It pisses him off

“It pisses me off that the super of my country is an idiot” said recently Polish musician and songwriter, Kazik. He did not specify neither who he meant nor what he meant exactly but one can assume that he referred to the Prime Minister Tusk. It is hard to discuss this statement as Kazik didn’t see fit to give any examples or arguments supporting his opinion. Nevertheless let’s try to assess how Poland has changed in the first half a year of Tusk’s rule.

Admittedly, internally not much has changed. The teachers and nurses are on strike every now and then demanding more money that is nowhere to be seen. Historians accuse this or that one of cooperating with soviet special services before ’89. Politicians find pleasure in throwing mud at each other. The opposition accuses the coalition of controlling the media and the coalition accuses the opposition of controlling the police or the business or yet something else. And everyone accuses everyone of corruption. And the lady in the international ticket window at Warsaw Central Train Station still speaks only Polish and Russian.

And the society? The society is bored, disillusioned, and disgusted with the political games and once again will not go voting in the next elections. Luckily, the society also lives its own life. It prospers enjoying the economic growth, it travels and it looks for new chances to develop. Rather independently from the politicians. To quote Polish saying: dogs are barking but the caravan goes forward.

There is however one thing that has to be counted to the advantage of Tusk and his crew. And that is the new Polish foreign policy. During the period of Kaczyński’s government Poland was treated as a patient of special care, a hooligan and a bother. Nowadays Sarkozy comes to Warsaw to talk with an important partner for common agriculture policy and to assure the support of this partner during French presidency in EU. German foreign ministry accepts and supports Polish project of „Eastern Union” i.e. broader cooperation between EU and its eastern partners. And the Poland-US missile shield negotiations are progressing despite occassional nervous outcrys of senior officials from the White House.

So do I agree with Kazik? No I don’t. Even if Tusk is failing in the internal affairs he is heavily helpped in this by all the ridiculous ‘affairs’ that are brought about by politicians from all around the political spectrum. And yet he menages to stir among those problems and come out with good ideas that improve Polish standing internationally. Now I would say this is an achievement.