On 13 October, Poles will go to the polls to chose their parliament. Who will rule Poland for the next four years? What are different political actors fighting for in this elections?
Category: Free and Fair?
The Ministry of Hate
It is evening, 19 August 2019. Another sunny, hot day. The climate change shows its positive side for holiday-makers, as there are thousands of people on the sunny sandy beaches over the southern Baltic coast and thousands more hike the hills and mountains of south Poland. 30 degrees in the shade, and the political campaign … Continue reading The Ministry of Hate
Jarosław Kaczyński: we need to limit the LGBT ideology
Jarosław Kaczyński sees a conspiracy between independent judiciary, European Union and LGBT
Last days of the campaign
If you think Law and Justice (PiS) is anti-European, anti-systemic, anti-liberal democracy, think again. Not because Law and Justice presents itself as a modern, pro-European party with a logo "Poland at the heart of Europe" and with the European flag behind their backs. Law and Justice is a conservative party arguing in favour of Christian … Continue reading Last days of the campaign
Rostowski: Brexit is the worst event in Western Europe since WW2
Brexit puts the details of the European elections in limbo. It looked like there will be 705 MEPs. Now it seems we will see the same number of MEPs as before: 751. With Britain or not, for the Polish MEPs it makes a difference of one mandate: with Britain in the EU there will be … Continue reading Rostowski: Brexit is the worst event in Western Europe since WW2
The Euro question…
Poland is outside of the Eurozone, together with Sweden, Denmark, Czechia and Hungary. Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia joined the EU later and are on their way to the Eurozone, at least this is what one hears... "Should Poland join the Eurozone?" is not the question on people's minds this elections. At least, not until Saturday, … Continue reading The Euro question…
The Group of Souverenists in the making
Remember the Salvini visit in Warsaw in January? That's past. On Wednesday, PiS Chairman Jarosław Kaczyński met with the delegation of Brothers of Italy, a ECR party from Italy with no MEPs yet. https://twitter.com/pisorgpl/status/1113414507731329024 The Brothers of Italy joined the ECR back in November. This seems to be a pattern: PiS looks for sovereignist partners … Continue reading The Group of Souverenists in the making
Brexit unexpected fallout in the Court of Justice
All EU institutions have to prepare for the post-Brexit reality. The British Commissioner will lose his position on the day the UK leaves the EU. After the European Council last week the chance there will be British MEPs is reduced to almost 0%. Hence most likely there will be 705 MEPs come July. In the … Continue reading Brexit unexpected fallout in the Court of Justice
PiS EP tactics: buy & scare
23 February, Jarosław Kaczyński, PiS chairman enters the stage to present PiS' new political offer. On the agenda are five key points, which soon are labelled "the Kaczyński Five". In the following days the details come in. Are votes for sale? Or the Kaczyński Five: The most radiant is the extension of the PiS government … Continue reading PiS EP tactics: buy & scare
The Spring is coming
When on Sunday Robert Biedroń entered the main stage in Warsaw's Torwar stadium, he had his Macron moment with the Ode to Joy playing in the background. Is Biedroń Poland's Macron the same way as the French president stopped the rise of Marine Le Pen in 2017? Can Biedroń be the response to the nationalist … Continue reading The Spring is coming
Human rights today: under attack in Poland, in Europe, in the world.
I talk with Mr Bogusław Stanisławski, who is a nestor of the Polish human rights defenders. Mr Stanisławski (born 1930) is a World War II survivor, was a diplomat during the Helsinki process in 1970s, member of the Solidarność in 1980s, co-creator and leader of the Amnesty International Poland (1999-2001). It seems that human rights … Continue reading Human rights today: under attack in Poland, in Europe, in the world.
The Kaczyński Tapes
On Tuesday morning yesterday news feel like last winter Olympics: long gone. Monday is full of corruption stories. This week's Monday is an entrée for the big story, as announced, which is scheduled for Tuesday. Tuesday comes, people wake up early. People buy Gazeta Wyborcza paper edition for the first time in years. They read … Continue reading The Kaczyński Tapes
Far, far away on the right side
Where the horizon ends on the far, far right side, Sunday saw two new - marginal, I hope - developments in Poland. Both in the context of the European elections. Żółtek's Polexit First, another new party was created. It is called Polexit and its driver is Stanisław Żółtek, MEP, former associate of Janusz Korwin-Mikke. Mr. … Continue reading Far, far away on the right side
PO gears up for the European Parliament
On Saturday, 26 January, the Civic Platform (PO) and its remaining partner within the Civic Coalition, the small association Initiative Poland (Inicjatywa Polska, IP), held a congress. Its leitmotif: "Woman - Poland - Europe". Now we know the main platform of the Polish leading opposition in the campaign ahead of 26 May: it's the women's … Continue reading PO gears up for the European Parliament
EP Elections: This Time I’m Voting
Ever since 1979 the turnout in the European elections has been lower than five years before. In 2014 the first indications suggested the trend might have been stopped. Unfortunately when the final data came through, it turned out that the turnout was the lowest in history, once again. In 2014 only 42,54% of Europeans voted. … Continue reading EP Elections: This Time I’m Voting
The Adamowicz Murder Fall-Out
The Adamowicz murder has stunned and shaken Europe. The Compassion The Gdańsk mayor has been stabbed on the evening of 13 January. He died the next day. The immediate reactions of condolences are beautiful and filled with compassion and sympathy. Marches against violence take place across Poland and in many places in Europe, where Polish … Continue reading The Adamowicz Murder Fall-Out
How MEPs are elected in Poland
Elections to the European Parliament in Poland will take place on Sunday 26 May 2019, together with 20 other EU countries. Only 6 countries have elections on Thursday, Friday or Saturday ahead of the Sunday vote. The Polish elections have their specificity. In this blog we outline the way the elections in Poland are organised. … Continue reading How MEPs are elected in Poland
Poland’s public TV is a propaganda tube, confirmed.
The media freedom, especially the pubic media in Poland has been an on-going controversy since 2015. To understand this complex situation, I have sat down to talk to Andrzej Krajewski, a retired journalist, whose list of “former” is an inspiration for any aspiring journalist out there. For example, Andrzej was a correspondent of TVP (Polish … Continue reading Poland’s public TV is a propaganda tube, confirmed.
ALERT! Mayor of Gdańsk attacked UPDATE
At 20:00 on Sunday night Paweł Adamowicz (53) was stabbed in the stomach multiple times during a concert organised on the occasion of the 2019 grand finale of the Great Orchestra of the Christmas Charity. The attacker forced himself on stage and attacked the mayor with knife. The attacker identified himself as "Stefan" and shouted … Continue reading ALERT! Mayor of Gdańsk attacked UPDATE
Matteo Salvini meets Jarosław Kaczyński
The leader of La Lega met with Jarosław Kaczyński. Two leaders of two major political parties in two more populous member states. No wonder there was a buzz about this meeting that transcended borders and melted snow outside of the PiS HQ. Even Jarosław Kaczyński noticed Salvini’s popularity in Warsaw: “I see you are very … Continue reading Matteo Salvini meets Jarosław Kaczyński