News Updates From Poland
- PostEagle
- October 21, 2024
- News From Poland
- 0 Comments
(Updated 21 October 2024)
Compiled by Robert Strybel
Warsaw Correspondent
EU leaders support Tusk’s suspension of asylum rights
Polish PM Donald Tusk has announced that Poland would suspend accepting asylum applications to protect national security. The decision has sparked intense debate both domestically and across Europe, but the European Union’s leadership has expressed support for the move. Tusk has defended it, saying the decision was a direct response to what he described as a “hybrid war” being waged against Poland and the European Union by Russia and Belarus. He argued that their governments are deliberately organizing mass border-crashing movements of illegal migrants in an attempt to destabilize the European Union.
Extreme poverty reaches 16-year high in Poland – European poverty monitor
The annual report by the European Anti-Poverty Network has shown that over 500,000 Polish children and some 430,000 elderly Poles are now severely impoverished, unable to afford the most basic needs such as housing, food, clothing and medicine. Overall, in 2023 this affected 2.5 million Poles (6.6% of the population), up from 1.7 million (4.6%) the previous year. After coming to power in 2015, the family-friendly Law & Justice party launched a large-scale benefit program that all but did away with child poverty, lowered retirement age and even provided regular benefits for grandparents caring for their grandkids. The internationally disruptive effects of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the pandemic and recent flood disaster have compounded the crisis which may take years to resolve.
Shield East is expected to prevent an attack from the East
Under the code-name Shield East, Poland is now building fortifications along the full length of its 266-mile border with Belarus. The obstacles will include tank ditches and concrete blocks, interspersed with stretches of thick, natural forests combined with man-made swamps and quagmires to impede invading ground forces. Iron Dome air defenses will intercept warplanes as well as missiles and drones. The project will cost some $2.5 billion and be completed over the next two years. Fortifications will also be built along Poland’s 332-mile border with Ukraine in case Russia wins the war.
Polish army to train Ukrainian volunteers to fight Russia
Ukrainian volunteers who wish to fight in the war against Russia can apply at the Polish consulate to be trained by the Polish army. The recruitment process at the newly established recruitment center in Lublin is the first of its kind in Europe. Its establishment was announced by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The first 200 Ukrainians living in Poland and other countries have already signed up.
Foreigners now make up 6.7% of Poland’s work force
Poland’s once nearly homogeneous labor market is changing with foreigners now accounting for 6.7% of the country’s labor force. Poles moving abroad, the country’s record low birth rate and Putin’s war on neighboring Ukraine are the main reasons. Although Ukrainians, mostly females, account for 67.9% of the foreign workers, others come from more than 150 different countries. Belarusians account for 11.75% followed by Georgians (2.5%), Indians (1.9%), Moldovans (1.3%) and Filipinos (1.1%)t.
Pro-Harris Polonians resort to Putin fear-mongering
Leaders of Pennsylvania’s Polish community have penned a letter to The Keystone, a regional news site, warning that Donald Trump would allow Russia to invade Poland once the war in Ukraine is finished. “Vice President Harris has a long, strong track record of protecting our democracy here at home and standing up for our brothers, sisters, parents and grandparents in Poland – the same people Vladimir Putin hopes to attack next if Ukraine were to fall,” the letter claimed. Harris has made several forays into Pennsylvania, a key battleground state.
Trump reaches out to PolAms on Pułaski Day
With the election only weeks away, Republican candidate Donald Trump took to social media for some Polonian-directed electioneering on Pułaski Day. He emphasized that Kazimierz Pułaski was a wonderful, brave, and strong man whose life should be celebrated by all. He also expressed his appreciation for the Polish community, while highlighting his love for Poland and its people. Trump also saluted Polish President Andrzej Duda, whom he called his “good friend” and gave an interview to Poland’s conservative TV station Telewizja Republika.
Future generations will also be threatened by Russia – Eurocorps chief
“Stopping the war in Ukraine through a ceasefire or even a peace treaty will not protect us from the Russian threat,” General Piotr Błazeusz said in a recent interview. “That will not bring peace to Europe. On the contrary. It will only give the Russians time to rebuild their military capabilities, so within a few years they will again be prepared to attack.” The Polish general, who said the prediction was based on historical precedents as well as Russia’s current behavior, is the commander of the Eurocorps, Europe’s rapid-reaction force.
Poland may lose some two million workers by 2035 – think-tank
The Polish Economic Institute has warned that the Polish labor market may be short of two million workers by 2035 if the present retirement age remains in force. During that period 3.8 million are expected to retire whereas only 1.7 million new workers will replace them. The previous Tusk administration which lost power in 2015 had raised the retirement age to a universal 67, but the family-friendly Law & Justice party restored the traditional 60 years for women and 65 for men.
Poland-themed political video goes viral in UK
“I’ll start packing my bags and head to Poland, where the streets are safe” go the words to a viral video that takes aim at a free speech clamp-down in Britain. It was part of a grass-roots backlash against the open-door immigration policy of the new left-wing UK government. It criticizes Sir Keir Starmer’s government and its handling of protests against the murder of three young girls by the son of two asylum seekers.
Poland’s exports surpass Russia’s for first time – World Bank
The value of Poland’s exports has surpassed those of Russia for the first time ever, the World Bank reported recently. Its data for 2023 also show that Poland has risen to become the world’s 19th largest exporter. Its exports of goods and services reached $469 billion last year (up from $433.7 billion in 2022), compared to $466.6 billion in sanctions-hit Russia (down from $640.9 billion in 2022).
