Fighting a regime is painful. No country can tell you that better than Poland, whose battle for social liberation in the Solidarity movement is still within public memory. “People all over the world find themselves at similar crossroads right now,” Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radoslaw Sikorski stated at the Atlantic Council’s second annual Bronislaw Geremek lecture on March 1. “These people have to ask themselves, ‘do I keep my head down and hope for better times? Or do I hold my head up high and resist my oppressors?”
The parallels between the Solidarity movement and the social uprisings in Northern Africa are plentiful. Senator John McCain, who was in attendance to receive the Order of Merit from the Republic of Poland for his work championing for their freedom, implored politicians to extend the lessons learned from Poland’s struggle to those fighting similar battles. Specifically, Belarus, Tunisia, Iran, Egypt, and Libya were cited as transatlantic neighbors needing assistance in their efforts toward a democratic society. “The lesson learned from Poland is that no one can tackle their problems in isolation. The individual struggle for liberty is part of the larger struggle for meaning; therein lies the true meaning of solidarity.”
Ulterior Nuclear Motives
This visit to the U.S. comes at a time when Poland is actively searching for a foreign partner to help them construct nuclear power plants. Whereas nuclear power was once perceived as a strategy for Soviet oppression in the country, it is being revisited as an energy alternative due to the EU’s newest push to significantly curb greenhouse gases. With Chernobyl and the Cold War in the rearview mirror, Poland now sees energy independence as means of emancipating itself from Russia.
If these aspirations of an energy U.S.- Poland alliance come to fruition, it will be a considerable expense; the estimated cost for the two initial power plants will total almost 21 billion Euros ($30 billion). However, the investment would significantly improve both Poland’s economy and stability, which would in turn contribute to their capability of following through with their assertion that pluralist democracies will exist in the entire EU—with Poland’s assistance.
Turning Empathy into Action
McCain stressed the need for a stronger hand in dealing with dictatorships worldwide, but emphasized the difference between assistance and interference—as unclear as that distinction may be. “It is tempting to look at the desire for democracy elsewhere and see only what sets us apart from them,” he said. “It is our obligation to look beyond divisions and to reaffirm the idea of solidarity. To find this solidarity in their need for basic rights and equality.”
There are two ways to turn solidarity into action, according to McCain. The first is aiding the transition to a democratic process; helping them to work out the mechanics of a new government. The second way to actively support a country’s effort to obtain democracy is to economically invest in their development. He warned, “Even the best education in the world won’t help people unless they have an economic future to aspire to.”
The protests happening in Northern Africa are assisting oppressed people around the world by “putting the assistance of pluralist societies back on the agenda,” according to Sikorski. For Poland this means looking at their neighbors in Belarus and possibly intervening on the continuing government corruption, and Sikorski says they are ready to do just that. “Poland is ready to lead Europe. We have embraced freedom and we are ready to share it. More importantly, we know how to topple regimes, and we have endured the pain of reconciling with our oppressors after they have fallen out of power.”
Old Ideas vs. New Realities
According to Sikorski, “Real transformation happens when old ideas crash against new realities.” But he acknowledged the inability to directly compare the solidarity movement with the current uprisings. “In Poland, we knew not only what we were rejecting, but also what we wanted. A loss of illusion is what is happening to millions of people in the Middle East, and while they know what they don’t want, they don’t yet know what they do want.”
However, Sikorski says he has seen successful revolutions undertaken by people armed with nothing more than hope and a vision of a better country. “True patriotism can inspire change—not the kind that comes from being proud of that which you get the most from, but instead the kind that you get from being proud of that which you sacrificed the most for.”
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Lessons from Poland’s Solidarity Movement
March 16, 2011
Fighting a regime is painful. No country can tell you that better than Poland, whose battle for social liberation in the Solidarity movement is still within public memory. “People all over the world find themselves at similar crossroads right now,” Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs Radoslaw Sikorski stated at the Atlantic Council’s second annual Bronislaw Geremek lecture on March 1. “These people have to ask themselves, ‘do I keep my head down and hope for better times? Or do I hold my head up high and resist my oppressors?”
The parallels between the Solidarity movement and the social uprisings in Northern Africa are plentiful. Senator John McCain, who was in attendance to receive the Order of Merit from the Republic of Poland for his work championing for their freedom, implored politicians to extend the lessons learned from Poland’s struggle to those fighting similar battles. Specifically, Belarus, Tunisia, Iran, Egypt, and Libya were cited as transatlantic neighbors needing assistance in their efforts toward a democratic society. “The lesson learned from Poland is that no one can tackle their problems in isolation. The individual struggle for liberty is part of the larger struggle for meaning; therein lies the true meaning of solidarity.”
Ulterior Nuclear Motives
This visit to the U.S. comes at a time when Poland is actively searching for a foreign partner to help them construct nuclear power plants. Whereas nuclear power was once perceived as a strategy for Soviet oppression in the country, it is being revisited as an energy alternative due to the EU’s newest push to significantly curb greenhouse gases. With Chernobyl and the Cold War in the rearview mirror, Poland now sees energy independence as means of emancipating itself from Russia.
If these aspirations of an energy U.S.- Poland alliance come to fruition, it will be a considerable expense; the estimated cost for the two initial power plants will total almost 21 billion Euros ($30 billion). However, the investment would significantly improve both Poland’s economy and stability, which would in turn contribute to their capability of following through with their assertion that pluralist democracies will exist in the entire EU—with Poland’s assistance.
Turning Empathy into Action
McCain stressed the need for a stronger hand in dealing with dictatorships worldwide, but emphasized the difference between assistance and interference—as unclear as that distinction may be. “It is tempting to look at the desire for democracy elsewhere and see only what sets us apart from them,” he said. “It is our obligation to look beyond divisions and to reaffirm the idea of solidarity. To find this solidarity in their need for basic rights and equality.”
There are two ways to turn solidarity into action, according to McCain. The first is aiding the transition to a democratic process; helping them to work out the mechanics of a new government. The second way to actively support a country’s effort to obtain democracy is to economically invest in their development. He warned, “Even the best education in the world won’t help people unless they have an economic future to aspire to.”
The protests happening in Northern Africa are assisting oppressed people around the world by “putting the assistance of pluralist societies back on the agenda,” according to Sikorski. For Poland this means looking at their neighbors in Belarus and possibly intervening on the continuing government corruption, and Sikorski says they are ready to do just that. “Poland is ready to lead Europe. We have embraced freedom and we are ready to share it. More importantly, we know how to topple regimes, and we have endured the pain of reconciling with our oppressors after they have fallen out of power.”
Old Ideas vs. New Realities
According to Sikorski, “Real transformation happens when old ideas crash against new realities.” But he acknowledged the inability to directly compare the solidarity movement with the current uprisings. “In Poland, we knew not only what we were rejecting, but also what we wanted. A loss of illusion is what is happening to millions of people in the Middle East, and while they know what they don’t want, they don’t yet know what they do want.”
However, Sikorski says he has seen successful revolutions undertaken by people armed with nothing more than hope and a vision of a better country. “True patriotism can inspire change—not the kind that comes from being proud of that which you get the most from, but instead the kind that you get from being proud of that which you sacrificed the most for.”
