Normal politics?
Emerging from the negotiating room to face the press after all-night talks over the accession treaty, Miller beckoned Michnik, "one of the most important people in Polish history," to his side, and they kissed.
Michnik, a legend of the anti-Communist opposition, was weeping as he received what some now call a kiss of death from the then prime minister and former leader of the Communist party in Żyrardów, a small town near Łódź.
And well he might. It was a genuinely historic moment. The country had just closed negotiations to enter the European Union and, on the 21st anniversary of martial law, the kiss was meant as a symbol of genuine reconciliation and the unity of the whole nation.
Two weeks later, Michnik's newspaper, Gazeta Wyborcza, published a story under the title 'Rywin visits Agora.' Soon afterwards, all hell broke loose. A parliamentary commission was set up to investigate the allegations and soon uncovered the extent of the scandal.
While the December 13 date for the signing of the accession treaty was loaded with symbolism for a country that only recently emerged from a totalitarian regime imposed by a foreign power, the timing of the Rywingate conclusion was also poignant. The court sentenced the disgraced film producer to prison during the last week prior to EU accession, but the case is far from closed.
Lew Rywin was found guilty of fraud and lying about the "group holding the power," which he said had sent him to Agora with an offer to sell an act of parliament. He had acted alone, the court concluded, in line with the earlier findings of the parliamentary commission, with a view to gaining the presidency of Polsat, a TV station that Agora wanted to buy. No mention was made of the fact that Rywin had made Gazeta Wyborcza's support for Leszek Miller one of the conditions of his offer. What would be his personal gain from that? And, if he wanted to become an Agora employee, was lying to his prospective bosses really the best way to go about it?
These questions remain unanswered, but some things are now very clear. Not only is corruption rampant in this country, but there are groups powerful enough to manipulate both the parliament and the judicial system into making judgements that fly in the face of common sense and decency. And, while the now former Prime Minister Leszek Miller is right about corruption holding no party membership card, it is the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) that is prepared to throw all its political weight behind a bunch of criminals.
Poor standards in political life, corruption and an inefficient judiciary are commonly named as major stumbling blocks that could prevent the country from fully benefiting from EU membership, so it was suitably ironic that the Rywingate ruling, which epitomizes both, should so nearly coincide with accession.
Still worse things might be in store. When in the mid-nineties Leszek Miller was seen as the representative of the former Communist party apparatchicks in the SLD, he gained an unflattering nickname of 'towarzysz Szmaciak,' which roughly as translates 'comrade Shabby.' He was ostracized by all politicians except those from his own party, and, frequently, by the media. But, through genuine networking talents, personal charm and hard work, Miller managed to shed his image and emerge triumphantly to become the worst prime minister in the democratic history of the country.
Not so long ago, Andrzej Lepper was also a political outcast, but he now looks dangerously close to the mainstream. While President Aleksander Kwaśniewski, who continues to refuse Lepper an invitation to his palace, says that the support for populist parties is no higher than 30 percent, it is difficult to share his optimism. If Marek Belka, Miller's successor, fails to rein in the booming public debt, the economic situation could deteriorate and the increasingly frustrated public could grow desperate. Unemployment shows slight signs of easing, but it has to fall significantly in the current recovery if Lepper is to be stopped. And, of course, more high-profile cases of corruption would only help the potato throwers.
It is sad that instead of celebrating the historic achievement of accession, many people harbor these gloomy thoughts. But complacency must be avoided, for the threat of bad politics looms large.
There is, of course, also an optimistic interpretation of what is going on. While many people involved in corruption go unpunished, there is a case to be made that the recent wave of scandals is actually an optimistic sign. While corruption is regrettable, it is better that it comes to light, as it could make further corruption less likely to happen in the future. And the rise of populism may simply be a symptom of the 'curse of normal politics.' After all, Pim Fortuyn was not much better than Lepper, and German voters don't like the idea of painful economic reforms any more than Poles do. There was a time when the whole nation was ready to back the necessary policies, as the country was obviously in crisis. But that mobilization is, perhaps, no longer seen as necessary. Let's hope this is true.
