Some opened champagne. Others posted a photo of a glass of whiskey with a TV on in the background. Others simply wrote that they were very happy. “And finally!” He repeated it like a refrain. All because the former MPs of PiS – Mariusz Kaminski and Macie Vesic – were convicted of exceeding their authority and arrested. The era of impunity for politicians in Poland is over.
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During the cold winter, fervent enthusiasm broke out among the supporters of the new government, which soon faded. elections October 15. At first there was disbelief. Did the opposition really win? PiS then dragged the transition of power to the limit, dissipating the joy that seemed to emerge after eight years of change among the supporters of the democratic parties.
The creeping transfer of power by Law and Justice has left many wondering if it will happen at all. All the while, it was expected that there would be some trick, trick, trick to prevent the Civic Coalition, the New Left, Polska 2050 and the PSL from forming a government. After so many PiS actions “without any regime” – including the plan to send the army to the women's strike – this was completely understandable. In the end, it happened: almost two months after the elections, the government was formed Coalition on October 15.
Society's expectations towards the new government. PiS settlement
Society's expectations were – and are – high. Realizing that Poland will not recover in a day makes me impatient.
And among concrete, day-to-day expectations, such as giving women the right to abortion, giving teachers higher salaries or restoring funding for in-vitro infertility treatments, there is one general expectation that unites many of the new government's voters: PiS accountability. The first few weeks of the new team seemed to end in nothing, as usual, contrary to the announcements.
Democrats have long promised that the lawlessness of the past eight years will not go unpunished by the united right. They repeated this in news broadcasts, online recordings and field meetings. However, people were not sure that this promise would be fulfilled after the elections.
In January 2022, when the Pegasus Senate “non-investigative” committee began its work, one of the journalists who worked in the parliament for years shared with me doubts about the determination of the then opposition. “It's all nonsense, photomontage,” said the organization's review, which aimed to explain the illegal surveillance used by the government against competitors and critics.
When asked whether he does not believe that PiS was held responsible after the change of government, the journalist growled in disbelief. – Have you ever seen a politician in prison? – he asked rhetorically.
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Thick line shadow. Wąsik and Kaminski were arrested
This doubt was in the hearts of many voters of the October 15 coalition, who wanted the “non-regime” of the last eight years to see the results provided for by law, but learned from experience and adopted these slogans. A large dose of skepticism.
After all, so far everything has been collapsing, and even the state tribunal that publicists like to refer to has been more of a Wikipedia entry than a body that does anything. They feared that the philosophy of thick lines, soft dumplings and warm tap water would prevail. On January 9, the suspects received evidence that this time would be different. There are no equal or more equal societies and politicians. There are citizens.
The joy of taking Kaminski and Vesik into custody is not, or at least not only, personal hatred of the former Pegasus ministers.
The arrest of PiS politicians convicted of framing people for crimes is a clear sign that the changes promised by the new government will be fundamental, not cosmetic. A sign that the state – yes, with a capital letter – is serious and should be taken seriously.
A sign that the snarls of criminals, including vulgar gestures in the Sejm, do not matter, because the final judgment will still be carried out. A sign that the rule of law does not set its citizens up for corruption. He does not act like an arsonist, devotedly putting out the fire he started.
The arrest of Kaminski and Vesik is a statement that basic values, including common human decency, will be restored. These words will still matter. This logic will still apply, in this case: you can't someone Forgiveness Until the final verdict, Kaminski and Vesik will go to prison unless Duda pardons them – this time for real.
Hence the excitement of the voters of the new government. It's not just about the Olympics, although there's no denying that the recent events have been an attractive media spectacle. Social sentiment cannot be reduced to just personal issues. What happened on January 9 is a harbinger of the future. If the new government keeps its word on such a difficult issue, it may mean that they will not be afraid and will fulfill their further promises.
Time will tell if this will happen. So far, however, the new government's performance gives its voters reason for optimism.
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