As Murray N. Rothbard put it in his article “Toward a Theory of Strategy for Liberty”[4] if we want to succeed we need just three things: ideas, movement and professionals willing to dedicate their whole lives to spreading the message of Liberty. In Poland, the good ideas were always plentiful. Marked by first-handed experience of communism’s failure and its inability to provide even most basic goods and services, people were on a look out for alternatives. Even behind the iron curtain the books were always at the top of the goods smuggled from the Western Europe. The “movement” was also there. People organized, wrote pamphlets, translated the works of great libertarian thinkers, and even rioted when needed. They were unbroken even when martial law was imposed in 1981 and remained dedicated to their quest of vanquishing socialism until their triumph in 1989.

One thing we have always lacked were professionals skillful both in theory and proper ways of its advancement. The last piece missing from the puzzle proposed by Rothbard had fallen into place just recently. The process was hard since not only did it require us to realize our limitations and seek aid somewhere else – not something the poles are especially good at – but also setting up a wide network of projects securing accumulation of knowledge and experience of individual libertarians in Poland. One of the first organizations realizing this gap and working to fill it, in turn accelerating growth of polish liberty movement, was Freedom and Entrepreneurship Foundation (FEF).[5]

From the day of its founding in 2012 the small think-tank run by Jacek Spendel (former leader of the largest polish free market students organization KoLiber) and Marcin Chmielowski (experienced speaker and lecturer associated with polish Mises Institute) specialized in equipping future libertarian leaders with useful skills and knowledge, launching a first complex training program: Polish-American Leadership Academy (PAAL).[6] With assistance of Goldwater Institute and CATO University, PAAL has quickly become not only a worthy experience on its own, but also a meeting place for like-minded people from across the country affiliated with many different organizations.

One of this organizations was KoLiber Association.[7] Formed 15 years ago, KoLiber was initially meant to be an inner circle of one of many-at-the-time libertarianish parties, but has outgrown its initial design and turned into one of the largest organizations gathering a broad range of both libertarian and conservative youths. Currently, many of its leaders including president Kamil Rybikowski[8] and former president and current spokesman of third parliamentary party Kukiz 15’ Jakub Kulesza[9] were trained or otherwise affiliated with PAAL.

During this time, young activists from KoLiber specialized in happenings pointing out fallacies of new governments that blamed troubles associated with the transition period on free market and rapid liberalization. From smashing TVs[10] in front of the parliament in a protest against free speech limitations and censorship, to Marches of Capitalism[11]in the largest polish cities, KoLiber tirelessly defended free market values against statist agendas showing that being libertarian is not only worthy of one’s time and effort, but also cool!

Another flow of fresh ideas and libertarian inspirations came from the Universities. One of the most significant events heralding our coming success was marked by launching first Polish ESFL regional conference in Kraków in 2013.[12] This event organized in cooperation by FEF and Cracowian branch of KoLiber was a huge success. Not only did it feature former Minister of Justice and current vice-prime minister Jaros?aw Gowin as keynote, but also strengthened somewhat lose ties polish Liberty Movement had with our European friends at SFL.

The year of 2013 was important for one other reason. It marked the launch of one of the biggest and most impactful libertarian projects run in Poland – Economics Lessons for the Youth (LEM).[13] This simple idea to approach high school students and teach them some basic economic principles with wit and humor inspired by the works of Bastiat and Henry Hazlitt was first adopted by the polish Mises Institute[14], and further perfected and refined with cooperation with KoLiber. The effects were remarkable. Hundreds of students were acquainted with Austrian Economics through continuous effort of voluntaries teaching at high schools across the whole country.

The growing body of the Libertarian Movement in Poland required a radical shift in our approach. The few dedicated professionals became dozens, and the numbers of passing supporters skyrocketed into thousands. The growth in numbers paved way for further specialization with organizations dedicated to much narrower causes within the movement like Polish Libertarian Association[15] or Civic Development Forum[16] gaining substantial support.