Michnik, a legend of the anti-Communist opposition, was weeping as he received what some now call a kiss of death from the then prime minister and former leader of the Communist party in Żyrardów, a small town near Łódź.
And well he might. It was a genuinely historic moment. The country had just closed negotiations to enter the European Union and, on the 21st anniversary of martial law, the kiss was meant as a symbol of genuine reconciliation and the unity of the whole nation.
Two weeks later, Michnik's newspaper, Gazeta Wyborcza, published a story under the title 'Rywin visits Agora.' Soon afterwards, all hell broke loose. A parliamentary commission was set up to investigate the allegations and soon uncovered the extent of the scandal.
While the December 13 date for the signing of the accession treaty was loaded with symbolism for a country that only recently emerged from a totalitarian regime imposed by a foreign power, the timing of the Rywingate conclusion was also poignant. The court sentenced the disgraced film producer to prison during the last week prior to EU accession, but the case is far from closed.
Lew Rywin was found guilty of fraud and lying about the "group holding the power," which he said had sent him to Agora with an offer to sell an act of parliament. He had acted alone, the court concluded, in line with the earlier findings of the parliamentary commission, with a view to gaining the presidency of Polsat, a TV station that Agora wanted to buy. No mention was made of the fact that Rywin had made Gazeta Wyborcza's support for Leszek Miller one of the conditions of his offer. What would be his personal gain from that? And, if he wanted to become an Agora employee, was lying to his prospective bosses really the best way to go about it?
These questions remain unanswered, but some things are now very clear. Not only is corruption rampant in this country, but there are groups powerful enough to manipulate both the parliament and the judicial system into making judgements that fly in the face of common sense and decency. And, while the now former Prime Minister Leszek Miller is right about corruption holding no party membership card, it is the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) that is prepared to throw all its political weight behind a bunch of criminals.
Poor standards in political life, corruption and an inefficient judiciary are commonly named as major stumbling blocks that could prevent the country from fully benefiting from EU membership, so it was suitably ironic that the Rywingate ruling, which epitomizes both, should so nearly coincide with accession.
Still worse things might be in store. When in the mid-nineties Leszek Miller was seen as the representative of the former Communist party apparatchicks in the SLD, he gained an unflattering nickname of 'towarzysz Szmaciak,' which roughly as translates 'comrade Shabby.' He was ostracized by all politicians except those from his own party, and, frequently, by the media. But, through genuine networking talents, personal charm and hard work, Miller managed to shed his image and emerge triumphantly to become the worst prime minister in the democratic history of the country.
Not so long ago, Andrzej Lepper was also a political outcast, but he now looks dangerously close to the mainstream. While President Aleksander Kwaśniewski, who continues to refuse Lepper an invitation to his palace, says that the support for populist parties is no higher than 30 percent, it is difficult to share his optimism. If Marek Belka, Miller's successor, fails to rein in the booming public debt, the economic situation could deteriorate and the increasingly frustrated public could grow desperate. Unemployment shows slight signs of easing, but it has to fall significantly in the current recovery if Lepper is to be stopped. And, of course, more high-profile cases of corruption would only help the potato throwers.
It is sad that instead of celebrating the historic achievement of accession, many people harbor these gloomy thoughts. But complacency must be avoided, for the threat of bad politics looms large.
There is, of course, also an optimistic interpretation of what is going on. While many people involved in corruption go unpunished, there is a case to be made that the recent wave of scandals is actually an optimistic sign. While corruption is regrettable, it is better that it comes to light, as it could make further corruption less likely to happen in the future. And the rise of populism may simply be a symptom of the 'curse of normal politics.' After all, Pim Fortuyn was not much better than Lepper, and German voters don't like the idea of painful economic reforms any more than Poles do. There was a time when the whole nation was ready to back the necessary policies, as the country was obviously in crisis. But that mobilization is, perhaps, no longer seen as necessary. Let's hope this is true.
