The Greek community in Poland is now officially recognized as a national minority, following the signing of a legislative amendment by the President of Poland, Karol Nawrocki.
According to an announcement by the Embassy of Greece in Warsaw, the process of amending the law concerning national and ethnic minorities and regional languages was completed, with the result being that the Greek community is now officially included in the recognized national minorities of Poland.
There are currently 3,600 – 4,000 Greeks living in Poland, according to Greece’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Greek presence being in the country since the Middle Ages. The new demographic development makes Greeks the tenth recognized national minority in Poland and creates a new institutional framework for the operation and development of Greek communities.
Provisions for acquiring national minority status in Poland
Under the provisions of the 2005 Act in Article 2(1), a community can be recognized as a national minority in Poland after fulfilling all the following conditions:
1) It is smaller in number than the rest of the population of the Republic of Poland
2) Is significantly different from other citizens in terms of language, culture or tradition
3) Strives to preserve its language, culture or tradition
4) Is aware of its own historical national community and is oriented towards its expression and protection
5) Its ancestors have inhabited the present territory of the Republic of Poland for at least 100 years
6) identifes itself with the nation organized in its own state (Polish Parliament, 2005)
The Greek community in Poland meets all the criteria and so is now an official national minority.
Rights and benefits for the Greek minority in Poland
With the implementation of the new law, Greek associations and organizations gain access to state funding programs through the Ministry of the Interior and Administration of Poland. At the same time, support is provided for cultural activities and structures, such as libraries, museums, cultural centers, festivals and media related to the Greek presence in the country.
Particular emphasis is also given to education. The Polish public education system will be able to organize programs teaching the Greek language, history and culture for students of Greek origin.
The new framework also provides for the possibility of using traditional Greek script in the personal details of community members in official documents, where this is permitted by law.
Political representation
Recognition as a national minority is also accompanied by special political provisions. These include the exemption of the electoral committees of the Greek community from the 5 percent electoral threshold in the elections for the Polish Parliament (Sejm), as is the case for other recognized minorities.
In a statement, the Embassy of Greece in Warsaw thanked the Polish institutions for the decision, making special reference to the Lower House, the Senate and the President of the Republic.
At the same time, it underlined the contribution of the Greek community itself and the diaspora, noting that after many years of efforts of Greeks, its members contributed to achieving recognition.
The legislative amendment is expected to go into effect six months after its publication in the Polish Government Gazette.
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