“Speaking about the Pole’s card, I want to say: this is just an element of subversive work, an anti-state form of this work, which has been carried out and, unfortunately, is still being carried out,” said Prosecutor General of Belarus Andrei Shved on the air of the ONT state channel. Recall that a Pole’s card is a document that confirms that a person belongs to the Polish people and is issued to citizens of the former republics of the USSR.
It allows you to work a long-term national Polish visa, legally in Poland without a special permit and use the education system free of charge, gives some other benefits and advantages on the territory of Poland. More than 130 thousand Belarusians received the Pole’s card.
Patriotism or Additional Opportunities in Poland?
“I asked many people why they decided to get a card of a Pole. business, – says Olga (name has been changed. – Ed…), having received the card of the Pole about 10 years ago. – I will not argue that I also had exclusively patriotic motives. Yes, all Catholic traditions are supported in my family, there were many trips to Poland, my relatives live there. I didn’t want to lose this connection. “
More than 130 thousand Belarusians received the Pole’s card.
According to the interlocutor, DW. “They are also good progressive parents,” says Olga. her such a document.
“In order for my card of a Pole to be written down as a Polish woman, my grandmother had to quarrel in the village council,” says Nadezhda. And she recalls that her grandmother brought up respect for Polish traditions, Nadezhda had been using the Polish language since childhood, and she learned the Latin alphabet earlier than the Cyrillic alphabet. “I have crossed two identities – Belarusian and Polish. The Pole’s card is a confirmation. I received it more than 10 years ago. Polish students,” continues Nadezhda.
In her previous government work, they knew that she had a Pole’s card, but the authorities took it calmly – they just took note of it. “Perhaps now for people who work in some positions in government agencies, the cards of the Pole may have any consequences, but I do not think that because of the statements of the authorities there will be fewer people who want to get it,” the interlocutor believes.
Will the Belarusian card be in demand?
“I think there may be consequences for people who are employed in state institutions. If an official works in some executive committee and has a Pole’s card, this is a problem. there is a map of the Pole, “political scientist Valery Karbalevich predicts.
Valery Karbalevich
According to him, the authorities in Minsk had previously rather negatively assessed the fact that the Polish state was handing out cards of the Pole to Belarusians, taking it as an element of disloyalty to the Belarusian statehood. Against the background of the aggravation of relations between the two countries, Minsk’s statements that Poland allegedly wants to annex the Grodno region, after the arrest of the leaders of the Union of Poles in Belarus, the card of the Pole has become an even greater crime, Karbalevich believes: “The statements of the Swede are in line with that anti-Polish one.” which is actively developing in Belarus “.
After the statements of the Prosecutor General in the state newspaper “Minskaya Prauda” there was a proposal to start issuing a Belarusian card to Polish Belarusians. Valery Karbalevich says that in general it is a good idea: “Anyone should use the diasporas to strengthen their national interests. Another question is how to implement this in today’s. recently, it is opposed to the existing regime in Belarus. “
“Do people want to live on the Pole’s card the way Belarusians do today? Even migrants from flaming Afghanistan perceive Belarus only as a transit point,” wrote on my Facebook page ex-candidate for the presidency of Belarus, co-chairman of the public association “Tell the Truth”, recently liquidated by the authorities, Andrei Dmitriev. He proceeds from the fact that if the card of a Belarusian can be in demand, then, first of all, not among Poles or Lithuanians, but among residents of border or Ukrainian regions.
See also:
Belarus in various world rankings
Democracy Index
When compiling a rating of democracy, The Economist analysts take into account such indicators as elections and pluralism, civil liberties, government performance, population in, political culture. In 2020, Belarus took 148th place out of 167 – next to Guinea-Bissau and Sudan. Of the post-Soviet countries, the situation is worse only in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.
Belarus in various world rankings
Corruption perception level
Ranking Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index is an indicator of the level of corruption in the public sector. In 2020, Belarus took 63rd place, sharing it with Cuba and Croatia. This is better than the indicators of Russia and Ukraine, but worse than those of Lithuania and Latvia. Of the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, things are best in Georgia (45th place) and Armenia (60th).
