interview with Donald Tusk (Financial Times)

Cheap talking. Where is action ?

That's pretty ominous.... it looks very much like Thatcherism...

I'm guessing that in the next few years, Poland is going to see a lot of changes, with the rich becoming even richer and social services and industry being destroyed or sold off to the highest bidder...

I hope they will do what they promise ... there is another problem with socialist opposition you voted on ...



I have noticed that for a lot of British people Thatcher looks like evil ... but in my opinion there is one important fact ... in the past Brits have worked in Germany , now they dont, what is more I've heard that a lot of Germans choose UK form the same reasons as Poles ...

it was because of Thatcher Brits had to go and find work in Germany..she totally destroyed whole industries leaving men on the scrapheap...Skilled wokers not only lost their jobs, but the industries they worked in..they lost their livelihoods pensions, the lot...My father and uncles amongst them.....When I saw her on TV crying as she left 10 downing Street..I cheered..I was glad to see her cry...she had caused enough tears in my family

It's not magic G, if he had already done all he'd said, it would be a bit weird...let's see ;)

the truth is that UK and Irealand in some way USA inspire a lot of Poles (Sarko in France wants to do the same ... I hope he will be succesful) and the fact is that in UK you have less public officers than we have here, even your population is much biger ... so we have to CUT CUT CUT ;) maybe it will hurt but it is the best solution ... we will see If Tusk will be strong enought ...

Thatcherism was quite a hard time, that's true, but see the result today ! ;)

Thatcher may well have been the catalyst for what UK is today, but she went about it in quite the most brutal fashion......whole regions of the UK feel more emnity towards her than they to other traditional enemies, the real winners were the central government and big industry, the ordinary guy in the street felt betrayed and brutalised by the whole experience of her years in office.

Yes, thing needed to change, but once again the ordinary person was seen as the enemy.....so shameful, another blot on the history of the UK.

totally agree

Thatcherism to me.. increased unemployment, but the figures manipulated, so not everyone looking for work was actually counted as unemployed... people having their homes reposessed because they could no longer pay the mortgate....the gap between the rich and poor got bigger..only Blair has manged to surpass her on that one.....I know some men who have found out where she will be buried when she dies and they have every intention of visiting her grave an p*ssing on it

Emmmm....not sure if thats a very british thing to do.....I dont approve!

This can't be disputed.

But. In the article Tusk answered a question and referred to KGHM. I think Tusk is well aware of Thatcher's mistakes and has no wish to do the same. However, I believe a number of Polish workers, especially those in government institutions, will find themselves out of work. I also believe that many Polish companies will be bought out, which will also cause unemployment.
Tusk seems to be banking on foriegn investment and new companies being formed....to soak up the new unemployed.

I agree with Greg, a lot of rhetoric but very few concrete proposals and how to effectuate them. I think Poland could benefit from a bit of privatisation, that's what countries like Britain have done with some aplomb. He specifically refers to Afghanistan and the need to support the cause. Well, the CIA created many of the warlords so why should Polish soldiers die in the repair effort? Hamid Karzai was installed quite a while ago now and is taking steps to create a more stable future for the country.

What about a no.2 then?

great truth has been said here

Exactly, Poland still has way too much red tape to cut through. Time to get the scissors out, or maybe the machete he talked about

All the liberal reform 'canceled" and when I read about some projects of small importance it sounds simply socialistic. Those people sounds like they would never read about liberalism. This just confirm what many true liberals in Poland knew long time ago. Politicians from PO are just opportunists without clue, self-proclaimed 'liberals' probably because they cannot compete with PiS on socialistic demagogy.

Why not just be done with it and call them Poo and ****?

The whole Polish mainstream politics is the same s*it. PiS plays "patrotic" and populistc card, PO chose the image of "pro-business", "modern" etc. LSD is "European", "socialistic" etc. but in the end It's the same sh*it. PiS is not really socialistic in economy, the whole BS about "3 million of flats" (obviously their government didn't even build one) and others started only after they realized that they can't compete with PO in case of liberal economy, so It's better to take voters from SO and LPR. Everybody with some idea about economy can see that PO is not liberal and one could think in their mind liberalism means letting a few criminals out of jails. SLD ? One of their first decisions was canceling cheaper tickets for students and Miller is probably not less homophobic than I am. These people are talking different things just to attract different groups of voters and once they form a government It's the same crap again and again only with different make up. So much for "miracle".

Generally I agree that they are all the same sh*t. Perhaps PiS is not socialistic in economy in some loony way. However like PO and SLD they worship bureaucracy, they are control freaks that cannot imagine a country without huge bureaucratic apparatus. This is also essence of socialism.

Lukasz wrote:

'...but we are hoping that it in no way affects our relations and on the readiness of Poland to support the mission in Afghanistan.'

What is the Polish interest in Afghanistan?...None...This is just kissing Bush's ass...but
somethings he says make sense in a theoretical way...Reality is different story.

My dream is that Poland should be a safe country and that we should turn our geographical position into an asset and not a curse. Poland can develop positive relations among countries in central and eastern Europe and we have a good opportunity to do this, for example in regard to Ukraine. We must support the enlargement of the European Union and the enlargement of the region where western standards begin to operate.

Good ideas, but don't forget Russia...and be careful of what 'western standards' are operating.