Adrian Kret: On Jack Żakowski's show you late said you were a green Trojan horse on the KO list. What does that mean?
Joanna Kamińska: I am a candidate from the 4th place of the list filled with conservative celebrities and I am unrecognizable due to the fact that this is the first election in Poland in which I participate. But I run 18 hours a day and plan to rise adequate votes to get a ticket. And erstwhile I do, I will be the most progressive voice in the European Parliament from Warsaw, and possibly besides from Poland.
A.K.: What distinguishes you from another candidates and candidates on the list?
J.K.: First of all, organization membership, due to the fact that everyone but me is members of the Civic Platform, and if elected, they will enter the Chadetic club EPP. I belong to the center-left Green party. Secondly, I am openly progressive and support among others. access to legal and safe abortion, as evidenced by the fact that I was the first to sign the initiative “We'll kind it out.” It is simply a European legislative initiative aimed at creating a fund to cover the cost of abortion for women travelling to EU countries with more liberal rules.
Thirdly, out of the 10 people on the list, I am the only 1 who has had experience in the European Parliament, where I have been working as a safety and defence advisor since 2013.
A.K.: What can the European Parliament do in this area?
J.K.: He should powerfully support Ukraine so that it can defy Russian aggression and become a associate of the European Union. The key component of this hard support is to restart ammunition production. What is now being delivered to the front comes mainly from the United States and does not respond to Ukrainian needs. The European Commission is presently working on a strategy for the defence industry, but the road from formulating specified a strategy to actual integration in the field of defence, as I advocate, but what is not popular in all associate States, and the reconstruction of arms factories is long. But the EP can put force on this area. If the position of Commissioner for Defence appears in the future European Commission, there will besides be a parliamentary committee in Parliament. I'd like to work in it.
A.K.: And what else?
J.K.: For transport. The precedence here is railway: integration of national systems and speeding up travel. These are key things for the functioning of the single marketplace and for achieving the objectives of climate policy. Examples from Japan and China – but besides on selected routes in France and Spain – show that 1,300 kilometres between Brussels and Warsaw could be beaten by train in 5 to six hours, which would be competitive to aircraft flights. present it takes at least fourteen hours by rail on this way and requires 2 transfers. Trains aren't coordinated, they cost besides much, and they drive besides slowly. The first 2 problems can be solved legislatively in the next term, the 3rd requires investment and infrastructure construction, so the implementation will take longer, but it besides needs to be addressed.
A.K.: Do you think there will be a majority in the next European Parliament for the thought of integrating rail transport and joint investments in the Shinkansen equivalent?
J.K.: Yes, especially since this is already a clear subject in the study on the future of the common market, which was prepared for joint procurement by the Spanish and Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU and the European Commission. If only pro-European forces – chades, greens, socialists and liberals – keep the majority in the EP, this imagination will be realized.
A.K.: Fast trains request electricity, the consequence of supporting Ukraine requires the abandonment of Russian gas and oil imports, and we must leave coal due to the fact that it has the most harmful environmental impact. Returning to atomic power would be a consequence to all these challenges, but your party, Greens, stubbornly opposes specified a solution.
J.K.: It is actual that historically opposition to atomic power plants was a major stimulus for the emergence and improvement of the Greens, especially in Germany. present it is clear that the closure of reactors means an increase in coal extraction and combustion, which is harmful to the environment, so the Greens accept the maintenance of existing atomic power plants. On the another hand, they are opposed to beginning fresh reactors, and I would say here that it is essential to invest in fresh and energy sources. advancement is very fast here, so alternatives to the atom can emerge. Besides, the main problem with atomic power is the perniciousness of waste, so if a fresh method is developed to neutralise it, the overall position of the organization will most likely change.
A.K.: What is your position on the second, next to the atomic power plant, large Polish investment, CPK?
J.K.: The CPK concept contains a strong railway component which should definitely be continued. As for the airport, I have doubts, due to the fact that I know that from 14 airports presently operating in Poland, most of them operate traffic well below their capacity and, consequently, the local authorities gotta pay them extra. The success of the European high-speed rail improvement programme will mean the end of flights at distances of up to 1 and a half miles, or possibly even 2 1000 kilometres, and thus a further decline in demand. In addition to what small is said in Poland, the climate disaster is not only a emergence in temperature, but besides a general decrease in weather predictability, unexpected anomalies specified as Gniezno hailing, hurricanes and air trumpets in places where they did not happen before. All this turbulence will have more impact on air transport than on land. So I'd be very careful investing in another airport. But this is not something that the European Parliament will do.
A.K: And are the Warsawers with whom you have been gathering on the streets for respective weeks well aware of the competence and importance of the EP?
J.K.: Unfortunately not. It is dominated by the belief that this is simply a place of political retirement, exile for an in-party opposition, or a syneque bringing large money with small effort. Meanwhile, the EP plays a truly crucial function in the process of European lawmaking. Things as basic as the fact that we can drink water right out of the tap came from there.
A.K.: And how do they respond to the Green candidate, the organization in Polish conditions rather niche?
J.K.: Positively and I think that Warsaw has matured to have a green typical in the European Parliament. Awareness of the challenges of climate change – for example, drought in most of Poland is rather large. People want individual in Brussels to take care of it. I'll take care of it.
