Materials&Documents
July 2009
Statements and addresses
Poland's Sejm Speaker opens anniversary conference, 3 June 2009. 1
Poland’s Senate Speaker addresses Visegrad Group senior parliamentarians, 3 June 2009. 1
President presents orders to former opposition activists, 5 June 2009. 2
Poland's Prime Minister meets diplomats, 15 June 2009. 2
Poland’s Sejm Speaker attends a ceremony to unveil Solidarity monument in Berlin, 17 June 2009. 3
President hopes Buzek will be president of the European Parliament,18 June 2009. 3
Poland’s Prime Minister addresses Sejm during no-confidence vote in finance minister, 25 June 2009. 3
Sejm Speaker addresses ceremony marking 20th anniversary of fall of communism in Hungary, 26 June 2009 3
President Lech Kaczynski meets ambassadors from EU member states, 29 June 2009. 3
Poland’s President meets members of European Research Council, 30 June 2009. 3
In 1989 we experienced the miracle of freedom. At the time this involved as much risk and troubles as it did hope, Sejm Speaker Bronislaw Komorowski said on opening a 2-day conference entitled Solidarity and the Fall of Communism in Warsaw's Royal Castle.
The meeting, marking the 20th anniversary of overthrowing communism in central Europe was attended by delegates from among others Germany, Russia, France, Lithuania and Ukraine.
We were really lucky to have been able to fulfill so many national goals - more than any other generation, Komorowski said at the conference.
Vytautas Landsbergis, Lithuanian President in 1990-1992, reminded that in 1989 his country and Poland "walked along the same path". Landsbergis also recalled the 1988 formation of Lithuania's anti-communist movement Sajudiss.
Russian human rights defender Sergei Kovalev said the 1989 events in Poland were of global significance. Kovalev also reminded about the important role of Poland's Worker Defense Committee (KOR), which "made it clear to Solidarity that they should not only fight for higher pay but also economic and political freedom.”
Senate Speaker Bogdan Borusewicz chaired the debates of heads of parliaments of the Visegrad Group countries which were held in the Senate. The session was attended by Sejm Speaker Bronislaw Komorowski and heads of parliaments from the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. The discussions focused on the Eastern Partnership and energy security.
"We believe that the strengthening of economic, political and cultural contacts between the European Union and its eastern neighbours will be an impulse for the economic development and political stabilization in these countries," Senate Speaker said on opening the session. According to Borusewicz, the Eastern Partnership has a key importance for the unity of the European Union.
In effect of the meeting a "Joint Declaration" of the heads of parliaments was adopted which confirmed the great importance of the Eastern Partnership for Europe and came out in favour of the creation in the structure of the European Union of a unit coordinating actions as part of the Eastern Partnership, together with the Special Coordinator of the Eastern Partnership.
The European Union should have a joint plan of action in the area of energy security in case of the crisis, participants in the meeting stressed. In their opinion, the situation of the beginning of 2009 can be repeated.
Let us be proud of the generation that created Solidarity and toppled communism, President Lech Kaczynski appealed in Warsaw while presenting state distinctions to former opposition activists involved in June 4, 1989 elections.
- The time of victory came on June 4. It was the deed of the nation, of the millions directly involved in the struggle, of the great Solidarity movement and of those who went to the polls on that day, the president said during the ceremony held at the courtyard of the Presidential Palace.
The president stressed that June 4 "symbolises our great victory in a peaceful though long and fierce long struggle." The president said that the history of the past 20 years saw many successes - Poland regained freedom, became a European Union member, some 50 per cent of young people study at universities and Poland's GDP grew by over 70 per cent.
Lech Kaczynski warned that "there are things which need to be improved in our homeland," among them excessive social stratification.
"There are many people who won the last 20 years - if they did it in a honest way - they should be congratulated, but there also are people who lost unjustly, not because they were lazy, bad, but because not everything was all right," Lech Kaczynski said.
The president presented the Commandor’s Cross of the Polonia Restituta Order for outstanding contribution to democratic transformations to Piotr Rzewuski, Jerzy Siwiec and posthumously to Konrad Maruszczyk.
