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Annual Report 2005

The Batory Foundation Debates

The Batory Foundation Debates are an attempt at establishing an independent meeting and discussion forum for politicians, professionals, public intellectuals and journalists. The Foundation has long organized conferences and seminars on transition in Poland, international affairs, Poland’s foreign policy and the situation in Central and Eastern Europe. Our goal was to initiate public discourse on subjects important to the future of our state and the region.

In 2005, we continued a series of lectures On the Repair of the Polish Republic by leading political figures, as well as public debates devoted to Polish foreign policy. We also began a new series of debates on Polish Discriminations.

Lecture cycle On the Repair of the Polish Republic

Citizens have a bad impression of the effectiveness of politics, the opinion about the professional and moral qualifications of the political class is quite low, though there are clearly extreme differences in popularity and the electoral chances of various parties. Polls indicate a high level of distrust, distance and alienation toward governing elites. This situation breeds serious threats – not only is the authority of politicians being questioned but the greater majority of citizens seem to doubt democratic procedures and institutions. We asked important political figures to respond to questions about what the Republic of Poland is like today, how it may be repaired and what activities should be urgently undertaken.

Lecture by Jan Rokita, Parliamentary Club Chairman, Civic Platform

Lecturing on the repair of the Polish Republic, Jan Rokita indicated three areas with issues in need of quick resolution: society, the economy and public institutions. Rokita thinks that in order to increase civic involvement in public life, the public must understand that it is possible to build authority that is unbiased and without social protection, immunities or other privileges. To achieve this, a principle of larger accountability of those in power must be introduced along with an audit of elites’ wealth. He also feel it is necessary to mobilize public opinion to participate in important issues, as well as to have state-NGO cooperation. In his opinion, only well-conducted policies can build communities, organize national consciousness and strengthen social webbing. The priority is to rebuild societal respect for state institutions. There is a need to modernize, strengthen and stabilize the legislative and judicial systems, security agencies, public administration, army, health service and higher education. Rokita also postulates to consequently carry out a liberal economic policy: to lower the tax burden and introduce flat tax rates. Polish economy needs the new government to be politically active and a strategy aimed at long-term maximization of EU integration gains and substantial lowering of labor costs.

Lecture by Marek Borowski, Party Chairman, Social Democratic Party of Poland (SdPL)

Marek Borowski, leader of ‘the new left’, as he called his party, divides the repair of the Polish Republic into two areas. The first concerns institutions, the second – citizens. According to Borowski, the state must undergo repair most of all for the good of citizens, for them to feel safer. Health and education services must be part of the reforms. Unemployment, a serious economic problem and a cause of social frustration, can be lowered by introducing good tax policies, attracting investors and working out easier solutions for entrepreneurs. Borowski claims that slogans to radically lower taxes will remain only empty slogans. However, there are several things that can be done: transferring investments to the so-called ‘B’ and ‘C’ (meaning poorer) regions of Poland, refunding social security payments to entrepreneurs who hire graduates and long-term unemployed persons, and lowering labor costs. Repairing the state in terms of institutions is made impossible by ever-spreading corruption. According to Borowski, we must, similarly as other countries, create a special anticorruption agency, which must be non-political and not affiliated with any political party. This is what, in Borowski’s opinion, differs SdPL’s proposal from right wing ones. Eliminating political affiliations should also take place in many administrative offices and positions. This is why SdPL not only want to limit deputy immunity, but also the possibility of linking the office of deputy and civil servant, because the less politics, the more room for experts and social activeness.

