Maciej Pinkwart

Door-handle of Asia

The bon-mot of Polish known journalist Andrzej Krzysztof Wróblewski á propos Polish entry to European Union was once promoted: if we aren’t IN we’ll OUT. I have listened in radio redactors’ delights over this sentence, kindly smiled to such pun, and then became irritated at as almost all good ideas originated from Liberty Union Party... Because if such slogan might convince anybody by its brilliant joke, so in first anybody should understand it. And this one who understand it, probably have no necessaries to be convinced to European Union, because he fulfils at least one condition to be “Union European” – knows basis of English... And how many people in Poland knows them?

I do suspect that a large majority of Polish “eurosceptics” is leaden in their acting by their own complexes: they are afraid that Poland will come into Europe as second category member, they are afraid that Union will criticise us for unlogical law, for lack of hygiene in milk factories, for anti-democratic practices in the state, for dictatorship of Catholic Church... And for that, that in fundamental matters only high qualificated civil servants can communicate with Europe, while average citizen will stammer with several idioms from films or from war memories of grandfathers. Or will speak to Europeans in Basic Polish, demanding from them:

- Look at my mouth!

After our enter to European Union I don’t expect no special profits for myself – I’m not holded in high esteem professional or manual worker, who easy find job in Western Europe, I have no money for buying workshop in Paris or residence in one of beautiful Greek islands, maybe because of my age I only would be interested in good developed medical services in Germany or Sweden... On the other hand, because of easy understandable reasons I’m not afraid that United Europeans wildly rush at my estates for buying them... I’m not afraid it at all, because all that discussions on defending Polish land against herds of greedy Germans or Dutchmen pass over such little fact, that nobody can force anybody for selling his own estate for anybody. And Prussian Expels are not provided in Union statute. And if somebody should want to buy piece of no cultivate land from ruined Government Farm – it’s only for plough it, sow it and farm for benefits of the people, who will work there and provide themselves and their children. Not for join this land to Brandenburgian Marchy. And by now most of that land is unuseful and wasted.

Old, they say that authentic, anecdote about Dutchman, hearing to pseudo-patriotic absurdities on defending of Polish land against non-Poles ended with surprised question of the owner of wooden sabots:

- If you love your land so much, why there are so much weeds in it?

Whether in the name of reluctance for talking to us about our laziness part of us doesn’t want this Europe? Or maybe in the name of some higher reason Polish farmers defend a law to shitten cows’ parades through the streets of beautiful, cared and full of dish aerials Polish villages, dirty cows striding proudly accompanied by dirty cowboys, shaking above them with thin branches, plucked from our Polish willow, under which once Chopin set down and was charmed with these same dirty cows? Let Brussels no look under our cow tail!

For me, Brussels may look everywhere it wants. Everyone who compares it with Moscow practices are or too young or too fool for talking about it. Of course, it would be better when Polish farmer himself look under the tail of his cow, but I’m no such idealist to believe it...

For me, being among EU members is the question of being the citizen of the world, question of frequent on drawing-rooms not on domestics’ room... How many of Readers can remember yet times before 1989, when every abroad trip - even to Slovakia - was great event and mercy of communist authorities? Whether anybody can remember such euphoric moments when man can cross the borders with “peoples democratic” countries with special stamp in the personal certificate (private passport was unreachable dream...)? And this moment when you pass by the Lysa Polana and being driven up by antic bus to Kezmarok you could with fresh air of freedom (although still inside the communist camp...)?

And I don’t care completely whether EU pays Polish farmers for washing their own cows or simply won’t buy their dirty milk - what probably provoke all-country general strike for defend of Polish dignity. From my point of view Poland shouldn’t enter to EU like to aid-loan cash, like to Unemployment Department for job, like to boss for salary increase. We should enter to EU for starting to look for profits of the fact that more than one thousand years ago wise and foreseeing Polish prince Mieszko has received baptism from the West, that wise and brave Polish king Boleslav has received Polish kings crown from hands of Western emperor Otto... And now, after all that meanders of Polish evolution we should stand up on two legs, rise our head high and noticed reaching to heaven Köln Cathedral to say with proud: it’s mine. To stand in front of 500 years old lady in Louvre and also say - it’s mine. To became charmed by Gaudi in Barcelona, to wipe brow of sweat beneath the Olimp summit, to drink Guinness mug in Dublin, to admire ladies’ hats in Ascot, to remember of professor Röntgen in Würzburg, to be fan of Paris St.Germain football team, to be silent and touched beneath the Julia balcony in Verona, to amuse oneself by Rossini Gossip Aria, to meditate reading lies of Umberto Eco’s Baudolino.. And then to think: I’m rich man - it’s all mine...

They say that before last part of negotiations Czech diplomat, Pavel Pelička, has corroborated that his country should join Union with no financial conditions, without regards to initial limits of work in EU countries, of buying immovables or of border crossing without passports. All that can be settled later. Let we come into drawing-rooms, then we’ll make ourselves comfortable - said that Czech diplomat. I would invite him for good bear willingly.

We have to understand at last that in the face of entering to UE we have one real alternative, but it is not alternative obviously very profitable. We can, in point of fact, turn back from the door of common Europe because of offence that the door are not sufficient widely and hospitable open... But after leaving door of Europe we shall stand before the gate of Asia. And for long years we’ll remain by the door-handle of Asiatic rulers. And that weren’t rulers of Japan, not at all.