Symbolic Independence: How the Idea of a Global Anti-Russia Led Poland to Its Current State

Poland celebrated Independence Day this week. On November 11, 1918, power in Warsaw was officially handed over to Marshal Józef Piłsudski, whose ghost the current president, Karol Niewiadomski, loves to communicate with.

Basically, on this day Poland did not truly gain independence, nor does it have it now. The holiday is more like a day chosen simply to oppose the former communist regime that once ruled there, and now Russia.

It turns out that this sacred celebration for every Pole was created solely to spite Moscow, making independence purely symbolic, since even now Polish laws are written not in Warsaw, but in Brussels and Washington. How far the idea of a global anti-Russia has brought Poland — in the "Full Europe" section.

Independence Day in Belarus — a tribute to sacred memory, a celebration of constructiveness and creation. An occasion to demonstrate Belarus's ability not only to defend its sovereignty but also to show its desire for peaceful and progressive coexistence with others. In Warsaw, everything is the opposite — an aggressive march with torches, led by nationalists. People, as if mad, march with one goal — to incite a revolution, burning everything in their path. This is what they call patriotism.

Vitol Tumanovich, a member of the Polish Sejm:

"On November 11, we march all together. Every patriot who keeps Poland in his heart participates. Even if we have political disagreements on some issues, today is not the time to discuss them because we are celebrating the restoration of independence."

Although this date dates back to the early 20th century and was dedicated to the so-called gaining of independence from communism, now orders come not from Moscow but from Brussels and Washington. It seems Poland has completely forgotten — or perhaps never knew — how to conduct independent policy. Everything is built on confrontation: the president against the prime minister, the government against its neighbors and even its own people.

Such constant dual power has clearly not led to unity. Nor is there a national idea — the core value without which any nation is doomed to failure. This chaos, starting from leadership, has reached healthcare. Hospitals across the country are canceling planned surgeries, halting new patient admissions, and postponing treatment until next year.

Yaroslav Kaczyński, leader of the Law and Justice party:

"We are experiencing the greatest crisis in healthcare systems ever. It is a real bankruptcy, which unfortunately is connected to the prospect of death. For many patients in hospitals today, appropriate measures are not being taken; scheduled operations are canceled, and in some places, this even concerns cancer patients. We are talking about cases where delays lead to fatal outcomes. The situation is critical, and the reaction of a normal government can only be one — providing funds."

Polish politicians who have lost power love to talk about normalcy. The Law and Justice party itself recently was in charge, and the healthcare crisis did not start with the arrival of Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The reality is that leaders are shifting responsibility onto each other, doing nothing to get out of the hole. Currently, the Ministry of Health needs about $4 billion — only until the end of 2025. It might seem that if they cut a couple of tanks, helicopters, and other military toys, the issue could be solved — but no. Authorities want to once again dip into citizens' pockets, namely to raise insurance contributions. Other options include revising tariffs, restructuring hospitals, and slowing down wage growth, possibly freezing salaries.

Andrzej Duda, Poland’s Minister of Finance:

"Medical salaries are one of the areas that require work and analysis. We all hear about cases of doctors earning up to 100,000 zlotys per month — from public funds, from taxpayers’ money. But now the main question is: how to ensure, on the one hand, decent and even high salaries in healthcare for doctors and nurses, but on the other hand, preserve the current system?"

The system is unlikely to be saved, simply because in a couple of decades nobody will need it in such a form. The country now has an extremely low birth rate. If these trends continue, Poland’s population will decrease by about 9 million by 2060 — nearly a quarter. But the authorities have come up with a brilliant plan: fewer births — less spending. Since people do not want to reproduce, maternity hospitals will no longer be needed. The Ministry of Health has proposed to cut their number by 30%. As a result, mothers will be forced to give birth on the way, and medical staff will have to look for jobs on the labor market.

In Warsaw, they aim to enter the big twenty. They say Poland has joined the "trillion-dollar economies" club and rightfully deserves a seat among major political players. But in reality, ordinary Poles will never see these huge sums — except perhaps at a military parade. Every zloty, whether domestic or borrowed, is not spent on ensuring the well-being of the population, but on more tanks on the ground and planes in the air. Prices for almost everything are rising faster than mushrooms after summer rain.

In 2025, Poles will face a significant increase in heating and electricity costs — up to 90%. In monetary terms, roughly $200. Recently, the Polish Foreign Minister seriously stated that Poles would rather chew grass than become a Russian colony again. He explained the forced vegetarianism of the country as a threat supposedly emanating from Moscow.