Five reasons to worry (Part II)

In the previous post, I mentioned why Poles may feel worried by what is going on in their country. We looked at three reasons for this feeling of uneasiness: political zeal, intolerance and lack of integrity. In this post, we look at the final two.

Fourthly (political instability), after over a week of uncertainty, Poland’s Sejm chose a new speaker of the House. Marek Jurek resigned in a huff annoyed that his pet project to tighten anti-abortion laws was not passed. He was also miffed at the fact Jarosław Kaczyński et al did not show him their full support in – what he believed to be – the most important moral battle in the history of modern Poland. In his place comes Ludwik Dorn, a controversial figure who is disliked, although respected, by opposition politicians. He is famed for his eloquence and sharp wit, but is also known for his inability to bring people together and guilty of dividing opinion – a dangerous quality for the Speaker of the House. He is also the man that coined the term wykształciuchy and has shown hostility recently to Poland’s academics. Poland’s lack of political stability and the country’s political divisions have long been the cause of both stagnation and petty conflict. We shall see whether the new Speaker can bring an element of calm to the disorder

Fifthly and lastly (non-diplomacy), Poland’s government seem to be continually embroiled in some ever-growing absurd political saga. It became clear that the government was unable to deal with the art of diplomacy with Law and Justice (PiS) aimlessly hopping from political incident to political incident. First we had the so-called potato crisis in which Lech Kaczyński was likened to a potato, then we had the energy crisis which did not do much to endear Poland to the EU, soon after came the Russian meat ban crisis. Not all these problems were directly caused by Poland’s government, for example, the Auschwitz problem or the Prussian claims problem but one can’t help thinking that the government should invest more time in tact and diplomacy. We are now witnessing a more sinister crisis concerning the Anti-Missile Shield which some believe could re-ignite the ferocities of the Cold War. Add to that recent unrest in Estonia and Poland’s support of the Estonian government and we could be facing an international impasse. Let us hope and pray Russia’s increasing belligerence can be curbed.

However, what is most important for Poles is the feeling of security and stability after so many years of pain, strife and division. The power of diplomacy and unity has never been so important.

Five reasons to worry (Part I)

Should Polish people start panicking? Law and Justice (PiS) together with Samoobrona (Self-Defence) and the League of Polish Families (LPR) created the euphemistically-termed ‘rich and varied’ coalition whose aim it was to re-build Poland, or rather build Poland anew. It seems their plans haven’t quite gone the way they wanted them to go.

I’m not one for doom and gloom but following the political turmoil here in Poland, it’s hard to keep a positive outlook on life. Several days ago Poland (together with Ukraine) won the right to host the 2012 European Championships. The mood has changed somewhat…

Political commentators and observers have been quick to point out that things seem to be going awry for Poland’s ruling elite. PiS, headed by the Kaczyński twins, has been dead set on creating a ’new’ Poland, a kind of utopia in which only the pious and God-fearing reside. Some say they’re building castles in the sand, others believe the ideas are worthy but their methods are questionable. Others still maintain that the PiS government is simply a grandiose house of cards which may look sturdy on the outside but has begun to creak and is ready to fall.

I’ve isolated five reasons why it may be time for Poles to start worrying and strangely enough all five points seem to have come to the fore this week.

Firstly (political zeal), the much-maligned Vetting Act which aimed at weeding out all ex-communists and Secret Police (SB) collaborators has been found to be a spectacularly bungled legislative experiment. So much so that a whole host of journalists and former Solidarity activists have decided to ignore the legal necessity of submitting so-called vetting declarations. The two most controversial cases being that of Bronisław Geremek, former advisor to Lech Wałęsa and Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Poland’s first non-communist Prime Minister since World War II. According to the Kaczyński twins, both Geremek and Mazowiecki have lost their respective posts in the European Parliament and in the Order of the White Eagle. The BBC makes reference to the Geremek case, while Poland.pl briefly discusses Mazowiecki‘s predicament. What is worrying is the government’s complete lack of elasticity in creating legislation which not only seeks to eliminate the ‘wrong-doers’ but also inadvertently targets eminent and distinguished activists such as Geremek and Mazowiecki.

