The Mexican government announced on Friday that work had begun to strengthen the security of the southern border of the country against another approaching caravan of immigrants from Honduras and El Salvador, numbering over 3,000 people.
An additional two hundred National Guard officers are expected to be sent to the southern border of Mexico. The ‘Migrant Caravan’ counts three and a half thousand people who departed from San Pedro in the North of Honduras on Tuesday and are heading to the United States via Mexico. On Wednesday, the caravan crossed the border with Guatemala, traveling on foot or using available means of transport. Despite the security measures implemented so far, in accordance with the agreement with the US administration, the influx of immigrants to Mexico has not decreased. One of the programs aimed at controlling the migration crisis on the southern US border is a procedure for protecting migrants, in which immigrants, mainly from Central America, seeking political asylum in the United States, have to wait for a preliminary hearing by American officials on the Mexican side of the border.
“We’re going to wait for the other group because a lot of people are still coming; it’s a massive caravan and more are coming behind us. The caravan will arrive approximately by Saturday. Saturday through Sunday” said Maria Reyes, travelling north.
The Russian Defence Ministry accused Poland’s World War Two Home Army (AK) of exterminating Jews and Ukrainians in Warsaw before the city’s so-called liberation in 1945 by the Red Army. Russia celebrated January 17th as the 75th anniversary of the “liberation day” of Warsaw. Yet the Red Army reached the Vistula river five months earlier August 1944. According to historians, Russians did little to stop Nazi Germans from butchering Poles defending their capital city.
Moscow published a set of online documents deemed “recently declassified” that are supposed to prove that “units of the Home Army exterminated Jews and Ukrainians in the city.”
Deputy Foreign Minister Paweł Jabłoński speaking to Polish Press Agency described the Russian charges as “provocative”. He considers it as a part of the Kremlin’s ongoing campaign to blame Poland for World War Two.
At the end of 2019 Russian leader Vladimir Putin accused Poland of collaboration with the Third Reich and complicity in the outbreak of the war.
Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki commented on the accusations on social media and called them “Orwellian”. He said, that it was the Soviets who were allied with Nazi Germany at the outbreak of the war and invaded Poland from the east shortly after the Germans entered the country from the west.
Mateusz Morawiecki said:
Another “historical revelations” in the Russian style. This time, the Home Army units were to murder Jews and Ukrainians during World War Two.
How much of such nonsense will be produced by those who for dozens of years blamed Nazi Germany for the Soviet crime in Katyń, failed to admit the secret agreements with Hitler in August 1939 as a result of which the partition of Poland was carried out, concealed the famine in Ukraine in the early 1930s as a result of which perished over 8 million Ukrainians, Russians, Kazakhs and other nations that were members of the then Soviet Union?
And it seemed to me that the world of Orwell ended with the collapse of the Communist system. Are we witnessing a great comeback of it? This time “made in Russia”?
Moreover, Polish Prime Minister raised questions for Vladimir Putin to answer:
How did the Soviets justify their imperial zeal?
Here are a few examples and some questions for Mr Putin.
The Soviet Union entered Poland on September 17, 1939, along with Germany, and partitioned Poland. This was justified by the argument that the Polish state did not exist and the Soviet Union had to defend the Ukrainian and Belarusian populations.
And how did the Soviets justified deportations of Poles in 1940? That such people were considered an “uncertain element”, and it was therefore necessary to resettle them. On the other hand, why does Mr Putin fail to mention the hand in hand cooperation of the NKVD and the Gestapo against Poles, joint conferences and meetings of both institutions in the fall of 1939?
Why does Mr Putin not mention the Molotov meeting with Hitler and Ribbentrop in Berlin on November 12-13, 1940, during which the Soviets were offered entry to the Anti-Comintern Pact? What did Molotov say? “Russia’s participation in the three powers pact is quite acceptable,” such reply gave the Soviet Foreign Minister on November 25.
Of course, one can ask further questions, e.g. why for several decades did they fail to admit the genocide of Poles in Katyń, why they did not admit to the genocide of Poles in the 1930s, etc. etc.
These are, of course, rudimentary questions and in the face of obvious facts, it is a shame they even need to be asked. Obvious for history and for us. And what about Russia?
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.
In the January 16, 2020 document, the Venice Commission opinion suggests that some of the changes proposed in the December 2019 amendments to the Common Courts Law and the Law on the Supreme Court might be viewed as limitations to the independence of the Polish courts. The opinion also suggests that the rights of Polish judges might be seriously limited in regards to probing the Polish law whether it complies with the European law.
”What profoundly comes out of that document, which in my opinion is a parody by that international body, is segregation. The content the authors are proposing goes in line with the opinions I have heard before from the Ministers of Justice of the so-called „Old EU countries”, which are that they represent the more mature democracy, they represent the wiser and higher level of the judicial culture, they are more civilized and have a clearer view on the basis of democracy and therefore they might do more than the Poles. I have always replied in an assertive and firm way that first of all brought those high end ministers or other EU officials down to Earth, explaining that the tone of such superiority is associated negatively by Poles with many events of Poland’s history. In addition the tone many of them use is shameful for a serious representative of the old Europe”- says Zbigniew Ziobro, Minister of Justice.
