The latest issue of the weekly „Sieci” published Antoni Libera’s excellent essay „Poland versus the EU”. The text was first commissioned by the „Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”, and then - after numerous attempts of interference and censorship from the German side - rejected by the editors. But why?

From Euro-enthusiasm to Euro-scepticism

In the above mentioned publication, the writer shows how his attitude towards the European Union has evolved over the years: from enthusiasm to increasing reserve and criticism. Throughout this time, he has remained faithful to his love of European culture and its glorious heritage, which stems from the spiritual tradition of Athens, Rome and Jerusalem. Today, on the other hand, EU architects are turning their backs on this legacy, building their construction on completely different foundations, symbolically demonstrated by Jean-Claude Juncker’s recent homage to Karl Marx.

Antoni Libera writes about his evolution, but a similar mental process accompanies many representatives of Polish (and not only Polish) intellectual elites, who are increasingly concerned about the direction the European Union is heading. They do not approve of, among other things, Brussels’ centralist inclinations, the application of double standards to EU member states, the limiting of the significance of nation states and, therefore, the de facto weakening of democracy, or the use of financial, legal, media and symbolic violence against countries which have a different opinion than EU commissioners.

Totalitarian spectre

The author - like many Central Europeans who personally experienced the oppression of communism in their lives - is particularly sensitive to all totalitarian temptations and usurpations. This is why many of the activities of the eurobureaucracy, reminiscent of the utopian social engineering projects of the past, arouse his justified distrust and concerns.

It turns out, however, that the creators and supporters of the new European policy, which has strayed far from Robert Schumann’s original assumptions, do not intend to listen at all to comments or criticisms of this kind, formulated in perfectly good faith. They will not tolerate any criticism of the course they have chosen. Those who disagree with them are eliminated from the public sphere, marginalised, silenced, ridiculed or stigmatised as dangerous populists.

Return to the past

The conduct of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung towards Antoni Libera fully confirms the accuracy of the theses he put forward in his text. The paper’s editors, who claim to represent the progressive, open-minded and tolerant camp, have once again proved that they are immune to the views of others and do not tolerate different points of view. Exactly as the character from Sławomir Mrożek’s „Tango” quoted by Antoni Libera, the lumpenproletarian Edek said: „One is free to have their own opinion - on condition that it is compatible with ours”.

This is precisely what a totalitarian mentality is all about. German editors often say that they have „overcome the past”. (die Vergangenheitbewältigung), but it turns out that we are dealing with a return to the past (Rückkehr in die Vergangenheit). And no amount of declarations about tolerance, openness and respect for the Other will be able to obscure this.