Chain reaction: Following Catalonia, Polish Silesia wanted its own referendum
The events in Catalonia are being closely followed not only in Scotland, where they are not losing hope of holding a second referendum on independence, but also in Poland. Thus, the Polish head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Mariusz Blaszczak, following the results of the referendum in Catalonia, said that everything that happened is a warning for his country, сообщает "Russian newspaper".
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“We are dealing with the consequences of a policy based on division and separatism on the part of the Catalan authorities, and a policy of enablement on the part of Madrid. This is a warning for Poland, where there is a movement whose name contains the word “autonomy” - “Movement for the Autonomy of Silesia,” Blaszczak said on Polish Radio.
The publication recalls that most of Silesia, by decisions of the Yalta and Potsdam conferences, was transferred to Poland, after which the Germans were evicted from this region, and the Poles moved to the western part of Silesia.
“And yet the Germans, the native Silesians, and another local people - the Kashubians - remained here in sufficient numbers, and their influence in the region is very great. Moreover, German culture successfully competes with Polish culture, which causes a very negative reaction from official Warsaw. According to the 2011 census, about 846 thousand Silesians, 232 thousand Kashubians and 147 thousand Germans live in Poland,” the newspaper writes.
True, supporters of Silesian autonomy claim that they do not advocate independence.
“We recall the traditions of autonomy of Upper Silesia, which our region had before the Second World War. In general, Poland has problems with greater regional independence. It was precisely this restriction of autonomy that caused an explosion of discontent among the Catalans, who were denied greater financial independence. It is quite obvious that recent events are a signal to think about the relationship between the state and its regions,” the article quotes the opinion of Jerzy Gorzelik, chairman of the Silesian Autonomy Movement.
At the same time, representatives of the movement demand that the Polish government demand that Madrid “stop undemocratic actions,” and also remind that Warsaw also needs to resolve the problems of the Silesians.
“Catalonia is a signal that the European Community cannot avoid responsibility. If the European Union is to stand on the foundation of common values, then it must be clearly stated that the peace and freedoms of citizens are more important than the integrity of nation states and the well-being of national elites. The state must act in the interests of citizens, but I have the impression that, from the point of view of some politicians, in Madrid, Warsaw, and Brussels, everything is completely the opposite,” Gorzelik is convinced.
“Do you support the return of Upper Silesia to the autonomy that the region had in Poland between the wars?” Ballots with such inscriptions were distributed in the cities of Polish Silesia back in 2011.
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