The latest issue of the weekly Sieci features a discussion by Marek Pyza and Marcin Wikło about Agnieszka Holland’s forthcoming film Green Border. The piece frames it as a narrative about hatred, pointing to how left-wing activists and the Netherlands view the Polish services as resisting migrants and turning the issue into a pre-war style clash of racism and anti-Semitism, according to the journalists.
Current articles are accessible through the Friends Network subscription.
In the column On bad Poles and good strangers, Pyza and Wikło argue that Agnieszka Holland’s films are hard to ignore. They spark extensive commentary and strong emotions. Holland is working on a new project, and Green Border centers on the journey of Asian migrants to the Polish border. One of Holland’s principal roles is portrayed by Maja Ostaszewska, an actress seen as exceptionally prepared in both substance and intent to tackle this subject.
The border situation has been part of activist life for two years, with demonstrations and conferences organized at the scene. The pair highlight the hardship endured by people whom Polish services are accused of not aiding. Social media posts by the director include sharp remarks about Poland and calls for humane treatment of migrants, while she and others question the purposes behind orders that prevent assistance. The authors characterize the appeal as a call for civil disobedience.
– note the columnists of Sieci.
The columnists raise a key question about Holland’s aims. Is her concern truly the welfare of those fleeing conflict, or a broader attempt to shape public perception with a narrative of fear around refugees and racism?
The director is portrayed as a modern demiurge shaping Western cultural life with a guiding voice, a mentor-like figure who speaks for national, European, and global audiences. They question whether Holland has the authority to assume the role of Poland’s conscience, given the country’s traditional values. Where does the belief in a special mission come from, and what other charges might follow? One serious accusation concerns equating the plight of Ukrainian refugees escaping war with an inflow of migrants arriving under different circumstances. The article stresses that the border’s reality and the motivations behind the movement are multifaceted and occasionally misrepresented, creating a false or unfair portrayal of Ukrainians.
– the Sieci columnists.
“We will win this war”
In a dialogue titled Ultimately, we will win this war, Jacek Karnowski asks professor Mieczysław Ryba, a historian and political scientist at the Catholic University of Lublin, about Saint John Paul II. The scholar highlights that the issue has many layers, including elections and broader strategic and cultural battles. Examining election results, it appears the Civic Platform, the center-leaning portion of the political spectrum, would be a major loser in the debate around John Paul II, a dynamic that plays into left-leaning forces.
The historian calls attention to the Women’s Strike and notes that Catholic circles have not presented a united front. He argues that the response to the Black Marches fell short and that the conflict is more than a dispute with liberal and left circles; it is a broad culture war with long-term consequences for national identity. The discussion also touches on the left’s approach and the idea that reshaping authority around the papacy might be required to complete a cultural shift within Poland’s public sphere.
The conversation continues as Ryba discusses the broader struggle and the absence of a decisive counterweight. The suggestion is that without a clear, coordinated response, the central battle will continue to unfold with far-reaching implications for the nation and its cultural direction.
“Leakage of classified documents
Marek Budzisz explores the case of leaked intelligence analyses and the global reactions it triggered. The discussion notes speculation and varied interpretations as political actors react to the disclosures. In the United States, officials discuss potential losses for intelligence services, while some Russian channels speculate that the leak was a deliberate operation to mislead about Ukrainian capabilities before a forthcoming offensive.
The article also considers the credibility of the released materials, acknowledging that facts often mingle with insinuations. Statements from U.S. officials indicate that files may have been edited and that published content diverges from originals. Analysts emphasize the influence of psychological and informational dimensions of the conflict alongside frontline actions. A noted Israeli publication even mockingly referenced an assertion about Mossad encouraging greater involvement in internal protests in Israel.
Other recommended reads include Stanisław Janecki On Tusk’s Wonderful Plan, Jan Rokita Exploding a Wheat Mine, Konrad Kołodziejski If you want peace, prepare for war, Dariusz Matuszak The opposition knows the Poles not, Goran Andrijanic Return from Hell, Aleksandra Rybińska Paper Tiger from the Seine, Grzegorz Górny Judas Rehabilitated. Dorota Łosiewicz’s interview with Żaklina Skowrońska, journalist and TVP Info reporter and author of Kadencja w strzerzach, Behind the scenes of presidential travel, is also highlighted. The weekly also features commentary by Krzysztof Feusette, Dorota Łosiewicz, Bronisław Wildstein, Andrzej Rafał Potocki, Marta Kaczyńska-Zielińska, Samuel Pereira, Alina Czerniakowska, Piotr Cywiński, Wiktor Świetlik, and Andrzej Zybertowicz. More in the new Sieci issue.
Articles from the current issue are set to appear online on April 17 as part of the Friends Network, alongside a wPolsce.pl TV broadcast.
All material reflects reporting from wPolityce in the cited coverage.