POLAND: Pro-EU Opposition Leads Gov't In Sunday's Election

[world politics news]

Politicians across Europe cheered Sunday’s projected victory by Polish opposition forces — especially in Germany, the favorite target of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice Party.  

“I expect that Poland will become a constructive partner and that the change in government will strengthen its standing in Europe,” Terry Reintke, a German MEP who is co-leader of the Greens in the European Parliament, told German radio. “Poland is an extremely relevant democracy for Europe.“

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#POLAND: Justice Minister Says Nation Won't Comply With 'Illegal" EU Court Ruling

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Poland's justice minister said it was not possible to comply with a ruling by the top European Union court that the country's new system for disciplining judges broke EU law and should be suspended.

The minister, Zbigniew Ziobro, said the EU court's ruling that Poland should suspend its Supreme Court disciplinary chamber was "illegal in the light of Polish and European law."

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#POLAND: Schools To Teach EU Is An "Unlawful Entity"

[world politics news]

Students in Polish schools will be taught that the European Union is an “unlawful entity," says Eucation Minister Przemysław Czarnek. He also wants history classes to focus more on teaching pride in Poland’s past rather than, as before, “shame” about it.

Czarnek said the changes are part of the government’s new “Polish Deal” program, which was unveiled last Saturday. As well as bolstering social spending and introducing a more progressive tax system, the plan also contains elements intended to strengthen Polish identity, such as more history teaching in schools.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#POLAND: Justice Minister Signals Pull-Out From Istanbul Convention Due To Gender Definition

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Zbigniew Ziobro, Minister of Justice, announced that he will file a motion to the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy to take formal steps in order to denounce the Istanbul Convention.

Ziobro said that there are provisions in the convention that are of an ideological nature which Poland does not accept and considers harmful. In this context, the Minister of Justice spoke about, among others, the construction of the so-called socio-cultural gender in opposition to biological sex.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#POLAND: President Duda Wins Re-Election By Slim Margin

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Poland's incumbent President Andrzej Duda has narrowly beaten challenger Rafal Trzaskowski in Sunday's presidential vote.

The National Electoral Commission said Mr Duda had won 51.2% of the votes.

It is Poland's slimmest presidential election victory since the end of communism in 1989.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#POLAND: Presidential Election Goes To Runoff As Duda Suddenly Faces Close Race

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Poland’s conservative President Andrzej Duda will face centrist challenger Rafał Trzaskowski in a runoff election next month after no candidate won an outright majority in a first round of voting on Sunday, according to final results announced by electoral officials.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#POLAND: Pres. Duda, Campaigning, Seeks Ban On LGBTQ Taught In Schools

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Poland could join countries like Russia and Lithuania, as well as several American states, in blocking recognition of LGBTQ people in schools, according to an election year interview with Polish President Andrzej Duda, who is seeking re-election.

“I think that this kind of propaganda should not take place in schools. It has to be calmly and consistently opposed,” Duda told radio show Radio Maryja. “If such a law was created and would be well written, I do not exclude that I would approach it seriously.”

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#POLAND: Former EU Pres. Tusk Will Boycott Election; Incumbent Duda Is Likely Winner

[world politics news]

Former European Council president Donald Tusk is appealing for a boycott of the upcoming presidential election in his native Poland, saying the postal vote the government has proposed carries health risks amid the coronavirus pandemic and would not meet democratic standards for free, equal and transparent elections.

Tusk, who served as Poland’s prime minister from 2007 to 2014, said in a video on Twitter that he would not “not take part in the voting procedure" for the May 10 balloting. He said the vote promoted by the right-leaning ruling party “has nothing to do with an election.”

According to the latest election poll conducted by Statista in April 2020, the current President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, has the highest chance of winning next year's presidential election. The poll estimates that he may count on 59% of votes.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#POLAND: Ruling Law And Justice Party Wins Parliamentary Election

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Poland's ruling conservative Law and Justice Party has won the most votes in the country's parliamentary election, according to partial official results.

The state electoral commission reported Monday that Law and Justice won 44.6% of the vote. The opposition Civic Coalition, comprising the Civic Platform Party formerly led by European Council President Donald Tusk and some smaller liberal parties, came second with almost 27%.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#POLAND: Ruling Party Hints It May Not Fully Implement New EU Copyright Law; "Stifles" Freedom Of Speech

[world politics news]

The leader of Poland's ruling Law and Justice Party has hinted that the government will not fully implement the EU’s new copyright reform law, saying it stifles freedom of speech.

