INTERVIEW BY EWA BONIECKA
WBJ:
What is your vision for Warsaw and its further development? Rafał Trzaskowski: I want it to be an open, liberal and tolerant European capital, offering the best possible quality of life, modern infrastructure and a friendly atmosphere. Warsaw must be a capital that attracts all the people who might want to work and settle here. I will announce my detailed program before the elections, in which I will demonstrate how to improve my city – how to make it greener, less congested, easier to move around, more culturally varied and more user-friendly. Civic Platform and Nowoczesna promise to introduce a mechanism which will guarantee that a bigger chunk of people’s taxes is channeled into local governments, allowing us to introduce and run programs which will shape the quality of education, empower and engage women, and make the life of our senior citizens easier and more enjoyable. I will also strive to improve the situation of women on the labor market, close the gender gap, especially when it comes to remuneration, and build more kindergartens. I also intend to make Warsaw as friendly to foreign investors as possible. One of the biggest problems that is often raised is the need for affordable rental housing for younger as well as for poorer residents. Commercial developers locate investments where they can earn the highest profit, in places that often are out of reach for many people, price-wise. Where is the city going to build community housing? We have very ambitious housing plans – we need to develop both council housing for the less privileged and commercial housing with cheaper rents for young people who want to settle in Warsaw. We will continue and develop all investment initiatives, as space is becoming more scarce and comes at a premium. That is also the reason why many people – especially young couples – are struggling to find places to live and settle and end up having to live outside of Warsaw, which in turn increases congestion
Warsaw was completely destroyed during World War II and in a certain way we are still rebuilding it, albeit in a new technological era
and contributes to urban sprawl. That will require a lot of effort and money. Certainly. The sources of financing must include public and EU funds, as well as private investments. One has to keep in mind that Warsaw was completely destroyed during World War II and in a certain way we are still rebuilding it, albeit in a new technological era. The social conditions have also changed, and so have the aspirations and needs of residents. I will continue the efforts to bring Warsaw closer to the Vistula River through the construction of long pedestrian boulevards along the waterfront to allow people to take advantage of our beautiful river. Warsaw’s city center is often criticized for being too scattered and underdeveloped. The area around the Palace of Science and Culture has remained empty for years. Do you have any plans for it? Indeed, Warsaw does not have a truly modern city center. But in my opinion, destroying the Palace of Science and Culture (as proposed by some senior figures in the current government) is a crazy idea. We all know that it was Stalin who presented it to Warsaw and that it forms a part of our difficult history. But today it houses universities, theatres, cinemas, state institutions, restaurants and a swimming pool – we are making a good use of it. Its opponents claim that it dominates the city center. But I want to create an inspiring city center around it – an open piazza, a museum of modern art, a great theatre, open-air cafes, surrounded by a lush green park. Of course, Warsaw is still a bit chaotic – some buildings were constructed with disregard for the harmony of the surrounding environment, even our main city avenues could be revamped to give the citizens a chance to reclaim them. I also want to make the city’s diversity a competitive advantage for Warsaw – with a friendly, safe, creativity-fostering atmosphere, with a rich social life and open public spaces. Visitors must be made aware
of the countless choices that make Warsaw the unique city that it is. What do you think of the Smoleńsk tragedy monument being built in Pilsudski Square? Pilsudski Square was appropriated by the government. Law and Justice (PiS) broke the law and took over the square from the City Council and the people of Warsaw – to whom it should belong. The PiS government is building a monument without any regard to the law and the division of competences between the local and central governments. I have always been of the opinion that it is the residents of Warsaw who should have been allowed to express their views on the existence of the monument in that particular place. Would you want to have some EU institutions that will have to move out of London after Brexit, relocate to Warsaw? The decision is in the hands of the EU governments and depends on the relations between PiS and Brussels. We already have Frontex, which is located in Warsaw – an EU agency which deals with protecting EU borders. I think that it should be more visible and a better known fact in Warsaw. Fortunately, our inhabitants – just like all Poles – share an enthusiastic approach towards our membership in the European Union. However, the current government is busy pushing Poland to the margins of the European community. PiS has not yet announced its candidate in the Warsaw election, and the battle for the mayor of Warsaw is important for all the parties. Are you aware that your result will have a great influence on the position of Civic Platform not only in local elections, but also on the party’s support in general? I am aware of this and I will fight for the position of mayor of Warsaw with all my strength and to the best of my ability. The fight for Warsaw will determine the future of the country. If the opposition loses in big cities, it will be very difficult for us to do well in the general elections.
W B J APRIL 2018
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