Duda: Poland is still pro-European

President Andrzej Duda wrote an article for the Financial Times in which he commented on the current state of Poland and the country's outlook for the near future regarding European affairs. In the article, Duda wrote that this is the first time in Poland's free history that a single party has had an absolute majority, implying that this gives the Law and Justice party a mandate to fully implement its political program. Many reforms have been already carried out in the weeks since the new government was elected in November;  however, Duda claimed that more are still needed, pointing to the ongoing emigration of millions of Poles over recent years as evidence of the Polish people's discontent. He then pointed the finger at the previous government for neglecting many issues, contending that their official economic statistics "were misleading", as social inequality also rose during their time in power. He also noted the corruption scandals and persecution of conservative  journalists that occurred under their watch. In contrast, Duda wrote that the new government has been much more successful in upholding European values, noting that media pluralism and anti-government protests have been allowed to "thrive". He also added that Poland is and "would like to remain pro-European",  particularly desiring to actively help in discussing EU security needs and the refugee crisis. Duda concluded the article by indirectly referring to Russia and the "aggressive foreign policy" it has been pursuing; he views the EU's position on this as a "test of solidarity" for the member states. "I will not waver in my belief that business interests should not prevail over European values." he added.