Lecture by Jarosław Kaczyński, Party Chairman, Law and Justice

Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of the Law and Justice party, sees chances to repair the Polish Republic in his party’s political program. The current national crisis is largely the result of a ‘strange revolution’, as Kaczyński described the changes that took place in Poland 15 years ago. It was a revolution without revolutionary actions and changes. The people and foundations of the system remain unchanged, and a moral revolution is yet to take place. According to Kaczyński, today there are opportunities for change and the need for this change can be felt everywhere. Law and Justice Party postulates the adoption of a new Constitution. It would refer to the most fundamental values – Christian values, values of the nation and Church; it would defend family values, define the attitude towards historical values, the Polish independence tradition, especially represented by anticommunism. The executive authority must also undergo changes – the constitution must include a reaction mechanism to deal with authority-related scandals. There is also need to clean up the state, with the investigation of politicians’ pasts, conducting de-communization and uncovering historical materials dating back to the People’s Republic of Poland. Kaczyński called for the creation of an anticorruption bureau and a Commission of Truth and Justice. He also considers it important to adopt an anti-lobbying law, strengthen criminal law and statutory control of national administration. To finish, the leader of Law and Justice stated that the group of the excluded cannot continue to rise, for if this group is to go to the polls, we will be in danger of radical and populist party rule – meaning that of Self-Defence, the League of Polish Families or postcommunists.

Lecture by Marek Belka, Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland

Marek Belka is in favour of continuing the path taken by Poland in 1990. The way politicians judge achievements of the 3rd Republic is, in his opinion, unjust. During this period, we underwent a civilization leap forward. We cannot forget about this during our political debates. The Prime Minister stated that political discussions concentrate too much on communist secret police files, de-communization and abortion, whereas too little is said about Poland’s future. There is no need to create new bureaus or commissions, it is enough to correctly use already existing tools in a consistent and thorough manner. Poland’s greatest success is the implementation of market economy, the problem is high unemployment. Unfortunately, there are no easy and painless methods of curing it and those who promise shortcuts and painless therapy are simply wrong. According to Belka, the most important issue is to eliminate the so-called ‘tax wedge’. Overly high taxes hinder entrepreneurship and increase unemployment. According to the Prime Minister, we have also achieved much in foreign policy. Whilst maintaining good relations with America, we must also remember that we are a European country and that our relations with the European Union are of foremost importance. It is in Poland’s interest to accept the European constitution. If not, the EU will still develop, but with varied speed. We must also reflect on our role in contacts with Eastern neighbours, especially Russia and Ukraine.

Lecture by Tadeusz Mazowiecki, leader of the Democratic Party

Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki began his lecture by indicating two areas: institutions and debates. He described the latter as being the area of ‘action’ in politics. Mazowiecki also posed the question whether the repair and development of the Polish Republic is possible if the ‘action’ area continues to completely deter citizens from public life. He admits that not everything in Poland is as it should be, though he categorically refuses to consider the history of the 3rd Republic as lacking successes. ‘I’m also in favour of repair’, he stated. Mazowiecki pronounced himself supporting a state with limited powers, albeit a strong one, which favors open civil society. A good state accomplishes two basic tasks, which can be summarized in three words: development, honesty, and democracy. The realization of postulates aimed at repairing the state must be incorporated into the vision of general tasks awaiting Poland. We must correctly make use of our membership in the European Union. If we want to feel well in the EU and counteract the negative concept of a coalition of ‘hard core’ states, we should consider ourselves mutually responsible for EU development and actively work to overcome the EU’s internal crises. Mazowiecki also spoke of the postulates of moral reform, which are currently often used by politicians. He rejected the idea of such a revolution and spoke of the need to make the word ‘moral’ recover its proper meaning, especially within the realm of politics.

Lecture by Zbigniew Religa, independent candidate for the office of President of the Republic of Poland

Zbigniew Religa began his lecture by describing the causes of the bad state of our country. We have an unstable political scene, in such conditions cooperation is impossible and so is the creation of a coalition that would care for country. We lack a clear vision of Poland’s future and of the priorities, which should be realized for the benefit of Poland by each successive government, regardless of its political leanings. Religa sees opportunities in economic development, all-round education, scientific development and repairing the health service. Economic development should aim to increase the population’s wealth and limit poverty and unemployment. There is also need for new investments, which can be stimulated only by simplifying the tax system and commercial law as well as through fighting corruption. Poland’s accession into the European Union was an important event in Polish foreign policy. Now we must decide what we expect from the EU: economic union, political unity, or closer cooperation? Religa stands for a common EU foreign and defense policy. In his opinion, such a policy lies in the interest of both Poland and all other European countries. He also emphasizes the importance of relations with our neighbours: Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Germany. He would see his presidential term as active and based on cooperation with the government. He would like to see the creation of a national council, acting alongside the president, made up of eminent personalities that would to speak out in public debates.

