Polish Political Landscape - The Situation Is Tense

#politics #polishpolitics #europeanunion #criticism #journalism #europolitcs #media

As the title suggests, the current situation in Polish politics is tense and difficult to comprehend. To some scale, such a situation probably never existed before, at least from what I recall. Everything goes without bouncing echoes through the international media channels, and mainly due to the global media channel's construction and their narration. Narrations, where anything which is understood on the right wing of government does not usually receive adequate and transparent reflections and publicity, and hardly given any favour on anything which supports the party tents on popular tendencies understood in the left side agendas. Why? I'm not able to answer. Maybe the left aspects of political ideologies are more profitable. They are definitely more cool and trendy, and in the modern progressing world everything which seems to be too conservative, and on the right side of the political landscape, is less attractive within the new social engineering ideological programs. Ideological plans where individual countries are progressively set on the path to lose their cultural identities and heritage and become new and better societies created by global structures and influenced by enforced diasporas for economic profits. Something which several hundred years ago was known as a profitable slave trade industry is now covered by blankets of NGOs and 'humanitarian' ideas.

The only good news about recent months in Polish politics, and drama related to the shifts in power, would be the fact of cultural progress and mentality which works in favour of Polish society. If similar situations would appear in any Central American country, African republic, or even Ukraine (which forcing thier path to the EU) the civil war would be a definitive outcome.

Here for some reasons everything seems smooth and approved by the EU, even though many actions taken by the Tusk government in recent months were obvious law-breaking acts, not to mention the Polish Constitutional Laws, which are still the highest law power authority in the territory of Poland.

The main battles are on the line of President Andrzej Duda (PiS) and the currently elected Prime Minister Donald Tusk (PO). PiS and PO have been two main rival powers in Polish politics in the last decade. This battle has been developing continuously through the last years of Law And Justice Party (PiS) rules, and total opposition run by the Tusk coalition and supportive privately owned commercial media. The difference between, what was taking place earlier, and what's happening now, is the shift in power wheal, where Prime Minister Tusk finally received enough authority to challenge the president and PiS government, and their previous decisions, or even legal bills set through the eight years of ruling.

To give you more clarification what is in contrast between those two political rivals. PO (a Donald Tusk party) are pro-unionist and in favour of deeper federalisation and introduction of Euro currency in Poland. PiS, The Law And Justice Party (run by Jaros?aw Kaczyński) and thier close alise, on the other hand, are for stronger sovereignty of Poland in the European Union and in favour of keeping Z?oty PLN (polish currency) due to individual and independent central bank and monetary politics. Apart from other minor aspects, this is the main difference between their political plans and narration.

Through the last eight years of the Law And Justice Party (PiS) rules, they have total governmental power in the governmental majority, a prime minister, and a president. This provides them with the possibility to introduce new legislations through official bills and procedures without any drastic obstacles. Most of them were set with thier agendas on sovereignty within the EU and to provide Poland with less dominance from political wills delivered from Brussels and Berlin, especially in those aspects which were not included in the initial treaties contracts but which seem to be continuously mutating and illegally expanding with the organic force of ideological and business developments.

Donald Tusk coalition was very much aware of those aspects, that the Law And Justice Part legislations and bills, would provide a huge additional obstacle to the future integration of Poland into the singular organism of the super country, known as the EU. This means an introduction of the Euro and shits of all regulatory and administrative powers to Brussels and related institutions. This aspect of possible problems, which were set by PiS on the way of the EU ideologies, were strongly and furiously reflected by well-organised mechanisms of antigovernment protests, and through the media channels used to persuade the electorate. An ordinary practice with political games and running to power. Nevertheless, PiS was setting all legislations and new governmental bodies according to the requiter manual of a democratic country. The opposite of what Donald Tusk's agenda provides, at least through the last six months of decision-making in overtaking the power by force, or simple resolutions, which are not a law acts according to Polish law, but more a political will.

Ok. More commonly speaking. Imagine this.

