Artykuły

Artykuł pochodzi z pisma "Guardian"


Luke Harding
Friday July 21, 2006
The Guardian

Poles come to Britain for lots of reasons - money, adventure, the chance to learn English. But another factor is also driving them to flee their homeland in record numbers: the country's uniquely odd dynastic government. On Wednesday evening Poland's parliament, or Sejm, voted in Jaroslaw Kaczynski to be its new prime minister. His identical twin brother, Lech, knows a thing or two about politics too - he is Poland's president. (Lech, in case you wondered, is 45 minutes younger. Both have silver hair. Both began their careers as child film stars. Both were in Solidarity.) As of this week, Poland is the only country in the world where twins occupy the top two political positions. (To avoid confusion, Lech stayed away from Wednesday's ceremony.)

There is, of course, nothing wrong with same-gened sibling government. But ever since the twins' Law and Justice party won Poland's parliamentary and presidential elections nine months ago the country has been the subject of international ridicule. Critics have accused the brothers' rightwing Eurosceptic coalition of xenophobia, anti-semitism, gay-bashing and worse.
There has also been a series of gaffes. Earlier this month Lech pulled out of a meeting with Germany's leader Angela Merkel and France's president Jacques Chirac after a leftwing German newspaper compared him to a potato. Nine former Polish foreign ministers wrote a letter saying it would be better if Lech had shrugged off the jibe. In an emotional press conference afterwards, however, Lech said that the "shameful" article had hurt his mother. This week he ordered Poland's prosecutor to arrest the journalist responsible for the satire.
Small wonder, then, that many younger Poles have decided to clear off to the UK - and the slightly less barmy regime of Tony Blair. As one young woman living in London says: "I'd rather pay my taxes to the Windsor family than the Kaczynskis".

avoid- unikać
barmy- zwariowany, stuknięty
bash- ostro krytykować, uderzać
clear off- zmywać się, zjeżdżać
confusion- zakłopotanie; pomyłka; niepewność
dynastic- dynastyczny
factor- czynnik
flee- uciekać
jibe- docinek, kpina
occupy- zajmować (np. stanowisko)
pull out of- wycofać się
ridicule- drwina, kpina, pośmiewisko
shameful- haniebny, karygodny
shrug off - zignorować
slightly- troszkę
small wonder- nic dziwnego
subject- przedmiot, temat
uniquely- wyjątkowo


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