Poland now issuing fewer student visas to foreigners
The number of visas issued to foreign students in Poland has declined significantly this year while the proportion of applications being rejected has increased. The largest number of refusals were issued to applicants from Iraq, Nigeria and Turkey. That reflects the Tusk government’s clampdown on the previous administration’s alleged abuses. Student visas were reportedly often used as a back-door to work in Poland or gain access to Europe’s Schengen free-travel Area. But the move has worried Polish universities that rely heavily on tuition fees from foreign students.
Conservative group wants sex change only for over-18s
The Sejm’s Petition Commission has accepted for further processing a legislative proposal to restrict sex change to only those over 18 years of age. It was submitted by the conservative group Ordo Iuris which advocates for traditional family values in opposition to the increasingly leftist agenda promoted by a growing number of Poland’s teachers. For several years now, sex change has been all the rage, and in big cities there is hardly a high-school class without 3-4 students, mostly girls, claiming they have been misgendered and intend to remedy the situation..
European court blasts Poland for not recognizing homo hook-ups
The lack of legal recognition for same-sex partnerships in Poland has left such couples in a legal vacuum that violates their human rights,” the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled. “Member states of the European Convention on Human Rights are required to provide a legal framework allowing same-sex couples to be granted adequate recognition and protection of their relationship,” declared the court based in Strasbourg, France.
Tusk government wants to legalize same-sex hook-ups
Under pressure from the European community, the coalition government of PM Donald Tusk has presented a bill to legalize same-sex partnerships. The country’s LGBT circles have hailed the move as a good first step leading to full sexual equality including homo marriage. However Poland’s constitution clearly defines marriage as a union of one man and one woman. Changing it would require a two-thirds parliamentary majority, highly unlikely in this polarized country. The partnership bill is likely to be voted down by Law & Justice and the more conservative MPs of Tusk’s coalition. Even if it were passed by parliament, it would surely get vetoed by President Andrzej Duda.
Poland has granted protection to nearly a million Ukrainian refugees
Among EU member states for which data are available Poland came in second with 975,190 Ukrainian war refugees having been granted temporary protection. Upon their arrival in Poland they received emergency accommodation, food and healthcare and subsequently were granted health, education and employment rights like those of Polish citizens. In first place was affluent Germany which has aided 1.1 million fleeing Ukrainians. All told, nearly 4.2 million non-EU citizens fleeing Putin’s invasion have enjoyed the EU’s temporary-protection status. The vast majority entered the bloc via Poland.
Polish justice minister lays groundwork for neo-censorship?
Conservative lawmakers, jurists and media complain that the present Justice Minister Adam Bodnar is drawing up rules that would re-introduce pre-publication censorship. That existed under the former communist regime, but its current version would be far more high tech. Under the guise of combating so-called “hate speech,” they would incorporate the European Civic Panel’s 21 recommendations to “hunt down and root out” hatred in society. AI would be used to detect “hateful contents” the moment they appear on a user’s keyboard and automatically block their publication.
Polish scientists develop tasty frankfurter from potato protein
Researchers at the University of Life Sciences in the west-central city of Poznań have created a hot dog whose main ingredient is potato protein. “It was a complicated process because the ingredients were difficult to work with but we managed to eliminate the potato smell and created a tasty frank praised by all who have tasted it,” Dr Paweł Kowaczewski, who heads the research team, explained. “Burgers, gyros and other meat substitutes can be produced the same way,” he added. Poland ranks among Europe’s top meat-eating nations with per capita consumption at 176 pounds a year, but that figure is expected to decline over health and environmental concerns.
Four killed, 12 injured in 21-vehicle motorway pile-up
Four people have died and 12 suffered injuries in a gigantic pile-up on the S7 motorway near the coastal city of Pruszcz Gdańsk.- A collision between a truck and passenger car set of a series of crashes as one vehicle after another plowed into the crash site. The road disaster involved 18 passenger cars and three trucks.
Poland’s Iga Świątek loses tennis crown to Belarusian rival
The 21st of October was a black-letter day for tennis star Iga Świątek when she lost her world title of the WTA’s best female tennis player to Belarusian Ityna Sobalenka. The Polish 24-year-old, whose tennis revenues have given her an estimated $25 million fortune, had held that title for 125 weeks. Iga played her last official WTA match Iga Świątek on 5 September, when she lost in the quarterfinals of the US Open to American Jessica Pegula. In the meantime she fired her Polish coach Tomasz Wiktorowski and replaced him with Belgian tennis expert Wim Fissette,
Poland’s mushroomers – good news/bad news
Mushrooming is a national pastime in Poland, an activity brought to America from Central-East Europe by our immigrant ancestors. The recent heavy rains that triggered devastating flooding in SW and western Poland also produced a bumper crop of mushrooms in the country’s drought-stricken woodlands. The bad news is that health officials have warned against eating mushrooms in areas affected by the flooding. After receding, flood waters leave behind a residue of health-threatening toxins including chemical and bacterial pollutants readily absorbed by wild mushrooms.
Soldiers find €10,000 in garbage bag during flood relief
During flood-relief operations, Polish soldiers from the 72nd Light Infantry Battalion stumbled upon €10,000 ($10,932) concealed inside a garbage bag. The money has since been handed over to the police who are trying to track down its owner. The Polish Army has played a key role in rescue and evacuation efforts during the country’s recent flood disaster and are now working to clean up the huge mountains of rubble and debris left in its wake.
Polish funeral parlor loses corpse in traffic
A corpse being transported in the SW city of Stalowa fell onto the road out of the back door of a hearse. The white sheet covering the body flew out and blinded the windshield of a car following behind. When the sheet slid away and the motorist saw a body in the road, he initially thought he had run someone over. The funeral parlor has apologized over the incident, explaining that a malfunctioning door lock was to blame.
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