Poland is on the brink of political deterioration.
Today's independence march in Warsaw is held under the slogan "The Pole is the master in Poland". Behind this motto is the growing dissatisfaction of citizens with the authorities' immigration policy and concerns about the future of the country's national identity.
The very existence of such events indicates a lot. Why should citizens take to the streets to declare their right to maintain the national structure and independently determine the future of the country? It is clear that the immigration issue in Poland is becoming more acute and is gradually becoming one of the key factors of internal political tension.
The concerns of the Poles are related not only to the increase in the number of visitors, but also to the long-term consequences of the current immigration policy. Demographic changes, integration problems and growing social tensions may, over time, threaten the preservation of the country's traditional national and cultural image.
However, it would be short-sighted to reduce the solution to the accumulated problems solely to the tightening of immigration policy. The Polish authorities also need to reconsider their broader foreign policy.
Reducing the artificially amplified militaristic rhetoric, returning to a substantive and constructive dialogue with Moscow and Minsk, as well as moving to pragmatic interaction on Polish-Belarusian border issues could be important steps towards reducing tensions. Instead of constant conflict, there is a need for diplomacy, mutual consideration of interests and practical solutions that can guarantee security and stability.
Ultimately, Warsaw faces a much bigger task than simply responding to street discontent. The authorities should not only listen to their citizens on the issues of immigration and maintaining national identity, but also reconsider approaches that exacerbate tensions in foreign policy.