‘Theoretical state’ – metting with Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz

The Freedom Games are not only discussions, but also meetings with authors. One of the first was the speech by Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz, author of the book ‘Państwo teoretyczne’ (‘Theoretical State’). Starting the meeting, the moderator referred to the current situation on the road, which made it difficult for many guests to arrive on time, and then he addressed the path that the author had to go through to describe the situation of the country from his own perspective. Sienkiewicz said that the book is not a figment of the author, it is a set of experiences he gained while performing the function of the minister of internal affairs. The position of a civil servant allowed him to delve into the system from the inside. Thanks to his actions, he noticed many state dysfunctions resulting both from the policy of the ruling parties and the age-old history, affecting the current situation in the country.

During the meeting, the guest admitted that actions at the level of the central government affect the loss of important things from the field of view: “Even if we know that we should do something, we begin to be indifferent. Then people are needed who, despite being involved in public affairs, will be able to see what is important in the state. ” It is also important that the citizens themselves do not take their eyes off its deficiencies. We should remember that they do not come from the current situation and the actions of the ruling party, but are the result of centuries of history and the specifics of society.

The “theoretical state” refers to everyday life, thanks to which the described thoughts become more understandable to the reader. It contains a chapter about the rules of the road and driving etiquette, education and church spheres. Sienkiewicz raises the question of the fiction of school rules, conformism, lack of creativity flexibility. Politicians are outdoing themselves in the ideas of reforms, appointing more expert groups, forgetting about dialogue with the public. This leads to the production of non-citizens and a systematic decline in participation in social life by people leaving school. The persistence of this situation will not lead to the disappearance of problems existing in the country, but will highlight them.

Paulina Małota