Samsel: Gestures and myths

Over the past few days from Lithuania, there has been a series of gestures to improve relations with Poland and the Polish community in Lithuania. A visit to Solecznikach and Niemieżu, apologies from Linkeviciusa, various declarations and so on. There is only one dimension of the gesture which is highly humorous when the Prime Minister appoints the “team” to explain why he voted against the previous term bill on the spelling of names. 

That’s right, these are only gestures but you can tell, that there are aiming in the right direction. Its seems logical that after the gestures should be specifics.

 But will they? It remains to be seen. Because myths start here. One of the myths lingers on in some parts of the Lithuanian society, and perhaps a dozen more of its representatives, when a Lithuanian reads the town or street inscription, not only in Lithuanian but also for example in Polish, from the spot he well be Polonized. And Lithuanian will immediately collapse. I do not know why they preach this low rate

about their mates? I do not know why this situation meets the poles, Italians or other Spaniards there is nothing wrong going on with them (and their countries).

Why should something similar happen for the Lithuanians? It’s just a pretty ridiculous myth which feeds part of the society.

Another more serious myth is widely believed among politician, publicists and even the Lithuanian stage, is that if someone does something beneficial for the Poles in Lithuania he is marked as a “traitor” straight away. Among voters he is expired, of course. Because that will be a clamor of politicians and columnists with a strongly nationalist opinion, it is clear and it actually happens. The fact is that it is not the voice of the voters anyway it is the majorities. Yes, at the time of the previous Government, opinion polls indicated that the proportion of citizens of Lithuania are reluctant to Polish fellow citizen; increased. Yes, you can even agree that it is quite high. But this is not a majority and is far from it. Elections are won by taking care of the opinion of the majority. And that these things are either neutral or do not have anything against the more favorable attitude of the state towards minorities. This study may not reflect the full reality?

The best validation of this myth are choices. Here it is difficult to establish because over 20 years of independence Lithuanian had no government and the situation for the Poles did not improve. So the failures of governments and individual politicians actually had nothing to do with the matters of the Poles. Decided something else entirely.  Kirkilas and his government did not win the next election, not because the Poles declared friendly gestures. When it came to the crunch the declaration was over. Kubilius and his government “arranged for” couple of unfavorable things for the Poles and on the next elections they lost, as predecessors. That is “polish affairs” had no meaning for their failures. The current government is a EAPL coalition with varying intensity but still, things for Poles in Lithuania focuses on a prominent place. Well, somehow 5% electoral threshold exceeded. No, of course it could be argued that it is something completely different voices because they were Poles and Russians. Well, of course you can argue that it’s something completely different because those were the votes of the poles and the Russians.  This is true , however, the existence of the political scene of Lithuania explicitly preaching such declarations.  While political parties and activists who openly preached the xenophobic and extreme nationalist views, to the present Seimas did not get it at all. Certainly they only counted on the Lithuanian votes due to the nationality of the electors. Is it a myth that the policy finished as soon as something positive establishes for the Poles ? Or not? In my opinion it is a myth. However, you can find that out only when the government actually does something.  The present tries carefully to take aim at it. Probably taking into account the myths. However, if there is something true about the myth, so such specific decisions need to be made as soon as possible. While the elections are far away. Voters have a good memory, but short. Even if in fact they are discouraged (or somehow justify the existence of the myth) briefly. After getting rid of this ballast which is complicating the Lithuanian situation on the international stage and accelerate internal handling of other important issues for all citizens. On the other hand it should satisfy them  in a measurable way. In such cases as the economic situation, unemployment, financial condition and finally rapidly approaching demographic disaster.

This latter case is probably the most important and the most dangerous. If the majority of Lithuanian will complicate the solution of such problems losing power to the fierce battles of the only tablets written in Lithuanian, the effect can be very sad. So there is going to be a big board with the inscription „Čia kažkada buvo Lietuva” of course with the inscription in Lithuanian. Only and exclusively. Unfortunately, there will be none who will any longer enjoy it or revile it. I hope it was not a myth, which was not a myth at all.

Source: http://pl.delfi.lt/opinie/opinie/samsel-gesty-i-mity.d?id=60642847

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