We would like to present the TOP 10 statements of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Culture Piotr Gliński from an interview for the weekly „Sieci”. Deputy Prime Minister Gliński was awarded the title of „Man of Freedom 2018” of the weekly „Sieci”.

1. About Prof. Krystyna Pawłowicz

Professor Pawłowicz is known for being expressive and emotional in everything she does and says. And I treat her statement of withdrawal in the same categories. I believe that she will remain an important element of our camp; if not in its present form, then in a different one. She has herself suggested that she would come back in autumn.

2. About his statement in which he emphasized that „the language used while speaking about Law and Justice (PiS) is intended to exclude, annihilate, dehumanize and delegitimize us, we are supposed to be treated like Jews by Goebbels. It is meant to arouse disgust towards us”.

I spoke about the language, and I was told that I was talking about the Holocaust. They even tried to make me an anti-Semitic and a man who does not know history. Madness and an attempt to kill freedom of speech. I no way did I compare our situation to the fate of the victims of the German genocide. I referred only to the comparison of propaganda techniques, techniques of exclusion, dehumanization, building sanitary cordons for a part of society.

3. About people of culture who entered into alliance with post-communists

Many people born after or in the last years of the People’s Republic of Poland (PRL) came to terms with the so-called people of honour. Why did Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński once say: „You stand where ZOMO stood”? Because they claimed and still claim that the bosses of ZOMO are people of honour. Because they were building and are still building economic and social ties with those who ordered ZOMO to club workers and students.

4. The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that the Ministry of Culture is for everyone

It is for Ms. Krystyna Janda, for Mr. Wojciech Pszoniak, and for Mr. Jerzy Radziwiłłowicz. I would also strongly suggest not taking the political statements of actors or other artists so seriously. Their opinions are often emotional, changeable, and not always consistent. It is worth trying to keep this whole thing in perspective.

5. About the fact that there are certain borders in culture and there will be no public money for scandalous projects

If someone wants to use public money in order to make a hard pornographic spectacle, I will protest. I will not be a party to this, even if I were to incur disregard of the contempt industry for that reason. Anyway, under the influence of criticism towards that idea - I’m talking about Wrocław – it has finally been withdrawn.

6. About the fact that the Law and Justice party does not „manually control” culture

We do not “manually control” culture or the society because we do not want to. I am a democratic republican. My duty as Minister of Culture and Chairman of the Committee for Public Benefit is to create appropriate conditions for the development of Polish culture and Polish society.

7. The pluralization of culture

I have the ambition to open culture for everyone, to pluralize it. Because so far conservative, local and patriotic circles have been excluded.

8. On the increase in spending on culture

Our government has increased spending on culture by more than 20%. (…) As much as PLN 80 million was allocated to a six-year „Independence” Multiannual Program, which greatly contributed to the success of the main celebrations of the 100th anniversary of independence; to support grassroots activities of non-governmental organizations and local cultural institutions.

9. On the fact that the director Kazimierz Kutz, who has recently died, praised the work of the Ministry of Culture

Even the eminent director Kazimierz Kutz, who has recently died, although he was politically completely opposed to us, admitted that it was us who had found the money to digitize his Silesian films. And our predecessors were unable to do it.

10. About obtaining the title of „Man of Freedom 2018” of the weekly magazine „Sieci”

Thank you very much for this award. I treat it as a prize for my co-workers and for all of our formation, because we are indeed people of freedom. But I would say even more: people of freedom are those who are our voters. This is a reward for them.

Tłum. KJ