We must prevent the problem, not treat its consequences
Poland will hold parliamentary elections on 15 October. In connection with the upcoming vote, Polish President Andrzej Duda told Polsat News television that he hopes the new cabinet formed after the elections will be a government that respects the interests of Poland and Poles above all, because this is the duty of the Polish government.
For all those who believe that we should solve the consequences of a problem, instead of preventing the problem itself, I hope that the situation that's evolved in the Middle East since yesterday is a key sobering element. When the next phase of migration to Europe starts, we need to take into account what we have been saying from the get-go, namely that European commitments need to be taken seriously, that the borders of the EU and the Schengen area must be protected, that extra support needs to be provided where there are conflicts and that help must be delivered where help is needed,
– the Polish head of state explained to the television channel. President Duda also indicated that Poland does not agree with the forced relocation of migrants, nor any quota schemes or sanctions regarding the redistribution of migrants in Europe.
The Polish president also recalled that when the war broke out in Ukraine and many Ukrainians fled to Poland, the Polish government received no support from the European Union. As a result, he said he no longer doubts that all the fables about European solidarity – fostered by European institutions – are nothing more than fairy tales.
"Considering what I've heard from European leaders in recent years, especially when there was plenty of migratory pressure in 2015 and 2016, when we firmly defended our security and rejected the idea of resettling migrants, which the previous left-wing government had agreed to (...), well, back then nobody looked at where these people wanted to go. We were told to accept all this and pay no heed to all the rest, because they said that these people should stay with you, and they should remain in Poland."
Solidarity is but a fairy tale
President Duda recalled how, even back then, he asked Brussels what Poland should do with all those who do not wish to remain in Poland's territory? Should they be locked up?
Well, if we detain them against their will, it's certainly a violation of their rights. If we treat them as they ought to be treated, i.e. they remain free people who can go wherever they please, then most of them will immediately head for Western Europe, as that was their original destination, not Poland. And this brings us into instant conflict with the Western European countries that are shutting down their borders,
– the head of state said, recalling that the last element of the so-called Migration and Asylum Pact was adopted at a recent meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels. Poland and Hungary opposed the vote, while Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Austria abstained.
This is the so-called emergency regulation, and the decision paves the way for negotiations with the European Parliament regarding the final shape of the new rules. Poland has opposed the provisions of the asylum and migration pact from the get go. Warsaw considers the proposed scheme of mandatory solidarity based only on de facto resettlements and financial sanctions for the non-admission of migrants as totally inappropriate.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski: The Left is just floundering
The Polish government will never bend to Brussels' will regarding the migration package and, so long as the Law and Justice (PiS) party is in government, Poles cannot be forced to accept illegal migrants. This has been reiterated by PiS chief Jaroslaw Kaczynski at a recent party gathering.
Mr Kaczynski emphasized that the Left, led by ex-PM Donald Tusk, tries to embellish and distort reality.
The other side is simply floundering on this issue, and refusing to tell the truth. And the truth, put simply, is that they are submitting themselves to whatever they're told. This is their nature, it's in their genes. Because I think it's a part of their genetics, that slavery is in them, in their minds, in their hearts.
– the PiS chief explained. He also pointed out that no one can avoid the consequences of the migration crisis. He says he believes that the situation today is worse than it was in 2015, when the first big wave of migration took place.
Cover photo: Polish President Andrzej Duda (Photo: MTI/EPA-PAP/Wojtek Jargilo)