After the ceremony the presidential couple opened an exhibition entitled "1989+20 - June 4, 1989 - 20 years later" at the courtyard of the Presidential Palace. The exhibition features photos, documents, leaflets, posters and banners with descriptions of 1989 events.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk and members of the government met with diplomats to discuss priorities of Poland's foreign policy. In his address the prime minister spoke about this year's important anniversaries, Poland's relations with other countries and a road map for Poland's joining the euro zone.
The prime minister stressed the importance of the 70th anniversary of World War II and the 20th anniversary of toppling communism for Poles and many nations of the world. - For the nations with the experience like Poland's, the remembrance about what had happened in the 20th century is the foundation for the existence of our nation and statehood, he stressed.
In this context the Polish prime minister underlined that in his opinion a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian Prime minister Vladimir Putin in Gdansk on September 1 will have a symbolic importance as it may mean a breakthrough in the politicians' way of thinking about the future of this part of the world.
Speaking about Poland's key tasks the prime minister mentioned the building of good relations with Poland's neighbours. He underlined Poland's increasingly good relations with Germany and improving relations with Russia as well as traditionally good relations with Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Equally important is to support Ukraine in its Euro-Atlantic aspirations.
Donald Tusk stressed the importance of cooperation within the Visegrad Group of states. The group's intensive actions exerted influence on an EU discussion on energy security and on counter-acting climate changes.
According to Tusk, the United States remains Poland's strategic ally and friend. - Our bilateral relations are solid foundations for Poland's security and peace in the world, the prime minister stressed.
Donald Tusk confirmed that strategic goals of the Polish government as regards joining the euro zone had not changed despite the world economic crisis. He added that Poland was fully prepared for international roles on the forum of the European Union and other organisations like United Nations or NATO.
Our diplomacy, missions, consulates are increasingly professional. Great effort undertaken in recent years allows us to professionally participate in difficult missions and diplomatic as well as military tasks, the prime minister stated.
Poland's Sejm Speaker Bronislaw Komorowski and Germany's Bundestag President Norbert Lammert unveiled a monument in Berlin commemorating Poland's Solidarity movement. "This is a recognizable, visible sign of remembrance about an important fragment of our history," Lammert told journalists. The ceremony was attended by Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The monument, located next to the Reichstag building, is a fragment of a wall from the Gdansk shipyard, the birthplace of the Solidarity movement.
During the ceremony in front of the Reichstag Lammert stressed that the fragment of the shipyard wall stands "near the place where once there was another wall which divided Germany and Europe for a long time."
"Today we want to thank our Polish friends for an important contribution to our joint history - for Poles' fight for freedom and democracy and Europe's unification," he said.
Komorowski stressed that the shipyard wall is a "symbol of the victorious fight for freedom." In August 1980 Lech Walesa jumped over the wall of the Gdansk shipyard, starting a new stage of a Polish road to freedom," he said. We will always be proud that the changes in autumn 1989 began in Poland, he added.
Komorowski recalled a slogan of anti-communist strikes and demonstrations in Poland - "There is no freedom without Solidarity." "Today these words can refer to ordinary, human and international solidarity, also Polish-German solidarity," he said.
Poland's Sejm Speaker voiced the hope that the Berlin ceremony will be a "signpost leading to a better future, first of all to Polish-German future." "Since there is no freedom without our solidarity," he concluded.
The unveiling of the monument was a highlight of a joint session of the presidiums of Poland's Sejm and Germany's Bundestag which took place in Berlin on Wednesday morning. The talks focused on EU energy policy, including the Nord Stream gas pipeline.
Sejm presidium members also attended Germany's ceremonies commemorating the events of 17 June 1953 when Soviet troops put down strikes, demonstrations and riots in the former German Democratic Republic.
During the press conference held on the first day of the session of the European Council, Lech Kaczynski said that he was much more optimistic with regard to the candidacy of Jerzy Buzek for President of the European Parliament.
"I will do what I can to help Jerzy Buzek become President of the EP," he said. He also assured the audience that he will undertake various activities to this end because, as he claimed, he is personally interested in Buzek becoming President of the EP.
