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.
The leaders of the 4 Visegrad Group member states met with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz in Prague
Magdalena Biejat of the Left has been dismissed as chair of the parliamentary Social Policy and Family Committee
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 condemns Poland and Hungary for “being in breach of the rule of law”
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.
Exercises of the American army in Europe
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
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.
Minister of Justice defends reform of a judiciary system
Minister of justice Zbigniew Ziobro appeared before the Senate yesterday to defend the amendments to the common courts’ bill currently being considered by the Senate. Ziobro said the changes proposed by the Law and Justice government are an expression of respect for the “democratic state of law” and addressed the issue of the Polish judiciary which had increasingly become “a state within a state”.
“It’s worth considering a different cause of the issues of Polish judiciary. It’s neither money nor procedures, but an overgrown corporation, which became like a so-called “state within a state”. It’s above any mechanism of democratic control. Without that control, it put its own corporatist goals above the society which it was supposed to serve. So I’m not only quoting my own diagnoses, let me refer to several quotes which are worth remembering. It’s worth stressing, that it’s not true, that the changes we are proposing, aimed at implementing such democratic mechanisms as balance of power and transparency in the appointing of judges, are an attack on the rule of law, an attack on the judiciary”- says Zbigniew Ziobro, Minister of Justice.
Delegations of these countries will come to Auschwitz
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.
The anniversary ceremony will be attended, among others, by the royal couple from the Netherlands and the King of Spain with the Queen. The museum reported that in the last hours the participation was confirmed by a French delegation headed by Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, as well as New Zealand led by Ambassador Mary Thurston. The host of the ceremony will be the President of Poland Andrzej Duda. The special representative of the Holy See will be Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski. Israel will be represented by President Reuven Rivlin, and Russia by Ambassador Sergei Andreyev. The German delegation will be headed by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Participation was also confirmed by: Albania, Australia, Austria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Georgia, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Sweden, Turkey, Hungary and the United Kingdom.
Who is the new president of UOKiK?
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.
As a vice president, Tomasz Chróstny is responsible for consumer protection and preparing the Office for tasks related to reducing payment gridlocks in the economy. Previously, he worked at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, then at the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Technology, where until 25 August 2019 he was the director of the Economic Analysis Department. Tomasz Chróstny will replace Marek Niechciał, the former president of the Office, who resigned in December.
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