Aktuelles > Pro-europäisches Volk mit europaskeptischen Vertretern? Einblicke aus Polen von Marcin Święcicki

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Partizipation & Zivilgesellschaft

Pro-europäisches Volk mit europaskeptischen Vertretern? Einblicke aus Polen von Marcin Święcicki

Vier von fünf Polen sind für die EU-Mitgliedschaft ihres Landes, trotzdem wählen sie mehrheitlich eine europaskeptische Regierung, die das EU-Quotensystem für die Verteilung von Flüchtlingen ablehnt und Demokratie und Rechtsstaatlichkeit im „christlichen Erbe Europas“ verortet. Dabei geht es den patriotischen Europäern in Polen vor allem um die Verteidigung ihrer nationalen Souveränität gegen die Gemeinschaftsmethode im europäischen Gesetzgebungsprozess. In einem Meinungsbeitrag gibt Marcin Święcicki, Präsident des Forums Europäische Bewegung Polen und Abgeordneter des polnischen Parlaments, Einblicke in die paradoxale gesellschaftliche Situation im Land.

Um die proeuropäischen Kräfte in Polen zu stärken, haben zwei Vorstandsmitglieder der EBD, Frank Burgdörfer und Önder Kurt, die Online-Petition „Go Poland! Tak dalej, Polsko! Weiter so, Polen!“ gestartet, die der EBD-Vorstand mitträgt. Gerade in Zeiten wachsender populistischer Bewegungen sei es wichtig, den Wert bürgerschaftlichen Engagements in europäischer Perspektive herauszuarbeiten und gemeinsam für dessen Würdigung und bessere Rahmenbedingungen einzutreten: „Dass Ihr zu Zehntausenden um die Zukunft Eurer Demokratie ringt, beeindruckt uns. Grundrechte, freie Medien und unabhängige Gerichte sind unverzichtbar, weil Macht ohne Schranken und Kontrolle die Demokratie zerstört“, heißt es in der Petition, die auch in vielen anderen europäischen Sprachen vorliegt.

Demokratie und Rechtsstaatlichkeit in Europa zu verteidigen, ist auch Teil der EBD-Politik „Die Europäischen Werte achten“.

Marcin Święcickis Beitrag im Volltext:

What Does It Mean To Be European in Poland Today?

Poles are a pro-European nation, with more than 80% of the population supporting the Polish Membership in the EU. Our euro-enthusiasm is backed by the fact that thanks to the European integration we have become a part of the democratic, free and wealthy word, a thing that previous generations did not even dare to dream about. The Polish people were granted access to the EU funds, Schengen Area and given immense support to implement reforms.

In the 2015 presidential and parliamentary elections, Poles chose a political option which declares commitment to the European project, but in its own, de facto Eurosceptic way. It stands for the willingness to limit the EU simply to a cooperation of sovereign states. Still, at the same time, the ruling party would like to continue to benefit from the EU funds, Schengen Area, keep the Nord Stream II, maintain sanctions for the Russian aggression in Ukraine and enhance the European defence cooperation.

It seems highly paradoxical that Polish people, remaining a pro-European nation, selected leaders who openly pursue Eurosceptic policies. This Euroscepticism of the ruling group is deeply rooted in their internal agenda, contradictory to the basic European values. They do not want to welcome refugees; they are trying to paralyse the Constitutional Tribunal and introduce laws allowing for mass invigilation; they have turned the public media into a propaganda loudspeaker of the governing party.

The intellectual ground for this particular Eurosceptic stance is the ideology of defending national sovereignty. The Seijm resolution criticising the refugee relocation scheme breakdown per Member State is just one of numerous exampes of actions undertaken in this spirit. Yet another one: the Declaration presented by the Speaker of the Parliament, stating – inter alia – that democracy and rule of law are rooted in the “Christian heritage of Europe” (not a single word about Greece and Rome), that the great hopes the Central European countries had had in the EU remained “to a large extend unfulfilled”, thus the inter-European relations needed to be “regulated anew”, with “all the European institutions standing on the ground of the national states‘ sovereignty”.

The anti-EU Declaration by the Speaker of the Parliament is the Law and Justice’s answer to the critical opinion of the Venice Commission on actions undertaken by the government and president (but also, by the previous government) regarding the Constitutional Tribunal; to the European Parliament’s resolution on the situation in Poland; to the Commission launching a dialogue under the Rule of Law Framework.

All the phenomena described above result from an educational gap: Most of the Polish population has only now realised what exactly the role of the Constitutional Tribunal is, that it is not yet another chamber of the Parliament, as they might have thought, and how important the separation of powers actually is. Sadly, many people still automatically associate refugees with terrorists.

Many people have no idea about the functioning of the EU and do not understand that the new quality of the European integration, peace in Europe, and the EU’s success largely depend on the introduction of the Community method. A type of an intergovernmental organisation, as the example of the League of Nations showed, did not succeed and did not secure peace in Europe. The new challenges we are facing these days can only be successfully undertaken by broadening of the Community method and thus enhancing the Union’s management efficiency. Making Poles realise that is still a long way to go.