Bronisław Wildstein writes that if Poland wants to solidify its position in Europe, it must break down its old insecurities and the ideology behind them.

He adds that Poland is faring well against the coronavirus pandemic compared to Western Europe and our economy is opposing the crisis spectacularly. Global rating agencies and renowned economic institutes are all noting this. Even Western media which dislike our current government have been informing of this, although they do not emphasize it.

The GDP decrease in Poland will be the lowest in the EU, forecasts are the most positive and the Polish currency is holding up very well. Everything points to our position in the EU improving after the pandemic has passed.

On the other hand, the EU’s dominating political and opinion-making environments are becoming increasingly aggressive against Poland and Hungary, which is also doing well against the pandemic.

Is the intensification of these attacks associated with the fears of the European establishment, that this is the last moment to bring these defiant nations back in line? Is this not an expression of neo-colonialism from them?

This approach to our country is possible only because these colonial standards are supported and propagated by the Polish political establishment. “Europeanness” according to them means that Poles should subject themselves to arbiters from Brussels (mostly Berlin) who know what’s best for us.

Given the majorly communist origins of the Polish elites, we are dealing with a continuity of approaches in which only the patrons differ – Brussels instead of Moscow. The threat of Soviet tanks has been replaced by the threat of economic sanctions, but this is not an improvement for our ambitions of independence.

The establishment will eagerly pay for their Western patrons to take care of Poles, which the PO government and Donald Tusk showed.

Politicians can be changed, but the more serious issue is the direction of opinion-makers who dominate culture and education. A difficult task lies ahead, if we want to break down their insecurities and the ideology behind them.

It is in this cultural-mental area in which we should find the greatest obstacles in the way of rebuilding Poland’s strong position.

Title image: European Union flags flap in the wind outside EU headquarters in Brussels, 2019, AP.