Speaking at a convention in the northern city of Gdańsk on Saturday, Jaroslaw Kacznski said his conservative ruling party would strive to defend the rights of internet users in Poland after the controversial new rules were voted through by the EU Parliament. Kacznski said the newly approved EU Copyright Directive would be brought into Polish law - by the Law and Justice Party of which he is head - "in such a way that the freedom of the internet is preserved."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#POLAND: Pres. Duda Calls EU "Imaginary Community" And "Irrelevant"

[world politics news]

Poland’s President Andrzej Duda has called the European Union, of which Poland is a member, an “imaginary community” of little relevance to Poles. “When our affairs are resolved, we will deal with European affairs,” Duda said in a speech. “For now let them leave us alone and let us fix Poland, because this is the most important thing.” Duda and the ruling Law and Justice Party have been in conflict with the EU over an overhaul of the Polish judicial system which the EU sees as violating the rule of law. Duda's government says the reforms as making judges more accountable.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#POLAND: Pres. Duda Vetoes 2 Controversial Legal Reforms After Mass Protests

[world politics news]

Poland's President Andrzej Duda has unexpectedly vetoed two out of three contentious bills that are widely seen as assaults on the independence of the judicial system and are part of a planned legal overhaul by the ruling party that has sparked days of nationwide protests.

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#POLAND: Bill Seeks To Reform "Corrupt" Judiciary That Serves "Only The Elites"

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Poland's parliament has approved a bill to give MPs and the justice minister the power to appoint judges without consulting judicial circles. Opposition parties and human rights groups say this would erode the independence of the judiciary. The governing Law and Justice party says the reforms are needed because the judiciary is corrupt and serves only the elite.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#POLAND: Gov't Drops Plans To Restrict Press Access To Parliament After Mass Protests

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Poland's president says he has received a pledge from leaders of the populist ruling party that they won't introduce restrictions on media access in parliament, a plan that had sparked days of bitter protests. It was a victory for opposition parties and activists who had staged mass protests. It is the second time that the ruling populist Law and Justice party has stepped back from disputed measures due to street protests.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#POLAND: Lower House Votes To Lower Retirement Ages

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Poland‘s lower house of parliament has voted to lower the age of retirement from 67 to 60 for women and 65 for men, placing Poland at odds with a broader trend to raise the bar in other European countries. The bill, a brainchild of President Andrzej Duda, is a boon to his former party, the Law and Justice Party, and its promise to improve social welfare. Joanna Augustynowska of the opposition Nowoczesna Party said a lower retirement age would place a heavy burden on caring for the elderly.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#POLAND: Gov't Bill To Further Restrict Abortion Rejected By Parliament

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In a setback for governing conservatives, Poland's parliament has overwhelmingly rejected proposed legislation that would have restricted nearly all abortions in the nation, following mass protests. Lawmakers, including those from the ruling Law & Justice Party, voted 352-58, rejecting an independent parliamentary group's proposal to further restrict Poland’s already tight restrictions on the termination of pregnancy.

[FULL STORY HERE]

#POLAND: High Court Reforms Draw Condemnation From EU

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The Council of Europe and the European Commission are condemn reforms of Poland's high court as being anti-democratic. Last year, legislation added five "politically friendly" judges to the country's Constitutional Tribunal, which critics said make it easier for the government to push through legislation. Poland's Chief Justice ruled the changes unconstitutional, but the government ignored the ruling. In July 2016, further changes allow for rulings to be made a simple majority, with 11 judges being present. It also allowed for rulings on the constitutionality of a law to be made by only five judges.

#POLAND: Pro-NATO, Anti-Immigrant Law & Justice Party Defeats Ruling Party Handily

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Polish voters handed an absolute majority in its parliamentary election to the Law and Justice Party, a Euro-skeptic party that is against immigration, is vigorously pro-NATO, wants family-focused welfare spending, and has threatened to ban abortion. It's leader, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, has suffered years of political setbacks and personal tragedy.

#POLAND: Pres. Komorowski Defeated By Euro-Skeptic Opponent

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Pres. Bronisław Komorowski has conceded defeat to Andrzej Duda of the conservative Euro-skeptic Law and Justice Party. The result sends a message to the government of PM Ewa Kopacz, an ally of Komorowski, who faces a tight re-election battle later this year, and a defeat for Civic Platform, a pro-EU party that's been in power six years.

Pictured: Polish President-elect Andrzej Duda.

#POLAND: Conservative Euro Skeptic Wins First Round Of Pres. Election

[world politics news]

The conservative opposition candidate won the first round in Poland’s presidential election Sunday, opening the way for a runoff in two weeks. Despite opinion polls giving Pres. Bronisław Komorowski a 10% lead, Andrzej Duda from the Law and Justice (PiS) won the most votes in the first round of the poll.

Pictured: Andrzej Duda