Polish Toledo

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Monday, October 26, 2015

Poland gone right

The only party to enjoy back to back election victories since the first free modern era elections in Poland has been defeated and current PM Ewa Kopacz officially conceded after exit poll data was released. Civic Platform (PO) a centrist party lost parliamentary elections on Sunday to the right wing conservative opposition Law and Justice party (PiS). The victory was large enough to allow them to govern without having to form a coalition.  In addition, for the first time in Poland's post-communist history, no left-wing party candidates have won enough votes to enter into parliament.

Amid a decisive shift to the right, Poles elected a new parliament Sunday that will not include the Democratic Left Alliance, the heir to the former communists, or any other parties on the left.

The win was foreshadowed by the successful election of PiS presidential candidate Andy Duda earlier this year. If the data is accurate PiS will have 242 seats in the Polish parliament, out of a total of 460. The exit poll showed PiS, run by Jarosław Kaczynski, the twin brother of Poland’s late president Lech, winning with 39.1% of the vote, while the Civic Platform totaled 23.4%.

PiS is a party characterized by Euroscepticism, anti-immigration and champion of Poles not fully benefiting from decades of enormous economic growth. While much of the western provinces and Warsaw have seen solid improvement in jobs, incomes and living standards, much of the east and southern areas of the country have not accelerated at the same pace. 

Poland's economy, the largest in ex-communist central Europe, expand by nearly 50 % in the last decade and was the only EU country not to have a down year during the recent economic meltdown in 2008 . But there was enough widespread anger that the fruits of growth have not been evenly shared among the country’s 38 million people to facilitate a change in government. 

PiS is leery regarding many EU policies including the Euro currency as well as general monetary policies in dealing with a sluggish EU economy and the debt troubles facing many of the countries in southern Europe. Poland has wisely deferred on adopting the Euro and PiS is firmly opposed to abandoning the Złoty. 

While the party advocates stronger military preparations and spending in dealing with Moscow, they have made promises of more welfare spending on the poor and want the retirement age rolled back to previous requirements.

Beata Szydlo, the party’s candidate for prime minister, is poised to change the $600 billion economy with pledges to raise taxes on banks and supermarkets owned by foreign companies which dominate across Poland. To solve a decreasing birthrate there is talk about increased spending on child support which will benefit families with more than two children.

PiS has also opposed relocating migrants from the Middle East to Poland, arguing they could threaten Poland’s Catholic way of life and subject the country to greater welfare expenditures. 

Michal Zurawski, in his mid-30s, who voted for PiS in the morning in central Warsaw, said he backed the party’s promises to tackle corruption as well as its economic program. “Their offer is targeted at those who are less affluent and that suits me. Taking care of this group and creating better social and labor conditions for them is good – it will benefit Poland’s economy and the country as a whole,” he said. 

On the campaign trail PiS sought to tap into anger that economic success is not more evenly shared and into nationalist sentiment fanned by immigration fears, particularly among young voters. 

Across Europe there is growing resurgence for a return to national, religious, community values. PiS has been successful  using clear and strong language in this respect. The election in Poland portends shifts coming in other EU member countries in the near future.


Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Poland zooming ahead of other EU countries

Poland is making steady progress establishing itself as a major power within the EU economy. Warsaw is now richer than Vienna,  Rome, Lisbon and Madrid  measured by gross domestic product per capita. 

Poland racing ahead in economic power
 
Despite the economic meltdown in 2008, Poland never showed a down year in GDP growth unlike every other European country and foreign investment is still pouring into this emerging market.

Because of its conservative policies Poland is poised to over take Spain and Italy within the next few years and with all the social and economic problems facing France we can't rule out the possibility that it will eventually overtake that country as well. Also see following related posts:
 
Poland immune to EU woes

Polish Political Roulette: A winner every time?

Poles: No Appetite for Debt

 


Thursday, October 08, 2015

Hazy Kraków

Historically coal has been the major energy, heating and even cooking fuel in Poland, but Kraków says it will introduce a ban on burning coal in households, offices and restaurants, despite protection of the industry becoming an election issue.


Kraków smog

The Mayor is introducing the ban on coal use after an amended Environmental Protection Act was signed by the country’s new president, Andrzej Duda.

Poland’s second largest city is as famed for the filthy smog that cakes its buildings and streets, as for its beautiful historic buildings. Krakow is the third most polluted city in Europe with particulate matter pollution  reaching six times the safe levels set by EU's environmental agency.