Lech Kaczynski also answered questions pertaining to Thursday's discussion between Silvio Berlusconi, the Prime Minister of Italy, and Donald Tusk, the Polish Prime Minister, that took place in Brussels. In the discussion, Berlusconi argued that one of the advantages that the Italian candidate for President of the EP has is the fact that Poland has not ratified the Lisbon Treaty yet.
The President explained that, as far as the Lisbon Treaty is concerned, he considers the rule of unanimity of the entire European Union the most essential principle. This is why, he explained, the "no" of Ireland should be respected, even though Ireland is a small country.
"This is the basic principle and it is not to be altered. I, however, am ready to negotiate conditions with persons willing to do so. Of course, if they will be interested in such negotiations," he said. He did not say who the persons in question were and said only that they themselves know perfectly well whom he means.
The President also said that Berlusconi enumerated an entire list of "advantages" that the Italian candidate has over the Polish one but remarked that he would not overestimate the "advantage" consisting of the fact that Italy has ratified the Lisbon Treaty.
According to Lech Kaczynski, the chance Buzek has of becoming President of the EP could be shattered by political parties, other than the Christian Democrats, only - he said - if an improbable degree of agreement were to appear in the EP.
While discussing the candidacy of Barroso for another term as President of the European Commission, Lech Kaczynski said that other political leaders are close to consenting to Barroso holding office for another term which, virtually, means that he will remain the President of the EC. "I am no prophet but I believe that he will hold the office for another five years," he said.
The President said that he had come to Brussels because the issue of the upcoming referendum in Ireland with regard to the Lisbon Treaty was to be discussed on the first day of the summit.
However, as he said, "arguments continue," especially with regard to matters such as the exact form of the legal guarantees aimed at convincing the Irish people to accept the Lisbon Treaty. He added that Poland does not participate in the negotiations. "I and the Prime Minister already see completely eye to eye on this matter," he assured.
He regretted that this matter was removed from the agenda of Thursday's session because - as he said - he would have joined this important discussion; he would have had to, on account of the Polish Constitution. He explained that he had to leave the summit in Brussels in order to participate in a summit of leaders from countries of Central Europe in Novi Sad, Serbia.
Lech Kaczynski was also asked if he had received birthday wishes from the leaders of European states and governments because of his 60th birthday which was on Thursday. He answered that yes, some of the politicians did wish him all the best - as, for example, the President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, did.
He emphasized that he also received best wishes for his family from the Prime Minister, Donald Tusk.
Poland’s Prime Minister addresses Sejm during no-confidence vote in finance minister, 25 June 2009
Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, during a debate in the Sejm on a vote of no-confidence in Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski stressed that the best and the most objective criterion for evaluating the work of Minister Rostowski is to compare the condition of Poland’s economy in the time of global crisis with the situation in other countries.
The prime minister defended the Finance Minister as the author of Poland's good economic situation.
Tusk praised "positive records with regard to majority of financial, economic indices in the EU thanks to the efforts and abilities of the finance minister."
"There is no other EU country, in comparison with which - when we compare the situation of public finances and economic development - Poland would look bad. On the contrary, compared to all EU counties, all criteria without exception are satisfactory or very good," Tusk said.
The prime minister stressed that in the time of the crisis the government wants to use in a harmonious, balanced and responsible way the instruments to rescue the budget from the collapse, faced by many other countries. He stressed that the government intends to use possibly delicately, from the point of view of citizens, the instruments which are at the disposal of the finance minister and the Council of Ministers. The prime minister noted that if Poland excessively increased the budget deficit, then it would not have means for its financing.
The prime minister stressed he was looking for necessary savings in such a way so that they were the lest painful for ordinary citizens. He noted that when the national debate on the crisis began, he made a commitment with minister Rostowski ands the whole government that if there is less money, they would defend those weakest against those who would like to obtain as much as possible for themselves, taking advantage of their strength and influence, during the time of confusion caused by the crisis.
The PM quoted budget deficit figures in EU countries which showed Poland's good condition in this respect - 400 bln zlotys in Germany, 469 bln zlotys in Spain, 520 billion zlotys in France, one trillion in Britain and 27 billion in Poland.
The prime minister called on the opposition deputies for a serious discussion during the time of the financial crisis which requires greater responsibility about what is possible and not desorganisation of Polish public finances and the economy.
