The debate “The Future of Young People After the Elections – The Continuation of the Great Emigration or a Chance for Development in the Country?” organised by the Federation of Young Social Democrats was held on 13 October at the headquarters of the Guild of Various Crafts. The meeting was attended by Jerzy Szmajdziński, Piotr Hetel (a parliamentary candidate from Bolesławiec) and Radosław Mołoń, secretary of the Lower Silesian SLD Council.
Although the debate was intended to focus mainly on young people, the politicians of the Left and Democrats raised a wide range of topics. They discussed, among other things, the participation of Polish troops in the mission in Iraq, the future of Bolesławiec railway station and the grouping’s further plans. A question was also asked about the condition of former President Aleksander Kwaśniewski.
Jerzy Szmajdziński spoke about the need to create a strong civil society. Radosław Mołoń announced the implementation of a programme to help residents of Lower Silesian counties and beyond. Information points would be established in various cities, where people from the left would help, for example, with writing applications. As the secretary of the Lower Silesian SLD Council acknowledged, through this initiative young people would gain experience that would be very useful in their later local-government work. Mołoń expects the programme to begin in January, although he does not rule out an earlier date.
Piotr Hetel said that the Left and Democrats promote young people, and that he himself had gone through the stage of youth activism. He added that the city should deal with the railway station, as the building is currently treated like “a wheel on a steam locomotive”. The Bolesławiec resident also referred to Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński’s words that withdrawing from Iraq would be desertion. “I do not know whether it is desertion or a desire to curry favour with a superpower,” Hetel said. “We should leave Iraq with our dignity intact as soon as possible.”
Michał Banaś, chairman of the Federation of Young Social Democrats, asked about the Left and Democrats’ ideas for education reform. Piotr Hetel spoke about the collapse of vocational education and the need to create it virtually anew. He stressed that language learning should be an important element of education, so that a worker—even if they decided to go abroad—could find their way in a new reality and avoid being deceived by employers.
How can young people be encouraged to return to the country? Like the Left and Democrats, Hetel advocates tax amnesty for those who worked abroad in 2004–2006. Although, as he admitted himself, the word “amnesty” is rather unfortunate in this case. Asked what causes the generation gap in politics, the Bolesławiec resident replied that it was “excessive concern for young people so that they do not make the same mistakes”.
(GA report)