IRELAND: Ireland made the right decision in opening its labour market to workers from new EU member states immediately after enlargement, said MEP Bronislaw Geremek, a former Polish foreign minister, who was in Dublin at the weekend.
It was an act of solidarity, he said, which should have been emulated by all of its European partners.
One of his country's most prominent intellectuals and a founder member of the Solidarity movement which overthrew the communist regime, Dr Geremek said he hoped the arrival of Polish workers in Ireland would be "a win-win situation" for both countries.
Only three of 15 countries in the "old" EU - Ireland, Britain and Sweden - allowed immediate free access to workers from the new member states following their accession on May 1st, 2004. Others opted for a transition period of up to seven years. More than 70,000 Poles are now working in Ireland.
"As a Pole I am saying that not only I have to welcome it but how grateful we are to Ireland and the Irish people. I do believe that it was a kind of work of solidarity expressed in a political way. It was the right decision and I do believe that this transition period practised by other European countries wasn't a good decision.
"I hope that it's a win-win situation for Poles and for the Irish people. Poles are bringing now a knowledge - sometimes doctors, dentists, nurses - coming well prepared, well educated. Poles are bringing also technical knowledge. The majority of European countries need immigration of manpower and it's not bad to have such immigration from a country with the same culture, feeling of history and values."
Dr Geremek was in Dublin for the launch of a new book The Collapse of Communist Power in Poland, written by political scientist Jacqueline Hayden of Trinity College Dublin. In a previous career as a journalist, Dr Hayden covered the rise of the Solidarity movement in Poland.
"It's not only a scholarly book, one more new book on political science, but it's a fascinating issue, why the communists, having all the power, finally lost the game," Dr Geremek said.
On the current situation in Poland, where unemployment is running at 18 per cent, Dr Geremek said he hoped the rate of joblessness could be reduced to average European levels.
"The social price paid for the modernisation of the Polish economy is high," he said, but the country was "doing well" .
"If Poland, being a member of the European Union, will be able to create new jobs, finding fields in which Poland can become an important economic partner, and I mean first of all services, I do believe that we will go to the average level in Europe, lower than 10 per cent."
He was concerned that unemployment and other social problems could create "a dangerous situation" in the country. He criticised the "populist policies" and "social demagoguery" of the newly elected Law and Justice Party government.
Dr Geremek also expressed concern about the growth of "national egoism" in the EU, among both large and small member states. There should be a greater focus on Europe's global role, especially with the emergence of "the new Asian superpowers", China and India.
He urged greater investment in science and research. "The best, the highest technologies were invented or implemented in Europe."
The medieval history professor was elected to the European Parliament in 2004 for the liberal Freedom Union/Democratic Party: "It's not a parliament in the European tradition but it's the most powerful democratic institution in Europe now." While he believed the EU should support national languages and cultures, the language of European institutions should be English.
"We should accept that English, this technical European English, is the language of the European Union. Maybe we have to accept French as the language of reference for documents of the EU. One of the concerns of the EU should be the support of the national languages and the national cultures but not inside the European institutions."