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.“

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#RUSSIA: Duma Member Claims Wagner May Start War In North

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According to Andrey Kartapolov, a Russian politician and former army officer, the relocation of the Wagner group to Belarus positions Russia in a favourable position to swiftly target NATO assets near Poland and Lithuania.

Kartapolov mentioned in a statement to Russian state television that the private military company has the capability to strike the border region of Poland and Lithuania within a short span of "a matter of hours" from its newly established base.

After an unsuccessful uprising led by its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin last month, the mercenary group, Wagner, is said to have relocated to Belarus. In the aftermath of the brief mutiny against Russian President Vladimir Putin, an agreement was reached between the two parties. As part of the deal, Yevgeny Prigozhin accepted exile in Belarus, where Wagner fighters have started to gather and join him, according to reports.

Belarus occupies a crucial geopolitical position at the intersection of Europe, sharing borders with NATO member countries like Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, as well as neighbouring Ukraine.

"Should anything happen, we need this Suwalki Corridor very much," Andrey Kartapolov said during his TV appearance, adding, "A strike force [based in Wagner forces in Belarus] is ready to take this corridor in a matter of hours."

According to Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer, the relocation of the Wagner group to Belarus may be a component of Vladimir Putin's strategy to create a new front in the ongoing Ukraine war.

Also Read: Who is Sedoi, whom Putin wants to replace Yevgeny Prigozhin as Wagner chief?

“The repositioning of the Wagner Group was part of Putin’s plan to open the second front in Belarus, which is now in possession of tactical nuclear weapons. Putin -- under the guise of the so-called 'Prigozhin coup' -- placed Wagner, his best fighting force, in a much more threatening position: within striking distance of both Kyiv, Ukraine and NATO’s border - Latvia, Lithuania," Rebekah Koffler said.

Rebekah Koffler continued, “Russia's General Staff that does long-term forecasting, assessed a decade ago that a direct war between Russia and the US/NATO is ‘inevitable’. Moscow is interpreting every US and NATO move within that prism. Whatever Biden’s rationale is for this recent deployment, to Putin it means the US is ready to jump in the fight."

“Putin will not wait for the US to strike first. If Russian intelligence assesses that US/NATO forces are about to join the fight, Putin will likely do what Kartapolov warns about," he added.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#POLAND: Resolution Condemning Russia Fails In Parliament

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A resolution that would have called Russia a state sponsor of terrorism has failed in the Polish Parliament.

The vote was cancelled after an amendment submitted by the ruling party was blocked by the opposition.

During the evening discussion that preceded the vote, parliament factions and groups unanimously supported the resolution. However, debates arose after the later submission of an amendment on the death of Polish President Lech Kaczyński.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#UKRAINE: Polish, Lithuanian Leaders Visit Ukraine As Russia Threatens Invasion

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In a show of support for Ukraine, which fears an immanent Russian invasion, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Polish President Andrzej Duda traveled to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Monday.

The three leaders "called upon the international community to step up sanctions on the Russian Federation over its ongoing aggression against Ukraine." In a clear reference to Ukraine's desire for more weapons, Zelensky requested "powerful preventative actions" from the West.

The three leaders signed a declaration supporting the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

[FULL STORY HERE and HERE]

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

#POLAND: Prime Minister Asks EU Help After Migrant Incursion From Belarus

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Poland's border police have announced that about 50 migrants have made it across the border this past weekend into the EU from Belarus after forcing their way through fences and barriers, amid a standoff which has seen multiple thousands of migrants and asylum-seekers set up camps just meters from Polish guards. 

NATO must take "concrete steps" to resolve the migrant crisis on the Belarus border, the Polish prime minister was quoted as saying on Sunday, adding that Poland, Lithuania and Latvia may ask for consultations under Article 4 of the alliance's treaty.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#POLAND: Region Declared "LGBT-Free" Zone By Council; EU To Pull Funding

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A Polish regional council has voted to re-affirm its status as an “LGBT -free zone” despite the EU threatening to remove billions of euros in funding.

The council of Malopolska – a southern region of Poland which includes the country's second city Krakow and 3.4 million citizens – passed a resolution in 2019 which declared itself an “LGBT-free” region.

