Jerzy Haszczyński: real nationalistic electorate rules the Government and the Seimas of Lithuania

“There is no chance that Polish–Lithuanian relations will ever improve” – is written in “Rzeczpospolita” by the well-known Polish publicist, Jerzy Haszczyński.

“The last, this year’s session of the Lithuanian Seimas was held on Monday. Unfortunately, it was also a symbolical farewell bid to dreams of improvement of Polish–Lithuanian relations. During this meeting, the discussion over the, so called temporary, bill of ethnic minorities had been postponed to an indeterminate future. Another project, a governmental one, has not even been submitted to Seimas yet” – wrote Haszczyński.

According to the publicist, the current coalition in power, which consists of Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania as well, could handle all points of dispute concerning ethnic minorities. Unfortunately, it did not happen. “The cabinet of social democrat Algirdas Butkevičius is ruling for over a year. During this period Polish ministers heard from their Lithuanian colleagues: one moment, it will take only a little while, be patient. But it again turned out that every Lithuanian government and Seimas are ruled either by real or imaginary nationalistic electorate for whom Polishness is the enemy, not Russian imperialism” – Haszczyński is convinced.

In that circumstances, it is hard to expect Polish–Lithuanian relations to turn of the tide. “Since two decades I have been dealing with Polish–Lithuanian relations and I am still seduced by the vision of them improving. I always listen to Vilnius politics’ promises with hope. Writing this analysis, I am listening to the band Foje, which has tens of thousands of fans and it seems to me that Poles and Lithuanian are very close. It is a delusion” – the Polish publicist pessimistically ended his piece of text.

Source: http://zw.lt/opinie/jerzy-haszczynski-litewskim-rzadem-sejmem-rzadzi-prawdziwy-elektorat-nacjonalistyczny/

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