Muslims Prosper in Poland

crucifixion of Poland?

Heavily Catholic Poland has joined the Vatican in criticizing a European court ruling against the display of crucifixes in Italian schools.

Polish President Lech Kaczynski said his country will never agree to remove crosses from its schools.

The Nov. 3 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights does not require that Poland remove the crosses that hang in most public schools. It could, however, eventually force a review of the use of religious symbols in government-run school across Europe.

The decision touched a nerve in Poland, where religious symbols were banned from public buildings under communist rule but embraced with the return to democracy 20 years ago as an expression of national sovereignty.

During Independence Day celebrations on 11 November in Warsaw, Kaczynski said that "nobody in Poland will accept the message that you can't hang crosses in schools."

"One shouldn't count on that. Perhaps elsewhere, but never in Poland," said Kaczynski.

Lech Walesa, the pro-democracy dissident and former president — himself a believer who often wears a pin of Mary on his lapel — also defended his country's right to display a symbol central to the nation's Christian heritage.

"Minorities must know their place," Walesa said on Thursday during an interview with a TVN24 television station. "We must respect minorities but also protect the rights of the majority."

About 90 percent of Poles are Catholic, and regular church attendance today remains much higher than in more secular Western Europe.

Poles' strong identification with the church goes back centuries but in recent decades has been strengthened by Polish-born Pope John Paul II, who led the church for 27 years until his death in 2005.

The Vatican has also denounced the European court's ruling.

Attribution of this article unknown since it was found on a Polish-American Yahoo Group without credit.

It should be obvious to most that much of Western Europe once staunchly Catholic has abandoned devotion to the Apostolic Church. The court may also have other motives regarding their decision. The Muslim population is growing rapidly in many E.U. countries. The Netherlands may have a Muslim majority in as little as three decades. This law would preempt Islamic symbols displayed in public schools as well.

The current Muslim population in Poland is approximately .001%. Mostly Tartars who settled and assimilated after the Horde of Mongols left Europe. Last year, 5% of the total population of 27 EU countries was Muslim. But, according to forecasts, the figure would rise to 20 per cent by 2050, according to UK Telegraph reports.

Treaties, laws and EU Court decisions are squeezing the sovereignty out of individual member states. For many nations like Poland, Czech Republic, etc. it's the case of 'golden handcuffs' not being able to leave the Union due to economic redistributive schemes among the collection of states making up the EU that benefits former Eastern Bloc Countries still building their post communist free markets.

A moral dilemma for certain regarding religious symbols. Home customs and rules are supplanted by the collective in an ever widening scope. You can't even buy duck's blood at the grocery store in Poland anymore. Not that czarnina tastes much different with beef blood substitute - it the principle not the flavor in question here. Could it be not long before paczki is outlawed because of it's high lard and sugar content?

Conclusion: Government in doses above a teaspoon - bad, very very bad. Eventually, the way the EU is going European democracy will be worst than Communism Poland experienced for 45 years. A new Solidarnosc, anyone?

To Have, and Have Not

38% of Poles believe that Poland should seek allies in the European Union once the United States resigned its anti-missile shield plans.

28% said Poland should become neutral. 13% are for continuation of alliance with the United States while 10% said Poland should propose a new approach to relations with Russia. 11% of the pollees did not offer any opinion according to polling agency PAP.

President Obama announced on Sept. 17 that the United States abandoned plans for a large missile defense shield in eastern Europe.

Under the Polish-U.S. accord signed last year, 10 ground base interceptors were to be installed in Redzikowo, northern Poland, as part of a larger system that would include a radar system in the Czech Republic, to counter emerging missile threats from rogue state.



The U.S. plan has angered Russia, which deemed 10 defensive rockets a serious threat to its national security and arsenal of 2,000 ICBMs.

Need for Speed

Coming sooner to Poland than America is a network of high speed intercity rail service. Recently the Polish government announced it plans to launch high-speed trains in 2018 with construction starting in 2014.

The first trains will travel at up to 150 miles per hour and will link Warsaw with the central city of Lodz, the western city Poznan and the southwest city Wroclaw.

For sentimentalists see earlier post:

Steam keeps chugging in Poland [Click Here]

Obama thorn in Poland's side

Poles have been upset by Obama's move to scrap a Bush-era missile defense plan, fearing it may embolden a more assertive Russia especially after Russian intrusion in Georgia and threats of interfering with Ukraine politics.

Poland has been a loyal NATO ally of America supporting with combat troops missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, helping the U.S. regarding the war on terror. The missile shield and batteries of partiot defense missiles were the expected quid pro quo.



Russia's deputy defense minister said that Moscow would scrap a planned deployment of Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad, in response to the move by the US. But, Russia's top general said on Monday that no such decision had been taken.

Polish President Lech Kaczynski, has been very critical of Russia and strongly supported the shield as a sign of a greater U.S. military commitment to ex-communist central Europe.

Last week, Kaczynski -- whose twin brother Jaroslaw pushed hard for Poland to host the shield while prime minister until autumn 2007 -- said Prime Minister Donald Tusk's government bore part of the blame for Obama's decision.



Under the Bush plan, Washington would have installed 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a related radar system in the Czech Republic as protection against possible attack by Iran. It denied claims that the shield was intended to deter Russia.

According to thenews.pl: Following the US decision to scrap the anti-missile shied in central Europe, Poland’s state owned arms manufacturer Bumar has proposed an alternative anti-missile “protective umbrella” for the region.

According to Bumar, the “Polish shield” project - in development for a few years - would consist of three layers. The first would be constructed around the Polish designed surface-to-air GROM (thunder) portable missiles system, with a range of 4 to 6 kilometres.

The second and third layer would give defence range capabilities of 20 and 200 kilometres. The project would be based on Polish radar and command systems as well as Aster 30 rockets built by the French based Eurosam consortium.