Secondly (intolerance), Poland the Polish government seems to be increasingly in the firing line with regards to homophobia. The Guardian notes how the European Parliament has decided enough is enough and will be investigating claims that the Polish government is openly using anti-gay propaganda. The BBC also discusses this controversial issue. In fact, PM Kaczyński only recently talked about the obvious benefits of lowering the number of gay people in society.

Thirdly (lack of integrity), the suicide (reported in USA Today) of Barbara Blida, former Left Democratic Alliance (SLD) member and Construction Minister, has cast a dark shadow on the Internal Security Agency (ABW) and the methods employed by Messieurs Zbigniew Ziobro and Zbigniew Wasserman, respectively Ministers of Justice and the Secret Services. Blida shot herself after members of the ABW raided her house. It was thought Blida was going to be arrested on charges of corruption. Rather than express remorse and sorrow through a public show of sympathy, Wasserman was quick to wash his hands of the whole affair and in effect laid the blame on the head of the ABW who did the honourable thing and handed in his resignation. In a parliamentary address that shocked many commentators, Wasserman indicated that no innocent person would have shot themselves in such a situation and he suggested that Blida must have been guilty to have done so. What is troubling is Wasserman’s lack of integrity and honour in such a tragic situation.

Part II to follow…

Politician Speak with Forked Tongue

The world is full of politicians who deliberately (or even unwittingly) try and effect language. Historians give countless examples of witless (or even intelligent) political schemers who have made their mark on language. Either through the coining of new compounds, bizarre collocations, alternative set phrases and mixed metaphors or through commentary about politicians by observers are we forever introduced to a variety of odd constructions that sometimes bubble and sink in the linguistic melting pot or float to the top like unwanted excrement refusing to disappear.

Poland’s politicians are no different and are busy at work trying to stamp their authority on the Polish language. I was filled with linguistic glee (whatever that is!) when I learned that Roman Giertych, of ultra-catholic, right-wing fame, won his battle for the re-introduction of uniforms in Poland’s primary and high schools because of the fact that some people have begun calling these uniforms Giertyszki or Romanówki - a great example of Polish’s delightful penchant for possessive-diminutives. This also reminds me of Borówki (which also means ‘berries’) referring to the team of people closely associated with Marek Borowski, leader of the SDPL.

However, what really drew my attention to the linguistic shenanigans of Poland’s political classes was Transubstantiation in which we find the following examples of political gobbledygook:

łże-elity,   bure suki,   lumpen liberałowie,   wykształciuchy

All these words are usually uttered with venom (or bile, take your pick) and are generally always directed at politicians of the ‘liberal persuasion’ (don’t say it out loud – this is Poland) by members of Law and Justice (PiS). Anyone who belongs to any sort of elite, intellectual grouping, academic team or is a liberal (struck out to make it less offensive) can be classed as one of the above.  As Transubstantiation tells us (but with additional commentary of my own) łże-elity are the ‘lying elite dogs’; bure suki is another subtle reference to dogs and it generally means ‘drab dogs/bitches’ (how nice!); lumpen liberałowie is a classic and shows the disdain with which PiS views liberalism – these are the ‘lowly liberals’, the ‘uber-scum of Poland’; the final one wykształciuchy is a brilliant perversion of the word ‘educated’ giving it a contemptuous coating. I’ve heard it used to refer to academics and journalists who refuse to be vetted by government authorities.

Whatever you think, you can’t say that politicians don’t have the gift of the gab. Yes, they’re ill-mannered, unfriendly and unethical, but they have the ability to make me smile when I hear the verbal garbage they use. The phrase that seems to have the greatest political (and statistical) currency in Poland at the moment is IV RP which has nothing to do with Received Pronunciation but is an abbreviation of czwarta Rzeczpospolita or ‘Fourth Republic’, a fantasy utopia coined by Poland’s President Lech Kaczyński to imply a new state that aims to cut all ties with the (post-communist) ‘Third Republic’ (1989 and onwards). The idea is interesting but has met with little support outside government circles leading to the even newer concept of the ‘Fifth Republic‘ put forward by Lech Mażewski.

We certainly do live in interesting times.

