Robert Obaz is a committed community activist, supporting the local community, coordinator of Wiosna structures in the Legnica–Jelenia Góra district, and a man who has always been close to the left.
You are very critical of what is happening to healthcare in Poland...
First of all, what I consider most important is that it is time to stop pulling the wool over people’s eyes. That is precisely what PiS is doing by claiming that everything is fine with our healthcare system. This is covering up a moribund state with propaganda. It is, to say the least, inappropriate. This is playing with our lives. What is happening now is not normal—we are dealing with an extremely difficult situation in healthcare, while in the media we more often hear about increasing military spending than spending on our health. It turns out that for the current government, F-35 fighter aircraft are more important than our lives (the value of these aircraft is 6.5 billion dollars, or approximately 30 billion zlotys; this is the price without weapons, which will have to be purchased separately!). Never before has any political force put so much effort into sweeping the serious problems of the healthcare system under the rug.
The Left does not want to sweep anything under the rug—instead, it has a specific healthcare program focused on solving the most urgent problems reported by Poles. First and foremost, increasing budget allocations to 6.8% of GDP in 2022 and 7.2% of GDP in 2024. However, money is not everything; it also has to be spent wisely. Healthcare spending must focus on areas such as infrastructure, improving the management of medical facilities and digitalization. I cannot imagine anything changing without increasing pay in the medical professions—for nurses, physiotherapists and young doctors, including residents.
Will you keep 500+?
The second matter is safeguarding Polish families. It is time to stop talking nonsense that the 500+ program solves everything. We—as the Left—believe that, in addition to retaining the 500+ program and the baby bonus, state support for families also needs to be expanded. Only several percent of children born in our country have a chance of finding a place in a nursery. This is because for a long time our state has not borne the costs of building new nurseries and kindergartens that could meet demand in this area. The lack of these places contradicts equal access to education and care, which should be guaranteed to every child from the moment of birth. I know local government very well and I know that, by cooperating with local authorities, it is entirely realistic to provide at least 200,000 new nursery places in Poland over the next four years. I also know that many young couples in love are trying to have a child. Infertility treatment should be covered by serious government programs, above all full funding of in vitro treatment for all women. It is absurd that the PiS government, instead of such important solutions recognized by modern medicine, spends millions on naprotechnology, which relies on medical achievements from the 1930s.
Are labor issues also close to your heart?
The fundamental issue is introducing and ensuring a fair and transparent labor policy for everyone in our country. This important matter cannot be based solely on the whims of elites clinging to power. It cannot depend on the current electoral needs of one party leader or another. It must be specific, consistent and based on the real needs of employees and employers. There is no need to look far; it is enough to examine World Bank data.
Compared with the other EU member states, Poland has the highest proportion of people working under so-called junk contracts. This remains the case despite hearing for years about the fight against this pathology. Yet no right-wing government has so far made sufficient efforts to solve this problem. I am convinced that it is high time for respect for workers’ rights, including employment arrangements, to become a priority for the Labor Inspectorate. I would also like this important institution to be equipped with additional tools enabling it to change an employment arrangement to one that complies with the law and reflects the actual situation. I would like us finally to create a clear and transparent strategy for setting the minimum wage for the next 10 years. Such a strategy should be consulted with entrepreneurs and employees. We assume that next year it will amount to 2,700 zlotys gross, while in 2030 it will reach 60% of the average wage in the business sector.
How will you encourage people to vote for you?
It may seem immodest to some, but I see myself as an effective person. I think this is demonstrated both by my work in the Goduszyn Association and in local government. Looking around, I can confidently say that I am managing to change the world—for now on a small, local scale. It is our immediate surroundings—the places we come from and where we live—that show us the potential within people and how it can be brought out for the benefit of local communities. For a truly positive change that will show that, with cooperation, trust and good intentions, we can achieve a great deal. Being a Member of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland would be an entirely new and extremely significant experience for me, but also an opportunity to represent the region with which I feel connected and whose problems I understand. I, too, watch and listen to politicians in the media who assure us every day of their good intentions. And I also hear about successive political scandals involving those same politicians. That is why it is all the more difficult for me to ask for your trust and your vote, especially during such a heated period as the time just before the elections. Nevertheless, I encourage everyone to vote for me, because unlike the other candidates appealing to you for votes, you will not be disappointed in me.
Biographical note
Robert Obaz number 2 on the Left’s list; in 2010 he founded the Goduszyn Association to remind the authorities of Jelenia Góra about this part of the city; he was secretary of the Jelenia Góra SLD structures and a councilor during the 2014–2018 term; today he serves as coordinator of Wiosna structures in the Legnica–Jelenia Góra district; he twice attended a gala at the Presidential Palace for the Super Local Government award; he took part in the “Have Your Say, Make Your Choice” campaign; he cooperated with the Stefan Batory Foundation; he created a partnership for regional development and completed the PAFW School for Leaders; he co-authored the study “The Third Sector for Poland,” writing one of the chapters on leadership; together with members of the association, he developed the site of a former Evangelical cemetery, a playground, a multifunctional sports field and walking trails, including their marking and infrastructure; he helped create the Jelenia Góra Civic Budget, the Jelenia Góra Large Family Card and the Jelenia Góra Public Benefit Activity Council.
Material commissioned by the KW Sojusz Lewicy Domokratycznej