The time for civil wars was when there was peace around. Today, when there is war outside our borders, there is no room for mutual destruction inside. For too long, attempts have been made to divide Poland into two camps, said Szymon Hołownia, Marshal of the Sejm, in his message on the occasion of the Polish Flag Day. He added that “only one Poland of very different Polish women and men will be safe, wise and stable.”
– For 20 years now, we have been celebrating the Flag Day of the Republic of Poland on May 2. May 2 is also the Polish Diaspora and Poles Abroad Day every year. There is a deep meaning in this meeting of the holidays today. Every Polish woman and every Pole whose fate has thrown them thousands of kilometers from their homeland knows perfectly well that Poland, in the deepest, heart-moving sense, is where Poles are, where they gaze together at the red and white, honor it, sing to it. our anthem – said Hołownia at the beginning of his speech.
– This is exactly what his first words say – Poland is Polish women and men, “Poland has not yet perished while we are alive.” We sing these words with all our strength. While doing this, I have recently been wondering what “we” means to us, Hołownia continued.
READ ALSO: President Andrzej Duda: 20 years of our presence in the EU is a great success for each of us
– Today, more than ever depends on how we understand the “we” in the Polish anthem. I'll put it as simply as possible. For civil wars, although I was never a fan of them, the time was when there was peace around. Today, when there is war outside our borders, there is no room for mutual destruction inside. For too long there have been attempts to divide Poland into two camps – into children of better and worse parents, into those who stood not where they should have stood, into different classes, into the “dark people” and the enlightened, into Poland A and B, that's enough – continued one of the Third Way leaders.
Hołownia on the need for “one Poland with very different Polish women and men”
The Marshal of the Sejm said that “everything that could have gone wrong in our world in recent years.” – The pandemic came, the climate deteriorated, peace evaporated. We will cope with this if only we take red and white as our guide. Note – not white or red. Our flag is made of very different colors. Only one Poland of very different Polish women and men will be safe, wise and stable, he emphasized.
– We have become accustomed to the presence of the flag in the army, at demonstrations and at sports competitions. Recently, we have been more and more willing to let it witness our everyday life. When I travel around Poland, I see it every day in front of houses, companies and schools. It's a good sign. This is a sign that we all feel that the time for the flag is coming. One in which we should take it in our hands even more often in our homes, apartments, and workplaces, to remind us that today we need not only beautiful words about unity, but common, concrete work, projects, tasks that will bind us together as a social and national community – Hołownia continued.
– Modernization of the Polish army is such a project. It is the great energy transformation. Such a project is an investment in education and health care. Even the CPK that arouses so many emotions and opinions may become such a project if it is finally carried out with respect for human life and property. The differences between us will not disappear, but if we focus on common goals, it may turn out that they become an opportunity for Poland, but also for us, because they allow us to become better, more sensitive people – he added.
Hołownia: if we have a flag, we have each other
Finally – as Hołownia said – “a word from the Speaker of the Sejm.” – You have no idea how happy I am that you are so eager to watch our work, that for five months the Sejm has been a place visited by so many of you. In this building, MPs representing various groups work in a room topped with a dome, above which our national colors fly. I have decided that from now on, from this year's national flag day, every month the flag lowered from the roof of the parliament will be handed over to a military unit, fire brigade, rescue service, police – so that the people of service feel every day that they are in the very heart of our republic, and we , MPs, to remember that everything we do must be in the service of people, not a party, a career or an ideology, the Marshal continued.
– When I visit villages and towns in our country, I talk to young citizens about how the state works, what patriotism can mean today, and about their future. Each time I teach civics classes, I will come to them not only with the constitution, but also with the Polish flag, to convince them that everything will be fine. Because if we have a flag, we have ourselves, said Hołownia. And he added that “The Republic of Poland, like its white and red flag, is a common thing, not the property of those who rule it.”
– Ladies and Gentlemen, on the occasion of the Flag Day of the Republic of Poland, I wish all of you in Poland and abroad to be proud and joyful of our Polish community and our common achievements. I believe that together we are able to cope with these troubled times and make Poland emerge stronger and happier. She really will not die while we are alive, said the Speaker of the Sejm at the end of his speech.
Main photo source: Chancellery of the Sejm