Several weeklies and dailies at the same time announced that 2019 would be the most important year since 1989; the „decisive year of the last three decades”. Well, what was most important in our times will still be decided by future generations and historians, but this time I agree - the stake is very high. In many dimensions. Let’s have a look at the most important points one by one.

The state dimension. Elections to the European Parliament in spring, elections to the Sejm and Senate in autumn, and then the start of the presidential campaign will give an answer to the question of who will govern Poland. However, we should all be aware that we will not only choose a party and a prime minister, but we will actually choose one of two fundamentally different approaches towards the Polish state. Our independence and sovereignty seem to be a growing problem for the circles associated with the Third Republic of Poland; an intolerable burden hindering their cheerful consumption of the privileges associated with being a European establishment. This has been well put by Waldemar Kuczyński, popular in these circles, who claims that „national sovereignty is the greatest misfortune of today’s Europe”. On the other hand, we have a patriotic formation which, whilst certainly not being free from defects like any human work, steadfastly adheres to the principle according to which Poland is a fundamental value in politics; and concern for Poland and its independence must be the foundation of all public activity.

The economic and social dimension. I will save you many figures, but I will give you just two. Well, the budget for 2017 was 40 billion zlotys more than the year before, and in 2018 a budget surplus is to be forecast. All this in the context of massive pro-family and pro-social transfers, never seen during the whole 30 years. Who did the money go to before? And what are the mighty of this world able to do to retrieve these wagons of gold? Some people are confident that it is impossible; that certain changes cannot be reversed. I would warn against such optimism. For we are dealing with a combination of business and a willingness to take revenge; desire to punish the rebellious Poles for the wrong choices. If someone does not believe, they should look at the governance of the Civic Platform (PO) in Warsaw. As soon as the threat of losing power has passed away, the old conduct is back: price increases, arrogance, and contempt for the victims of thieves’ privatisation. Everyone must know that this scenario may happen for the whole country.

The civilisational dimension. Yes, I know that many Catholics are bearing a grudge against the ruling camp in Poland today for being too timid in matters related to the ongoing offensive of the civilisation of death. However, I have the impression that this judgment is not entirely fair. In the sphere of culture, however, Christian circles have been strengthened, decent scientific and museum facilities promoting Polish identity and religious heritage are being built, and the family is being supported. Was it possible to do more? Probably yes, in many cases I see missed opportunities. But we must also remember that politicians’ competence is limited by the shape of the social structure and the media world. In addition, Poland does not function in a vacuum; external pressures have been and are powerful. We should also look at this achievement from the perspective of the achievements of our predecessors, as well as the plans of potential successors. And here it must be clearly stated that if the camp of the Third Republic of Poland wins it will act much more brutally than before. The attack on the Church, already fiercely carried out today by the media, vulgar shows and films, it will all be multiplied; independent institutions will face pacification, and an extreme left-wing avalanche will fall on our children in kindergartens and schools. They also know, as Father Director Tadeusz Rydzyk has recently said, that there is only one country left for them in Europe to be transformed, and it is POLAND.

The stake in 2019 is therefore enormous; it is the fate of Poland. Either the significant breakthrough of 2015 will be continued and we will be able to reap the fruits of our efforts and proceed further, or everything will revert to the previous state, only in a much more unpleasant form.

Michał Karnowski

The author is a columnist of the „Sieci” weekly and the portal wPolityce.pl.

T_łum. KJ_