The year that has just ended was anything but calm. We have already grown accustomed to the war in Ukraine, yet it remains just as bloody as at the very beginning. Every month, tens of thousands of people are killed there or seriously wounded. Losses on both sides are truly enormous. Large areas of Ukraine have simply become depopulated. In Russia, meanwhile, there is already a shortage of young men fit for combat. After having “drained the prisons,” the authorities are now looking for “volunteers” for the front in psychiatric institutions. The economies of both countries are in ruins. Russia is slowly starting to run out of money. Such a war is no longer sustainable for either side. This does not mean, however, that they are willing to end it on just any terms.
Russia is increasingly and more aggressively shifting its actions onto NATO territory, mainly targeting the Baltic states and Poland. Acts of sabotage, the mass release of drones and balloons—this may be a foretaste of what lies ahead. One must be prepared for every scenario, because a dying empire can be even more aggressive than one that is just emerging.
The European Union is also in poor condition. In many countries, the number of opponents of remaining in the EU is almost equal to that of its supporters. In the most pro-EU country of the bloc—Poland—a large group of skeptics has appeared for the first time. One in four of our fellow citizens now belongs to it. Polexit is not yet a threat, but serious political projects can be built on this sentiment. Interestingly, the sharp rise in support for leaving the EU among Poles is the result of Donald Tusk’s rule. Explaining every harmful decision as a necessity imposed by the EU does little to boost its popularity. Tusk himself has also fallen into a trap. Deliberately or unintentionally—out of spite toward PiS—he has fostered the growth of Grzegorz Braun’s radically anti-EU party. And for EU elites, Tusk’s governance is beginning to bring more harm than benefit. This hardly bodes well for a long career.
The Union therefore faces a major overhaul in the near future, and if it wants to remain in its current form, it must take into account the aspirations of nation states. It must also recognize the existence of the United States and the United Kingdom. Otherwise, both of these countries will seize the opportunity to support centrifugal forces.
Thus, 2026 will mark the end of many established orders in the East, the West, and in Poland. What will emerge from this? Hopefully something good. Let us make sure to stay in close contact with one another, because decisions will have to be made on an ongoing basis. Such close contact is ensured by the Free Speech Zone. Let us support Republika, buy Gazeta Polska, Codzienna, and Nowe Państwo. The latter is now available only by subscription.
We accomplished great things in 2025. Even greater ones await us in the new year. But the effort will also have to be greater. Anything can still happen…