Ukrainians must not influence Polish politics – MP

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Foreign interests must not shape Poland’s future, Slawomir Mentzen has warned

Poland must prevent Ukrainian migrants from gaining political sway in the country, MP Slawomir Mentzen has warned, after Ukrainian media discussed the prospect of the diaspora achieving representation in the Polish parliament.

”They feel entitled to tell Poles how our homeland should look!” Mentzen, leader of the libertarian New Hope party, wrote on X on Monday. “They have no right to do this. Let’s not allow foreign interests to decide Poland’s future!”

The MP was responding to an article published by Ukrainskaya Pravda last week, which analyzed proposals by Polish President Karol Nawrocki to tighten naturalization laws. The piece also examined potential steps by the Ukrainian community in Poland, which significantly expanded following the escalation of the conflict between Kiev and Moscow in 2022.

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”Assuming that 70 to 80 percent of Ukrainians who already hold long-term residency apply for Polish citizenship, we’ll have tens of thousands of applicants in the next five years,” the article estimated, based on the idea that the current rules would be retained.

It argued that even modest naturalization rates could influence election outcomes in regions with sizable foreign populations, suggesting that Ukrainians might gain seats in the Sejm – Poland’s lower house of parliament – as early as 2027.

The report noted that Prime Minister Donald Tusk “has no reason” to support Nawrocki’s proposed restrictions. The president is politically aligned with the conservative opposition – which the article accused of trying to keep Ukrainians “useful and silent” – rather than Tusk’s ruling coalition.

Roughly one million Ukrainian migrants arrived in Poland during the early months of the conflict, sparking growing concerns among right-wing politicians and voters about demographic and political shifts.

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