The Land of the Poles is now a part of NATO, it is a member of the European Union and belongs to most of the structures and institutions that are a mark of democracy in the modern world. But does that make it a democratic country of the ‘civilised, western’ world?
Defining Democracy The problem with defining Poland as a democratic country hinges on the fact that there seem to be several definitions of the term. However, a more pressing problem is the fact that the Polish ‘democracy’ is often compared against the French, British or American ‘democracies’ with commentators often forgetting that Poland was still a communist state in 1989, little over twenty years ago. A mere twenty years have passed… Comparisons, rather, should be drawn between the ‘democracies’ of Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria or the Czech Republic.
Classifying Civilisation Civilisation is a different matter altogether. With democracy we can use indexes such as the Polity IV Projector the work of Freedom House but civilisation is a little harder to characterise. There have been various methods of pigeon-holing countries into this or that category (like Huntington’s Clash of Civilisations) but they all seem rather simplistic but my favourite is my own Toilet Check. The mark of civilisation in any country is the state of its public toilets. Check out ten public toilets in Berlin, Stockholm, Tunis, Cairo, Prague, Budapest and Warsaw. Then put them in order of cleanliness. This is civilisation.
Democracy or Bust?
Identifying Initiative
Another marker of a modern civilised democracy is the level of initiative on the part of regular citizens. In Poland, this manifested itself in the Solidarity movement which helped bring down communism in Europe. However, following the implementation of democracy, popular initiative seemed to have disappeared. Not so any more. Thanks to the internet, a host of web-based initiatives have sprung up. A particular favourite of mine is Nie parkuj jak kutas (Don’t Park Like a Prick) which publishes pictures of illegally-parked vehicles together with colourful commentaries.
Grooming Grass-roots
So perhaps a way of defining a modern civilised democracy is looking at the grass-roots of the society: the state of the toilets, the level of services, the amount of popular initiative. The state of a country’s toilets and Don’t Park Like a Prick may appear to be amusing but they give us a quick insight into the state of the country. It will be our ability to nurture these initiatives that may be a linchpin for the development of democracies not only in Poland but around the world.
An interesting thing happened during a recent Ruch Chorzów football match. A section of fans hung a large flag over the fencing of part of the Chorzów stadium. The flag created such a stir that the Polish Football Association (PZPN) decided to ban this flag from being hung at future Chorzów games. What could possibly have infuriated the officials at the PZPN to have made them take such a drastic decision? Did the flag use abusive language? Racist language? Did the flag incite violence? None of the above. Quite simply, the flag was in German.
Huliganeria Oberschlesien
It’s not unusual for Ruch Chorzów fans, like most fans around the world, to fly various flags proclaiming their excellence and superiority above all other fans. No surprise there. However, Chorzów fans also have a propensity for declaring their nationality. A conspicuous section of Ruch fans often make it clear they are Silesians, that they belong to a Silesian nation. The PZPN has never previously got involved in the Silesian flag-waving of these fans. But the straw that broke the PZPN’s camel’s back was the use of the German word “Oberschlesien” (Upper Silesia).
Republic of Upper Silesia?
Obviously, Ruch Chorzów fans have been quick to protest against the ban. They believe it contravenes the constitutional right of minorities to use their own language (Silesian is a Polish dialect interspersed with German). Those who uphold the ban are quick to point out the roots of Ruch Chorzów: a Polish football team which supported Poland in the Upper Silesian plebiscites in the inter-war period and supported a Polish Silesia. They believe the “Huliganeria Oberschlesien” are trying to do away with the club’s traditions. Many older Ruch fans are downright disgusted with the flag and the idea that certain followers of Chorzów could even think of associating themselves with something as abominable as German or German Silesia. During the plebiscite and WWII, the German aggressors and occupants often adorned buildings and walls with “Oberschlesien” to highlight what they believed to be Silesia’s ‘Germanness’.
Schliesen - Back in the News
The other side to the story is just as fascinating (and complicated). The Ruch Chorzów fans responsible for the flag as well as those aligned with the idea of being ‘Silesian’ believe it to be a mark of their distinctness from other fans and other parts of Poland. Internet fora have been flooded with messages from Silesians claiming that Poles are racist, bigoted and intolerant and are not giving Silesians the right to be heard. It is interesting how what might appear to be a simple sporting discussion has turned into a discussion on political self-determination, perhaps even independence. The Silesian Autonomy Movement has also been quick to react and ‘go political’ turning the situation into a Tony Harrison-like ‘Them & [uz]‘ battle. The question, however, is whether this really is a them-against-us fight…
PiS head Jarosław Kaczyński has announced that the European Parliament will bear witness to a revolutionary change following the upcoming European elections. During a meeting of the party’s political council, the Law and Justice (PiS) leader announced that it had been decided that PiS will take part in a project to create a new conservative grouping in the European Parliament.
