When it comes to foreign policy, we heard in Donald Tusk’s statement the assurance that he understands the dangerous situation on the eastern flank.. Therefore, he believes that Poland’s alliance with the US and our participation in NATO are beyond discussion. It’s hard to forget that, though When the Civic Platform was in power before, instead of good relations with the US, they tried to improve relations with Putin. This was to the detriment of Poland’s interests and relations with the US. We must hope that the supporters of the reset policy with Russia have learned something in recent years and will not return to their past mistakes.
But security is not just a military issue. If Platform politicians stop the construction of the CPK, they will prevent the rapid transfer of American soldiers to Poland in case of a threat from Russia. If they block the construction of Via Baltica and Via Carpatia with viaducts with a carrying capacity of 75 tons, they will make it difficult to deploy Allied forces needed to defend the eastern flank. If they stop the construction of large and small nuclear reactors, our country will use energy from coal. At that time, our industry was based on non-ecological and expensive energy. This in turn will affect the potential of our country. If we stop the construction of the container port at Szczecin, it will be difficult to supply heavy combat equipment to Poland during the war.
What concerns me today is the new government’s lack of responsibility for its words. Firstly, a certain Platform politician added to the bill on freezing energy prices a financial tribute from Orlen of PLN 15 billion from the so-called extraordinary profits that the company simply does not have. This levy would mean reducing the company’s working capital by PLN 15 billion, making it more difficult to buy oil and supply the market with fuel. This would be beneficial for foreign petrochemical companies operating in Poland. Such a levy imposed on one company constitutes a breach of European Union law. This idea is proof that financial matters are handled by people who have no knowledge of how major companies operate today. No wonder that after the announcement of these ideas, the capitalization of the Polish company fell by more than a billion dollars.
Later, another PO politician stated this publicly he is concerned that the Polish company has received the so-called basic permit for the construction of small nuclear reactors in Poland, because this authorization ignored the opinion of the Homeland Security Service. Instead of being happy that a Polish company will invest and modernize the energy sector, this politician is raising unfounded suspicions and attacking the good name of a Polish listed company in the Sejm. In a democratic country, power belongs to the government and not to the secret services. Control over these services is based on the fact that they express opinions, but it is the government that decides what is good for the state and the economy, not the service. And these are the decisions we faced last time in Poland, on December 7, 2023.
It would be good if politicians would notice that Orlen has transformed in recent years from a refinery company into a petrochemical and energy concern., has become the driving force behind modernity in Polish industry, contributing 12% of revenues to the Polish budget. How do they want to govern by destroying a company that contributes so much to the budget? When it comes to SMR, the state will not spend a single zloty on it, contrary to what a well-known politician from the total opposition has announced. This PO politician misled public opinion. SMRs will be financed by Polish investors such as banks, local authorities and companies. This means that the SMRs will be owned by Polish capital. There is therefore no risk of this part of the energy sector falling into foreign hands. However, the so-called large nuclear power plant must be built from scratch with the participation of foreign capital, which means that this part of the energy sector may be beyond our control.
Another Civic Platform politician attacked Orlen, saying that it is a company involved in lobbying and that this is scandalous.. I have not heard that he has read the reports on the company’s activities for the past seven years or that he has read the current year’s balance sheet; he’s just making accusations. This shows that good business results are not important to many politicians. It is worth remembering that it was this company that quickly supplied our economy with fuel supplies from outside Russia. It seems that it is important for some politicians to attack the company because it functioned well under PiS.
Such behavior of some activists of the ‘new’ government shows an irrational and unprofessional attitude. The attitude of these gentlemen towards Orlen is proof of their lack of competence in the field of international financial markets, because the activities of large companies should also be viewed at this level. Instead of being happy that the company is bearing the costs of the energy transformation, politicians want to ensure that Poland has an outdated energy system. Should the fact that they hate the current president of Orlen be more important than the interests of the Polish economy?
There are other questions that occur to me. What was the harm for the Secretary of State to respect the powers of the President and first ask the head of state to dismiss the ambassador and only then recall him for consultations? I would like to remind the supporters of the rapid transformation of TVP information into another TVN that television is not a building in Woronicza and cameras, but an audience of millions. Existing receivers do not accept broadcasting TVN content on TVP-info. Such a scenario does not guarantee a transformation of the political consciousness of millions of viewers. This is a recipe for losing an audience of millions. The immediate dismissal of the committee investigating Russian influence when Poland is threatened from the east says a lot about the extent to which the new government cares about the country’s security.
What prevented the Minister of Defense from asking representatives of the Smolensk Commission for an interview to hear information about the results of their work and what new evidence the commission has obtained in the past eight years regarding the disaster?. This gives the impression that he rules based on emotions and newspaper opinions. The beginning of his term with administrative and political decisions proves that the new minister has no idea how to increase the combat potential of the Polish army. With his decision he makes it clear that he considers the Russian report on the Smolensk disaster to be sufficient. The team led by Antoni Macierewicz mainly questioned the Russian version of the disaster. I would like to ask the Minister of Defense whether he will also accept the Russian version of the crime in the case of the Katyn massacre? Let’s be honest: the credibility of Anodina’s report is the same as the credibility of the Burdenko Commission’s report. The purpose of Anodina’s report was not to establish the truth, but to protect the reset policy, which no longer exists. Is this what the current government considers important today? Does the Minister of Defense not see a contradiction between proclaiming a pro-Western defense policy and accepting the Russian version of the Smolensk disaster?
If we act without respect for others, we should not be surprised that they do not respect us. Power is not about disrespecting others. Because then we come across as petty and cultureless people, or frivolous. If the people responsible for the economy were to say: we are going to take care of the companies with the weakest results first, we want to thank our predecessors, we will try to ensure that in the future these companies achieve better results than before, then the climate surrounding the government would certainly be better. The lack of such a common cultural approach does not bode well for success. Contempt for your rivals is not a good counselor. Holding pastors accountable is not and will not be a lever for the development of the country.
In recent months we have heard a hurricane of accusations and attacks against people who had power in the economy and were responsible for the state in difficult times., of those sitting on the observer benches. Civilized rules of conduct when taking over power have been in force in the West for years. Changes in positions in the country after elections are normal and do not need to be supported or justified by attacks on predecessors. The regulations clearly state which procedures apply. But apart from procedures it is also worth following the rules of the culture. If we treat people with respect, we can count on them to behave kindly towards new directors. Then you can count not only on a quick personnel exchange, but also on reliable information about the strategy and such important current affairs that occur in every large company or institution. Anyone who knows life knows that not all knowledge about the functioning of institutions is contained in documents. Real telling someone that the Middle Ages ended with his death is neither a manifestation of knowledge nor culture. It is worth remembering that power is a tool deposited in a democracy and intended to serve the benefit of us all..
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Source: wPolityce