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.
This turn of events was not a surprise for anyone, including the former chairwoman of the social policy committee and the family Magdalena Biejat. As a sign of protest, MP’s of the Left and the Citizens’ Coalition left the room.
”You are judging Ms. Biejat for her views, because that is the only charge you have against her. Because she thinks differently from you”- says Włodzimierz Czarzasty, Deputy Speaker of the Sejm, the Left.
The committee chairwoman is being replaced by Urszula Rusecka of the Law and Justice party.
”I am sad that the opposition left the room. The elections of the previous term were held in an entirely different atmosphere. I understand we are all emotional, but the emotions will go down and we will get to work”- says Urszula Rusecka, Law and Justice party.
Magdalena Biejat was also elected by the votes of the deputies of Law and Justice. Against her candidacy, there were only three members of the ruling party. The election of a radical supporter of abortion and LGBT ideology caused great controversy. In December, Law and Justice party spokeswoman Anita Czerwińska announced a motion to change the chairmanship of the committee, justifying it with the lack of sufficient activity on the part of Biejat in this role.
”In our opinion, Magdalena Biejat was largely spreading her ideologies instead of taking up work in the committee”- says Anita Czerwińska, Law and Justice party Spokeswoman.
Biejat herself does not agree with the arguments of Law and Justice MPs. According to Biejat, she did not receive a proposal to remain in the presidium of the committee as vice-chairwoman, and the Left parliamentary club did not get a proposal to chair a different committee.
”Nobody spoke to me about this. The woman from the presidium did not report any problems to me in advance concerning my work in the committee. The Law and Justice party are doing everything they can to silence us, but we will not be silenced”- says Magdalena Biejat, The Left.
19 committee members voted for the dismissal of Magdalena Biejat, 12 were against, nobody abstained.
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.
The European Parliament turned to the European Commission as well as the European Council to use any available tools to eliminate the risk of infringing upon the values of the European Union. A heated debate preceded the resolution in the parliament.
”It was Deputy Prime Minister Beata Szydło who ordered not to publish the judgments of the Constitutional Tribunal. This was the beginning of the process which led to breaking the Polish constitution and the rule of law. She is also not impartial on this matter, since she currently has a case pending against her”- says Radosław Sikorski, member of the European Parliament, European Coalition.
”Mr Sikorski has just lied, I should actually sue him, since there are no cases against me, for one thing. Mr Sikorski, please read with comprehension, you are a liar, you are not worthy of the mandate you were given by the voters”- says Beata Szydło, member of the European Parliament, Law and Justice.
Robert Biedroń from the Left shouted from the stand that free courts in Poland have not died just yet.
”I have some bad news for the Law and Justice party. Free courts are not yet lost, so long as we live. No matter how loud you scream, and how many muzzles you put on us, whatever leashes you try to hold the Polish society on – the Polish society will keep going out into the streets to defend the constitution, the rule of law, as well as constitutional order”- says Robert Biedroń, member of the European Parliament, The Left.
Law and Justice MEPs argued that the European Parliament is misinformed by the Polish opposition in terms of the situation in Poland. Meanwhile, changes in Polish judiciary are awaited by the society, since they had not occurred after the fall of communism.
”This is very characteristic of you, speaking in very broad terms, claiming the rule of law is being broken in Poland. Not one of you explained why the choice of judges is politicised in Poland, and you know why? That’s because if you did that, it would raise questions”- says Patryk Jaki, member of the European Parliament, Law and Justice.
The resolution was backed by 446 European Parliament deputies. 178 were against it, while 41 abstained from voting. The resolution is not binding, it is merely an indication for the European Commission, Council, and the member states of the European Union.
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.
One of the goals of the United States is to practice the transfer of large contingents of troops to Central and Eastern Europe, including Poland. It has been the largest transport operation from the USA to Europe for 25 years. Soldiers and equipment will go to France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany by air and sea. The first transport ships are due to arrive at the port of Bremerhaven on February 22. Then they will move on highways and trains towards Poland and the Baltic States. The deputy commander of the US Army in Europe, General Andrew Rohling announced that the exercises are a signal that the Americans are ready and able to fulfill their obligations to NATO partners.
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.
Among the 28 EU countries, in 19 this indicator improved compared to the previous year. “The highest scale of the problem was recorded in Bulgaria (33.7 percent) and Lithuania (27.9 percent). The least financial problems with household heating were reported by Austria (1.6 percent) and Finns (1.7 percent)” – it was written. The percentage of people declaring problems with heating costs in Poland in the years 2010-2018 fell most in the group of large families – from over 15 percent up to 1.8 percent.