MEPs Unite
Jarosław Kaczyński announced that MEPs of Law and Justice will be joined by Czech and British conservative MEPs to create this new right-wing organisation. The conservative group will come into being after the June elections to the European Parliament. Is this the start of something new? Of a change in national and European politics? Will we witness a shift to the right in some sections of the Euro-parliament? Does it matter?
Defenders Defend The Law and Justice leader believes that in order to defend the national interests of one’s country within the EU, politicians need to be independent and be free of any outside pressure. He feels that the creation of a new conservative group will give these ‘defenders of national interests’ this much-needed independence. He also believes that this new group will not only be a significant player in Brussels but will be also keep a beady eye on what MEPs are really doing.
Eurosceptics Divide Eurosceptics can perhaps be put into two groups. Those that will do anything to stop Brussels having a greater say in local matters and block any erosion of sovereignty, and those that will do anything to get as greater slice of the European pie as is possible. In Poland, the greatest Eurosceptics were members of Andrzej Lepper’s Self-Defence, who appeared to belong to the first group but once in power magically turned into the second. We all know that PiS advocates Euroscepticism; the question is whether this party (and the new conservative grouping) will advocate the first or second kind of Euroscepticism.
Picture the scene: a country on the verge of complete decay. People with no money, no food; social unrest in the streets, freedom of speech does not exist and Big Brother has such power that people cannot trust their own neighbours. This is a state in collapse, ready to implode and disappear.
Birth of Peace Then, just as this nation is about to evaporate into nothingness a group of people appear who are ready to fight for survival, fight for freedom and fight for the right to speak out. The non-violent Solidarność is born and with it one of the most famous figures of the 20th century, Lech Wałęsa. Solidarity manages to negotiate a level of cooperation with the communist authorities and set in motion a remarkable turn of events which, domino-like, bring about the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of communism in Eastern Europe.
Beginning of the End
After the incredible success of the Round Table Talks which sees Solidarność sit down with their adversaries the communists, Solidarity remarkably gain a foothold in government and soon the right-wing, with Solidarity as its chief flag-bearer, becomes a real force to be reckoned with. Poland’s future looks bright and its political system seems to be reaching an equilibrium of sorts. However, with power comes intoxication and Poland’s right-wing begins to bicker, quarrel and eventually fragment. Factions appear and the unity of Solidarity crashes to an unceremonious end.
When Right is Left
A united right-wing is no more. In fact, the idea that the right-wing was ever unified was simply illusory and at most pie-in-the-sky. Solidarity was a trade union. Its doctrine of workers’ rights and equality was socialist in nature, not right-wing. The leaders of Law and Justice (PiS) and Civic Platform (PO) may share a common heritage (in Solidarity) but neither would dream of being called socialist. In reality, the closest Poland has to a Solidarity-like party is the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), the offspring of the communist Polish United Workers’ Party (PZPR), sworn enemies of Solidarność.
PiS vs. PO
Polish politics is a strange beast. PiS claims to be right-wing, although at times it appears to be socialist (worker rights, pensioner rights and social hand-outs), whereas at other times it verges on fascist extremism. PO, also claiming to be right-wing, is often seen to be ultra-liberal, at times dangerously (for them) conservative. Anyone who did not know that they shared a common heritage would be most surprised. It might prove useful to finally do away with this leftist-rightest distinction as it does justice neither to Poland’s parties nor does it help in categorising them.
The Church The terms left and right do not seem to mean anything anymore. They have become worn-out and arbitrary. In fact, the closest we can get in describing them is through the dichotomy: pro-church/anti-church, or to be more specific, pro-Catholic/anti-Catholic. In other words, in Poland, a right-wing party is (generally) a pro-Catholic party whereas a left-wing party is an anti-Catholic party. If this is the case, does this make Poland a secular or a religious state?
Today is a wonderful day. The 6th February 2009 is the 20th anniversary of one of the most important moments in European history. On the 6th February 1989, twenty years ago, the so-called ‘Round Table’ talks kicked off in Warsaw and so began the dismantling of the totalitarian regime in Poland.
