Ahead of the approaching winter, facing the wave of Russian disinformation, the Polish Electricity Association’s nationwide education and information campaign “We fight for Polish independence” is being launched.
“Our response to the Kremlin’s propaganda is factual knowledge about energy, about the reasons for price increases and about what not only the Polish government but also the energy sector is doing to protect Poles from high electricity prices,” Wojciech Dąbrowski, Chairman of the PKEE Governing Board, said.
Both Poland and the whole of Europe are being inundated by a wave of false information concerning the energy sector. Russian disinformation is using high energy prices, caused by Putin’s war and the Kremlin’s aggressive energy policy, to sow uncertainty and fear. The aim of Russian propaganda is simple – to destabilise Poland and its allies in the European Union and NATO.
The Polish Electricity Committee (Polish: Polski Komitet Energii Elektrycznej; PKEE) is currently conducting educational activities through several campaigns. Through the first of these, “Energy counts” (liczysieenergia.pl), electricity consumers are encouraged to save electricity. In turn, as part of the “Energy Prices” campaign (YouTube), the Committee explains the energy price formation mechanisms both in Poland and Europe. These activities are complemented by the “We fight for Polish Independence” campaign, which explains in an accessible way how the current global price increases came about, who is responsible for them and indicates Poland’s actions in the face of a Europe-wide energy crisis.
The flagship of the latest campaign is the billboards, with unusually clear and unambiguous graphics – an energy pole casts the shadow of a machine gun, making it clear that electricity is nowadays one of the elements of war. Next to it, meanwhile, Putin’s face is visible, along with the slogan ‘High energy prices are also his weapon.’
The campaign reminds Poles that Vladimir Putin is responsible for the current energy crisis. It also explains how it happened. It also shows the role of the irresponsible policy of some European countries that have become dependent on Russian gas, despite the warnings of Poland and other Central and Eastern European countries.
The title of the campaign “We fight for Polish Independence” is no coincidence – Poland and Poles are not passive victims of Russia’s energy policy. In the words of Wojciech Dąbrowski, Chairman of the PKEE Governing Board:
“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine demonstrates how important it is to build the security system of one’s own country, starting from military issues to economic ones and ending with energy. The war in Ukraine is changing international policy priorities, including those related to energy. Faced with the situation, Poland will strive even more actively to maintain a strong and independent energy sector.”
In order to mitigate the impact of the energy crisis on citizens, the Polish government has introduced a number of measures to protect Poles from high prices. These measures include the anti-inflation shield, the solidarity shield and the carbon allowance. It is also worth recalling that Poland has for years been implementing infrastructure projects aimed at ensuring the country’s energy security. These include Baltic Pipe, cross-border gas pipeline connections with Lithuania and Slovakia, the construction and subsequent investments around the LNG Terminal in Świnoujście and the development of energy infrastructure and renewable energy sources, including offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea. The Russian aggression against Ukraine shows that, unlike many countries, particularly in Western Europe, Poland has been pursuing a responsible energy policy for years. For this reason, energy prices in Poland today are among the lowest in Europe.
It is worth recalling in this context a part of the speech made by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, during her State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg:
“The lesson to be learned from this war: We should have listened to those who know Putin (…) We should have listed to the voices raised inside our Union: in Poland, in the Baltic States and in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. These voices have been telling us for years that Putin will not stop.”
The reason for the drastic increases in energy costs is not only the Russian invasion of Ukraine but also Putin’s deliberately aggressive policy on energy resources.
Europe agrees on this: “Russia’s unjustified and unprovoked war against Ukraine has strongly affected energy and food markets. EU countries are closely coordinating to prevent price increases and supply shortages,” the Council of the European Union emphasizes on its website.
“It was known that Europe had a very difficult winter ahead, but this latest declaration means a real war,” Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson commented on Russia’s decision to stop supplies through the Nord Stream pipeline. In turn, German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, responsible for the economy and climate protection, commenting on the Kremlin’s latest actions on the gas issue said that “the only thing that can be counted on from Russia is lies.”
While Russia is trying to conquer Ukraine militarily, it is waging a hybrid war against the countries of the European Union by creating an energy crisis and fostering a sense of fear and insecurity, especially with winter approaching. It does this by, among other things, spreading false information.
In the face of these aggressive and dangerous activities, it is crucial to respond firmly and decisively. Therefore, on October 4, 2022, PKEE is launching a campaign using a wide range of interactive and traditional media. The campaign aims to combat disinformation.
