17 minut

Podobno mieliście więcej nie skomleć o wizy?

Premier, uskrzydlony odkryciem w kancelaryjnej szafie zupełnie nowego, a w każdym razie mało używanego kręgosłupa, oświadczył nawet Gazecie Wyborczej, wymachując wyprostowanym wojowniczo fragmentem kośćca narodowego, że po pierwsze, Polacy o nic nikogo nie muszą prosić, a po drugie, jeśliby nawet prosili, a Amerykanie te prośby zlekceważyli, to ich strata, sami sobie będą winni, jak im będzie potem łyso.


Kościec narodowy nie wytrzymał niestety lotu rejsowego przez Atlantyk. Nie tylko do rozmowy o wizach doszło, ale oficjalny zapis spotkania z prasą w Oval Office nie potwierdza, jeśli chodzi o kwestię wizową, by premier odbył był rozmowy w tej sprawie w pozycji pionowej.


Faktem jest jednak, że pozycja premiera była nieco mniej pozioma od postawy prezydenta Kwaśniewskiego przed czterema laty. Premier powstrzymał się bowiem przynajmniej od grożenia gospodarzowi w jego własnym gabinecie i jego własnym języku, być może dlatego, że tego języka nie zna, a głupio mu było grozić przez tłumacza. Prez. Kwaśniewski swego czasu próbował, nie bacząc, że aby komuś po angielsku grozić, trzeba najpierw tym językiem władać. Obaj panowie osiągnęli dokładnie ten sam skutek.


Co do Amerykanów, ci po raz któryś tam z kolei ponownie łagodnie objaśnili dostojnemu gościowi z dalekiego i mało pojętnego kraju to samo, co wcześniej dwóm innym prezydentom, co najmniej trzem ministrom spraw zagranicznych, kolejnym ambasadorom RP i niezliczonym jej parlamentarzystom: że kiedy tylko Polska spełni przewidziane ustawą warunki uczestnictwa w programie bezwizowego wjazdu turystycznego, Ameryka ją w tym programie z rozkoszą powita. Stanowisko to nie uległo zmianie od czasu wprowadzenia Visa Waiver Program w roku 1986.

Jeśli zaś Polska warunków objęcia VWP nie spełni, to nic z tego nie będzie, bo przepisy władny jest zmieniać Kongres, który nie ma takiego zamiaru, choćby prezydent Stanów Zjednoczonych tupał i sapał.

Dziwny to bowiem kraj, który jednym tchem i przy jednej okazji deklaruje chęć otrzymania w prezencie dwóch miliardów dolarów w nowoczesnym sprzęcie rakietowym i całkowite niezrozumienie zasad stanowienia prawa w USA, wykładanych w Polsce studentom II roku prawa lub nauk politycznych. Gdyby ten dziwny kraj miał te rakiety, nomen omen Patriot, dostać, to jaka jest gwarancja, że potrafi ich użyć, skoro nie dochodzą do jego świadomości rzeczy daleko prostsze?

W każdym razie, sukces wizyty jest porażający.

Prezydent Kwaśniewski spedził w Oval Office 13 minut. Premier Tusk 17 minut.
Tusk
President Bush Meets with Prime Minister Tusk of Poland
March 10, 2008
Oval Office

11:13 A.M. EDT

Q Mr. President, it's getting to be embarrassing for Polish politicians to talk about visas in the Oval Office, but it's even more embarrassing for my countrymen to apply for visas. And it would be really ironic if Poland would become a third missile defense site, and Polish citizens would still have to apply for visas. So can we expect that, before your watch is over, something will change, and maybe we'll convince the lawmakers on Capitol Hill to do something about this?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, thank you very much. First of all, the Prime Minister, of course, brought up the issue. And he was very firm about the need for a friend to treat a friend as a friend when it comes to visas.

Look, this is a tough issue. And we changed law. And now there are ways forward for the people applying for visas. A lot of it has to do with rejection rates. And as the Prime Minister noted, the rejection rates are changing quite dramatically, and so of course, this will be taken into account.

I fully understand the frustrations. And if I were living in Poland, I'd be -- and wanted to come to America, I'd be frustrated, too. And the truth of the matter is, we're going from one era to the next. We're going from a time when the -- during the Soviet era, where there was a different motivation by the people. And we're adjusting. And I fully understand the pace of adjustment doesn't meet expectations inside Poland.

And so I'm very sympathetic. But the law is changing. The paradigm is shifting. And I hope at some point in time, obviously, that the frustrations of our friends and allies are able to be eased with more moderate visa policy.

Thank you, sir. Thank you all.

END 11:30 A.M. EDT

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Kwaśniewski
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 27, 2004



President Bush Welcomes President Kwasniewski to White House

The Oval Office

11:23 A.M. EST

Q -- visas for Polish tourists coming to the United States?

Q Visa. Visas -- do you offer anything on the visa policy for the Polish people?

PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, we're working with the President on this very delicate issue. And there is the opportunity for some pre-screening to make sure that Polish citizens headed to the United States are not inconvenienced. We've got a study group we're going to put together to make sure that we come up with rational policy. But let me make sure everybody understands: the Congress decides the visa policy. That's what the Congress decides. And our study group will work with the Polish authorities in a way that makes it clear what the realities are here in the United States and makes it clear what the realities are on the ground in Poland.

Listen, let me just take a step back on this very important issue. We value our friendship with Poland. Poland is our great friend. There are thousands of Polish Americans who --

PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI: Millions.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Millions, excuse me. I just don't want to overstate the case here. (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI: Especially before the election. Millions and millions. (Laughter.)

PRESIDENT BUSH: That love Poland and that have got relatives in Poland. And we understand the need for dialogue and travel. We've got visa rules set by the Congress that we just -- that are on the books. And we look forward to working with the President on these issues.

PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI: We will work, of course, but I would like to deliver this idea to you and to our friends. The future of the world is without visa, not with visa. That should be our goal.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Yes.

PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI: And, of course, how to reach this important goal, that is task for politicians, because the future of the world, with Poland, with Eastern Europe, with the world is no visa, not visa. That's -- me, very modest citizen of Poland, I speak to you. That is the future. That is the future.

PRESIDENT BUSH: Well, it could be. Let me also say that I announced a very important piece of legislation, or called Congress to an important piece of legislation, which is to issue temporary worker cards, which will help address much of the issue with the Polish people. And I would hope Congress would pass rational immigration policy -- that is not amnesty -- rational immigration policy that matches willing worker with willing employer. And that also will help on this issue.

PRESIDENT KWASNIEWSKI: It will help very much. We appreciate it very much. But, please, the President, the future is no visa.

END 11:36 A.M. EST