WHO DOES NOT LIKE POLISH TIDYING?

CZESŁAW RYSZKA

We will see soon that the general tidying was necessary and is carried out well

After a meeting of euro-commissioners on 14 January 2016, the European Commission began the procedure of protecting self-government in Poland. It happened mainly because of enacting acts about the Constitutional Tribunal and about mass media. The commission wants to check whether in Poland nothing threats democratic freedoms, including realization of European treaties by the new government – said the vice-president of the European Commission Frans Timmermans. A debate in the European Parliament has been planned on 19 January.

It is good to mention that such a procedure of reacting to systemic threats to laws in EU countries has been existing only since March 2014. Its purpose is making it possible for the European Commission to have a dialogue with a government of a particular EU country in order to prevent the breach of, among the others, democratic values. The procedure consists of three steps. The first one is evaluation of self-government by the Commission. The second one – as far as it is needed after the analysis in the first phase – preparation of ‘recommendations about the legal country’ by the Commission. In the third phase the Commission is to control implementation of these recommendations (here the European Commission can use mechanisms allowing for introducing sanction).

Does it mean that the European Commission interferes into the inner issues of Poland? In the beginning it should be stated that the current decision of the European Commission is not an attack on Poland, or nothing negative happened on the line – Warsaw - Brussels. It I confirmed by acceptance of an invitation for a visit in Poland by the chief of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker.

Moreover, nothing good is taking place on the line Warsaw-Berlin. It is proved by the statement of the German ambassador Rolf Nikel after his meeting with the foreign minister Witold Waszczykowski that ‘Polish-German relations are a treasure which should be guarded so that they would also develop in the future well’. It is also known that the foreign minister of Germany is also to arrive in Poland, and another phase will be a visit of the prime minister Beata Szydło in Berlin.

Concluding, both the changes in the Constitutional Tribunal and in mass media, after their politicization by the governments of the Civic-Platform and Polish People’s Party coalition were necessary. I will remind that it was the former prime minister Donald Tusk who, at the end of the cadency of the Law and Justice party and League of Polish Families –Self-defence coalition, was calling citizens for not paying RTV subscription, promising its liquidation. At that time Brussels was not reacting, which resulted in causing a financial collapse of public media, particularly degradation of regional centres. Moreover, no European commissioner protested, when the National Broadcasting Council, appointed by the Civic Platform and Polish People’s Party filled supervisory councils of public media with people related to the parliamentary majority, politicizing it in an extreme way. So, can we call this tidying of this abnormal situation an assassination on media? It is similar with the Constitutional Tribunal, consisting of most judges appointed by the Civic Platform party.

And, finally, there is the following ‘street’ reflection: the Civic Platform party, the Polish People’s Party and the Modern Party, accuse the Law and Justice Party of breaching democracy procedures, including too much haste in enacting acts. Whereas, when talking to anybody, one can see that everyone supports ordering state matters as well as the pace of these changes. Poles are waiting patiently for further acts, including the sales tax from large shops, bank tax, changes in social insurances, in health service, in the Polish army. Shortly speaking – they are awaiting strong changes in staff, anticorruption so that to dry the swamp left behind by the Civic Platform. Whereas, first of all, Polish families are waiting for the announced act 500+, hoping that it will allow them regain energy for giving birth to children, strengthen their willingness for life, will stop economic emigration…

Soon we will see that quick changes were necessary, that they bring benefits to Poles, that the general tidying was necessary and is carried out well.

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„Niedziela” 4/2016

Editor: Tygodnik Katolicki "Niedziela", ul. 3 Maja 12, 42-200 Czestochowa, Polska
Editor-in-chief: Fr Jaroslaw Grabowski • E-mail: redakcja@niedziela.pl