Good vs. Evil
The Round Table talks were pretty amazing as they saw the communist government invite representatives of Solidarity (the anti-government, anti-communist, pro-democratic semi-legal opposition) as well as members of the Catholic Church (sworn enemies of communism) to the table in order to discuss the future. The very fact that all of these people were able, and wanted, to sit down and together discuss the future of their country was unprecedented on a European, and perhaps even global, scale.
Forces of Good The members of the Solidarity opposition who sat at the Round Table (and in later years became key figures in Polish politics) included: Lech Wałęsa (leader of Solidarity), Bronisław Geremek (chief consultant to Lech Wałęsa), Tadeusz Mazowiecki (editor-in-chief of the weekly Solidarność), Jacek Kuroń (Solidarity advisor and founder of the Workers’ Defence Committee), Adam Michnik (Solidarity advisor and Workers’ Defence Committee member) and Lech Kaczyński (Solidarity advisor).
Forces of Evil The governmental side at the Round Table included: General Czesław Kiszczak (member of the Politbiuro and Minister of Internal Affairs), Leszek Miller (member of the Central Committee of the Party) and Aleksander Kwaśniewski (Minister for Young People). The infamous General Kiszczak is said to have played a fundamentally positive role in the talks. Leszek Miller and Aleksander Kwaśniewski, perhaps not huge players at the time, were set for dazzling careers in Polish politics in the years to come.
Wałęsa at the Table
Repercussions The talks were pivotal in the fact that they saw the bitterest of enemies sit down and constructively discuss the future of a nation on the brink of economic and social collapse. As a result, Solidarity gained a tangible foothold in Eastern European politics and led to the disintegration of communism throughout Europe. The Round Table not only began the erosion of communism within Europe, but the participants (including the much-maligned communists) actively worked towards the dismantling of a totalitarian regime that they realised no longer had a future.
Round Table Careers
The political legacy of the talks can still be felt today. Beginning with the Solidarity side, Lech Wałęsa went on to become President of Poland, Bronisław Geremek was Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tadeusz Mazowiecki was Poland’s first post-war democratically-elected Prime Minister, Jacek Kuroń became Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Adam Michnik founded Poland’s first post-war free newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza and Lech Kaczyński is currently President of Poland. As for the communists, Leszek Miller became Polish Prime Minster whereas Aleksander Kwaśniewski was President of Poland. Three Presidents, two Prime Ministers and a host of ministers is quite a legacy.
News that Jaruzelski was ready to open Poland’s borders and let in the Soviet army comes as a shock to some but to many more it is not surprising. For them, General Wojciech Jaruzelski, last head (and President) of the (communist) People’s Republic of Poland was a traitor in every sense of the word. News of Jaruzelski’s so-called treachery comes after the CIA decided to release classified cold war documents telling of Jaruzelski’s plans during the 1980-81 period.
Top Secret The documents totalling over a thousand pages, published by the CIA, are detailed reports prepared by Colonel Ryszard Kukliński, a close aide of Jaruzelski, who clandestinely worked for the CIA between 1971 and 1981 passing important military information over to the Americans. As well as countering the planned Warsaw Pact invasion of western Europe and what would have been the start of World War III by allowing NATO to be one step ahead of the Warsaw Pact, Kukliński also supplied the Americans with a detailed psychological profile of General Wojciech Jaruzelski.
The Generals
Power Hungry
In his reports, Kukliński claims that Jaruzelski had impeccable morals, shied away from the luxuries craved by most communist leaders and was incredibly polite and well-spoken. However, his lust for power and fear/respect for the Soviet Union was inevitably his undoing. The CIA reports claim that Jaruzelski had been preparing to enforce martial law (December 1981) for a long time before it was actually imposed and it was in no way motivated by the threat of a Soviet invasion which Jaruzelski has claimed for years. Moreover, the General had pleaded with the Russians for military assistance which the Soviets rejected.
Soviet Invasion In fact, what comes as the greatest surprise is the fact that the Soviets were very close to invading Poland not in 1981 but in 1980, a full year before martial law was imposed. The Soviet regime were irked with Solidarity’s growing power and influence. They feared that the Solidarity movement could well sweep through the Polish military, government and, even worse, the Party itself. They had already begun moving heavy arms into Poland. Russian troops stationed within Poland were known to be regularly performing military manoeuvres and several armed divisions had been re-stationed around the vicinities of Warsaw, ready to take the capital.