Sejm Speaker Bronislaw Komorowski told a solemn meeting of the Hungarian parliament in Budapest that the Poles and the Hungarians should always remember their joint struggle for freedom both during the 1848 Spring of Nations and in the year 1989.
"I want to express my pride and satisfaction at the fact that in 1989 we managed to win freedom in a magnificent, great, peaceful revolution that was rightly called The Autumn of Nations, in reference to the Spring of Nations," Komorowski declared.
The Hungarian National Assembly also heard addresses from the presidents of Hungary Laszlo Solyom, Germany - Horst Koehler, Austria - Heinz Fischer and deputy president of the EC Guenter Verheugen. They all came here to attend the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of pulling down the Iron Curtain that divided Europe until 1989.
Verheugen said in his speech that "the great symbolic achievement of 1989 has not been adequately appreciated and publicised." He stressed that Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and other countries of the region had made a great historic breakthrough in 1989. "If we understood this properly, the new members of the EU would be seen as enriching Europe," he added.
Poland’s President Lech Kaczynski met with ambassadors from EU member states, the ambassadors of three states wishing to join the EU (Turkey, Croatia and Macedonia) as well as with the ambassadors of Georgia and Ukraine and the Head of the European Commission Representation in Poland.
Lech Kaczynski repeated what he has already said numerous times - that he will sign the Lisbon Treaty after the people of Ireland have accepted it in the repeat referendum and after the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany has voiced its opinion.
"We must have a clear understanding of the fact that there are only two keys to open the Treaty now: one of them lies in Germany, where the Federal Constitutional Court resides and makes decisions, and the other key are the people of Ireland," he said.
"Regardless of the Lisbon Treaty, during the Presidency of Sweden of the European Union, the governing bodies of the EU will have to be re-shaped. If the Treaty becomes effective, a President of the Council of the European Union will have to be appointed, as well as a High Representative for External Matters," he remarked.
The President thanked the Czech Republic for its Presidency of the EU. This Presidency ends on Tuesday. He also summarised the last half year, speaking about the struggle with the crisis, European protectionism, the conflict between Ukraine and Russia pertaining to gas supply and the programme of Eastern Partnership which has been started during the Presidency of the Czech Republic.
The President remarked that this programme was important but, as he said, "all the time, we have to keep in mind the fact that this programme must not replace our strategic aims - enlarging the EU not only towards the Balkans, but also in the direction of Ukraine and, in the future, Georgia and perhaps other countries."
"We must not resign from this enlargement - it is to the strategic benefit of us all, of the entire EU," he said.
Lech Kaczynski expressed his wish that the Presidency of Sweden, beginning on 1st July, may be successful. He remarked that, during its Presidency, Sweden will be dealing with the global crisis.
The President also mentioned matters such as further enlargement of the European Union. As he said, "Poland has been and will remain in favour of enlarging the EU, also towards the Balkans."
He hopes that the border dispute between Slovenia and Croatia will not impede this process. He said that the diplomatic experience of the European Union and Sweden should be used to resolve the dispute and claimed that Poland is also ready to help resolve it. "We must not allow small arguments to shatter issues of fundamental importance," he emphasized.
President Lech Kaczynski met members of the European Research Council (ERC), holding debates in Warsaw.
"Scientific knowledge is the value that cannot be overestimated in the contemporary world," Lech Kaczynski said during a meeting at the presidential palace. "You represent an exclusive group of outstanding scientists," the president said addressing ERC members.
Speaking on behalf of the ERC, its head Professor Fortis C. Kafatos stressed that ERC's aim is to promote discoveries which "will become significant for the development of societies." "Visits to EU member states are the element of our activities. During these visits we discuss common aspirations of Europeans. We want Europe to become a real driving force behind knowledge," he said.
Head of the Polish Academy of Sciences and ERC member, Professor Michal Kleiber said that the "future of Europe largely depends on the development of scientific research and on international cooperation in this field."
The European Research Council was established by the European Commission in 2006 and its main aim is to support scientific efforts across all fields of science.
The Warsaw ERC meeting will discuss strategy for 2010-2011
