Rafał Trzaskowski’s town hall in Olsztyn featured a moment that drew gasps from the crowd. A young man handed the microphone to the mayor, voicing discomfort about how Polish institutions treat younger generations.
He described a state of affairs where some psychiatrists seem to label young people as mentally ill, raising questions about how care is perceived and delivered.
“Good morning, Mr. President. I don’t want Poland to resemble a place where young people are treated as if they are mentally unwell,” the speaker stated, insisting that the approach needs to change. “They call us Athenians. You tell us to cut ourselves, then pretend the issue is solved. That cannot stand.”
The young man also lamented gaps in daily life skills education, noting a disconnect between what schools teach and what he feels he needs to know to manage adulthood. He suggested that issues such as personal hygiene should be paired with practical knowledge like metabolism and genetics, and he contrasted Poland with Finland, where daily life skills are part of the curriculum in meaningful ways. In his view, Polish schooling often anchors learning in purely theoretical content, leaving essential topics like how to pay ZUS or how to participate in elections feeling out of reach. He expressed a desire for a Poland he can feel good about, and admitted that staying abroad might be the only option if change does not come.
The crowd responded with thunderous applause as the speaker stepped back. Then Trzaskowski took the stage to address the concerns raised on the ground.
“These are the voices I hear almost every day on the streets of our cities and towns—voices heavy with bitterness and emotion. The hurt I see is that too often the critique targets the entire political class. Because of that, we must do everything possible to show the younger generation that things can be different. Even when it comes to child psychiatry. I want to make one thing crystal clear: I will work with colleagues and friends to set this as a top priority. Today more than ever, psychiatry and psychology, especially child psychology, must look different. Access to services must be guaranteed. There are places in Poland where securing a specialist appointment means long waits until the child becomes an adult in practice. We know how to change that,” he stated with conviction.
— said the mayor of Warsaw.
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(Source: wPolityce)