In the latest issue of “Gazeta Polska,” Tomasz Sakiewicz paints a picture of Poland after eight years under the rule of the United Right, a stark contrast to the country of 2015. The majority of us now enjoy a significantly higher standard of living, extreme poverty has been minimized, and unemployment is nearly non-existent. Transportation within the country, be it by car or train, has become considerably faster. Small towns have seen the return of police stations, post offices, nurseries, and kindergartens. Schools are equipped with laptops for students. Salaries for doctors and other medical staff have almost doubled.
The army, which numbered fewer than 100,000, now boasts nearly 200,000 soldiers. Former Soviet equipment has been withdrawn or transferred to Ukraine, replaced by state-of-the-art weaponry either domestically produced or purchased from the USA and South Korea. Several thousand NATO troops, primarily American, are stationed in Poland. Manufacturing has been relocated to Poland from both Asia and Western Europe. Massive investments in high technology have poured in from the United States. Poland’s development has approached 80% of the EU average, and this gap is rapidly closing.
It’s crucial to remember all this, including completed and ongoing investments such as the Vistula Spit excavation, the tunnel in Świnoujście, the Baltic Pipe, the gas terminal, and upcoming projects like the Central Communication Hub (CPK) and the nuclear energy program. Poland has never developed so rapidly in its history, and our society has never been so prosperous relative to other European nations.
However, this doesn’t mean the right-wing government hasn’t faced challenges. They governed amidst extreme conditions: the most significant pandemic in 100 years and a war on our eastern border.
It’s evident that some of these successes might be buried by the “reset team” returning to power. Our economic ambitions and military defenses are to be cut so as not to compete with Germany, and hundreds of thousands of Poles will continue to fuel their labor market. Worse still, it’s almost certain that the “reset team” will agree to deprive Poland of real influence in the EU and allow an influx of immigrants.
Freedom of speech is under severe threat. Reset advocates announce an assault on public media and revenge against journalists who held views contrary to their agenda.
The patriotic camp is not powerless. Nearly 8 million people voted for them, demonstrating significant unity and having a genuine leader in Jarosław Kaczyński. If they manage to preserve and expand conservative media and counter the fragmented “reset” faction – which is already conflicting with American interests – they won’t be able to govern for long. War is spreading worldwide. In these conditions, even an electorate bewildered by propaganda will quickly come to its senses. But for now, let’s focus on unity and building our media. Let everyone do what they can, and soon, spring, a new spring for Poland, is yet to come.