Nawrocki said the republic fell “within a century” under pressure from three partitioning powers, but successive generations fought and worked to restore independence. Poland then had to defend its borders and withstand the Bolshevik advance, he added.
The president said independence leaders differed among themselves but shared a common goal. Despite sharp political conflicts in the interwar era, “the Second Republic never surrendered its dreams and ambitions,” he said, citing the Central Industrial District, the port of Gdynia and the Polish złoty as symbols of sovereignty.
He praised schools of that period for raising citizens who “knew they were Poles and had Polish duties,” and asked, “What will we do today for Poland’s freedom and sovereignty?”
Defense Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said Poland is modernizing its armed forces and pursuing major infrastructure plans, including the Central Communication Hub and the Świnoujście terminal.
He called support for Ukraine “necessary” for humanitarian reasons and Poland’s national interest, saying the “front line of Polish security” lies on the Ukrainian-Russian front and warning of threats from the east bringing “devastation and death.”
The ceremony was attended by Nawrocki and his wife Marta, Sejm Speaker Szymon Hołownia, and other officials.
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Source: Polskie Radio 24