Why does ‘Pole’s card’ scare Belarus authorities?
The Pole’s Card entitles holders to obtain free multiple Polish visas, to work without a labor permit, to enroll with Polish universities and even to get stipends. But the official Minsk has unexpectedly displayed outrage to these benefits for Belarusians in Poland. The Belarus’s foreign ministry is confident that the document “destabilizes inter-ethnic relations” and will divide the people. The European Radio for Belarus tried to find out from the officials why this “threatens” the stability of this country. In respond, they voice only the official position of the foreign ministry.
Syarhey Kastsyan, the deputy chairman of the International Relations Committee at the House of Representatives, is confident that this is a provocation of the Polish authorities.
“This is another provocation; another position “from sea to sea” which will never be realized. Rather, it repels hostility between the two peoples. Secondly, under the Belarusian Constitution, all the citizens of Belarus – Belarusians, Poles, Jews, Ukrainians, and Russians – enjoy equal opportunities. We will always demand equal treatment from our neighbors to our citizens, regardless of their ethnic background. There will be no special rights or privileges (whether they are Poles and Jews). Let them forget about it, because it will never happen”.
Kastsyan gave a 100-percent guarantee that the Pole’s Card would be boycotted by the Belarusian government.
“We will never agree with this law at any level”.
Senator Mikalai Chahrynets also says that indulgences for Polish Belarusians will lead to the division between people.
“After the Pole’s Card was signed, I first thought it was an absurdity. There are 400,000 ethnic Poles living in Belarus. They are targeted with these promises in order to destabilize the situation in this country. This leads to dividing people into the first, second or the third grade. We want the Polish side to discuss such issues with the country where these citizens live. Excuse me, but this is a political bribe”, Chahrynets said.
The senator says that Belarus will have to retaliate somehow.
“We will develop our countermeasures. We will think it over which measures should be introduced in order not to go too far, but to make our response adequate at the same time”.
MP Syarhey Haidukevich talks very carefully about the Pole’s Card, because this is Poland’s internal law.
“We don’t interfere with Poland’s internal affairs. Poland has the right to pass laws which it sees fit. But we would like to be able to discuss the issues that relate to us. Perhaps, if we had an open dialogue, this issue would not even worth a pin”, Haidukevich said.
Belarus’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Popov says that the Belarusian side outlined its position on this issue one week ago.
“The implementation of the law in the present version can seriously destabilize the inter-ethnic relations in this country, cause tensions within the Belarusian society, destroy its stability and cause mistrust between the Belarusian citizens with various ethnic backgrounds”, he reiterated.
Andrei Popov would not elaborate why this law could destabilize the situation. When asked why Belarus responded five months after the law was passed, the Belarus spokesman noted laconically:
“We reacted when we thought it was necessary”.
Talking to journalism students at the Belarus State University yesterday, Alexander Lukashenka compared the Pole’s Card with the “Hungarian’s Card”.
“Our ill-wishers have made numerous attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of (this) country by playing the nationalist cards and rousing the “Polish” and “Jewish” questions. The passing of the law on the Pole’s card by the Polish parliament is a fresh example. Not so long ago, Hungary attempted to introduce a similar card for its Diasporas. Romania, Slovakia and Austria immediately expressed harsh protests. Back then, international organizations declared it to be a violation of human rights”.
The European Radio for Belarus has learned that the “Hungarian’s Card” differed principally from the Polish law, because ethnic Hungarians could obtain dual citizenship, something that the European Union was opposed to. The Pole’s Card does not envisage a dual citizenship. Moreover, the “Hungarian’s Card” failed at a national referendum because of the low voters’ turnout. Hungarians feared that many people would return to the country thus causing unemployment and a housing crisis.
After the president spoke out on this issue, officials now almost quote his words.
Kastsyan: “You know about the Hungarian’s Card. Therefore, we will not let anything like that happen in our country. Hungary was not supported by the European Union, while we will not support the Polish law. Poland can support all citizens of Belarus, not just a minority”.
Aliaksandr Sharapa, the dean of the international relations department at the Belarus State University, calls it a violation of human rights.
“You remember a similar situation in Hungary when Romania, Austria and Slovakia condemned Hungary’s move. Since this card will give benefits to ethnic Poles, I think it is a violation of human rights. We have a socially oriented country. We need to resolve all the issues here”.
Analyst Uladzimir Matskevich says that Poland has its own reasons.
“It is a normal situation. Poland has started rising to its feet economically and other terms. Therefore, this law can only be welcomed. I think that maybe later Belarus also has to appeal to compatriots abroad in order to pass relevant laws”.
Pole’s Card
The Pole’s card, valid for ten years, is issued to ethnic Poles who are not citizens of Poland to obtain a free multiple Polish visa; to apply to Polish universities on equal conditions with the Polish citizens and seek stipends; to do business on the territory of Poland without additional permits.
