11 November, a Day of Joy

Prime Minister Donald Tusk took part in the National Independence Day celebrations in Gdańsk.

“Let us all rejoice, because Independence Day is a day of joy for all Polish women and men. When, almost a quarter of a century ago, together with the hosts of the city and the late Paweł Adamowicz, we decided to organise the first 11 November parade in Gdańsk, we did not expect that this cheerful way of celebrating Independence Day – full of smiles and good feelings – would spread so quickly throughout the country,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk recalled to the participants of the 23rd Independence Parade in Gdańsk.

It was in this city that, in 2003, the 1st Independence Parade was held, which became an inspiration for other cities. Today it is one of the largest patriotic events in the country. Every year, about 20,000 people take part – residents, school pupils, scouts, historical re-enactment groups, associations and entire families.

Unity from the Baltic to the Tatras, from the Bug to the Oder

Although the central point of the Independence Day celebrations is the ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw, today – wherever the Polish language is spoken – Poles celebrate this day with joy, united and proud.

“I would like the whole of Poland to see that the celebrations of Independence Day are a feast of joy, pride and unity from the Baltic to the Tatras, from the Bug to the Oder. Everywhere today Polish women and men are shaking hands, smiling at one another, celebrating this day as best they can,” said the Prime Minister.

In Swołowo – a small village near Słupsk – residents prepare not only traditional goose, but also patriotic workshops for the youngest. In Olsztyn, residents carry a 100-metre white-and-red flag, and later in the afternoon they will meet in the Old Town for an Independence Day dance. In Kraków and Lublin, concerts are being held.

Unity – the Greatest Miracle of 1918

In his speech, Prime Minister Donald Tusk also referred to the events of November 1918 and the first years of the formation of the Second Polish Republic.

“Then, in 1918, by some miracle, as if prayed for by our national bards, three partitioning empires collapsed. We defeated Bolshevik Russia in defence of our fresh independence in a battle that the world called the ‘Miracle on the Vistula’. But the greatest miracle was that Poles were able to unite. (…) The symbol of this unity became, for everyone, Józef Piłsudski,” the head of government recalled.

The Prime Minister stressed that independence and the work of rebuilding the country were a common achievement and a shared joy – between women and men alike. One of the first decrees of Head of State Józef Piłsudski was a decree granting Polish women full electoral rights. As early as 1918, Poland granted women the right to vote – long before France, Italy or Switzerland.

The Republic is a Common Cause

Prime Minister Donald Tusk reminded everyone what the word “Rzeczpospolita” means.

Res Publica – that is, a common cause. “Let no one ever forget this. Independent Poland is our common cause,” said Donald Tusk.

That is why it is so important to remember that no one has the right to wrest the white-and-red symbols from another Pole. No one has a monopoly on patriotism. Because only when we are a community are we strong – we win and overcome evil.