“We are capable of designing protective umbrellas not only for Poland but also neighboring countries, too” claims Edward E. Nowak, the president of Bumar. According to the Rzeczpospolita newspaper, he has already presented Defense Minister Bogdan Klich with details of the project.

Estimates are that the Polish Shield alternative can be up and running in about 4 years.

Use keyword search missile defense for past entries on this subject.

Nazi's Now

In the region of Germany near the border with Poland, a court has ordered the neo-Nazi National Democratic Party (NPD) to remove election signs declaring "Stop the Polish invasion".

The court in the state of Mecklenburg said the signs were illegal and an incitement to racial hatred. The NPD hung more than 50 of the signs up in the Ueker-Randow district of the state which borders Poland and counts more than 1,000 Polish citizens as residents. Local authorities removed the placards, prompting a lawsuit by the NPD.

In the first phase, the NPD succeeded in getting the support of a lower court to declare the district's actions improper. A recent decision by a higher court overturns the lower court's action.

A court spokeswoman told the DPA news service that the text and picture elements of the NPD placards were an affront to the human dignity of others and posed a danger for public security and order.

The NPD's only recourse now is to appeal the case to the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe on the grounds that the party's constitutional rights have been violated.

The party, which is under observation by German domestic intelligence agencies for its anti-foreigner message, has been successful gaining votes in the economically weak region.

In 2006 state elections, the NPD pulled in 7.3 percent of the vote, enough to gain representation in the state parliament. The party also holds 4 out of 47 seats on the district council.

Polish Woodstock 2009

Thought it probably wouldn't be possible in the old Communist Poland -
About half a million people attended this year’s Przystanek Woodstock, one of Europe’s largest open-air music festivals, held in Kostrzyn-nad-Odra, on the German-Polish border. The festival in its 15th year is organized by Jerzy Owsiak, a famed Polish philanthropist. The event raises tons of money for charity, something the freaky, long haired, dope smoking, "capitalistic pigs" who organized the original American Woodstock did not.

Besides Polish and Euro acts, there is usually at least one American headliner in the three day event. Juliette Lewis, the American singer and actress, performed a tribute to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original Woodstock held in upstate New York. Known for playing in movies like Natural Born Killers and What’s Eating Gilbert rape, Lewis played her new songs from the CD Terra Incognita. She was also joined on stage by Polish pop star Kasia Kowalska for a duet.

This year’s festival was also an opportunity to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the end of communism in Poland. Lech Walesa and Tadeusz Mazowiecki were the guest during the festival. The audience thanked Walesa for his fight against communism and its leaders.

I can't imagine Richard Nixon attending the original Woodstock in 1969 even thought both Lech and Tricky Dick in their own way fought Communism's ill affects on society and economics. At least Nixon opened up access to China which was absolutely brilliant. Luckily, we found an unlikely nation to finance our huge out of control national debt - - "For What it's Worth". - Buffalo Springfield.

Maybe Obama would be a hit at a modern day Woodstock in the U.S., but I'm thinkin' he might not be so welcome in a country that struggled so long to break the Communist yoke and inspiring the oppressed Eastern Block to good old fashioned American Liberty. Good Gosh! People in Poland today can actually afford to buy Levi's and stores actually are allowed to stock them like they did on the 1920's.

Pol-Am's paying attention to student indoctrination

Parents in Farminton, Utah (a suburb just north of Salt Lake City) are upset over a 'leftist propaganda' video shown to their grade school children. Incredibly, the parents featured in the Salt Lake Tribune news account are Polish-Americans.

Eagle Bay Elementary showed a short video called "I pledge" on Aug. 28. The video opens with an image of President Barack Obama and part of a speech in which he says, "Let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other." The video then features celebrities making pledges about how they will help the president and the world -- and that's where some say the problem lies.

Many pledges, such as supporting local food banks,smiling more, and caring for the elderly are noncontroversial. But other pledges, such as "to never give anyone the finger when I'm driving again," "to sell my obnoxious car and buy a hybrid" and to advance stem cell research cross the line, some say.

The principal has apologized for showing a video approved by the local PTA at an assembly that a politically conservative group leader is calling "radical, leftist propaganda."

"Showing the video in a public school is completely inappropriate,"said Jennifer Cieslewicz, whose daughter is a first-grader at the school. "I don't believe a video such as this that promotes certain values should be shown to elementary students, especially without parents being aware."

Gayle Ruzicka, president of conservative Utah Eagle Forum, said the video was blatantly political. She said other offensive pledges included, "I pledge to be of servant to Barack Obama," "I pledge allegiance to the funk, to the united funk of funkadelica," and pledges to not use plastic grocery bags and not flush the toilet after urinating.

"It's very inappropriate to show a radical, leftist propaganda piece that political to children," Ruzicka said. "If parents want their children to learn about those things and do them in the home, wonderful, fine, but it's not the place of the school to show a one-sided propaganda piece to children without parents knowing about it."

"They shouldn't be troubling our youth with the woes of the world and making them feel like we're in slavery or they have to worry about how many times they flush the toilet or if they have a plastic water bottle," Cieslewicz said, referring to pledges in the video to "end slavery."

Cieslewicz said such values should be decided in the home, not at school.

So much for the three "R's", huh?

Ruzicka said she contacted local media about the video after receiving complaints from several parents. Ruzicka said she worried the video's messages would confuse children whose parents might choose to use plastic bags when shopping or who want their children to flush the toilet after every use. Also she said she didn't like a pledge "to be of service to Barack Obama" as he is here to serve Americans, not the other way around.

Ruzicka said she'd like to see the school district send a link to the video to all parents before an upcoming back-to-school night so they can voice their opinions and discuss it with their children. Williams said it's unlikely the district will send out a link, but parents are welcome to access the video on YouTube.

