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."