9 months after: the situation in Poland after EU enlargement - changes, opportunities, perspectives.
Let me start with a short historical outline - in this way I will be probably in accordance with a widespread perception of Central European countries which are seen as especially comitted to their history. My purpose is somehwat different: I think this historical background might help us to better understand and know each other.
I.
It was almost 9 months ago, on the 1st of May 2004, that we celebrated the long awaited expansion of European Union. The date was symbolic for many reasons. In Poland, the 1st of May is celebrated as the International Work Day - a festival that within former Eastern bloc used to mark the inevitable victory of communism. The official part of celebration was widely hated by various groups of society: students, workers, intelligentsia (the formation unique to Eastern Europe at the times) due to not-so-subtle pressure to take part in those festivities. This pressure was extremely severe during 50ties, when one could lost a job or be relegated from university for not attending the march on the occasion of 1st of May. On the other hand during the times when regime was showing its more flexible side (mainly during 70ies when in still communist Poland the very first signals of economic liberalization could be noticed), the 1st of May was also the day of popular pleasures: picnics, dances, sport activities. It was a day when one could meet friends (after having attended the official event) have fun and complain about politics of communist regime. This is how in Poland people re-appropriated the celebration of cold war rituals, filling it up with their own ideas.
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Let me start with a short historical outline - in this way I will be probably in accordance with a widespread perception of Central European countries which are seen as especially comitted to their history. My purpose is somehwat different: I think this historical background might help us to better understand and know each other.
I.
It was almost 9 months ago, on the 1st of May 2004, that we celebrated the long awaited expansion of European Union. The date was symbolic for many reasons. In Poland, the 1st of May is celebrated as the International Work Day - a festival that within former Eastern bloc used to mark the inevitable victory of communism. The official part of celebration was widely hated by various groups of society: students, workers, intelligentsia (the formation unique to Eastern Europe at the times) due to not-so-subtle pressure to take part in those festivities. This pressure was extremely severe during 50ties, when one could lost a job or be relegated from university for not attending the march on the occasion of 1st of May. On the other hand during the times when regime was showing its more flexible side (mainly during 70ies when in still communist Poland the very first signals of economic liberalization could be noticed), the 1st of May was also the day of popular pleasures: picnics, dances, sport activities. It was a day when one could meet friends (after having attended the official event) have fun and complain about politics of communist regime. This is how in Poland people re-appropriated the celebration of cold war rituals, filling it up with their own ideas.
read more...
ACTIVITIS 2005
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