John Godson has become the first black member of Poland's lower house of parliament (Sejm). Other countries may look down on Poland, because they have had ethnic minority MPs for some time, but let me be honest with you. When I worked as an interpreter in the European Parliament, I did not see too many black or asian faces, not among the MPs, interpreters or journalists.
He represents the Civic Platform Centrist Party. The right wing ticket would perhaps be more difficult for him, he is a Pentacoastalist rather than Catholic. Although I can imagine that there are right wing constituents who would accept any coloured politician: black, yellow, red, Martian, provided he is not Jewish.
In some countries the locals fear immigration, but in Poland this does not seem to be such problem. As a country we are simply not attractive enough to mobile Blacks or Asians. If they are allowed into Festung Europe, they will quickly move to more prosperous parts.
But without immigration a country will simply wither. When all faces are white, the point of view quickly becomes parochial, the approach very introspective, when everybody speaks the same language (which no one else understands), people talk only to one another rather than to the world. Seems that the economy needs more and more people for wealth creation and funding future old-age pensions. Some economists recommend procreation (which may be environmentally unsustainable), but immigration would do just as well.
If Poland does not want to become Europe’s backwater, it needs more colourful people whose children would say at school “King John Sobieski, our ancestor”.
No comments:
Post a Comment