election in Poland. It was not difficult to guess what it was all about. Well, a debate yes, but not necessarily, maybe later, what is the most important is grilling – European grilling. In other words – it is not all about catching a rabbit but chasing it, and, first of all, about reporting the phenomenon in media.
And, in this way, the conference of EP chairmen in Brussels did not make a decision about the debate on Poland. Next week in Strasburg, before the session started, we had been mobilized again, as there was to be a voting on a changed arrangement of debates, complemented by a controversial point. It was not attached. A few days later, it was announced again, that during the next EP session in Strasburg in January, there would be an organized suitable debate about ‘the situation in Poland’ but…it might be cancelled yet, as the chairman Martin Schultz was monitoring the situation all the time and made the decision dependent on it. Every mentioned move was commented on by media in Poland. After all, this was the purpose, that is, constant ‘broiling’. So, the question whether we will have a New Year’s European crib in the European Parliament in January, done not only by Polish euro-deputies, or we will be able to wait till real grilling in spring?
AA
„Niedziela” 2/2016