I cannot deny my conviction that the result of the latest presidential election in Poland is troubling. Recently, the country had been on a path of democracy and diversity which included economic growth. Now it appears to be headed for strong rule, xenophobia (homogeneity) and isolationism.
Newly elected President Karol Nawrocki represents a Poland long detested by its eastern neighbours. For Ukrainians, it is the Poland of Dictator Josef Pilsudski before the war.
Even worse, the Communist party in 1947 attempted to ethnically cleanse the newly acquired territories of Eastern Poland of Ukrainians living there for centuries and forcibly resettle them on newly acquired German lands. Being a Ukrainian in Communist Poland was very difficult. There is no way to sugar coat this.
The once Ukrainian city of Przemysl, Poland sits as a stark reminder of the Polish past and Polish reluctance to right historical wrongs. There stands on top of a hill the Polish church of St. Theresa operated by the Carmelites. That Church was once a Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral.
Immediately below that structure sits the current Ukrainian Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist turned over to the Ukrainians as unfair compensation. Even the Holy Father Pope John Paul was unable to convince the Carmelites to do what was both fair and Christian – return the Church to its rightful owners. At least that is a version suggested by the Vatican.
Several hundred meters below the churches sits the Ukrainian national home returned by the Poles to the Ukrainian community two decades after independence after intense petitioning.
Polish society has often been little more benign to the Ukrainians in Przemysl or anywhere else for that matter than the Polish Roman Catholic Church or the Law and Justice party. Upon more than one occasion Polish demonstrators have appeared at both Ukrainian venues with placards chanting Poland without Ukrainians. Often they have desecrated Ukrainian cemeteries.
This reversal of Polish understanding of both mutual relations between nations based upon international justice as well as a blindness to its own security concerns is very serious. Ukraine is fighting a global enemy on behalf of Europe at the least. Unfortunately, this Polish reversal towards extremism may become damning for both Ukraine and Poland.
Polish Ukrainian relations had blossomed over the last few years, particularly, the war years. Sure there were outbursts from the Party of Law and Justice. But these were kept in check by Poland’s prime minister Tusk and the party in power at the Polish parliament, and during the war years Ukrainian migrants have been welcomed into Poland in greater numbers than into any other country.
President Karol Nawrocki is dangerous for Ukrainian Polish relations, reconciliation and cooperation, and was largely supported by the Law and Justice Party. More importantly he is the Director of the Institute of National Remembrance. He has spoken out against heroes of Ukrainian history branding them terrorists and denying current aspirations of Ukraine to join the European Union and NATO. He has declined to consider Polish troops on the ground in Ukraine as peacekeepers. Sure all of these positions may change when he hears or sees Russians at Poland’s doorstep.
This is clearly a step back for Ukrainian – Polish relations as well as Poland as a member of the civilised European community. Europe does not need extremism. That role is played by Orban in Hungary and Fico in Slovakia. No one needs an extremist Nawrocki in Poland.
Ukraineʼs President Zelensky must step forward as he has done very often during the war years to affirm the current Ukrainian – Polish alliance despite its many sore points in history and Polish historical chauvinism or extremist populist leadership such as in the United States.
Taking the high road is not unknown to the Ukrainian president, but for the relationship to endure his overtures must be reciprocated by the other side. The task at hand is to salvage Ukrainian-Polish cooperation if only to defeat the common enemy.