Link to the video

I Pledge




Penn Jillette an American illusionist, known for his work with fellow illusionist Teller in the team Penn & Teller, and advocacy of libertarian philosophy, free-market economics, and scientific skepticism offers his response. [Click Here] Warning: Penn is pissed off and uses the "F" word at least three times. Embedding of the Penn video was disabled by his company. But, you can still see it by clicking the link.

Source: An article in the Salt Lake Tribune By Lisa Schencker
Updated 09/02/2009 10:07:30 AM MDT

Lisa Ray

Polish-Indian Lisa Ray, born in Toronto, has been featured in the Canadian edition of Hello magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People' of the country.

She spoke Polish to her maternal grandmother and watched movies of Federico Fellini and Satyajit Ray with her cinephile dad. She was spotted by an agent in a crowd during a family vacation in India when she was 16, when she began modelling.

She was voted Star of the Future at the 2002 Toronto International Film Festival, Top Ten most Beautiful Indian Woman of the Millenium by the Times of India and won the Best Actress in a Canadian film for Water by the Vancouver Critics Circle.

Plenty Polish

Tim Pawlenty, Minnesota Governor often mentioned as a possible candidate for President of the U.S. is a Polish-American. Because he's a Republican, I didn't actually believe it at first. It was also difficult to find a picture of him wearing a red tie. - A kielbasa in every pot and an American made Buick in every garage!

Perhaps he's the type that might follow in Lech Wałęsa's footsteeps. Jump a shipyard gate... and all.

Helpful Husbands

"Super-husbands" wearing t-shirts with the motto "I examine my wife's breasts," went on a parade in the city of Białystok, north east Poland, lately.

Not necessarily a unique idea as American photo to left illustrates.

The demo was part of an unusual campaign reminding women of the necessity of routine breast cancer tests.

Among those wearing the "Super-husband" shirt was deputy chief of the Podlasie province, Bogusław Dębski and Białystok president, Tadeusz Truskolaski, who said that he viewed the t-shirt mostly as a way of gaining publicity for the cause, but, he added, modestly, he didn't want anyone to "think he was bragging".

Germans Sham-WOW

Der Spiegel's article accusing Poles and other nations of collaborating with Nazis during Word War II, has caused a storm of protest in Poland.

The influential German weekly wrote that Polish farmers, together with Ukrainian gendarmes, French mayors and others were accomplices of the Nazis and were partly responsible for the Holocaust.

The article has caused outrage in Poland. Yesterday, former prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the head of the Law and Justice party (PiS), strongly criticized Der Spiegel, accusing Germans of trying to free themselves from responsibility for the Holocaust. "If we allow Germans go in for this sort of practice, in the future we will have to pay damages to German soldiers who died during the Warsaw Uprising," said Kaczynski.

Marian Pilka, deputy head of the Polish Right (Prawica Rzeczpospolitej) party condemned the article by Der Spiegel on Polish Radio this morning as an attempt to put the blame for the Holocaust on others. He reminded that the mass murder of Jews during World War II was masterminded by the Third Reich. In Pilka's opinion, the article tries to change Germans' consciousness about the past and relieve their guilt.

Government ministers are also concerned. "Soon it will turn out that Poles were responsible for the outbreak of World War II and Germans were the main victims of the war, because they were expelled [from Poland and elsewhere] after it had finished," said Aleksander Szczyglo, Poland's Defence Minister, commenting on the Der Spiegel's article.

It's a Gas, Gas, Gas

Poland produces 340 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually. Such an amount can be converted to 280 million tonnes of methanol, and then between 80-120 million tonnes of petrol or diesel oil. That is five times more than Poland currently uses yearly, Professor Dobieslaw Nazimek from the Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, southeast Poland, told the daily Nasz Dziennik.

That is still only theory, but, scientists in Lublin have invented a way to make it a success. Currently, the artificial photosynthesis of methanol is being assessed from an economic point of view. If everything will work out, massive production of petrol from carbon dioxide will be possible in about three years, Prof. Nazimek claims.

According to preliminary calculations, an apparatus producing 100 million litres of petrol should cost about 100 million zloty (24.2 million euro), which gives about 1 zloty (0.24 euro) per litre of petrol. The business should pay for itself during the first year of functioning, claims Nazimek.

Source: Polskie Radio

To Axe, or Not to Axe

There's an oak tree in the town squar of Jaslo in rural southeastern Poland. The origins of the tree was discovered when plans were made to chop it down to make way for a traffic circle.

"We obtained information that this is no ordinary tree but was put here to mark Adolf Hitler's birthday," said Jaslo's mayor, Maria Kurowska. "So should I try to improve our town's communications or should I allow a memorial to that criminal to remain standing? The choice is simple for me."

Not everybody in this town of 38,000 shared Kurowska's view that the tree must go.

"It was 1942 when the Germans brought a seedling of an oak here and planted it in the centre of the town with all honours, an army orchestra and salutes," said Kazimierz Polak, who was present at the planting ceremony as a child 67 years ago.

"My father told me then that it was Hitler's birthday and we found out later the seedling had come from Braunau am Inn (in Austria) where Hitler was born.

"It's a historic curiosity. What is the oak really guilty of? It's not the tree's fault that it was planted here to honour the biggest criminal and enemy of Poland."

Source of story: U.K. Telegraph

Protesting Madonna's Warsaw Concert

Madonna is scheduled to bring her "Sticky & Sweet" concert tour to Warsaw August 15, the day the Catholic Church celebrates the solemn Marian feast of the Assumption. The day is especially significant to Poles who honor the original Madonna under the title of Mary, Queen of Poland, at shrines all over the country, including the most important one at Jasna Gora (Bright Mountain) in Czestochowa.

Lech Walesa, former president of Poland, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and leader of Poland's legendary anti-communist Solidarity freedom movement, has expressed his support for the protests against pop singer Madonna's concert in Warsaw.