Trying to secure gains and prevent this newly acquired momentum from stopping, new significant projects sprung into existence. From FEF the very first professional libertarian documentary series, founded by grant from ATLAS Networks “Think-Thank Shark-Thank” awarded to Jacek Spendel, was delivered to spectators across the country.[17] In the meantime, building on a huge success of Economic Lessons for the Youth and experience of its voluntaries, Mises Institute started work on its high school text book based solely on Austrian Economics research program– “The Free Entrepreneurship”.[18]

While organizations such as Freedom and Entrepreneurship Foundation and Mises Institute Poland were focused on securing a high degree of skills and knowledge represented by established and new leader of the movement, KoLiber, thanks to its past affiliation with applied politics, got involved with a process of forming a new political movement lead by a rock-star turned politician Pawe? Kukiz: Kukiz 15’[19]. This initiative, although definitely not libertarian in itself, surprisingly raised through polls and secured a third place in a newly formed Sejm after elections of 2015. More than a dozen classical-liberal politicians got elected, a few openly admitting to their libertarian beliefs.

This undeniable success leaves us in a strange new position. Despite such remarkable progress made just in a few years, we still have a long way to go here in Poland. Even though we have managed to put some of our representatives in parliament, the support for openly statist policies of current government has never been higher since 89’. Does this mean that we are bound to experience another failure and another disintegration of growing libertarian movement in Poland? It may be so, but I am highly optimistic, for this time for the first time not only we have right ideals being put forward by so many people, but also thanks to our continuous efforts we have a broad body of professionals ready to rebuild the fragile edifice of freedom again and again until ultimate triumph that will surpass even this of 1989’.

[1]  Lawrence Reed at ESFLC 2016 in Prague https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_EbMci-W0Nk

[2]  Auschwitz. Real Heroes: Witold Pilecki https://fee.org/articles/he-volunteered-to-go-to-auschwitz/

[3]  http://www.sejm.gov.pl/Sejm8.nsf/agent.xsp?symbol=SKLADZESP&Zesp=336

[4]  Murray N. Rothbard Toward a Theory of Strategy for Liberty https://mises.org/library/toward-theory-strategy-liberty

[5]  Freedom and Enetrpreneurship Foundation http://fundacjawip.org/en/

[6]  Polsko-Ameryka?ska Akademia Liderów http://www.akademialiderow.edu.pl/

[7]  KoLiber Association http://koliber.org/

[8]  Kamil Rybikowski KoLiber homepage http://koliber.org/ludzie/kamilrybikowski/

[9]  Jakub Kulesza homepage http://kulesza.pl/

[10]  TVs Smashed in front of the Parliament http://wiadomosci.wp.pl/kat,1349,title,Telewizory-rozbite-przed-Sejmem,wid,258066,wiadomosc.html?ticaid=116d10

[11]  March of Capitalism archive photos https://picasaweb.google.com/105350942221017147654/MarszDlaKapitalizmu#5216326981139267202

[12]  ESFL Conference Krakow http://studentsforliberty.org/europe/event/krakow-regional-conference/

[13]  Economics Lessons for the Youth http://ekonomiadlamlodziezy.pl/

[14]  Polish Mises Institute http://mises.pl/projekty/lekcje-ekonomii-dla-mlodziezy/

[15]  Stowarzyszenie Libertaria?skie http://slib.pl/pl/o-nas/

[16]  FOR http://www.for.org.pl/pl/o-nas

[17]  Wolno?? pod Ostrza?em https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOrHoCWto3Q

[18]  Wolna Przedsi?biorco?? http://mises.pl/projekty/wolna-przedsiebiorczosc/

[19]  Kukiz 15’ https://ruchkukiza.pl/

Miko?aj Pisarski is a President of Cracow branch of KoLiber Association and analyst / consultant in family business "Factor Consulting". He is associated with Polish Mises Institute and lecturer for Austrian Economics Clubs. He focuses on grass roots activism within the liberty movement, manages major project such as "Economic Lessons for Youth" and "Freedom University". He was awarded twice by Polish Mises Institute for exceptional commitment spreading free market economics in high schools across Poland.