Two parliamentarians, who also are at the top of an anti-criminal group coordinating the VAT carousel frauds and anti-corruption issues, are at the beginning of thier careers and given a sentence by the questionable judge. Probably to prevent thier progress in the case-making. Within the presidential power and constitutional laws dismissed from charges and future related problems, are once again sentenced to jail for the same twisted act, because the newly elected prime minister tries to set the statement of his power and dislike to the previous government. This was not spontaneous but planned and used throughout the campaign. The conflict of law standards in the country arises and misleads even the best law minds, not to mention the ordinary people and opinion makers. Two parliamentarians who have immunity, due to the created circumstances in power statements, are unlawfully suspended. Those two parliamentarians have decided to attend the visit in the presidential palace to discuss the situation with the president.

The president the same day has another appointment to attend and leaves them in the presidential palace for the time being.

At the same time, the prime minister with the power over police and internal affairs gives the order to take those two out of the presidential palace, arrest them, and create a show statement. Just to make the situation funnier, the prime minister and related to him governor of the capital city (same party), gave an order to a bus driver in the city to block the road for the presidential cars column at the exit of the property from the meeting, just to obstacle him to confronting the unexpectable interference in the Presidential Palace.

Does this sound like a dark comedy script? It does, definitely, and it's probably more humoristic than most of the Polish comedies made in the recent decade. But this was not a comedy script, unfortunately, but a real situation created by Donald Tusk being in power. From this time the situation on the line of the President of Poland Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk is unpredicably toxic like never before in modern-day history.

Second, and probably the most controversial overtake conducted by Bart?omiej Sienkiewicz, minister of culture of the Donald Tusk new coalition government, were public media channels and the Polish Press Agency which controls, provides and shares all information through the local and global media channels. Public media are not an easy subject to comprehend, even in the most democratic societies of Western Europe. The role of public media is crucial and strategic for a country's language and?cultural?heritage,?safety, and for various other reasons. This aspect is undebatable, and examples of such importance could be seen in countries like Germany, France, Sweden, Italy?and?Denmark etc., where there is a strict regulatory interest in foreign investments in this sector, due to the earlier mentioned reasons most probably. Poland, on the other hand, has more open media sector policies and foreign investment companies can own even 100% of media platforms/channels, and it's something which sets the public own media to more competitive and influential challenges.

Through the years of the Law And Justice Party (PiS) ruling, public media in Poland received a lot of interest and priority in financial investment, at the same time building successfully a huge audience across various subjects of interest. This was very often criticised by total opposition, run by Tusk at the time, and labelled as a PiS-owned company with one singular party narration strategy. For clearance, the public media currently, which was overtaken by force by the Tusk government, receives even more finance than previously.

In contrast to usual shifts in public media narration and governmental agendas run by a majority in government, this time on the order of Donald Tusk, the public media channels were simply disconnected from the airways for several days. Such things only happened in deep communism times in Poland and probably in the African style government overtakes, but never in a civilised western European country. From day to day, hundreds of employees in public TV and radio stations lost thier jobs without any clear official reasons, and against all employment regulations. This included most of the journalists, presenters, media script editors, assistants, directors, and camera staff. The offices of national TV/Radio and Polish Press were invaded by employed by Tusk government layers with the support of private security guards, who were internal affairs secret service agents, but without any typical badges of who they represented. From the spectator's perspective, it was more like a gang war invasion rather than an official public media overtaken by the government of the country that is a member of the EU. Several parliamentarians and personnel were abused and were trying to obstruct the unclear situation in which they were set.

As I have mentioned earlier, the shits in staff members in public media and news editor's agenda are nothing new, but this usually comes gradually and according to all regulatory schemats and law standards. Donald Tusk, unfortunately, did not follow the legal regulations which could take him several months to adjust the media to the narration of their coalition agenda, but decided to give another quick statement of power and force, heavenly breaching the law in Poland. At this point, public media are set on the path of potential bankruptcy and the in the official liquidation act. The liquidation process which was adjusted to the public media corporation can't be overturned, which means, that Donald Tusk's government are technically trying to demolish public state-owned media in Poland in the short term. In this case, Poland would be probably the first European country without publicly owned media in the next years, if Tusk coalitions succeded in keeping the power of government. If they don't succeed they face a state tribunal. Same like with a few other aspects, where they decide without any regulations and official bills to give all legal priorities to Brussels and Luxemburg and breaching the Polish Constitution, which in Poland it's still the highest legal act. Again, the Constitution can be changed and adjusted, but this requires?long?and difficult debates and complicated system procedures, something which Donald Tusk's government agenda tries to bypass only with their political will and ideology. Having blind support from the EU institutions and parliamentarians, who most probably are not even aware of those situations due to lack of interest, or limited access, Donald Tusk sets himself on the wave of self-destruction path.

