W. Tomaszewski: We gained the tools to implement the program

For the Polish community in Lithuania the year 2012 was difficult and crucial as well – say the Polish people. The main things are: the winning of parliamentary election for Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania (EAPL), participation in ruling coalition, holding important positions in Lithuanian government and in the country.

Some people can say that EAPL does not represent the views of all Poles who live in Lithuania. Probably not all. But it turned out that they won election, that they have determination to achieve something.

The year was difficult?! I think it will just be! It is hard to achieve something but it is harder to have it all the time. And that is today’s situation of Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania. There is a difference between the mobilisation, the election campaign and the participation in the government (minister plus four deputy ministers)and between the co-government in parliament (Parliament Deputy plus its own parliamentary club), etc. Before, each failure and deterioration in matters of Poles in Lithuania can be left to the hostile Lithuanians authorities, reluctant officers or bad Acts. In the near future this this rhetoric (even if partly true) will not be so supporting and convincing.

Today we are happy, we have huge expectations and exaggerated hopes on the one hand, on the other we try to find out ourselves in a new situation. Some people claim that Poles won a lot in their position in Lithuania and now there will be ideal Polish-Lithuanian relations, all problems will be solved. But happy endings are only in fairytales.

Can these dreams come true? The time will tell. For sure there are chances to improve Polish-Lithuanian relations since everybody wants them. Does these relations will be improved in significant way and again become pretty good? That is the question. Some of the Polish problems in Lithuania will be solved. But we still do not know which one, is it the most important and the most urgent?

In some time the situation in EAPL can change, and FULLY one minister and five deputy ministers will become ONLY one minister and five deputy ministers, FULLY eight Poles in Lithuanian Parliament will become ONLY eight deputies in the 141-seat parliament… However, that is the future which is not sure. For the time being, as shown by a lot of experience of Lithuanian politics, even one minister could lead the case so that the greatest antagonists are not able to “find fault”. And because of the other ministerial team the future secondary school graduates go mad since they do not know what and how many exams they would ask to pass. To regulate this case there is a need for the intervention of the Constitutional Court.

Now EAPL has a strong position, they co-government the country, they have the Minister of power engineering and five deputy ministers (of power engineering, connectivity, agricultural and also from education). The EAPL is a partner who has experience, tries to find the best solutions and who… gives hope. For the time being they positively surprise the community because of their tactful approach, the best choice of Minister Jarosław Niewierowicz (he is seemed as one of a few professionals in current government) and the great ability to lead discussion. It is the starting point.

Undoubtedly, 2012 was a year of success, the year 2013 (and maybe three more) years of management success. So we should appreciate what we have and try not to lose it. What is more, we should try to gain even more but it is really difficult task.

Source: http://www.wilnoteka.lt/pl/tresc/waldemar-tomaszewski-0

Tłumaczenie Diana Omiljaniuk w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Diana Omiljaniuk the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.