A post appeared online suggesting that the Polish government had planned the “Ukrainization of Poland” and a “population replacement” several years ago. The author of the post quotes a real statement made by Jarosław Gowin in 2019, but assigns it an entirely different meaning. This is an example of manipulation based on taking words out of context in order to stir hostility toward Ukrainians.
Summary of the analysis
• A post on X (formerly Twitter) suggests that the “Ukrainization of Poland” was planned by both PO and PiS governments.
• The author cites a real statement by Jarosław Gowin from 2019: “We should start bringing future elites to Poland,” presenting it as proof of a supposed plan to “replace Poles with Ukrainians.”
• In reality, Gowin was speaking about educational and economic policy, including encouraging foreign students, researchers, and specialists to settle in Poland.
• The term “Ukrainization” does not appear in any government document and is a propagandistic construct.
What does the post show?
A post was published on platform X suggesting that the government had planned the “Ukrainization” of Poland. The post quoted part of Jarosław Gowin’s 2019 statement:
“We should start bringing future elites to Poland.”
The author of the tweet claims this is evidence of a plan to replace Poles with Ukrainian citizens. The post is reinforced with emojis, red-and-white colors, and national symbols, all intended to provoke an emotional reaction.
What did Gowin’s words really mean?
In 2019, Jarosław Gowin, then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science, gave an interview to Dziennik Gazeta Prawna. In the conversation, he referred to Poland’s migration and educational policy. He emphasized that the country should attract foreign students, researchers, and specialists, especially from culturally similar countries such as Ukraine or Belarus.
“Instead of being pleased that today over a million Ukrainians are working in Poland doing relatively simple jobs, we should start competing for Ukrainian doctors, IT specialists, scientists.”
Source: https://www.bankier.pl/wiadomosc/Gowin-Powinnismy-zaczac-sciagac-do-Polski-przyszle-elity-7732758.html
In the context of the entire statement, Gowin was speaking about developing a knowledge-based economy and the need to address labor shortages—not about any “population replacement.”
Propagandistic use of the term “Ukrainization”
The term “Ukrainization” is frequently used in disinformation narratives of an anti-Ukrainian nature. Its purpose is to evoke fear and hostility by suggesting that Ukrainians are “taking over Poland” and that the government “planned a population swap.” In reality, such claims have no basis in facts or in any government documents. They reflect a typical conspiracy narrative aimed at heightening social tensions.
Manipulation through emotions and symbols
The author of the post uses national symbols (the flag, the eagle) and warning emojis to provoke outrage and a sense of national threat. This is a common technique in disinformation messaging: emotions and suggestive imagery are used in place of facts.
Broader social context
According to a 2025 CBOS report, 38% of Poles declare dislike toward Ukrainians — an increase of 8 percentage points compared to the previous year.
Source: https://www.cbos.pl/SPISKOM.POL/2025/K_013_25.PDF
As indicated in the report “Anti-Ukrainian propaganda: April–July 2025” prepared by the Demagog Association and the Institute of Media Monitoring, the rise in negative sentiments toward Ukrainians may be linked to an intensification of disinformation campaigns in the Polish-language internet.
Sources:
https://demagog.org.pl/analizy_i_raporty/antyukrainska-propaganda-kwiecien-lipiec-2025-raport-demagoga-i-imm/
https://demagog.org.pl/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Raport-Demagoga-i-IMM-Antyukrainska-propaganda-w-2025-roku-4.pdf
Conclusion
The post suggesting that Jarosław Gowin was announcing the “Ukrainization of Poland” is manipulation.
Although the cited quotation is real, it was taken out of context and used in a misleading way. Gowin’s statement concerned educational and economic policy, not any plan for “population replacement.”
Such messages are intended to provoke a sense of threat and to create hostility within society toward Ukrainian citizens.
