After the Pole’s Card it’s time for “social terror”

In May the parliament of Lithuania rejected the application of the “Motherland Association” . Lately there’s been another controversial initiative of this group’s parliamentarians. This time it refers to the alleged compulsion of sending children to Polish schools in the Vilnius region.

Some time ago I wrote about the initiative of parliamentarians representing the “Motherland Association”. It referred to the Pole’s Card. I will let myself remind: it was about referring an inquiry to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania whether the holder of this document could serve as a parliamentarian. The reason for their inquiry was the potential collision between the oath of deputies and the resulting from the Pole’s Card – as its applicants believed – liability to the other country. Other deputies didn’t share their concerns and the request was rejected.

Polish issues

Just like in Poland, in Lithuania political vacations are long gone. Thus it is not a surprise that among other themes electrifying public opinion (gas dispute with Russia, case of the deputy Neringi Venckienė – sister of Drąsius Kedys “The Punisher” who died mysteriously) also came back issues related to the problem of Polish minority. Cause célèbre concerned the statement of prime minister Algirdas Butkevičius on bilingual signs. As September is a month reminding about the new school year, the return of educational subjects on the political agenda might have been expected.

Five “Motherland Association” deputies (Rytas Kupčinskas, VidaMarija Čigriejienė, Kęstutis Masiulis, Algis Strelčiūnas i Pranas Žeimys) reported in the Parliament the project of amendment to the Criminal Code. Extensive information about this case have being given by the information portal “Radio From Over Villa” writing that the above-mentioned amendment is going to “prevent the alleged pressure exerted on parents to send their children to Polish schools”.

Pressure from local authorities?

Current regulations provide for the punishment of those who, with their actions, are trying “to disturb a person or a group of people in their political, economic, social, cultural, professional or other activity because of sex, sexual orientation, race, nationality, language, origin, social status, religion, beliefs or views”, or they want “to limit the rights and freedom for such a person or group of people”. The amendment provides for adding to the existing provision a reference to the punishment in the case of limiting the freedom of choice for a person or a group of people.

As far as the project of changes in the Criminal Code alone is not controversial, astonishing is its substantiation presented by “Motherland Associations” deputies. Kęstutis Masiulis argues that the amendment is directed towards the situation in Eastern Lithuania where parents, using administrative resources, are being put under pressure to send their children to Polish schools”. Source of this pressure are believed to be the officials of local authorities.

The common knowledge is (although authors of the amendment do not mention this) that Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania dominates among the local government authorities of the Šalčininkai and the Vilnius districts. Can business or social relations between the local government official and inhabitants give rise to pathologies? Probably yes but we’re moving in the realm of speculations. Deputies have enigmatically mentioned “public reports of social terror”. As for the project of changes in penal provisions “public reports” is not enough, whereas “social terror” is definitely too severely.

As it has been mentioned above in the region of the so-called “Eastern Lithuania” the local governments are dominated by Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania thus, in accordance with the intentions of the authors of the project, officials delegated by this particular party would be encountered with penalties. The question arises, is the deputies’ of “Motherland Association” point in the first place protecting the public interest, or maybe striking into another political party that: 1) co-creates the present government coalition to which the “Motherland Association” is in opposition, or 2) represents the Polish minority.

Reluctance to Poles

Among the authors of the amendment are deputies that many times before, with their actions, had given the expression of their reluctance to Poles in Lithuania. Rytas Kupčinskas during the term of the former government’s office, along with the nationalists leader Gintaras Songaila and the president of “Vilnija” association Kazimieras Garšva, organized the governmental conference on which the Polish minority was accused of subversive activities aimed at the country and the people of Lithuania. Kupčinskas called the rejected (also during the former term of office) governmental project allowing for the original spelling of names in documents “the betrayal of the national interests”. The deputy Čigriejienė didn’t abstain from the similar actions.

Taking into account the parliamentary arithmetic and the fate of other initiatives of this kind, as the above-mentioned decision in the case of the Pole’s Card, it should be presumed that the Association’s idea is not going to find the support of the majority. Nonetheless, the described above actions justifies the question whether the conservatives care for the actual improvement of not even Polish-Lithuanian relations, but the relations between Lithuanian authorities and Polish community in Lithuania? Many times I had mentioned myself benevolent with Polish postulates policies of the “Motherland Association”. However, initiatives publicized by the media prove that they have been drowned out by their party colleagues for whom neither their good neighborly relations with Poland, nor the welfare of the Polish minority in Lithuania are not priorities – to put it mildly. It does not augur well for Polish-Lithuanian relations in case the conservatives return to power.

Source: http://zw.lt/opinie/po-karcie-polaka-czas-na-terror-spoleczny/

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