This prompted a rebuke by the European Commission , which sent a letter to the council demanding it revoked the resolution by the middle of September. If it did not, it could lose the more than €2.5bn (about £2.1bn) in funding it receives from the EU.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#POLAND: Parliament Moves To Approve Media Reform Bill

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The lower house of Poland’s parliament voted 228-216 to narrowly pass a media reform legislation on Wednesday that the US Department of State fears will “significantly weaken the media environment the Polish people have worked so long to build.”

The bill aims to prevent non-European owners from having controlling stakes in Poland-based media companies as part of an effort to nationalize the media.

Effectively, this would force US-based Discovery Inc. to sell its controlling stake in TVN24 network—a flagship evening news program that has a large viewership base and is known to be critical of the current Polish government.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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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."

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#POLAND: Ruling Party Says It Opts Out Of EU "Social Revolution"

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The European Union is plotting a cultural revolution to destroy traditional families and the continent’s Christian heritage, according to Poland’s most powerful politician.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of the nationalist ruling Law & Justice party, is an architect of Poland’s crackdown on gay rights over the last half decade. 

His government has been repeatedly sued by the EU’s executive for eroding the rule of law and may soon face disciplinary action after towns and regions across Poland declared themselves “free of LGBTQ ideology.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

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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: Author Faces Prison For Insulting The President

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A popular Polish writer and journalist could face up to three years in prison for calling President Andrzej Duda a "moron" in a Facebook post in November.

Jakub Zulczyk accused Duda of failing to understand the US electoral process in a tweet to Joe Biden.

Duda's tweet stopped short of recognising his victory, pending Electoral College confirmation, but hailed his "successful campaign".

Poland has made it a crime to insult state leaders and religion.

In a Facebook post, his British publisher, Legend Times, said they were shocked by the charges.

"History shows us the consequences of denying freedom of speech, it is essential for working society and its chilling oppression cannot be accepted. As his UK publisher, we stand fully with Jakub as I am sure do all writers and others here in the UK.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#EU: Catholic Bishops Condemn EU Parliament Resolution On Poland's Abortion Law

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Catholic bishops across Europe have criticized a European Parliament resolution on Poland’s abortion law.

In a letter released on Feb. 25, the bishops said that the resolution, passed on Nov. 26, 2020, would have “a very negative impact” on the way that the European Union (EU) is seen by member states.

The European Parliament, the EU’s law-making body, passed the resolution by 455 votes to 145 after Poland’s top court ruled that a 1993 law permitting abortion for fetal abnormalities was unconstitutional.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#POLAND: Bill Would Fine Social Media Giants For Removing Content Legal In Poland

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Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro has announced a legal initiative aimed at enabling internet users to file complaints against the removal of online posts as well as the creation of a special court for freedom of speech.

Ziobro said the aim of the bill is to give internet users the feeling that their rights are protected and that their posts cannot be arbitrarily removed from online platforms.

Under its provisions, social media services can be fined if they remove content or block accounts if the content on them does not break Polish law.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#POLAND: Prime Minister Warns That Poland Will Veto EU Budget

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Poland’s prime minister has said he told German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday that his country is prepares to veto the EU’s new budget amid a conflict over linking funds from Brussels to Poland's court policies, which have been criticized by Western European powers.

The bloc’s budget has to be approved unanimously by all 27 countries in the European Union, of which Poland has been a member since 2004.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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#POLAND: October Ruling By Supreme Court Could Further Tighten Access To Abortions

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An imminent ruling by the government-controlled Constitutional Tribunal would make the country's restrictive abortion laws even more stringent.

A group of over 100 conservative and nationalist members of parliament asked the tribunal last year to review the constitutionality of what they claim is "eugenic" abortion - namely, when the procedure is performed in cases of severe birth defects or fetal abnormalities. In a surprise move last week, the tribunal said it will rule on the group's motion on October 22.

The immanent ruling has sparked protests across the conservative Catholic nation from pro-abortion campaigners.

[FULL STORY HERE]

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

#POLAND: Kosher, Halal Meat Exports Banned By Lower House Of Parliament

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Poland has moved a step closer to terminating its $1.8 billion industry of kosher and halal meat for export — one day after a parliamentary committee had removed language about a ban in an animal rights bill.

Th parliament’s lower house, the Sejm, voted in favor of the Law on Animal Protection. Among the 460 lawmakers, 375 backed the measure. The text on the ban was reintroduced.

[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]

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#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.”

[FULL STORY HERE]

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