Yesterday, The Venice Commission issued their opinion on a judicial reform bill currently debated in the Polish Senate. According to the Commission, the law proposal constitutes a threat to the independence of the courts. In response, Polish Minister of Justice, Zbigniew Ziobro stated that the activities of the Venice Commission is a form of neocolonialism on the part of the "old states" of the European Union towards Poland. The Commission is an advisory body to the Council of Europe and its opinions are not binding.

Yesterday, the leaders of the 4 Visegrad Group member states, Poland,Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia met with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in Prague. The big topic of the day was the Just Transition Fund, unveiled by the President of the European Commission as part of her Green Deal program intended to lower Greenhouse gas emissions in the EU.

Magdalena Biejat of the Left has been dismissed as chair of the parliamentary Social Policy and Family Committee. Biejat was a supporter of the legalization of abortion before the 12th week of pregnancy, as well as the adoption of children by homosexual couples.

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution condemning Poland and Hungary for being in breach of the rule of law. The resolution states that the situation in both countries has worsened after the procedure of Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union was implemented.

Next week, the first US military transports are due to set off for Europe on "Defender Europe 2020" exercises. As part of them, 20,000 US soldiers will be transferred to the Old Continent.

Expenditure on heating in household budgets are decreasing - indicates the Polish Economic Institute (PIE). 5.1 percent in 2018 Poles could not afford enough heating of the house. This is six times lower than in 2005 - it was stated.

31 state delegations have already confirmed their arrival at the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the German Auschwitz camp, which will take place on January 27, the Auschwitz Museum said. About 200 former prisoners and Holocaust survivors will arrive at the ceremony.

In the recruitment, Tomasz Chróstny, the current vice president of the Office, was elected the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) - the Chancellery of the Prime Minister informed. The President of UOKiK is appointed by the prime minister.

The US China trade war is over. US President Donald Trump and the Deputy Prime Minister of China, Liu He, signed a preliminary agreement in Washington today to end it. The conflict stemmed from what Trump saw as unfair action by China and an unacceptably high trade deficit with China. It was significant for international trade as the USA and China are the world’s two largest economies.

Russian continues to lie about and to provoke Poland. The Kremlin claims it is defending historical truth. The lies and historical manipulation by the Kremlin were condemned by a majority of MEPs during a debate in the European Parliament yesterday.

 The Polish Senate has started to debate amendments to the law on the structure of the common courts and the Supreme Court. Senator Bogdan Pęk introduced the amendments  on behalf of the Law and Justice parliamentary club. He urged Senators to vote in favour of the bill, but the Senatorial committees oppose it and support rejecting the bill. The controversial amendments deal with disciplining judges for their political and criminal actions outside the courts, prompting the opposition to call them pejoratively muzzle laws.

I appeal to Senate speaker Tomasz Grodzki to reveal who proposed him the position of the Minister of Health in exchange for transfering to PiS, the deputy speaker of the Senate Stanisław Karczewski said on the Radio Trójka today. He admitted that there were such talks, but not with Grodzki.