Three years ago, the singer sparked outrage in Poland when she was portrayed on the cover of the Polish magazine Machina, dressed as the Black Madonna of Czestochowa. The monks of the Jasna Gora monastery published a statement saying that they were shocked to see a sacred symbol used in a profane way for advertisement and publicity.

According to Lech, "It's a satanic provocation"

Walesa wears the icon of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa on his lapel for decades, and said at a press conference: "I carry this portrait on my chest, so it is understandable, that I am not glad about this concert taking place on the day of Her feast."

"I am a man of faith and I would ask for such events not to happen on the day of such an important feast of my religion," Walesa said.

He added that he would be willing to meet with the pop star to discuss a change of dates for the concert. "I have nothing against her personally, even though she has committed many provocations, " Walesa observed.

Krzysztof Zagozda of the Catholic group Unum Principum also shared his opinion about the 50-year-old singer's concert date: "It offends our religious faith. Besides that, Madonna's performances are anti-Christian. "

"The concert of a highly perverse singer who calls herself 'Madonna' is deeply humiliating to Warsaw residents and Poles in general," said parliamentarian Marian Brudzynski, a member of the opposition Law and Justice party, who wrote a letter to the mayor of Warsaw, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, asking for her intervention.

Brudzynski told the Krakow Post that the next step in the protest against the concert will be a prayer crusade, starting on the anniversary of the beginning of Warsaw Uprising of World War II.

"We have applied for a permission to celebrate Masses outside the Warsaw City Hall," Brudzynski said. "At 3pm every day we'll say the Divine Mercy Chaplet in front of the City Hall (which issued permission for Madonna's concert), then after the Mass, we will march towards the Warsaw Rising Heroes Monument, saying the Rosary on the way. There we will manifest our patriotism, making our presence obvious especially to the hypocritical officials."

The prayer crusade will start on the 1st of August and continue every day until the 15th, the scheduled date of the show.

Another Catholic group has informed the media that it intends to protest Madonna's Warsaw performance by sending letters to organizers of the show, telling them that should the concert take place, proper authorities will be informed that an offence of religious feelings has taken place, which is against Polish law, and that the law protecting religious symbols has been broken.


Timing is everything in comedy - and, apparently a few other things as well.

"The choice of the date for the show (on a major Marian feast), as well as the content of some advertisements (such as the one including the caption 'There's not room for two queens in that country'), both imply a clear intention to offend religious feelings of Poland's many Catholics," the group's letters state.

The letters conclude with, "Therefore, let me point out that an offence of religious feelings constitutes a violation of Article 196 of the Polish Criminal Code. Should the concert take place, I intend to inform proper authorities that you have broken the aforementioned article of the Law."

More... Peter J. Smith LifeSite.com Article

Unarmed Patriots for Poland

America's promises to Poland going down the toilet under Obama administration. Poland to receive unarmed Patriots, no MRAP vehicles. Missile Shield in doubt.

During talks in Brussels, Polish Defence Minister Bogdan Klich was told that Poland will not receive MRAP-type vehicles, and while they will receive the promised Patriot missiles, the missiles will be unarmed.

The MRAP-type vehicles, or Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, are specifically designed to survive attacks from IEDs, which have been the most dangerous to coalition troops in Afghanistan. The vehicles, weighing in at over 14 tonnes, have significantly reduced the number of deaths since their introduction to the war in Iraq, and the Polish military had hoped to protect its soldiers in Afghanistan through their use.

For now, Polish soldiers in Afghanistan will continue to use MRAPs borrowed from the American military, as well as the Polish-made KTO Rosomak (Kołowy Transporter Opancerzony, or Wheeled Armored Vehicle) that is already in use.

The Polish defence minister was also told that while Poland will receive the 10 Patriot missiles as promised by the Declaration on Strategic Cooperation signed in August 2008, they will not be armed.

Originally, the Patriot missiles were meant to be a key part of Poland's defensive arsenal and a part of the missile shield deal. However, according to information leaked to journalists from the American side, Defence Minister Gates was to tell Klich that the Patriots are only meant to be used for training purposes, and therefore do not need to be armed. This has thrown even more speculation on whether or not the missile shield plan will be actualized.

The impotent Patriot missiles are still scheduled to arrive by the end of this year, regardless of whether or not the Obama Administration decides to implement the missile shield plan.

Source: The Krakow Post 12th June 2009

Poland has always come through for the U.S. and gets shafted in return.

Radwanska Sisters

You would be forgiven for thinking that Venus and Serena Williams have saturated the sisters' market in the tennis world. Oh how wrong you would be. There's a couple of Polish sisters on the tour who have also won Wimbledon. Watch out Venus and Serena.

Agnieszka Radwanska and her younger sister Urszula have both won the junior title – in 2005 and 2007 respectively – and now the Polish siblings are well on their way to emulating the likes of Martina Hingis and Amelie Mauresmo, who won the girls' title before them.

Read more:
UK Daily Mail

Freedom without Solidarity ?

A video clip produced by the European Commission on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the fall of Communism, does not show any pictures of the legendary Polish 'Solidarity' freedom movement, which cracked the Soviet dictatorship in Eastern Europe. Instead, it focuses on the fall of Berlin wall, and briefly reviews events in other countries.

Poland appears in the clip only for several seconds... we can see a piece of original TV footage, featuring Wojciech Jaruzelski proclaiming the martial law in 1981. The rest is footage from the re-enactment of historical events, staged in 1990s at the earliest, as the only banner captured on the tape is one with the logo of "Gazeta Polska" newspaper, established in 1993.

The clip then goes on to show pictures from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Romania, Hungary and Germany. Poland does not appear there any more. Nor is the historic 'Solidarity' movement which cracked the Soviet dictatorship, initiating the fall of Communism in Europe, ever mentioned. Reportedly, the first version of the clip was even more biased - it focused mainly on the fall of Berlin wall.

