Anna De Smedt, 5th place Voor U (list 17)
In 1989, after a 10-year struggle, Poland was liberated step by step from the communist dictatorship. I myself was born in 1990, as if it was a product of the renewed optimism that had arisen among the population on the occasion of our liberation.
Throughout this period, Europe was our beacon of light and hope. A symbol of freedom, where anything went, everyone could be whoever they wanted to be and where religious intolerance had been consigned to the history books.
When Poland was able to join the European Union on 1st of May 2004, exactly 20 years ago, it was a source of enormous pride for us, with big events everywhere and a real celebration week at school. On the 4th of May, my school took us on a ferry to Denmark, as we could finally travel freely. But above all, it was a moment of hope and belief in a better future.
For the young generation in Poland - and throughout former Eastern Europe - Europe still stands for freedom. Our image is the idyllic Europe of the 1960s, with mini skirts and proud women freeing themselves from the yoke of the Catholic Church, outdated gender roles and yet also from oppression. The Europe of Brigitte Bardot, Et Dieu créa la femme (And God Created Woman). That Europe is our inspiration. On the streets of Warsaw, Poznan and Gdansk, young people celebrate their freedom, men are proud to be men and girls show their best side. Parties often come pretty close to a May '68 revival. At the first ray of sunshine, the mini-skirts and tops come right out of the closet. Anything goes, the future is ours!
Now that I have lived in Belgium for five years and have travelled extensively throughout that free Europe, however, I am sometimes stunned. When I am sunbathing on the beach in France, I am harassed by a group of 'young people' who think I should cover up. An outfit that is completely normal in Poland gets obscene comments here - and not just from 'that' corner. My husband needs to hear that he definitely did pay me. Is it still allowed to just like to look attractive? In, according to the Flemish press, 'ultra-conservative' Poland, this has become the most normal thing in the world. However, in Brussels, I dare not go alone. Is this the freedom we have fought so hard for?
So I am not entirely surprised by the sometimes downright reproachful reactions to my campaign image. But I am once again disappointed. I stand for a transparent Europe, and for that I use real photos, without AI or photoshop, of a real person proud of who she is - with a nod, of course, to the 'transparency' I want to bring to European bureaucracy. Is that wrong? Would you have preferred a veil? Are you looking for a slick politician with an image sketched out by a communications agency on tiktok and in TV shows? Or are you looking for someone who is authentic and dares to be herself? Why is it 'open-minded' to parade through Brussels as a man in a bra but wrong to be a woman? In Belgium, the 'open and tolerant Europe' seems especially open and tolerant for those with the right politically correct opinion of the week. The religious rules that Poland is step by step getting rid of are coming back in full force here, from another, even more repressive religion, but also from a bounty of right-thinking people. To all the sour responders: if you don't like it, don't watch it. And if you do like it, enjoy it. The days of pastor and pulpit are over and let's keep it that way.
My candidacy started with a large dose of idealism and a huge respect for my good friend Els. But day by day I become more and more convinced that my idealism is much needed. Criticism is spread widely, but the many encouraging responses mostly come in private messages. Apart from a few shouters, there is a much larger group that knows what I mean by a free and secure Europe. Without going into extremes, but firm when it comes to our values. I do it for these people. If we want to preserve the prosperous, safe and free Europe we dreamed of at school in 2004, the tanker must be turned now. We must stop importing intolerance in the name of tolerance. Europe should not come and tell us that we can no longer use plastic straws or cups. Even less should Europe make your life unaffordable with communist plans packaged as 'green'. On the contrary, Europe should above all leave you alone. Europe must guarantee your freedom. Absolute freedom of speech. Never again tolerate lockdowns or travel restrictions. The European project will be free, prosperous and secular or it will not be.
Europe began as an economic union that brought prosperity and peace to its members, and we must return to that. The 20th anniversary of Poland's accession is the ideal day to start this.