Celebration of the partnership with the Greater Poland Voivodeship
The Brandenburg state parliament held a ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary of the partnership with the Wielkopolska voivodeship. "It is a partnership that encompasses all areas of life: Business, agriculture, education and democracy and administration," said President of the State Parliament Ulrike Liedtke in her celebratory speech on Wednesday. She pointed out that the East Germans in particular had benefited a great deal from the Poles during the peaceful revolution: "Civil disobedience and round tables - we were able to learn that from the Poles. We in East Germany are infinitely grateful to Solidarność."
The Marshal of Greater Poland, Marek Woźniak, declared himself a member of the Solidarity movement in his speech. After the elections in Poland, in which an opposition alliance won a majority, his country is now waiting for change again, he said. "We are waiting impatiently for the new government to be formed so that we can put the difficult eight years behind us," he said, referring to the previous national-conservative ruling party PiS. Unfortunately, the previous government had stirred up resentment against Germans, complained Woźniak. "We hope that these practices will be put to an end."
Minister for Europe Katrin Lange (SPD) referred to Germany's historical guilt: "If you know what the Poles have had to suffer at the hands of the Germans over the centuries, you know what a gift German-Polish friendship is." After the occupation of Poland in the Second World War, millions of Poles were killed by German hands, she said.
According to the State Chancellery, Brandenburg works closely with four other Polish voivodeships: Lubusz Land, West Pomerania, Lower Silesia and Mazovia.
The Brandenburg Parliament's partnership with the Greater Poland Voivodeship has been instrumental in promoting cooperation in various sectors, including business, agriculture, education, and democracy. Following the election results in Poland, Greater Poland is eagerly awaiting the formation of the new government to move past the challenging eight years under the previous national-conservative ruling party PiS.
Source: www.dpa.com
