Behind the wheel, finally

It’s been a while since I last broached the accursed topic of domestic politics…

The leaks and then confirmed news that the most prominent back seat driver in this country is to join the government have brought a smile (or at least a smirk) on my face. It is not about looking back to 2006 when taking over by Mr Kaczyński as prime minister was a first drop in a waterfall that eventually led to early election in October 2007 in which PiS was defeated. It is about principles. In each civilised country somebody who keeps a tight rein on a state holds a position in a government (or another power-gripping one). Mr Kaczyński until now was the only decision maker to remain in a position of a (seemingly) modest rank-and-file deputy, thus shunning responsibility for all criminal deeds committed by PiS officials while in power.

Also the squabbles in Zjednoczona Prawica (beware, PiS does not have a single-party government, it has won the election in a coalition with two other parties and does not have majority of seats in the lower house of the parliament itself) and threat of conceivable split in the ruling coalition have filled me with some faith. After a while, I have dashed all hopes. Firstly, since situation in Poland is different than in 2006/2007. Too many Poles have either been bought off with social transfers or have been lifted into dignity by PiS. They are besotted well enough to endorse PiS, come rain or shine, so each piece of news putting PiS in bad light would be interpreted by them as work of hostile foes of Polishness. Secondly, since I want my country to be run well. If PiS and their coalitional partners concentrate on spats rather than wise lawmaking, it should be to the detriment of Poland. Yet, on the other hand, the more they focus on fighting for stools, they less evil they do to Poland, especially to the justice system.

One must bear in mind the next parliamentary election is due in 3 years. This gives PiS, Porozumienie and Solidarna Polska a lengthy streak to reshape (i.e. damage) Poland, especially to finish reforms which would turn Poland into a quasi-authoritarian country. They need to remember people’s memory is short, so whatever good they do now, will need to be reminded of ahead of the election, but whatever is screwed up, stands a chance to be forgotten by 2023. I suppose the next parliamentary election will be as free as the recent presidential election. I do not believe it will be rigged as the presidential election in Belarus in August 2020 was, but PiS will do their best to manipulate possibly many people to vote for them. 

What the government now needs to tackle is the rising number of new coronavirus infections. In this respect Poland is catching up with its neighbouring countries and Western European countries, where the number of new infections is already much higher than at the peak of the first wave of COVID-19. In Poland the number of new cases per 1,000,000 citizens is already much lower than in several countries where the situation has spiralled out of control, but since as a society we do not take precautions, their path is the one we will have to follow. We are now far better prepared to protect ourselves against the virus and know better how to cure the disease, but Poland no longer can afford a second lockdown. New restrictions, if imposed, will make our lives less convenient, but should be targeted not to smash businesses (though some economic impact is inevitable). The second lockdown is impossible for another reason – people are no longer as afraid of the pandemic (humans naturally fear the unknown, while COVID-19 is already a familiar pest) and will not be ready to obey strict lockdown discipline, as they did in March or April (unless police and army are to be sent to enforce the new rules).