Lecture by Donald Tusk, Civic Platform candidate for the office of President of the Republic of Poland

Donald Tusk, speaking of Poland’s August 1980 experience and analyzing the current situation in Poland, formulated three postulates he sees as crucial for the repair of the state: unselfish action, a strong and self-limiting state and radical transparency in public life. Besides unselfishness, we are also lacking the very basic consciousness that morally correct politics are effective politics. Freedom – which was once an undisputed organizing principle – is becoming more and more fictional. The cause is a failed state, which pretends to take care of everything, but renounces one basic function – executing the law. No single issue, such as the health service or unemployment can be resolved without a strong state, transparent rules and clear-cut responsibility. The state can be strong and effective only if it becomes engaged in certain specific activities. Where the state limits its own role, there is a room for social activity. Another important postulate formulated by Tusk is transparency. In addition to the obvious advantages for citizens, transparency also has an important moral dimension in politics. It is this radical transparency of decisions that mayhelp rebuild citizens’ trust in the state. Poland needs an ongoing discourse and the president with limited rights and a large mandate of public trust could become an institution effectively identifying priorities and provoking discussion.

Lecture by Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz, Democratic Left Alliance candidate for the office of President of the Republic of Poland

Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz renounced the opinions present in public discourse, which state that Poland is in the midst of a crisis or catastrophe. In his opinion, government administration is working effectively, and Polish foreign policy successes constitute a proof of this. What hampers effective administration is the void between social expectations and the state’s capabilities. Regarding parliament, the problem lies in the method of selecting candidates for election lists. According to Cimoszewicz, a large part of the population is not able to make a proper choice. One has to have a good memory and use one’s vote wisely, he stated. Undeniable successes of recent years include our joining NATO, a modernized and better-administered army as well as Poland’s accession to the European Union. The economy is not showing signs of crisis either. Polish export and the demand for national goods and services are on the rise. However, a consequence of the market economy is the socially distressing unemployment problem. According to Cimoszewicz, the phenomenon’s scale is nonetheless smaller than indicated by the numbers. Cimoszewicz reflected on the issue of Polish pessimism; in his opinion the feeling of permanent crisis is dangerous and may have very serious consequences, such as social approval for a radical political bid. To deal with this, there is the need for a general discourse with the active participation of citizens. In Cimoszewicz’s view, the president may play a large role in initiating this debate, which may in turn evolve into specific legislative initiatives.

Lecture by Lech Kaczyński, Law and Justice candidate for the office of President of the Republic of Poland

Lech Kaczyński emphasized at the beginning of his lecture that Poland is no longer engulfed in a historical dispute. In his opinion, the current dispute concerns the future – two visions of Poland and society. He confronted the vision of a ‘liberal experiment’ with his own, which aims to build a form of institutionalized solidarity. According to Kaczyński, when speaking of the state of the country, one must make reference to basic values: freedom, solidarity, dignity and justice. The state’s basic role consists of preserving the personal and social security of citizens. Regarding the repair of the Polish Republic, there is a great need to actively fight corruption. An elite institution – an anticorruption bureau – must be created and act similarly to secret services. There is also a need for the Commission of Truth and Justice, which would conduct criminal investigation activities. Kaczyński also presented a project of constitutional changes regarding presidential rights, and emphasized that according to the Law and Justice platform, the president must act as a guardian defending the state against pathologies. He stated that ‘the Law and Justice party does not profess that specific liberal orthodoxy’, instead it supports an active role of the state in the economy. Speaking of foreign policy, he emphasized that his party backed Poland’s entry into the European Union, he himself is a supporter of the EU and sees positive effects from our presence in the Community. Kaczyński assured that he is not motivated by an anti-German or anti-Russian sentiments, and that he supports good relations with Russia and Germany, although relations with these countries cannot be upheld at any price. He considers Ukraine and the United States Poland’s strategic partners.

