In its latest publication, Report on the State of the Country, Lewica assesses and describes all the mistakes and neglect of the current authorities. The Report on the State of the Country consists of 20 chapters in which deputies of Lewica’s Parliamentary Club, with the support of female and male experts, described the state of Poland, from social policy to foreign affairs.
In Bolesławiec, Małgorzata Sekuła-Szmajdzińska recalled the case of Trójka, the popular Polish Radio programme that was destroyed after Kazik Staszewski’s hit song “Your Pain Is Better Than Mine,” critical of Jarosław Kaczyński, appeared on its hit list. She also raised the issue of public television.
“The English public broadcaster BBC is a model for me,” said Małgorzata Sekuła-Szmajdzińska. “People pay a licence fee there, but it is the citizens who pay, and the broadcaster is objective. Those in power have to answer difficult questions; they have no choice. That is what happens at the BBC. Will it happen here? It has to happen—that is our sacred duty. The same applies to culture. We have an enormous cultural heritage, and culture needs complete freedom of expression,” the MP added.
Healthcare in Poland was an important issue raised during the meeting in Bolesławiec.
“There is a hospital in Bolesławiec that functions very well, but this is not the case throughout the country,” said MP Robert Obaz. “Healthcare has its problems. Today, despite the declarations, we allocate 5% of GDP to healthcare. Lewica calls for 7.2% of GDP to be allocated. This should improve the valuation of medical services, and doctors and hospitals will receive fair remuneration. We call for shorter queues to see specialists. We must simplify all forms of diploma recognition for doctors from other countries so that there will be more of them in Poland. Mental health is also important. Not long ago, we organised a round table in Bolesławiec with specialists in the mental health of children and young people. It is a very important subject, because the number of suicides among children and young people in Poland is horrifying. We want specialists to train teachers, educators and parents,” Robert Obaz added.
The female MP and male MP also emphasised the shared need for dialogue and acceptance of differences.
“The multicultural nature of Bolesławiec County is unique on a national scale,” said the Lewica MP. “The county’s residents show perfectly how one can function in such a multicultural society: how to talk to one another and how to live together. That is what we expect in a free Poland—to sit down together and talk,” Robert Obaz concluded the meeting with the press.