by John Czop, Director of Policy Planning, Polish American Congress, National Office, Washington D.C.
Polish Americans and others who understand that the United States and Poland are long term partners in freedom, since the successful American War for Independence against Great Britain, in which Generals Kościuszko and Pulaski fought against tyranny, are dismayed by Congressman Eliot L. Engel (Democrat-New York 18th Congressional District) who has been serving as Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Over the past five years, the Conservative and Christian Democrat government of Poland successfully has been working to complete the National Revolution which Solidarity began. This first Solidarity Revolution of the late 1980s and early 1990s was bloodless. This allowed the National Revolution to be betrayed by former communist upper level civil servants who transformed themselves into European Union businessmen who continue to exercise too much social and economic power over the Polish people.
Congressman Engel repeatedly has asserted that the Conservative and Christian Democrat government of Poland is anti-democratic because it has been removing, largely through early retirement, former communist judges who enjoy life tenure. These communist appointees to the Poland’s judiciary often have exonerated the communists who appointed them from charges of misappropriating, or stealing Polish State Funds and money from the European Union to up-date Poland’s economic infrastructure.
It is in the interest of the United States to have a truly sovereign Poland as a loyal NATO ally that helps to protect American national security interests and democratic values in Eastern Europe. This is what the present Conservative and Christian Democrat government of Poland is doing.
Congressman Engel disagrees and prefers to see Poland governed by transformed communists who are in league with Putin’s Kremlin. Congressman Engel is wrong and his continuing leadership of the House Foreign Affairs Committee serves neither America’s interests, nor her values.
Most recently, Congressman Engel called on President Trump to cancel President Andrzej Duda’s visit to the White House on Wednesday June 24, 2020 following President Trump’s decision to re-deploy 10,000 United States armed forces personnel now stationed in Germany. This meeting on NATO issues is of the highest importance for both the United States, NATO, and Poland, but Congressman Engel wants to cancel it because he wrongly views Poland as an authoritarian country, rather than correctly as America’s partner in freedom.