Gazeta Wyborcza‘s motto is “Nam nie jest wszystko jedno,” or “it’s not all the same to us.” The crusading force is strong in this one. There was the schools campaign (motto: the inspired “class with class”), which I am told was a nightmare of added paperwork for the teachers involved — which was nearly all of them, like it or not. Then there was (is?) the “rodzi? po ludzku” (give birth like a human being — I can’t be bothered to translate it any better than that) campaign. The new one is “Przejrzyste wybory” (transparent elections) in which they invite candidates for election to “completely of their own free will” open themselves up to the scrutiny of voters. Just as teachers completely of their own free will opened up their classrooms to the nosey parkers of their local newspapers.
GW’s faith in the efficacy of electoral politics is touching. Doing something more constructive than pestering your local bribe-taker with questions about the traffic jams on the road outside your house is not quite so indulgently viewed. At the moment Greek school teachers are out on strike and have been joined by their pupils. The teachers want more pay; the pupils want easier access to universities; students are unhappy with the favouritism shown by the government to private universities. Today’s paper describes Greek prime minister Kostas Karamanlis as a conservative — not a populist, even though he is reneging on a promise to raise the share of GDP spent on education to a princely 5%. If “populist” means anything, surely it means someone who makes promises not intended to be kept.* Reading between the lines of GW’s report today (by Jacek Pawlicki) it is clear that Greek teachers, pupils and students are joining in a concerted effort to (re-)build what Poles call a “solidarne pa?stwo,” a state based on solidarity. But they’re doing it all wrong. Pawlicki warns that patience with the strikers is wearing thin: parents are “furious” at teachers for using children in the struggle (just as the gutter press and Dziennik were furious at doctors during the recent strike here). Pawlicki’s article contains two direct quotes. One is, inevitably, from Kostas Karamanlis himself. The other is from a blogger who thinks the teachers deserve a kick up the arse for daring to look for more money.
The share of Greek GDP spent on education is kept low so that, among other things, state universities have a shortage of places, driving students into private diploma factories. This is what is happening in Poland now but the Poles are too cowed to do anything more than stump up the exorbitant fees, emigrate, or join in petty media campaigns to paper over the fissures in society. Those with some spirit left in them, like the miners and doctors, who realise that just just because Poland is a democracy doesn’t mean you don’t have to fight for your rights, are routinely denigrated in the quality papers.
* “Chcesz cukierka, id? do Gierka,” they used to say when the target was not capitalism (it means “if you want a sweetie, ask [first secretary] Gierek”.)