If we don't want to see the kind of pictures we have seen in Kotlina Kłodzka in recent days, it is necessary to bend over this problem in the long term and with due seriousness, taking it into account in the Polish budget, as well as in the budget of the European Union for the years after 2027," says MEP Michal Kobosko.
This text has been auto-translated from Polish.
Katarzyna Przyborska: There was a debate in the European Parliament about the catastrophic flooding in Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Austria. The voices were divided on: "don't ask, just pay as soon as possible, because there are people waiting there who have lost everything" and "let's note that these are the consequences of the lack of a real climate policy." What is your position here?.
Michal Kobosko: We expect - we, the Polish delegation, and we, the Renew Europe political group, to see action from the European Commission as soon as possible and to use what EU funds there are to help the flood victims. And also what Minister Pe³czyñska-Na³êcz called for in her letter yesterday, that is, the mobilization of EU funds as a matter of priority for the flood-affected municipalities, also for the reconstruction of this infrastructure, which has already been financed or co-financed with EU funds, and is today devastated.
On the other hand, we say firmly that climate change is progressing. We had a gigantic, record-breaking drought in Poland, with the lowest historical levels of the Vistula River in Warsaw, among others, and barely a few days later a flood, which shows the scale of the dangers of climate change. Today, it is clear that stories about throwing all the solutions contained in the Green Deal in the trash and putting off the challenges of climate change are nonsensical and irresponsible. And such opinions were heard during the Strasbourg debate not only from the mouth of Mr. Braun.
It was the Polish delegation that initiated the debate on flooding, but subsequent politicians reminded us that Portugal was recently ravaged by fires. We remember the catastrophic fires in southern Europe last year, a week ago floods devastated the Pyrenees. Of course, it is worthwhile to dwell on each disaster separately, but they all have a common cause..
I am a one-person delegation in the liberal group Renew Europe, and I can safely say that I initiated this discussion in our place. I am pleased that the leadership of my group acted very quickly and decisively. There was a draft resolution on the effects of the floods.
Can you say more about this resolution?
It's a rather elaborate document that on the one hand expresses solidarity and sympathy for the victims of the floods, on the other calls on the EC for swift financial action, and on the third calls for a change in the EU's thinking and financial planning - precisely in relation to climate change..
Ursula von der Leyen, invited by Donald Tusk, will see the effects of the floods in Poland. What do you expect from this visit.
The flood crisis is evident in several Central European countries, but in our country the situation seems particularly dire in terms of the scale of the damage, the number of victims, the number of cities that have been cut off from the rest of the country and it is not clear how long it will take to rebuild them. So it's very good that you will see this, Madam President, and I hope it will influence the speed of action by the European Commission.
This also seems relevant from the level of support for the Union. Centrifugal movements are growing in strength, and this is a moment when the EU can show real solidarity and prove that we need it. Catastrophic droughts, floods, hurricanes - these are problems that transcend national borders..
Yes, definitely. I spoke about this during a debate in parliament in Strasbourg. I am an MEP in my first term, but I hear from colleagues with longer experience that there has not yet been a European Parliament so far and clearly shifted to the extreme right - in the sense of the content, the views that are presented in the debates. One hears a great many extreme voices, especially from the new groupings in the EP, namely Patriots for Europe and Europe of Sovereign Homelands. This is nationalist and anti-European content, which may further weaken the sense of belonging of Poles to the EU, among others. The feeling that we are part of an organization that supports us both on a daily basis and - especially - in crisis situations.
Poland was against the Green Deal and the Restoration of Natural Resources - European projects crucial to minimizing the catastrophic effects of climate change. And now we need help. The situation is awkward. Poland's situation is awkward.
This situation should give food for thought to politicians on different sides of the political argument, including representatives of the largest party that co-founded our October 15 Coalition.
We have such a tendency in politics that when there is a concrete crisis, a lot of hard, decisive words are spoken, and when the water literally and literally subsides, everyone deals with other topics. This is an extremely important thing, because there is no indication that floods or other natural disasters are going to happen to us less often than they have so far. For the time being, we are unable, as you can see, to reduce gas emissions, and our continent is warming faster than others. If we don't want to see such pictures as we have seen in the Klodzko Basin in recent days, this problem needs to be looked at in the long term and with due seriousness, taking it into account in Poland's budget, as well as in the budget of the European Union for the years after 2027.
Are your Third Way coalition partners of the same opinion? My impression is that they are not quite..
It is difficult for me to speak for our coalition partners. I have not yet seen them in Strasbourg. When I get a chance, I'll ask. Because to say that we have no influence on whether such events will happen more often or less often is not true. And it is our responsibility as politicians to prepare to counter them. We have differences of opinion, but I think that such extreme situations should unite all responsible politicians across divisions.
