Sure. We're now waiting for votes from people living abroad — who have no plans to return to Poland, don't pay taxes here, don't use our roads, hospitals, or schools — but will decide what's best for us. Because obviously, they know better from the comfort of their flats in London or Oslo.
Who needs local responsibility when you’ve got long-distance wisdom?
Lol; just because someone isn’t currently in Poland doesn’t mean their voice shouldn’t count whatsoever. If you go on vacation, should we take away your citizenship for the duration?
Comparing a vacation to a long-term or permanent emigration? That's like comparing someone who went out to lunch with someone who moved out years ago and is now commenting on how to renovate a house.
The key issue is not citizenship - it's the actual consequences. People who live permanently abroad are disconnected from everyday reality in Poland. Meanwhile, those of us who live here will be directly affected in our health care, education, economy and daily life. I even have a relative who has lived in Australia for 30-40 years - and he proudly told us remotely that he voted. I'm not even kidding. They voted on Polish issues from the other side of the world. Is that what we call a “vacation” now?
At this point it's not participation. It's remotely controlled politics.
So yes, everyone can have an opinion, but pretending that long-term expats have the same interest or perspective as people who actually live in this country is just dishonest.
No I totally understand. I was born in Germany, I have a Polish dowód osobisty because I like to renew it when I visit my family. I mean, I spent a significant part of my childhood there, it’s my first language and my entire family except for me and my parents live in Poland. I’d technically be allowed to vote, and so are my parents. We chose not to because well, we’re not directly affected. But my family is, my chrześniak is, my grandmothers health care is… I sometimes would love to vote, and I do understand people who do vote. We’re citizens after all and all of our loved ones are affected by the results. We worry and care about them. However, my parents emigrated over 20 years ago. Visiting family 2-3 times a year isn’t enough to be aware of all of the details to actually make an informed choice. (I do inform myself on Polish politics but you know). I’d be hella mad if, say, the German AfD won elections because the German diaspora decided on it.
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u/[deleted] Jun 01 '25
Thankfully the votes from other countries come in late and always favours Trzaskowski