American Rescue
It seems that Kukliński’s report averted the danger as the American government, knowing the full scale of the imminent invasion which would have de facto reduced Poland to S.S.R. status, put immense pressure on the Soviet regime to not attempt an invasion of Poland as any such invasion would lead to the USA declaring war on the USSR. Kukliński appears to have saved the day. Wojciech Jaruzelski, however, may have ran out of arguments justifying his imposition of martial law. The Russians have stated on numerous occasions that they never had any intention of invading Poland in the winter of 1981 (when martial law was imposed). This CIA report seems to have put yet another nail in his coffin.
Polish politics seems to be a never-ending battle for the right to be called a “hero” regardless of whether one was a hero or not. The latest instalment in the ongoing saga of “Let’s besmirch each other” comes with former PM Jarosław Kaczyński having a dig at Deputy Speaker Stefan Niesiołowski. Both men are well-known for being outspoken and not mincing words. Both are loathed by members of their opposing parties – Niesiołowski is held in disdain by Law and Justice (PiS), Kaczyński is despised by Civic Platform (PO).
Public Outburst During a debate on a motion whether or not to dismiss the Speaker of the House Bronisław Komorowski (PO), put forward by PiS, Kaczyński began making fun of the fact that Komorowski ‘only’ spent one month in prison for his part in the anti-communist opposition. He went on to add that Niesiołowski (PO) betrayed his opposition colleagues to the communist Security Services (SB). He later stated on Polish Radio that even 13-year-old girls tortured by the Gestapo never fell apart. But according to Kaczyński Niesiołowski did. This perpetual wrangling has been going on for years. Ironic due to the fact that they were once very close political allies in the fight against communism after 1989.
Grapes of Wrath
Best Form of Defence… To be fair, Niesiołowski has not made life easy for himself with his scathing and often very personal attacks on Jarosław Kaczyński, Law and Justice as well as Jarosław’s twin brother President Lech Kaczyński. As shocking as Kaczyński’s comments may have appeared to be, the direction in which they are aimed are not altogether surprising. Niesiołowski has been a poor choice as Deputy Speaker and is often unable to keep a level head in discussions and keep his arguments free of bias.
Real Heroes What is most sad in this re-opening of old war wounds is Kaczyński’s desire to, yet again, play the ‘communist hero’ card. No one can take away from Niesiołowski the fact that he did a great deal in the fight against communism. He spent four years in prison and was under constant surveillance by the communists. Kaczyński has also repeatedly attempted to besmirch another activist, Lech Wałęsa, with little success in reality. Despite his patent zealousness and repeated calls to clean the world of former communists and communist collaborators, Kaczyński’s opposition activities during communism are insignificant at best. As his opponents like to remind him, he never spent a day in prison.
Radosław Sikorski has yet again let his emotions fly claiming that the President is not an “Oberpremier” and he, Sikorski, reports only to the Prime Minister and not the President. The whole kerfuffle came about when Minister of Foreign Affairs Sikorski visited Belarus in an attempt to improve relations between the two countries.
My Word Against Yours President Kaczyński believes the visit should have coordinated with his office and his person. Sikorski believes otherwise. Even though he did send a note to the Presidential Office, Sikorski said that there was absolutely no constitutional need for him to do so. The President does not have to be consulted in these matters. Sikorski went as far as saying that President Lech Kaczyński still cannot get used to life without his brother Jarosław being PM.
Belarusian Results
Regardless of their bickering, Sikorski’s visit to Poland’s eastern neighbour should be hailed a success. It was the first such visit in years and also marked an important point for Poland’s diplomatic corps as Sikorski was also representing the European Union on his mission to Minsk. Although little of substance was agreed upon, the very fact that the Polish mission was even allowed to set foot in the Belarus is a positive point. Belarus despot Lukashenko is sounding out the political mood and realises that putting all his egss in the Russian basket might not actually be a good idea. The Polish visit was well-organised and well-timed.
Poor Advice Whatever the results, the incessant squabbling between Sikorski and Kaczyński has become tiresome. Almost every time Kaczyński instigates such an attack (and he is nearly always the initiator), he invariably takes a pounding in the opinion polls, from the press and from the majority of commentators. What is surprising is his complete inability to learn from his mistakes. His chief aide Michał Kamiński claims that a new ‘friendly’ President will soon emerge. Does that imply more PR? From Kamiński? I dread to think what the outcome will be. Kaczyński has a penchant for poor advisors and this latest spat only highlights their ineffectiveness in the world of power politics.