Poland and Ukraine Transformed

I usually update my blog once a week but I couldn’t wait. I really couldn’t wait. I was told the news that at approximately 10:57 British time, Michel Platini announced that Poland and Ukraine will be hosting the European Championships in 2012. I am over the moon, ecstatic. There are many reasons for my euphoria and for the euphoria of 85 million people in these two countries and I wonder if European football’s ruling body UEFA really knows what it has done. The positives that will flow from this decision are immense. They truly are ground-breaking, earth-shattering and momentous in every sense of these words.

Firstly, it will bring a smile to the faces of the citizens of two countries that have not had much to smile about in recent years. In both Poland and Ukraine we have two countries, albeit at different stages of political growth, struggling with their (relatively) newly-found sense of freedom. Poland is belatedly dealing with a post-communist backlash, Ukraine is trying its utmost to deal with the responsibilities that go with being a democratic state. Life has been tough for many years, but the smiles and tears of joy that I saw in Warsaw today were something I will remember for a long, long time.

Secondly, it will give these two Slavonic states an almighty kick up the backside. Poland and Ukraine need to improve their infrastructure, build stadia and gentrify their inner cities. Ministers of both nations have already pledged funds for the building of new roads, highways and arenas. In fact, a mere hour after the announcement, Poland’s Finance Minister Zyta Gilowska pledged PLN 1 billion to help fund the transformation of the former Stadion X-lecie, currently Europe’s biggest open-air market, into one of the most modern sporting arenas in Europe, the National Stadium of Poland.

Thirdly, the fact that Poland and Ukraine won this bid has suddenly created a wave of solidarity across the much-divided political stage in both states. Suddenly, members of the Left Democratic Alliance (SLD) including their leader Wojciech Olejniczak, sworn enemies of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, have open come out to heap praise on the President of Poland (former PiS leader) who went to Cardiff to support the joint bid. Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko also made the visit to the Welsh capital. The support he was given by allies of Viktor Yanukovych may have been less eager, but the fact that it was there is truly astonishing.

Finally, and most importantly, the organisation of Euro 2012 will do more for Polish-Ukrainian relations than any politician, any political party or any other event in the entire history of the two nations has ever done. Although there is a lot of common history shared by these two proud nations, there is also a great deal of bad blood. In fact, my grandmother lived to tell me of the ongoing Polish-Ukrainian skirmishes of her childhood and of the Polish-Ukrainian War of 1918-1919. As much as the politicians, sectarians and partisans strove to shore up nationalist fervour against the other nation, the people themselves lived side-by-side for hundreds of years in places like Lviv, Tarnopol or Kiev to name a few. The area formerly known as Galicja-Wołyń was interspersed with Polish-Ukrainian villages where people of both nationalities (as well as the Hutsuls, Boykos and Lemkos) lived in peace and harmony.

Several wars, partitions, loss of independence, over-bearing neighbours and communism have done much to erode what was once a beautifully cosmopolitan corner of Europe. Hopefully, this great sporting event will allow Poland and Ukraine to work together on something that will have a longer-lasting legacy than any treaty could ever offer. The idea of building communication networks, lines of transportation and economic ties between these two countries just for the sake of a small white ball, I believe, is one of the most noble concepts I have ever come across in my love of the history of these two countries. This truly is a great day to be a European.

Constitution Unchanged, Speaker Resigns

My, my, what a kerfuffle! Friday the 13th was a truly tainted day for the Polish government yesterday. The Polish political scene has been bubbling for the past few weeks after members of right-wing LPR (League of Polish Families) decided to put forward proposals for an amendment to Articles 30 and 38 of the Polish Constitution. In their view, Articles 30 and 38 should be amended to protect the rights of the unborn child as well as elderly people. Their proposals would in effect put a complete ban on all forms of abortion and euthanasia.

LPR began shoring up support amongst Catholic members of their coalition partners PiS (Law and Justice) and Samoobrona (Self-Defence) as well as Catholic members of the more liberal-minded PO (Civic Platform). The public debate that ensued resembled a political mud-slinging match with right-wing politicians asking their fellow parliamentarians to decide whether they were pro-death or pro-life. The discussion basically became an debate on abortion. The liberals in Poland’s Sejm including most of PO and SLD (Democratic Left Alliance) were all adamant that the present Constitution regulates this issue satisfactorily.