Belarus in various world rankings
Conditions for doing business
In the World Bank’s Doing Business 2020 report, which covers 190 economies of the world, it dropped to 49th place from 37th. Russia is in 28th place, Ukraine is in 64th. The highest positions of Belarus are in the indicator “registration of property” and “connection to the power supply system”. Worst of all – according to the criteria of “taxation”, “obtaining a loan” and “protection of minority agents.”
Belarus in various world rankings
Gender inequality
In the World Economic Forum’s ranking of inequality between men and women, Belarus ranks 29th out of 153. For comparison: Ukraine – 59th, Russia – 81st. Criteria include reproductive health, educational attainment, political participation, and labor market opportunities. In terms of the economic activity of women, Belarus is in 5th place, in terms of education – in 39th, in terms of participation in politics – in 81st.
Belarus in various world rankings
GDP per capita adjusted for cost of living
The GDP per capita indicator, calculated at purchasing power parity, speaks about the economic development of a country and the well-being of its average resident. In the ranking of the World Bank based on data for 2019, Belarus was ranked 66th out of 186 countries. Among the CIS countries, according to this indicator, it is in third place after Russia (50) and Kazakhstan (54).
Belarus in various world rankings
Media Freedom Level
In terms of freedom of the press, Belarus is in 158th place out of 180. This is the rating of 2021. Russia is on the 150th line, Ukraine – on the 97th. To compile it, Reporters Without Borders is conducting a survey of journalists, researchers and human rights defenders from around the world. Among the criteria are censorship, seizure of print runs, searches, beatings, arrests and other repressions against journalists.
Belarus in various world rankings
Militarization rating
The Global Militarization Index (GMI), which is compiled by the Bonn International Conversion Center (BICC), shows the relationship between the military budget and spending on other public needs. According to data for 2019, Belarus is among the twenty most militarized states in the world (17th place). Its neighbors in the index are Azerbaijan and Iraq. The share of defense spending in the country’s GDP is 1.2 percent.
Belarus in various world rankings
World Happiness Index
This World Happiness Index does not take into account the current crisis in Belarus. Latest data for 2017-19. Then Belarus took 75th place out of 153. For comparison: Uzbekistan – 38th, Russia – 73rd, Ukraine – 123rd. The authors take into account such factors as the level of GDP per capita, life expectancy, the subjective perception of the level of social support by residents, corruption, and others.
Belarus in various world rankings
Human development index
When compiling the rating, such as the level of well-being and literacy, life expectancy are taken into account. In this 2020, Belarus is in 53rd position out of 189 – between Russia and Turkey. The average life expectancy of Belarusians is 74.8 years. The level of education is comparable to that of Japan and France. In terms of GDP per capita, Belarus lags behind Russia, Poland and Lithuania.
Belarus in various world rankings
Freedom of movement
In the world index of the attractiveness of passports, the author of which is the consulting company Henley & Partners, Belarus, together with Kazakhstan and China, shares the 70th line out of 110. With a Belarusian passport, you can now visit 75 countries without a visa. For comparison: with the passport of the Russian Federation – 116 countries, Ukraine – 130.
Belarus in various world rankings
Post services
Ranking of countries by the level of development of postal services The integrated index of postal development covers 170 countries. Belarus has a high score in it. In the list for 2020, it ranks 20th between Russia (19) and Slovakia (21). The Universal Postal Union calculates this rating based on the reliability, availability, relevance of postal services and their resilience to a crisis, for example, during a pandemic.
Belarus in various world rankings
Global Climate Risk Index
In the Global Climate Risk Index, compiled by the environmental organization Germanwatch, in 2019 Belarus, along with a number of other countries, took the last 130th place. This index assesses the vulnerability of countries to natural disasters. From 2000 to 2019, Belarus ranked 166th out of 180. The rating takes into account information on natural disasters and socio-economic data from the IMF.