20 years of Poland in the European Union. Speech by President Andrzej Duda

In his speech delivered on Tuesday evening, President Andrzej Duda talked about the 20th anniversary of our membership in the European Union.

– 20 years ago we joined the European Union. May 1, 2004 was a very good day for Poland. Several generations dreamed of returning to the political community of the Western world, a united Europe, and this has become our common fate, he announced. As he said, “20 years of our presence in the EU is a great success for each of us.” – Thousands of investments, excellent use of European funds, expansion of Polish companies in Europe – he enumerated.

– Just look around how Poland has changed during this time. We made great use of this period. But we are ambitious. We want to develop further. We need large, strategic investments, such as the Central Communication Port, so that we can join the richest countries in Europe even faster, he argued.

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In his opinion, “Poland and the European Union face many security and economic challenges” and “our future depends on how we respond to them.”

– Being in the EU, we can influence its shape and set key directions. Our voice matters. That is why we must strive for Polish affairs in the European Union every day. Our great compatriot, the Pope, Saint John Paul II, told us: Europe needs Poland, and Poland needs Europe – Duda reminded, emphasizing that “these words are still valid.”

– That is why we must actively participate in shaping the community in accordance with the values ​​we have professed for over a thousand years. From the moment we joined the family of Christian nations in Europe, he said.

The president went on to say that “today we are witnessing a great dispute about the future shape of the European Union.”

– There are disturbing trends towards federalization. There is talk of treaty changes that will limit the sovereignty of member states. Our presence in the European Union is Poland's raison d'état, but we support a Europe of free nations, a Europe of homelands, Duda said.

– We know that politicians and EU officials can sometimes be a difficult partner. We have seen this many times in recent years. The interests of the EU bureaucracy and some member states sometimes conflict with Polish ones. There is a fight every day in the EU, a hard fight for the interests of individual countries, and they must be pursued effectively, he continued.

That's why – he said – “the elections to the European Parliament, which will take place on June 9, will be so important.” – The direction the EU will take and how Polish affairs will be conducted in the EU will depend on the representatives we choose – he added and encouraged people to participate in the June vote.

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Andrzej Duda emphasized that “our presence in the European Union is part of our great, wonderful history.” – The history of Poland, which is the history of freedom – he added.

As he said, “Poland is safe today, is developing dynamically, has good prospects, but our history teaches us that nothing is given once and for all.”

– That is why we must constantly strive for the prosperity and good future of our homeland. This is our great commitment, which flows from great historical moments. We are proud of our history, and what unites all generations of Poles are our national symbols. In these May holiday days, let's all gather around the red and white one. Long live Poland! – added.

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