Another part of Donald Tusk's revolutionary approach was related to the Polish justice system and mainly the general country prosecutor's office. Adam Bodnar, the?new minister for justice in Tusk's office, decided to change the general country prosecutor taking his office by force and substituting with another individual only by Tusk's order. One of the reasons for this was apparently the plan for the separation of the ministerial office from the prosecutor's office. Something for which the Law And Justice Party was criticised and several actions were taken by the European Union. Described as questionable development of the justice system. This led even to the suspension of the post-COVID pandemic financial grant and loan for Poland;?The Recovery Plan for Europe?NextGenerationEU.?

Nevertheless, the?general country prosecutor office in Poland is obtained only with presidential approval, and this also includes potential dismissal from the office for whatever reasons. Adam Bodnar, on the Tusk order, once again bypassed all country regulations and took decisions based only dictated by the political will.

Through the several month's rally, Adam Bodnar dismissed more than 150 prosecutors and a large number of judges across the country. Mostly those who received thier presidential approval during the Law And Justice Party era. Those judges and prosecutors were described by the Tusk coalition as?neo,?which means not real, non functional, and not approved for thier work. Even that all procedures for law diplomas, achieved through the years of the Law And Justice Party, were the same as usual, but by the total coalition narration run by the Tusk campaign, they were not recognised because placed in the office by the PiS government.?

Sounds ridiculous? It does. For sure. With the same thinking process all BA, MA, PhD, or even high school diplomas and driving licenses, should be unrecognisable and cancelled because were achieved through the PiS government timeline.?

Just like I have mentioned earlier in this article, the Law And Justice Party (PiS) are more towards the sovereignty of Poland within the EU and in favour of keeping its?own?currency and financial politics. They have also, through their rulings, construct an important fortification stronghold within the law system in Poland to prevent any further and quick shits of all authorisations to the European Union institutions, especially those which initial treaties did not include, but organically with the expansion of the European business and ideology have been smuggled into the functionality. Donald Tusk was very much aware of this construction process, but due to a different political agenda did not recognise those aspects and regulatory obstacles, which arose over the years of his absence in political power in Polish politics.

I don't want to be misunderstood. European Union it's a great project, full of possibility and prosperity. Most people, especially the millennial generation, can't see the possibility of not being a part of this establishment and all the benefits that come with it. Nevertheless, all types of projects, or brands/corporations, have tendencies to switch their initial paths depending on the people who take control of the board seats. There are situations where business establishers were kicked out of thier firms by the boards which had thier own visions. This is an organic process. Why? Because all organisms, as well as ideas/ideologies, or brands, have tendencies to expand and develop. The same also happens with the European Union. This project expanded and conquer ideologically and financially. If that's the correct way, it probably depends on which perspective this is seen and experienced. If this enterprise turns away from the initial path of the project it also depends on the point of view, who's forcing the progress and in which direction.

Returning to the subject of Polish politics. Through the Law And Justice Party (PiS) rules, the European Commission suspended the recovery grant and loan to Poland, setting numerous milestones to be corrected by the government. Even though the correct justifications for requirements set by the EU were made, the commission kept the suspension?to?Poland. Many critics in the country agreed this was just a political trick, set not only by the EU, but also by an opposition run by Donald Tusk. This was done simply to enforce the Law And Justice Party to the shortage in public finance, and finally shift the government by the pressure of an unhappy society. With the post-COVID pandemic atmosphere, it couldn't be easier.

