For almost 10 years, the Polish ministry of defense has been trying to attract non-governmental organizations to help promote ‘patriotic and pro-defense attitudes’. With the PiS government, golden days have come for pro-defense organizations. Money, privileges and even exercises with American soldiers.
At nine o’clock on a Saturday morning in January, some hundred civilians gather in one of the biggest military training grounds in Europe, Orzysz in Poland. They are taking part in hard training in frost and snow, at temperatures around minus 20 degrees. What is this event, who organizes it, who and why attends it?
The first stores selling patriotic clothing in Poland opened doors nearly 10 years ago. Today, everyone is wearing it: from the Polish president Andrzej Duda to school children, and to parents and their kids at patriotic marches. The aim is to show strong attachment to patriotism and flaunt it around: you simply either are a patriot, or you are not.
Lobbyists and paramilitary organizations in Poland are struggling for a wider access to arms and ammunition. Pro-defense organizations and shooting associations had tried to push through their own version of the law in Polish parliament.
A student of a uniformed class shoots more often than a soldier. In special camps and in military units, young people are expected to learn military tactics, to parade in a marching formation, patrol, throw dummy grenades, prepare action on the battlefield. Ministry of defense’s program for uniformed classes is very ambitious.
School celebrations, patriotic marches and national holidays. All accompanied by ever-present weapons and green uniforms. In countries of the Central Europe patriotism increasingly means militarism, and civil values are being displaced by the cult of weapons and combat. Nobody controls this movement. VSquare special report shows, that states are supporting amateur militarists on an unprecedented […]
The start of a year Poland welcomes with the controversial appointment of Adam Andruszkiewicz as Poland’s deputy minister for digital affairs
Big money from the ministry, access to equipment, weapons, and training grounds: pro-defence organisations in Poland are getting more and more government support
Until recently, Poland was the biggest recipient of Chinese investment of the Visegrad Group countries and the eighth biggest in the European Union. It is a thing of the past, though. And the future does not look so rosy anymore. How does China engage in Poland? This question has no simple answer. Polish politicians like […]
Polish politicians have a mouth full of clichés about the entry of big Chinese businesses into the country. The only person looking after their interests today is Marek Suski, the head of the Prime Minister’s political cabinet. He is doing it unofficially. And he has no idea about China or business.
