A STAKE AS BIG AS POLAND
MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI
The state dimension. Elections to the European Parliament in spring, elections to the Seym and Senate in autumn and then the beginning of a presidential campaign will give an answer to the question who will govern Poland. But we all are aware that we will elect not only a party and the prime minister, but one of two basically different attitudes to the Polish country. For it seems that for groups connected with the Third Republic of Poland, our independence and sovereignty are bigger and bigger problem, a kind of a nuisance making it difficult to enjoy consuming privileges connected with being European establishment. It was well described by Waldemar Kaczyński, popular with these groups, who is persuading everyone to believe that ‘the national sovereignty is the worst disaster of today’s Europe’. On the other side we have patriotic formation which, although being – like every human work – full of defects, firmly sticks to the rule that Poland is the basic value in politics. And care about it, about its independence, must be a fundament of all kinds of public activity. The economic- social dimension. I will not tell you about many numbers but I will quote two of them. Well, in budget there were 40 milliard zlotys in 2017, more than a year earlier, and in 2018 it is estimated that there will be a surplus in budget! And all this with enormous pro-family and pro-social transfers, not appearing during 30 years. Who did this money get to before? And what are the authorities in the world able to do to regain these wagons of gold? Some people console themselves that some changes are impossible to undo. I would warn everyone against this optimism. For we are dealing with a clash of business with a desire of revenge, punishing disobedient Poles for bad election. If someone does not believe he should look at the government of the Civic Platform in Warsaw. When the danger of losing authority went away, the old one returned: price rises, rudeness, contempt to those suffering from dishonest privatization. Everybody must know that the whole country may face up this scenario.
Civilizational dimension. Yes, I know that a lot of Catholics feel a grudge to the government of today’s Poland for too much conservatism in issues connected with the lasting offensive of death civilization. However, I think that this opinion is not always fair. In the sphere of culture, however, Christian groups were strengthened, good scientific-museum institutions promoting Polishness and religious heritage are being built, a family is supported. What else could be done? Surely, in many issues I can see wasted chances. But we must also remember that possibilities of politicians are limited by a form of the social structure and media world. In addition, Poland does not function in vacuum, outside pressures were and are powerful. We must also look at this achievement in the perspective of an achievement of predecessors and also plans of potential successors. And here it must be said clearly that the political group of the Third Republic of Poland will be much more brutal if it wins, than before. An attack on Church, pursued violently by media today, vulgar shows and films, will be multiplied, independent institutions are going to face up an attempt of pacification, whereas our children are going to face up an extremely leftist avalanche in nurseries and schools. They also know what the director of Radio Maryja Tadeusz Rydzyk has said recently, that in Europe only Poland remained to be converted by them.
The stake of the year 2019 is enormous, as it is the fate of Poland. Either the breakthrough of the year 2015 will be continued or we will be able to have the fruits of the previous efforts and move on, or there will be what used to be, but only in a more unpleasant form.
Translated by Aneta Amrozik
Niedziela 2/2019 (13 I 2019)