Head of the Polish Comittee for European Integration Mikołaj Dowgielewicz said the Polish side will ask for explanations about the controversial clip.

Source: Polish Radio 16.05.2009

Keselowski wins Talladega

Brad "Shake and Bake" Keselowski wins at Talladega narrowly beating Carl Edwards to snatch his first Sprint Cup win.

Righteous Among the Nations medal

The five Poles honored yesterday by US President Barack Obama at a ceremony at the Capitol ending the Holocaust Days of Remembrance, have returned home.

The five are holders of the Righteous Among the Nations medal, awarded by the Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem for rescuing Jews from the Holocaust.

One of those who took part in the ceremony at the Capitol is Anna Bando, who told reporters that she had been proud to be remembered and that especially those Jews who had left Poland wanted to stay close at all times, and began crying.

One of those rescued from the Holocaust is Barbara Góra, who said that many Polish families contributed to save her life, stating simply that without Poles she would not be alive.

At yesterday’s ceremony in Washington, the US President thanked the five Poles present for their heroic courage. Six thousand Polish citizens have been awarded the Righteous Among the Nations medal.

Production up in Poland

Polish industrial production rose in March by 15.5% from February according to the Central Statistical Office (GUS) and nearly 2% year-to-year.

The results are better than expected, and Economists assess the results to be good, especially against the backdrop of the region's economic performance e.g. Ukraine suffered a 30% and Russia a 14% fall year-to-year in industrial production.

Warsaw: East-West Command Center

A NATO center to command a network of early warning radars will be set up in Poland.
According to the Dziennik daily, three radars in Norway, Poland and Turkey will send data regarding airborne threats to a headquarter in Warsaw, which then will be sent to Moscow. In return, Moscow will provide NATO with its own information about airborne threats aimed against the Alliance.

The Russian RIA Novosti agency claims that the U.S. military has declined to comment on the initiative, saying the matter should be discussed with NATO officials.

Meanwhile, the issue is being welcomed in Moscow. Russia's envoy to NATO, described the decision as a practical contribution to the improvement of Russia-NATO relations.

Out of wedlock

Every fifth child in Poland is born out of wedlock. There are five times more 'illegitimate' children than thirty years ago. "In the past marriage was synonymous to family. Nowadays a wedding does not imply having children and a child is no longer a reason to get married", says Prof. Miroslawa Marody from the University of Warsaw, commenting that Poland's views on family life have changed.

There is a growing number of people living in informal relationships who decide to have a child or married couples who decide not to. "Nowadays traditional marriage is perceived by many as a restriction", explains Prof. Krystyna Iglicka-Okolska. "Young people do not want to sign a marriage certificate. They prefer to stay in informal relationships and evolve". It is easier for them, than for their parents, to abandon the idea of getting married because the social pressure is not that strong any more.

The drop in the number of marriages in Poland does not necessarily mean the end of a traditional Polish family, claim sociologists. It is possible that the next generation will return to the traditional family model. In comparison to the rest of Europe, Poland is still a very traditional country. The latest polls show that, in Great Britain, up to 75 percent of women who had a child before turning 25, did not get married.

Source: thenews.pl

Saving Face

Professor Maria Siemionow has returned to Poland from Cleveland, Ohio in the US where she led a team of internationally- renowned surgeons in successfully transplanting a woman's face.

The New York Times has called the transplant "one of the most shocking medical operations of the last decade." The woman's face is now made up of her own forehead, upper eyelids, lower teeth and jaw – the remaining elements of her face come from a cadaver.

The 23-hour operation, replacing the face of a woman with facial damage so severe she was unable to eat or breathe without extensive assistance, took place at the Cleveland Clinic in mid-December.

"Our patient was called names and was humiliated," Dr. Siemionow stated. "You need a face to face the world," added the surgeon.

The complex and highly experimental operation required that surgeons integrate functional components of the face – like the nose and lower eyelids – as well as skin, bones, muscles, arteries, veins and nerves. Almost 500 square centimeters of tissue were transplanted from the donating cadaver.

Dr. Siemienow has received much acclaim upon return to Poland – she is a guest-lecturer to packed auditoriums at the Poznan University of Medical Sciences, western Poland.

Source: thenews.pl

Poland Going Platinum

The Polish finance minister says that Poland will apply for the International Monetary Fund's Flexible Credit Line and thus wants to become a member of the prestigious "Platinum Club" which includes strong economies.

Thanks to the Flexible Credit Line (FCL) the reserves of the National Bank of Poland will increase by USD 20 bln. Joining the mechanism will protect Poland against uncontrolled depreciation of its currency and shield it against the effects of the global crisis. During the talks with IMF it was clear that Poland continues to be perceived as a pillar of stability in the region.

The Platinum Club admits only countries with a very strong track record of viable economic policy and those which give confidence that their economic policies will remain strong in the future. This move stems from a cautious and responsible economic policy conducted by the Polish government before and during the global crisis.

Courageous Heart

The heroic story of Irena Sendler the woman credited with saving the lives of 2,500 Jewish children from Nazi-invaded Poland is coming to Television on Sunday, April 19, on Channel 11.

Nobel Peace Prize nominee Irena Sendler put her life at risk day after day for years, saving 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw ghetto during the Second World War.

Her story, "The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler," is about a Polish Catholic social worker, who wasn't even 30 years old when she led the conspiracy of women who moved in and out of the Warsaw ghetto disguised as nurses, smuggling Jewish children away from the Nazis. The group worked under the guise of attempting to prevent and contain typhus and spotted fever, as rampant diseases were a major concern for the Nazis.

Sendler had the difficult task of convincing Jewish parents to give up their children to a stranger, while risking her life. Once in her hands, the children were hidden inside boxes, coffins and suitcases to rescue them from deportation to death camps.

The children, all 2,500 of them, were given new identities and placed under the care of equally courageous Polish families and convents, with the hope that some day they would reunite with their family.

