European elections, divided politics ” “

Ten years after EU adhesion, next May’s European elections in Poland are bound to be the first step in the process leading to a reassessment of all political balances, at local and national level alike, by 2015. In fact, local government elections are planned for next fall, while national and presidential elections will take place in 2015. Thus all 51 MEPs elected in Strasbourg will serve as a testing ground for all political players. “Poland, as many other EU countries, lacks in-depth reflections on European identity and on the system of values that lies at the root its essential features”, remarked Professor Dariusz Kowalczyk, theologian, intellectual of European stature. He added: “Anyone who dares criticize this state of affairs is immediately accused of anti-Europeanism”. Father Kowalczyk highlighted the concern of the Church in Poland -often criticised for its conservatism – over Europe’s value-less future. Upcoming elections. Nothing suggests that this year’s European elections will attract more attention that the previous ones (2009), when voters turnout was less than 25%, while in 2004 only 20% went to the polls. However, it should be remembered that over the past 25 years (since 1989) the average turnout in Poland never amounted to more than 50%. Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today independent senator after having been a member of the Communist Party and then Prime Minister, representing the democratic left, observed that “many Poles evaluate EU membership only in terms of profits”. He pointed out that Poland, among the most fortunate recipients of EU funds, will receive more than € 105 billion of EU funds by 2020: “it would be better if most Poles, as responsible voters, were aware of the opportunities and responsibilities resulting from accession to the EU”. Euro: yes and no. Cimoszewicz, in the belief that Euroland is on the right track again, said he hopes that the government led by Donald Tusk, member of Civic Platform, will rapidly reach a decision on the adoption of the euro. But in the light of the upcoming elections the premier is in no hurry to set the deadline of a step that is bound to trigger harsh protests from his opponents. Moreover, during the press conference after the approval of the EU multiannual budget the Polish premier invited everyone to “eat” the euro-shaped “cake” bearing the words “Take the money”. A few days later, he promised substantial European contribution to “revitalize Polish cities”. Conversely, vice-Premier Janusz Piechocinski, member of the People’s Party (PSL), recently argued: “Until the euro zone crisis is solved, Poland will not adopt the common currency”, so as not to interrupt the growing phase of its economy, with an average exchange rate of the Polish zloty and the euro of 4 to 1. In defense of land. As the elections draw close, the largest opposition party, Law and Justice, led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski (former prime minister in the years 2006-2007, twin brother of president Lech Kaczynsk, killed in the Smolensk plane crash in 2010), is increasingly critical of the EU. A few days ago it proposed to hold a referendum to renegotiate Poland’s Accession Treaty, with the purpose of shelving the possibility of land purchase by foreign capital. “We all know that the purchase of plots in Poland by speculators means that in a few years’ time most of our lands will no longer be Polish”, warned Kaczynski, who hopes to win the next elections in the name of “traditional Polish values”. His party opposes “gender mainstreaming” and “gender impact assessment”, and stands in defence of “faith and of the Polish Church”, victim of “unjust and premeditated attacks” based “on models already implemented worldwide”. Surveys and smaller parties. Kaczynski, who was in Kiev during the hot days of pro EU protests, is accused by Civic Platform of making an instrumental use of the conflict in Ukraine “to promote the visibility of his party”. He responded to the charges by accusing the government of promoting a foreign policy that “kneels” to Putin and to the European Commission. The latest surveys show that the parties of Tusk and Kaczynski would have an equal number of supporters, but in the case of national elections, neither would be able to form a government with an absolute majority of votes. The situation of smaller parties is equally fickle. The farmers’ party – PSL, in the executive – and left-wing parties – SLD and TR – are overtly pro-European, while many representatives of smaller, right-wing parties at the European Parliament are members of the Europe of Freedom and Democracy group, that doesn’t conceal its Euro-scepticism.