Are they correct with these statements? Difficult to predict, but now, just several months after Donald Tusk's government took control, the grand and loan from ECB suspension was lifted even though technically nothing has changed in the Polish juridical system, apart from the individuals that switch the seats in ministerial departments. Nevertheless, nothing in legislation acts was changed, or even corrected. Ursula Von Der Linden provided her full approval for the lifting of the suspension with the individual trust to her political friend Donald Tusk, which could be seen as clear bribery. The decision was justified mainly by the political will and agenda to remove PiS from power, rather than real regulatory procedures. If that's the correct approach of the ruling class in the current state of the European Union or a breach of the laws, it's unclear and depends on the standpoint. From the ideological standpoint, it can be. Through the law regulations, which bind all sides of the single project, it is, for sure.

Just several months after the new government in Poland took control, a large part of?the demolition crew, such as the minister of culture, minister of internal affairs, minister of state assets, and several other key individuals, resigned from their offices and ran for the seats in the European Parliament elections.?No one?knows?really?why, especially since?for?years?they have been waving the slogan of how they would like to change the country for the better.?Political commentators saying they are running for protection from the EU to provide them with a backup immunity from the damage they have done in the country, and for which they can?be sentenced?if Donald Tusk's government does not succeed in achieving his goals and loses power. The others suggest it's a political trick to substitute those who?made?damage with less experienced but ambitious politicians,?just?to create the effect of the crowed chaos, where things get lost with the avalanche of issues and topics, and the plan moves forward with?larger?impact.

The earlier prediction of Donald Tusk suspending the progress in the development of SMR (Small Modular Reactors) in Poland, as well?as the largest airport hub in Poland connected with high-speed modernised railways CPK (Central Communication Port)?also?crystallised.?

CPK was the project which various governments tried to work out through the last two decades. Due to complexity and related issues, it took a long time to finalise the concept and gather all needed permission, land, project plan, or simple business will. The Law And Justice Party (PiS) has managed to be the first government in power to take this project to the ready-to-go development, achieving nearly all needed environmental licenses, architectural plans and potential investors-cooperators, as well and?most?importantly, the land purchased for this development. Two years of the COVID pandemic crisis, as well as the Russian invasion of Ukraine, slightly slowed down the?progress,?because?most?probably?CPK would be now in the construction?stage,?rather than a plan under another review audit and suspension by the Tusk run government.?The blockade by the EU?The?Recovery Plan for Europe?NextGenerationEU?loan and grant for Poland, could also be seen as an additional financial interaction in the progress of the development of this project, especially considering the situation.

To highlight the intentions of Tusk's ideology, he employed for the new chairman of CPK Investment Group,?Maciej Lasek a?person who, through the years of Law And Justice Party rule, has been a part of the political group which gathered officially under?the banner STOP CPK.?I'm?not sure?if there is a need to add anything more to such business plan and intentions.?It's similar to the employment of the Iranian Supreme Ledar for the defence ministerial seat in the US. Sabotage, in one word speaking.?

Through this perspective, the political landscape in Poland is now divided between those who want Poland to progress and develop to be an equal, and strong rival to the Scandinavian countries, Germany, or France. The country with a strong and independent central bank that challenges effectively the financial politics of the ECB (European Central Bank). A country with a strong army and crucial allies attachment to the US and in NATO partnership.

On the other side, there is a Tusk vision group, with Poland being a skansen of the Europan Union and depending on ideological and economic aspects of the interest of other countries in the European pact. Countries which set the overall standards and rules to follow, according to thier own interests and ideological objectives. The Tusk vision group are also in favour of more Europan partnerships beyond the NATO pact, with the possible development of the Europan Army. Something which is practically not needed with the existing NATO structure, and what it seems just like a progressive mutation of the European Union concept towards the direction of the fourth?reich, rather than an economic and cultural partnership.

It's not difficult to understand?now why Donald Tusk's character is seen in Poland by many critics more as a European delegate. A person who constructively works in favour of the European Union project,?and?mainly Germany, rather than in the interest of the country he represents. The contradiction arises when you realise that he?was also elected?by the Polish society for this role.?The trick is?in?fact, that a lot of?voters did not vote recently for the Tusk party (PO),?because they lost the elections, but voted for others who constructed the coalition with the Donald Tuks to overtrone the Law And Justice Party.

Sincerely

Marcin Babul

MA Visual Culture, Lund University

BA Documentary Photography, Newport University

BTEC Photography & Digital Imaging, Glan Hafren, Cardiff