Sendler kept a hidden record of every child's birth name and location to help them after the war.

In 1943, the Nazis figured out what Sendler was doing, and they arrested and tortured her. On the day of her scheduled execution, she was rescued by the underground network with which she worked. The women had bribed the Nazi officer, who let Sendler go. Still wanted by the Gestapo, she remained in hiding until the war was over.

World War II victims database

Seventy years after the outbreak of World War II, Poland will launch a database of some 2 million victims of the fighting. The database will be available on straty.pl, and will include the location and circumstances of the victims' death.

Statue of the Little Insurgent old towne Warsaw

Families or loved ones will have the option to add to the list of victims. Officials hope that the database will grow to 4 million names within a year or two. 'Launching such a database is a big event,' said historian Wojciech Roszkowski. 'Up until now, researchers trying to determine the number of victims always hit a wall. They weren't able to determine in various places how many were really died.'

Foreigners pay Poles for marriage

Up to one in four of the 9,000 marriages between foreigners and Polish citizens every year could be bogus. Some are looking for citizenship, not love. Poland has become a target for people from outside the EU looking to migrate from poorer regions of the world, but denied entry because of strict immigration controls.

"Registrars in Poland are helpless. They can't refuse to marry anyone, even if they suspect a fraud," explains Małgorzata Pyziak-Szafnicka from the University in Lodz, quoted in Rzeczpospolita.

For a bogus marriage, a Pole can demand between $2,000 and $3,000. Most foreigners who are ready to pay for such services come from Asian countries and the former USSR region.

Rzeczpospolita gives the example of Olga M, a 27 year old Ukrainian who married 72 year old Aleksander J.. A divorce pertition was made after only two months, pointing to the failure to sexually consummate the marriage. Aleleksander, however, died before the divorce could come through.

The price Poles can demand has risen in recent years as Poland is an attractive country for these sorts of marriages, particularly since the country joined the Schengen Zone, which means free movement for non-EU born citizens.

The arrangement, however, can backfire, especially when the spouse takes off out of the country without first getting a divorce.



Source: thenews.pl 09.04.2009

Michelle Needs Lessons

Poland's former First Lady Jolanta Kwasniewska thinks Michelle Obamaneeds to work on her style and behaviour.

"Michelle Obama is a wonderful woman, but sometimes I think she could use a couple of lessons of style," said the wife of Poland's former president, Aleksander Kwasniewski.

Source: News.pl

Sex Ed

Poland's Ministry of Education has opposed including sexual education classes in every school's curriculum. According to the ministry, obligatory sex classes are unconstitutional.

Parents have the right to bring up their children as they see fit, teaching them morality and religion in agreement with their beliefs. But sexual health campaigners disagree. "If parents do not agree with Darwin's theory, it does not mean that their children can skip biology lessons", argues Maria Keller-Hamela from Nobody's Children Foundation, who supports sexual education.

Michal Baran, however, from the Youth Catholic Association claims that, "It is absolutely unacceptable for the state to take the role of parents in bringing up children." Baran explains that teaching sexuality should be accompanied by morality lessons.

In January, the Union of Polish Teachers signed an agreement aiming at propagating sexual education in Polish schools. During sex classes pupils were to learn how to protect themselves against HIV and AIDS and how to practice birth control. Because of the government's objection to the plan, starting from the new school year, sexual education classes will become an extra-curriculum activity only for those who are willing to take part in them.

More Polish Troops to Afghanistan

Polish President Lech Kaczynski and Afghan President Hamid Karzai attend a joint news conference in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, April 8, 2009.

After the talks with Karzai, Kaczynski said Poland boost military presence up to 20% in Afghanistan before the upcoming Afghan elections. Poland currently has 1590 troops mostly stationed in the Afghan province of Ghazni.

Kaczynski also visited Ghazni and talk to his soldiers based there.




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No G-20 Trip

Government’s spokesman Paweł Gras confirmed that Poland will not participate in the G-20 summit starting in London on April 2. The country, with the rest of the EU, will be represented by the current president of the bloc - the Czech Republic.

“The point of such a move is for the EU to speak with one voice” Graś was quoted by the news agency PAP. He also informed that the Czech Republic received precise instructions from member states on the topic.

According to earlier reports in the Polish media, English diplomats claimed that this Poland proved to be much better prepared to weather the crisis and hence may have a valuable input in the meeting.

The G-20 is a group of finance ministers and central bank governors from 20 economies: 19 of the world's 25 largest national economies plus the European Union, World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. During their meeting in London they are to prepare a plan of revival for world economy and create the fundamentals of the new economic order of the world.

Bye, Bye Piwo

Poland’s Parliament has supported a Senate amendment banning the sale of low-alcohol drinks at mass events.

Only the Social Democratic Left was against the amendment, arguing that it was a European standard to sell drinks such as beer at mass events, including sports meets or soccer games.
Deputy Interior Minister Adam Rapacki said that the government initially had not been against the sale of beer, also allowing organizers this option in sponsoring.

In February Parliament decided to allow the sale of low-alcoholic drinks, including beer, at mass events, with the exception of high-risk gatherings. In March, the Senate introduced an amendment banning this. Feelings in both houses ran high and the issue also raised protests from Polish clergy.


The law is among others to provide safety for the football world cup in 2012. Now the amended law needs to be signed into force by the President.

EU Brussels Summit

Politicians who commented on the outcome of the Brussels summit for Polish Radio Three this morning agreed it ended with a success for Poland.

Wladyslaw Stasiak, the deputy head of the presidential chancellery enumerated enhancing the bloc’s energy security and financial support for the project of the Eastern Partnership as the biggest successes. Deputy head of the European Parliament, Adam Bielan of the opposition Law and Justice party (PiS) pointed to the support for Nabucco project as an alternative for the Russian gas supplies for Central and Eastern Europe. Jaroslaw Gowin of the ruling Civic Platform (PO) pointed to the anti-crisis plan adopted by EU leaders as a correct solution to the global economic crisis.

