As reported by the media, the Parliamentary Club of Law and Justice in the Sejm submitted a draft of amendments to the Act on the Institute of National Memory and the Criminal Code, providing for a ban on promoting the ideology of flagism and flag symbolism.
The task assumes a punishment of up to 3 years in prison for these acts. 1 of the leaders of PiS Mariusz Błaszczak stated that: "banderism was an ideology that justified the Volyn genocide, i.e. the genocide committed in Poles by Ukrainian nationalists during planet War II" [1]. The problem was besides raised by the presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, who stated that: "The Volyn genocide carried out by Ukrainian nationalists in Poles is simply a substance of all of us – it does not wear political or organization colours" [2].
This initiative is absolutely right and should be enjoyed. It is interesting, however, that the leaders of PiS only now discovered that flagism is simply a criminal ideology, and the Volyn massacre is simply a genocide. For 8 years their governments have not taken effective legislative action to ban the promotion of flagism and the honourable victims of the Volyn massacre. It should be recalled that the amendment to the IPN Act adopted in January 2018, including the penalisation of acts involving the denial of crimes of Ukrainian nationalists, was addressed by president Andrzej Duda to the Constitutional Court, which, in turn, ruled of its unconstitutionality, due to the fact that the legislature did not specify the word "Ukrainian nationalists" (sic!).
It is besides worth recalling that in 2008 president Lech Kaczyński withdrew his patronage over the technological conference on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the Volynska Rzebi. An unquestionable scandal was the words spoken in 2013 in Majdan by Jarosław Kaczyński: “The fame of Ukraine!” which was a bander's greeting from the times of the Volyn massacre. 1 cannot forget, of course, the prominent MP of PiS Małgorzata Gosiewska, who stated that any knowing should be shown for the glory of the CNS-UPA by Ukrainians, due to the fact that these actions are not aimed at Poles, but are anti-Soviet. Nothing to add, nothing to say...
But not only are words and gestures spread here. It is besides a policy pursued during the regulation of law and justice, which can most effectively be summed up by the message of Luke Jasina, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice in the government of Mateusz Morawiecki: “We are servants of the Ukrainian people.” Among another things, it is about the scale of assistance provided to Ukrainian citizens in Poland from the money of Polish taxpayers. And these were notable amounts. According to information from Onet on 9 November 2024: “For the first 2 years of the war, through Polish institutions, including the Government strategical Reserve Agency, 11 1000 tons of food products worth PLN 205 million and medicines worth PLN 60 million were sent to our neighbour. The agency besides served donations to Ukraine, which came from 58 countries. Goods from all over the world, worth over PLN 1.5 billion, 75 1000 pallets, more than 55 1000 tons of goods, have passed through the transhipment hub" [3].
This includes the cost of wellness care for 1.2 million people called refugees for a full amount of PLN 3.3 billion, as well as the cost of accommodation and meals under the alleged "interim protection" between 2022 and 2023 for a full amount of PLN 7.4 billion. A separate issue is military aid to Ukraine worth more than PLN 14 billion [4]. They stay hard to estimation precisely the costs of education and social assistance to Ukrainian visitors.
Someone will ask – and what is the connection between the condemnation of flagism and the assistance provided by Poland to Ukrainian citizens in connection with the war? Of course – not all Ukrainians arriving in Poland are followers of flagism, and it is besides impossible to apply collective work to them (the more for the actions committed by their ancestors). seemingly there is no specified relationship. However, only seemingly, due to the fact that the Ukrainian authorities never condemned flagism, nor did they respect the Volyn massacre as genocide. On the contrary, the Ukrainian Pows dancing Army is for them a national-library organization, and its leaders: Stepan Bandera, Dmytro Clawkiwski, or Roman Szuchewycz – national heroes. In 2006, then Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko signed a decree declaring UPA a liberation movement. The same Viktor Yushchenko in January 2010 signed a decree posthumously giving Stepan Bandera the title of Hero of Ukraine: “for the integrity of the spirit in defence of the national idea, for the heroism and dedication in the fight for an independent Ukrainian State” [5]. At the same time, after the outbreak of the war in 2022, over 500 streets of Stefan Bandera were established in Ukraine. All this undermines the sense of providing assistance to Ukraine and strengthening cooperation with this country.
Returning to the draft legislative amendments prohibiting the promotion of flagism, this is undoubtedly the right thought and most commendable. Problem is, she's a small late and not completely honest. Given the erstwhile policy of Law and Justice in the Polish-Ukrainian section, current actions seem a hypocritical effort to change their image, for the usage of the upcoming presidential elections. There is no uncertainty that the leaders of the Law and Justice Office are curious in taking over the electorate critically, or skeptically, against Polish east Policy, including the scale of assistance provided to Ukraine. To this end, they abruptly began to prosecute Polish interests and to appeal for the memory of the savagely murdered during the Volyn massacre. It's a pity that, as it all points to it, it's just a cynical game and a political hucpa.
Michał Radzikowski
photo of wikipedia
[1] "PiS wants to ban the promotion of flagism in Poland. "Ideology which justified the Volyn genocide" – inpolitics.pl – 04.12.2024.
2] Karol Nawrocki – entry on X portal,
[3] Marcin Strembski: "Polish authorities have revealed the scale of their assistance to Ukraine" – www.onet.pl. – 09.11.2024,
[4] "Poland has provided Ukraine with military aid worth over PLN 14 billion" – www.bankier.pl – 19.11.2024.
[5] Source: Wikipedia.
