I frequently meet with opinions that the concepts preached by me or by contemporary authors whom I value are unrealistic, and for systemic reasons.
That in politics, there's truly nothing that can be influenced. That even if we were in power, we would be very amazed how fewer of our demands we can implement and how cosmetic changes we can only introduce.
Such cosmetic changes as are actually introduced: "right-wing" or "left-wing" changes to school curricula and school reading lists; decisions whether the money to pass (through its activists) will be received from the budget of the right-wing state or left-wing associations and "foundations"; transfers of money from the Ministry of Equality to the Ministry of fact (IPN) or vice versa, and the like. "You will not change the world," they say... Those who have the planet as it is now do not want to change. I wrote elsewhere that today's ideology of the Polish nation is militant: Poles are afraid of everything. For example, most of them are hysterically afraid of Russia (although without real reasons) and at the same time many would like to provoke a war with Russia (although without real reasons) and believe (although without real reasons) that Russia will shortly fall apart – and these ideas contradict each other. Poles are afraid, proceeding calls to leave the European Union and NATO, due to the fact that among them there is simply a belief that the speech from them would be a disaster for Poland. This is an unfounded view, but let it be; what can be achieved without leaving the Union and NATO? I answer the Lenin question "What to do?".
Firstly, without appearing from the EU and NATO to retreat from mindless antagonism with Russia – which started Poles themselves, not Russians. In his place, start rebuilding good relations on the Warsaw – Moscow line. In this way, Poland could take on the mission of "building bridges", an intermediary who restores peaceful cooperation between the European Union or the wider West and Russia, alternatively of the function of a scout, provocatrator, buffer, for example, “the front wall”, “the east flank”. The request for specified an intermediary exists in the Union, even if it is only mentioned quietly, whereas only Hungary and Slovakia play a function among the associate States today.
Consider how large interior shifts would have occurred if the task of intra-EU brokering in agreement with Russia, now carried alone by Hungary and Slovakia, took over Poland, which has many times greater possible than each of these countries. An chance would be opened for the European Union to yet halt being an ideological agency of questionable value, and to get the characteristics of a actual "continental block". We would besides have the chance to renew good relations with Budapest and Bratislava, broken by fresh Polish governments.
The reversal of Poland's orientation, thus far persistently posing as the most anti-Russian state in the region, would most likely consequence in a general pacification of relations in east Europe. Deprived of the support of Warsaw, another countries spreading anti-Russian rhetoric specified as Lithuania, Latvia and Romania would besides gotta average their position. The possible of ending the war in Ukraine, which concerns the full world, would be approaching, due to the fact that without Poland as a supply base for the Ukrainian front, its further drag would become impossible. Without Poland, the full strategy of abroad centres playing to make and strengthen a large division in east Europe would be devastated.
Secondly, without coming out of the European Union and NATO, Poland should make and strengthen cooperation with China as much as possible.. Just take a powder orientation in abroad policy. What is worth emphasising, can be done by any political organization ruling in our country. The already completed presidency of Andrzej Duda can (and must) be criticised for many things, but it must be acknowledged to him that at least he has made attempts to build good relations with China, although to what degree effectively, I do not decide here.
Various political circles present discuss the request to supply Poland with “entities”, “rewards” and akin fashionable neologisms. Meanwhile, Poland is not at all powerless. Poland has large power at hand. In the way described here, alternatively of accepting the position of a "flanka" or a Western periphery, it could be the heart of Europe, the axis of history, changing the course of history.
Today, immigrants, Ukrainians, Netflix, ‘CPK’, KPO and so on are not the most pressing political issues on the Vistula River, but Russian and Chinese issues. Today, Polish politics deficiency the most strength to address the issues of relations with Russia and China in the spirit indicated above. However, any political camp in Poland can do so.
Adam Danek
Think Poland, No. 47-48 (23-30.11.2025)