Source: Polskie Radio 3-21-09

Reka reke myje

A long-term economic campaign encouraging Poles to buy national products called “Kupujnasze” (“Buy Ours”) has been launched today.

The co-initiator of the campaign Jacek Sadowski stresses it is about “affecting the economy in a real way,” immensely important at a time of finance crisis. He points out that 60 percent of GDP in Poland is based on domestic consumer activity.

“Kupujnasze.pl” is not the first such campaign in Poland. The previous one called “You supply jobs by buying Polish products” ("Kupując polskie produkty, dajesz pracę") was aimed at promoting patriotism-oriented consumer behavior.

Source: Polskie Radio 3-21-09

Złoty - Moving Up

It has been a fairly good week for Poland’s currency – before the weekend the rate of the Polish złoty began growing.

Moods also improved in this country after Switzerland decided to cut interest rates – many Poles have mortgages in Swiss francs. Financial analyst Piotr Kuczyński spoke on Polish Radio of generally brighter outlooks:

Moods have improved on the markets and stock exchanges worldwide, there’s a rising appetite for risk, as we call it, and that immediately impacts on the currencies of developing countries, and the Polish złoty, as well. The other reason was the Swiss decision, not only to lower interest rates but most of all on intervention to keep the franc weak.

Piotr Kuczyński also said that inflation in Poland should start to drop as the position of the złoty improves.

17th province?

President Lech Kaczynski has declared himself in favor of creating a new province, by separating the capital city Warsaw from the central Mazovia province.

Lech Kaczynski said that administrative changes will be necessary especially after 2013, when as new system of distributing EU funds will come in force.

‘My idea is simple. The mayor of Warsaw should also be the province governor.

Sobieski Vodka a Big Hit

It's what marketers strive for: to have their message fit the times.

Long before the first economists began forecasting a recession, and the markets spiraled downward, Sobieski Vodka launched their "Truth in Vodka" campaign, with the pitch that consumers don't have to pay a "king's ransom" to drink a quality vodka.

The message apparently has struck a chord.

According to Impact, a spirits trade magazine, Sobieski has hit the 255,000-case sales milestone faster than any other newly introduced spirits brand.

Industry trends continue to be favorable for Sobieski. Recent figures from industry trade group the Distilled Spirits Council have shown that sales of super-premium vodkas are slipping, while premium-priced vodka sales continue to rise.

"I think that consumers are trading some of that image-badge mentality with the reality that their wallets may not be in the same shape," says Chester Brandes, president and chief executive of Imperial Brands, the Belvedere unit that imports of Sobieski vodka from Poland.

"By accident, we've caught a wave," Brandes says of the company's advertising.

Brandes says consumers are trading down, but doing it with care. He notes, for example, that consumers aren't simply selecting the vodkas at the lowest price point. Growth at the low end was marginal.

"I think that's somewhat telling....Consumer s are not prepared to overspend," he says.

Still, he doesn't expect to see consumers skimp on certain luxuries.

"I think alcohol is one of the last luxuries consumers are going to give up," Brandes says.


Source: CNBC 3-12-09

IMF - Ain't Gonna Do It

Poland does not need to take a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and does not plan any debt issues on foreign markets for now, a deputy finance minister said on Thursday. 'We have no specific plans about an IMF loan. Poland does not need to turn to IMF programs,' Dominik Radziwill told reporters.

Source: Reuters 03-12-09

Pułaski May Join Winston Churchill

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)today introduced a resolution to proclaim Casimir Pulaski (father of the U.S. Calvary) to be an honorary citizen of the United States. Pulaski, a Polish military officer who fought on the side of America during the Revolutionary War, died during a battle in Savannah, Georgia, in October of 1779.

After coming to America, Pulaski wrote to George Washington, "I came here, where freedom is being defended, to serve it, and to live or die for it."

Other original co-sponsors are U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD) and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).

Pulaski has been honored throughout our nation's history. In September, 1929, Congress designated October 11 as Pulaski Day to be observed by Presidential Proclamation; it also authorized the Post Office to issue a Pulaski commemorative stamp. In 1973, Illinois designated the first Monday of March as Pulaski Commemorative day in Illinois and in 1986 declared the day to be a state holiday.

Pole for Top Nato Post?

Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski is likely to shortly submit his candidature for the position of the Nato secretary general. Polish embassies have been instructed to sound out the Alliance member countries' governments on this.

Confidential instructions about 'probing the intentions' as to the election of a new Nato secretary general were received by Polish ambassadors in the 27 Nato member states. Earlier, Mr Sikorski's chances were unofficially sounded out by the Polish embassies in Rome and with the Nato itself.

Source: Gazeta Wyborcza 2009-03-04

Taliban Killing Poles

Recovery of Polish abductee's body increasingly unlikely.

The chances of recovering the body of the Polish engineer murdered by the Taliban militants in Pakistan are waning due to the demands made to the Pakistani government, writes Polish daily Dziennik.

In an interview with the paper, a son of one of the local mullahs has said that handing over the body can take just two days, but the Taliban always demand the release of other militants in return. Meanwhile, the government in Islamabad has so far declined to free any imprisoned Taliban.

Dziennik has also discovered that mullah Shah Abdul Aziz, who previously negotiated the release of Piotr Stañczak, and the handing over of his body following his death, has for the second time gone to the tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan. The previous mission was futile, as the Taliban demanded the release of 60 people, to which Washington firmly objected. Now the conditions have changed to four important commanders, writes the daily.

Source: Poland.pl 2009-03-01

Poland's Economy Stable

While failing economies have sparked riots and financial bailouts in parts of Eastern Europe, Poland and the Czech Republic have relatively stable economies and are trying to distinguish themselves from their ailing neighbors.