Well, they’ve gone and done it. Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radosław Sikorski and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice signed the so-called anti-missile shield deal which gives the go-ahead for a US missile defence system to be built and deployed on Polish territory.
Controversial Shield
The anti-missile shield has proved extremely controversial within Poland pitting politicians from the left and right against each other. The idea was initially pushed forward by Polish President Lech Kaczyński and former Polish PM and the President’s twin brother Jarosław Kaczyński. Current PM Donald Tusk and his party Civic Platform (PO) were initially sceptical and anxious that the former Law and Justice (PiS) government were far too eager to clinch a deal without negotiating more for Poland. After PO came to power the deal was perpetually in the balance in a long-running on/off saga.
Signed and Sealed However, Donald’s Tusk team proved to be wily negotiators and demanded a better deal for Poland otherwise they would pull out of negotiations. In fact, the Polish PM said on numerous occasions that a deal would only be struck on Poland’s terms. They upped the ante and pushed for US assurances of extra security for Poland together with a batch of Patriotic missiles. Tusk was quoted as saying that negotiations were conducted in a friendly atmosphere but were very tough.
New Security
Signed and Sealed
Controversy still surrounds the US missile defence system within and without Poland with many commentators and leftist politicians unable to see any positives that might stem from the deal. Many believe that the anti-missile shield will place Poland on the front line in the fight against terrorism. The Polish government as well as President Kaczyński believe that this is a new era for Poland, an era of increased security and a deeper alliance with the US. After decades of subordination by the Germans, Russians (Prussians and Austrians) who can blame the Polish for wanting to feel safe.
New Threat
However, Russia is still reeling from losing an important player in what they believe to be their sphere of influence. A host of notable Russian politicians and leaders have vented their frustrations. Vladimir Putin went on record with a plethora of poorly-masked threats thrown in Poland’s direction and most recently Russian Chief of Staff General Nogovitsyn said that this move by the Poles could not go unpunished. Most commentators are outraged by these comments. Who on earth does Russia think it is?
Georgian Problem
Both Poland and the US have assured Russia that the anti-missile shield is a defence system and cannot be used to attack, only to intercept missiles, however we cannot fail to notice the timing of the signing of the deal so soon after Russia’s attack on Georgia. The US, NATO and the EU have all denounced Russia’s actions and the US missile defence system can be seen as a closing of ranks. Perhaps, this is the solidarity that Poland has been so eager to promote since joining the EU and NATO.
The news that Polish President Lech Kaczyński is flying out to Georgia has divided opinion. George Bush has praised President Kaczyński for his bravery and leadership. Hardly a compliment if you see that the USA has done absolutely nothing to avoid this conflict or help in negotiations.
Silent Fear In fact, the power institutions of the world are so afraid of Russia that nothing at all has been done to caution or admonish Russia for its acts of hostility on Georgia. Some feeble, non-threatening remarks have been made by a few countries and nothing else, nothing of substance.
Russian Motives Actions, of course, speak louder than words and if the current status quo continues and the stance of the world’s leading power centres does not change then Russia will soon ‘liberate’ South Ossetia, then Abkhazia, after which both entities will no doubt ‘elect to join’ Russia allowing the Russians to incorporate these territories into their federal structures. As we know both areas are of strategic importance with regards to oil pipelines and access to the sea. These would be prized acquisitions for Russia.
Prometheus & Eagle
Lech’s Mission Kaczyński mission to Georgia is brave but it may also be foolhardy. The Russian ambassador in Latvia has already warned the Baltic States and Poland not to criticise Russia. The ambassador wrote that “Quick judgements [by Poland and the Baltics] should not be made concerning this situation [the Georgian conflict] because mistakes could well be made for which they [Poland and the Baltics] will have to pay”.
Prometheus on His Mind It is interesting to put Kaczyński’s position in context. Both Lech and his brother are known admirers of Józef Piłsudski and by extension his policy of Prometheism (discussed in brief in a previous post). If this is the case and Prometheism is a key policy also of President Lech Kaczyński’s then the mission to Georgia, together with the leaders of the Baltic States and Ukraine would appear to be something of an acme in the consolidation of this policy. For Lech Kaczyński, the fact that he is making this journey in concert with key ‘Promethian’ leaders is in itself a huge success regardless of the result once in Georgia.
Posted by Raf Uzar 
Posted by Raf Uzar 
Posted by Raf Uzar 
