Should politics still fight for something today, 25 years after the great transformations, or should it just “keep an eye on the hot water in the tap”?
I don’t subscribe to and I don’t like the concept which assumes that the roles of politics are limited only to practical aspects. I don’t think that politics today comes down only to this. As far as the period of the transformations is concerned, then the goal of politics was to introduce democracy and the system of free market economy in Poland, as well as a shift in the orientation of our foreign policy, to open Poland to the West. Today Poland is a democratic state, but strengthening its democratic system and strengthening its economy are the goals which politics can still pursue.
Speaking of strengthening our economy, are you referring to liberalisation or social orientation?
I wouldn’t set these two tasks against each other. Economy liberalisation is a means to be free from excessive regulations – too numerous, too detailed and poor quality. As we know, such regulations plague the Polish economy. However, I wouldn’t say that economy is an end in itself; it should offer certain social solutions, necessary for contemporary society.
Mr. Prime Minister, if we assume that for the past years the goal of the politicians holding power and social mandate was to strengthen the Polish economy, is it possible to say today that they have managed to achieve this goal?
Generally speaking, the development of Polish economy is good; we are successfully resisting the waves of the crisis. But this does not mean that we should be satisfied. We need to catch up with countries which are better developed; we need to make up for the fact that we have been lagging behind not just for decades, but centuries.
Perhaps somebody should stimulate this process of catching up. Is it the role of politics or the government?
It seems to me that that there is no one concept for catching up. I think that a well functioning public opinion should bridge this backwardness.
And how does this public opinion function in Polish conditions?
Not too well, I am afraid. It is stuck in a destructive dispute, which is futile, instead of being constructive, because it concerns facts which are being denied. I am referring to the disaster… It is a dispute which hinders the development of civil awareness.
Going beyond home affairs, how do you talk about your country and Poles on the international arena?
Functioning on the international arena must be much more than just propaganda. Everybody knows more or less how the situation develops in other countries. The image of Poland and Poles is well known to the actors of international spheres.
Nevertheless, there is an opinion that everybody should promote their country, their city, their territory the best they can. Ideological reasons are not so important here as such promotion will be beneficial in mercantile terms sooner or later.
Of course, it is very important. That is right, every single country does it and we should not hesitate or be uneasy about it. It is normal promotional activity, very common and very valuable.
The political transformation which was taking place with your contribution happened in the pre-Internet era. If today – in the times of advanced communication – you would have to fight communism, wouldn’t it be a more difficult fight? After all, the Internet can be a great propaganda tool.
Most of all, I think that the Internet enhances opportunities to communicate. Looking at this question from this point of view, it seems to me that this fight would be possible even more so. Of course, you are right to assume that the totalitarian system would not lag behind and would definitely invent something against free communication. It is hard to speculate about it today. Advanced solutions, advanced technologies are more likely to enhance opportunities to communicate.
And do they increase human freedom?
They intensify the flow of information. And as far as freedom is concerned, well, I believe everything is possible.
There is a belief in Poland that we could be a role model for other parts of the world in terms of our successful transfer from the chains of totalitarianism to modern democracy. To what extent is the Polish experience unique in the global scale, and to what extent is it typical for those historical and geopolitical conditions?
Historical and political changes are always original. They are never the same everywhere. Although, on the other hand, there are some similarities.
There was a moment in the awareness of western intellectuals when it was believed that democracy is “the end of history”. At present this view is broadly denied. Is democracy threatened today?
Opinions about the end of history were hasty. Since that time many phenomena have occurred, such as, for example, global terrorism or other threats, which are very difficult to overcome using democratic methods. And besides, communication and information increases, but the participation of people in establishing democratic political systems leaves much to be desired. Our current challenge is to look for new forms of participation in the decision-making process.
Will democracy develop towards direct participation?
Both the direct and indirect participation. The thing is that the elector should not be a person that politics seeks just once every four years. It is important that electors should shape public opinion, and public opinion should shape politics.
Recently the media has been reporting a new emigration wave of young Poles. Does it make sense to encourage these people to come back? What argument should we give to convince them come back? Maybe it doesn’t matter where we live if we have a common Europe, a global world?
Today everyone can decide for themselves. Personally, I believe it would be better if Poles gained experience abroad and came back and shared their experience with their fellow countrymen in Poland. I would be happier to see this option, rather than the situation where Poles stay abroad for good.
At the end of the 1980s a lot of Polish people believed in a concept which basically could be brought down to one sentence, and the focal point was freedom. This concept was so strong that it brought about ground-breaking changes. Is it possible to formulate a similar short concept, strategy, which will be accurate enough to push our Polish issues ahead?
All of us Poles have something in common. We will develop, we will develop democracy, as long as we build a minimum of COMMUNITY spirit.
Photo © Kamil Broszko/ Manual F
The Foundation of the Polish Promotional Emblem „Teraz Polska”