Polish foreign policy debate cycle

The Meaning of May 9, 1945 and Polish Politics

Participants: Jarosław Kaczyński, Law and Justice, Bronisław Komorowski, Civic Platform, Adam Daniel Rotfeld, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland. Debate moderated by: Aleksander Smolar, President of the Batory Foundation.

For several months, the issue of our participation in Moscow celebrations marking the end of WW II, which were to take place on May 9, 2005, were a hot topic in Poland. Political, historical and moral arguments overlapped in the discussion. The question was raised whether Poland should be represented at Moscow’s May anniversary celebrations. The debate focused on President Aleksander Kwaśniewski’s decision to attend the celebrations. However, the weight of the issue went evidently far beyond this question. It concerned the place of Polish post-war history in current politics, relations with Russia, both its authorities and society, and relations with countries whose highest representatives took part in the Moscow celebrations and those whose authorities decided not to participate.

Continuity and change in Polish foreign policy

Participants: Stefan Meller, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Władysław Bartoszewski, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Bronisław Geremek, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Dariusz Rosati, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, former Secretary of the Committee for European Integration. Debate moderated by: Aleksander Smolar, President of the Batory Foundation.

For over a dozen years after 1989, public opinion and politicians agreed on a general consensus for Polish foreign policy. The most important aims were similar for all: after joining NATO, to accede to the European Union, maintain privileged strategic relations with the USA and good relations with our neighbors, especially Ukraine. In recent years, after having achieved these basic strategic aims and with ongoing complications in our relations with Russia and Germany, political consensus seemed to fade. One may sometimes get the impression that Polish debates are seeing a comeback of the traditional semantics of geopolitics, where the fate of our country is described through our relations with our two main neighbours, with both countries treated as threats rather than opportunities. Viewed from a distance, Polish politics seem to indicate a deep-seated distrust not only towards Germany and Russia, but also the European Union. Stable relations with the US and good relations with Ukraine seem to be the stable elements in this political perspective. Debate participants tried to answer the question of whether we can really talk of a significant modification of Polish foreign policy. If the answer is yes, we must further inquire about the general strategic vision of Poland’s place in the world. What are the motivations behind this evolution? And if we cannot speak of a significant change in our foreign policy, how should we describe the current changes in the language used to depict our situation?

Polish discriminations debate cycle

For many years, we have aspired to support serious, pluralistic debate to raise the quality of public life and rehabilitate politics. We decided it is important to discuss questions of social import, which are nonetheless rarely taken up by politicians and media and concern various types of discrimination and methods of dealing with them.

Place of women

Participants: Henryk Domański, sociologist, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at the Polish Academy of Sciences, Kinga Dunin, sociologist of culture, Anna Fornalczyk, businesswoman, former head of Antimonopoly Office, Małgorzata Fuszara, lawyer, Department of Applied Social Sciences of the University of Warsaw, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, former President of the National Bank of Poland, politician, former Vice-President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Debate moderated by: Aleksander Smolar, President of the Batory Foundation.

Statistical data unequivocally points to sexual inequalities – there is still approximately 25% fewer women than men in managerial positions, in professions requiring higher education or as company owners, and at the same time men earn about 30% more than women at the same positions. Would diminishing these inequities violate the balance and functioning of certain social systems? Are women subjecting themselves to self-discrimination by failing to believe in their own abilities and through their fear of competition from men? Debate participants reflected on what can be done to improve the situation of women.

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