Poland between the Virus and choice: Duda has to go,

"We say to them clearly: We don't fear us as before the Virus. We fear, rather, our jobs!“ The three buddy, Jakub, Marek and Oskar are agreed on this issue. Poland's largest Metropolitan area, the industrial area in upper Silesia, in may, the largest Corona of infection in the country. Especially in the coal mines, it has taken, where still 60.000 buddy in the sweat of your brow under the day's toil. Several stopped the promotion for a short time.

Gerhard Gnauck

Political correspondent for Poland, the Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, based in Warsaw.

Earlier, the three buddies, who are all family and two-to-three kids went on the weekend to the neighboring Czech Republic, for shopping (in Poland, the government has introduced the trade-free Sunday). Can't take any more now: the Czech Republic has in the course of the Corona-loose the border fortresses to be opened, but not for travellers from upper Silesia. Also, the first communion, the confirmation, the final examination in the school, all the dates start to Slip. Poland had cases to Friday, a total of 33.395 Corona cases, including 1.429 death. A good third of the infections and almost a quarter of the deaths attributable to this Region, even though it is only one-eighth of the population of Poland.

Jakub – 38 years old, 17 years working days – do not fear the Virus; it has attacked him already. 30. In may he was tested positive. Jakub and his two colleagues sitting in the vicinity of Zary (Zory) in front of his house in the garden. He is wearing a mouth-nose cover with martialischem death's-head motif. He had about ten days of headaches, exhaustion, loss of taste and smell. "Now I'm better," he says, "but I'm officially not yet been tested as healthy. Therefore, I have to sit here at home in Isolation. Otherwise there are fines of: Up to 30,000 zloty.“ That would be more average monthly wages.

Jakub has been recently tested and has then called in the test laboratory. They told him he was negative. But in the case of the congested sanitary authority (Sanepid), which would have to give their stamp to it, is no one answering the phone. "Some of my colleagues up at around three, four o'clock at night to call," scolds Oskar in between. "I myself have attempted a thousand times to call, without success!"

upper Silesia, up to the Second world war, a large part of German territory, is a special Region in Poland. The ethnically mixed population here has not been expelled after 1945, in large part, and has retained her regional consciousness. In the rest of Poland, mistrust and prejudices against the upper Silesians, however. "During the Corona of crisis has increased dramatically, even in the social media," tell bitter mate. "And then, moved here about us: Poland must subsidize upper Silesia. We are here are the cash cow of Poland.“

Marek sekowski, Chairman of the trade Union "Jedność" (unity) in the mining group JSW, adds: "This is a Propaganda against our Region will always be driven high, if a colliery is to be closed. While President Duda has promised years ago, to get the mines. But no government has closed a lot of Mines like this. And they imported cheap coal from Russia. It is also so hard as never before, to represent the interests of the workers. Now counts only if one has good Connections to the ruling party, the PiS.“ Marek himself had been – because of his commitment, as he says disciplinary action to be dismissed. "The process is running. So far, I have won in court all the processes.“