Decision time came yesterday when the Sejm got down to business. Five amendments to the Constitution were put forward – each concerning one or both of Articles 30 and 38, each in some way restricting abortion (which is currently illegal in Poland anyway). Marek Jurek, the Speaker of the House and part of the extreme Catholic wing of PiS (former ZChN member) opened proceedings in sombre mood urging MPs to search their conscience and do the right wing thing. He had previously stated that this vote was the litmus test of Poland’s moral compass and he laid all his cards on the table.

Before the vote, fault lines had already begun to appear in the ruling coalition. All LPR members wanted a complete ban on abortion and euthanasia whereas many PiS members were unsure. Voting began. The first proposal was thrown out. The second proposal also fell at the final hurdle. LPR began to panic and in the recess one of its members started distributing copies of a letter a Polish bishop had written on the evils of abortion leaving them on all the seats of the Sejm. Marek Suski, a PiS politician was so disgusted with the agitation of his coalition colleagues he began collecting the leaflets and ripping them up. The coalition cracks had begun to appear.

Following the recess voting began. The third proposal of amending the Constitution was thrown out, the fourth also fell. PM Jarosław Kaczyński of PiS appealed to members to do the right thing and deputy PM Roman Giertych of LPR also felt the need to say his bit which, in the final analysis, probably consolidating the more liberal-minded PiS members to vote against the fifth proposal which was also thrown out. The fissures were now visible to all.

Soon after voting finished, the Speaker Marek Jurek (of the right-wing PiS faction) called a press conference and announced he would be resigning as Speaker. He had made his non-objective views clear to the House prior to voting. All his eggs were in one basket and all his eggs were broken.

What happens next will be interesting. Experts believe a split within PiS is imminent. Others believe very little will take place as the main opposition party PO does not have the energy to turn PiS’s setback into political weaponry. One thing is clear – LPR’s Roman Giertych has become the undisputed leader of Poland’s right-wing hardcore.

Semantic Diligence

“Watch your words”, “Be careful what you say”, “Look before you leap”. I was told to mind my words as a child, but it never stopped me getting in trouble with teachers at school. I was the naughty little boy who was always told off for talking too much. “Chatterbox”, “always chatting”, “natters like an old woman” would sum up my yearly school reports. Not much has changed nowadays and I often find myself having to bite my tongue in situations where I might blurt out the inappropriate.

This leads elegantly to the issue of watching your words in the international media and political discourse. Journalists and politicians earn their daily bread by pushing interpretations to the limit. Recently, two stories have been dominating the headlines in Poland.

The first concerns Russian outrage on the decision of the director of Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum to not allow a Russian/Soviet exposition to be open for viewing. The reason why it has been put on hold for a number of years is the insistence by the Russian government that a number of Estonian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Belorussian, Ukrainian and Polish nationals who died in the concentration/death camp were Soviet citizens. The Museum directorship have made it clear that these individuals had Soviet citizenship forced upon them through the realisation of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and should not therefore be seen as citizens of the Soviet Empire but as nationals of their respective former countries. The International Auschwitz Council has spoken of its disgust at the Russian government for using Auschwitz victims as pawns in its continuing Anti-Polish political campaign and has agreed wholeheartedly with the decision taken by the Museum’s director.

The second story concerns the publication by Axel Springer’s Die Welt Online of captions poking fun at Pope John Paul II, especially recent calls for him to be made a saint and the fact that he had Parkinson’s disease. Most Polish commentators and journalists claim the captions are in bad taste and simply point to the fact that the editors and publishers of Die Welt have shown no respect for one of the most positive figures the world has ever seen, and have simply shown us their lack of style and culture.

The first story shows how far semantic manipulation will go to put the political needs of a nation above the memory of a group of individuals. The fact that people died in Auschwitz far outweighs the need to harp on about where they actually came from or what passports they held (or were forced to hold).

The second story shows us how the right to freedom of speech is exercised to – what some might see as – its very limits. One side will fight for the right to make fun of anyone they deem fit to be made fun of, whereas the other side believes there are borders to this freedom based on a sense of good taste and style.