After the formidable economic reforms of recent years, these countries don't want their image tarnished by Hungary, Ukraine and Latvia, which have all received International Monetary Fund bailouts.

They fear that being lumped together will drive away even more foreign investment and capital. In Brussels, where Polish and Czech leaders helped strike down a Hungarian plea for the European Union to provide up to $241 billion to help restore trust and solvency in eastern members, the message from Warsaw and Prague was clear: we don't need rescuing.

As part of its mission to keep up investor confidence in Poland, the central bank governor is in the United States this week for meetings with World Bank to present Poland as a stable and trustworthy economic partner.

Anti-communist Fighters Day

WW2 veterans from Kraków want the 1st of March to be declared Underground Anti-communist Fighters Day. They support the initiative of honoring soldiers persecuted by the communist regime.
Jerzy Bukowski, head of the Alliance of Veteran and Independence Organizations in Krakow explains: 'Our intention is for the Parliament to pass a resolution proclaiming a day of soldiers who fought for many years with the Soviet enslavement, who were beyond doubt historically right, which was confirmed after the transition of 1989.'

Two major parliamentary clubs, the ruling Civic Platform and the major opposition Law and Justice party have already declared their support for the resolution.

Source: Polish Radio 02.03.2009

Shoppers flock to Poland

The weak zloty makes Poland's borderland an attractive shopping spot for Germans, Slovaks and Lithuanians.

The current exchange rate means a harvest for retailers as the rate of the euro has almost reached five zlotys.

The retail boom in shopping malls close to borders is the flip side of the weak zloty, which saw the government selling euros last week to prop up Poland's vulnerable currency.

Slovaks are coming in droves to Poland to ski but also to indulge in some major bargain hunting. In Poland the majority of retail items are between 20 and 40 percent cheaper than back in Slovakia. Home improvement stores, furniture and furnishings shops are besieged with shoppers from across the southern border.

US promises Poland Patriot missiles

The US secretary of defense Bob Gates (the only hold over from the Bush Administration) has given assurances that Poland will receive defense aid. He told Rzeczpospolita that if the threat from Iran disappeared there would be no need to base an anti-missile shield in Central Europe. But, America would keep its promise to base Patriot missiles on Polish soil.

The defense secretary said during the NATO summit in Kraków that the USA needs time to reach a final decision over the shield. This is another signal from Washington that if Russia puts pressure on Iran, then the US could withdraw from the shield.

The U.S. at Polish request promised to respond to any aggression against Poland without waiting for NATO to act. This is a reflection over Russian intentions, and concern about the strength of NATO's long-standing policy of "an attack on one is an attack on all."

Are we to assume however weak the EU's and NATO's military response to Putin is going to be over Georgia, the Ukraine, the Baltics or the Balkans, America will fight over Poland come what may.

The defense of Europe depends critically upon the USA.

The problem is that defending Europe doesn't stop in Poland. Guaranteeing Poland's security is pretty meaningless without also guaranteeing Slovakian, Czech, Hungarian, and Romanian security. If the US permits Putin to make moves on Romania, he will then have direct access to the Balkans and will easily destabilize the region.

Frequent Sex in Poland

The Poles have the most frequent sex in Europe, show latest international survey results. Not long ago sexologists complained that Poland lagged behind in Europe as far as sex is concerned.

I was said Poles were neither inactive nor inventive in bed. In a word – underdeveloped.

Opening up to the world and two decades of economic growth sufficed to make Poles one of the most amorous nations in Europe. Poles are better than romantic Italians and sexually liberated French. Recently published research commissioned by Bayer Schering Pharma shows that 12.6 percent of Poles over 18 have sex every day. Only 8 percent of Europeans from other countries have equally frequent sex. As many as 49.5 percent of Poles make love more often that once a week.

Ms. Double-0 Sevenska

Ian Fleming, the creator of 007 James Bond, had a war time lover. She was Winston Churchill's favorite spy. She was Polish.

Now, a big budget Hollywood movie is being made to tell the story of Krystyna Skarbek who used the name Christine Granville during World War II.

Dubbed `Churchill's favorite spy', she was awarded the George Medal for her work against the Gestapo. Her courageous actions, including a treacherous crossing into her native Poland from Hungary helped saved countless lives. After the war, she drifted into a series of affairs – including one with Fleming – before enrolling as a stewardess on a cruise ship where she met the man who was to murder her in 1952.

The film is now in pre-production and will be directed by AgnieszkaHolland, whose credits include Total Eclipse, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.

Skarbek's cloak-and-dagger exploits saw daring raids into occupied Poland, with forays into Egypt and Syria. Parachuted into occupied France in 1944, she took on the persona `Pauline Armand' to rally the Resistance.

Christine Granville, was IanFleming's inspiration for the James Bond character Vesper Lynd.



Vespar Lynd played by Eva Green

Is It Crisis Time Yet?

The Polish economy that grew at a brisk 6.7 percent in 2007 swelling the ranks of the middle class with money to spend on fine wines, fancy cars and large homes slowed to a still-healthy 4.8 percent in 2008, according to government figures.

Data released this week however shows that Poland is starting to feel a chill as the global crisis hit the country's western European neighbors and the United States causing a slowdown in the manufacturing sector as foreign orders fall.

The question now is how bad things will get. Many experts still believe Poland can weather the storm better than other European countries and manage modest growth in 2009, although it exports heavily to countries already in recession.

Despite the souring mood, there are some reasons for optimism.

Polish banks are tightly regulated and were never burdened by the toxic assets that have brought down financial institutions elsewhere. Economy Minister Waldemar Pawlak says Polish banks, mostly owned by large Western European banks, are often in a much better situation than their parent companies.

And bucking the larger trend, retail sales in December grew 6.6 percent over the same month in 2007, better than experts expected.