Main focus of Friday, December 23, 2005

Political and Social Change in Poland

Following his election victory two months ago, the conservative politician Lech Kaczynski is to be sworn in as Polish President today. At the same time, the popular Aleksander Kwasniewski is retiring from political life. A time of great political and social change is coming in Poland.

Der Standard - Austria

"Today the era of the 'twin republic' begins in Poland," Josef Kirchengas announces referring to the assumption of office of Lech Kaczynski, whose twin brother Jaroslaw is head of the national conservative ruling party "Law and Justice" (PiS). However, Kirchengast expresses his concern about the means by which the Kaczynski brothers intend to propel moral reform in Poland. "They want strong state control of social and economic affairs, cultural hegemony and increased state influence in the media, far-reaching powers for the State security machine and a strong role for the President. We are familiar with all these things because we see them in Vladimir Putin's authoritarian Russia. The Russia that Poland's new rulers love to hate. And yet it seems as if they want to reform their own country along these lines." (23/12/2005)

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Le Soir - Belgium

"Poland's europeanisation process has begun," Kazimierz Kik, the director of the Institute of Political Sciences at the Swietokrzyska Academy, based in Kielce, says in an interview. "Society is much more pro-European than the president and government. It is the forces around the government and the president that are anti-European. And the basis of this is not euroscepticism, but nationalism. It does not arise from an anti-European feeling, but from historical complexes..." (23/12/2005)

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Rzeczpospolita - Poland

Editor-in-chief Grzegorz Gauden lists his expectations of the new Polish government and its president. "Without doubt, Poland's political landscape is undergoing great change, first with Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz's new government and now with the swearing in of Lech Kaczynski. The time has come for him to take over the task of real government and fulfil his election pledges. The latter were sometimes inconsistent and bordered on populism. As an experienced opposition politician, even under communist dictatorship, it is his duty to uphold the constitutional principles cherished by his party and not give in to the temptation of taking shortcuts in implementing vital reforms. I am convinced that Kaczynski will adhere to these principles." (23/12/2005)

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