Household stoves burning coal are responsible for about half of Kraków’s smog pollution. The new law which was amended after a long-running battle with the courts gives local authorities the power to prohibit coal use in households, offices and restaurants.

Poland emits more greenhouses gases and sulfur dioxide from coal than any other European country, and also has the continent’s highest coal-related health costs, with around 45,000 premature deaths each year attributed to coal burning.

The coal industry is a major Polish employer, seen as a guarantor of energy independence. The protection of its future has become a major issue in the upcoming October elections, with the leading parties out-bidding each other in its defense.

All of Poland’s political parties are unanimous about protecting coal consumption so when, at local level, people start questioning its use for health reasons, it might become a game changer in the national debate.

The Kraków council now says it will move ahead with plans for new district heating networks, and revamped public transit networks. Vehicle access to the city center is being limited too, even though the national parliament rejected the introduction of low emissions zones in urban areas.

Poland has next to nothing in terms of oil or natural gas resources or reserves within its borders. Coal is plentiful and is depended upon for generating over 90% of Poland's electricity and a similar level for indoor heating during the winter.

The EU is putting enormous pressure on Poland to reduce reliance on domestic coal, but there is no economical substitute and mining is a time honored profession that ranks high in social status not only because of the dangers of the profession, but also the contributions coal energy has played over the centuries.

Repatriating Poles from Ukraine's conflict area

The Polish Foreign Ministry is making efforts to contact Polish ex-patriots in Ukraine’s besieged eastern city of Mariupol in an effort to potentially repatriate them because of the ongoing conflict in the region.

Poland steps up plans to repatriate ethnic Poles from Mariupol

07.10.2015 12:26
The Polish Foreign Ministry has despatched a group of consuls to Ukraine’s besieged eastern city of Mariupol in an effort to draw up a list of potential repatriates amid the ongoing conflict in the region.
- See more at: http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/223952,Poland-steps-up-plans-to-repatriate-ethnic-Poles-from-Mariupol#sthash.WsURuG0K.dpuf

Poland steps up plans to repatriate ethnic Poles from Mariupol

07.10.2015 12:26
The Polish Foreign Ministry has despatched a group of consuls to Ukraine’s besieged eastern city of Mariupol in an effort to draw up a list of potential repatriates amid the ongoing conflict in the region.
- See more at: http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/223952,Poland-steps-up-plans-to-repatriate-ethnic-Poles-from-Mariupol#sthash.WsURuG0K.dpuf



Area of conflict


Polish envoys will take measures to confirm whether 106 ethnic Polish families from the war torn area in the Southeastern part of Ukraine want to come to Poland.

The city and surrounding boroughs are constant targets of separatist offensives, and located only miles away from the self-proclaimed Donetsk republic, a stronghold of Moscow-backed rebels.

Once in Poland, the repatriates woould be taken to “adaptation camps, in line with a scheme applied earlier to people of Polish origin in Donbas,” Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna told news channel TVP Info. The repatriates are to be granted permanent stay in Poland, a status allowing them to live and work legally in the country.

Poland’s largest opposition party, PiS (Law and Justice), of which Poland's newly elected President is a member accused ruling Civic Platform of inaction in dealing with Poles in Mariupol. Parliamentary elections coming up shortly may see PiS form a new government.


In line with a decision taken on Tuesday, the envoys are to “write up a record of people of Polish descent and to confirm whether they want to come to Poland,” the ministry said in a communique released on Wednesday.
The action is directed towards 106 ethnic Poles and their immediate families based in Mariupol and the nearby Novoazovsky, Volodarsky and Pershotravnevy boroughs.
A repeated target of separatist offensives, the Ukrainian-controlled city of Mariupol is situated kilometers away from the self-proclaimed Donetsk republic, a stronghold of Moscow-backed rebels.
Once in Poland, the repatriates are to be taken to “adaptation camps, in line with a scheme applied earlier to people of Polish origin in Donbas,” Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna told news channel TVP Info. The repatriates are to be granted permanent stay in Poland, a status allowing them to live and work legally in the country.
The action follows in the footsteps of an evacuation of 178 ethnic Poles from the Donbas separatist enclave, carried out in January.
“We are launching what we consider an important programme, one which illustrates that our government is tending to these matters,” Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna told news channel TVP Info.
The announcement comes days after Poland’s largest opposition party, Law and Justice, accused ruling Civic Platform of inaction in dealing with Poles in Mariupol.
Last week, the government doubled budget reserves earmarked for existing and potential repatriates from PLN 14 mln (EUR 3.3 mln) to PLN 30 mln (EUR 7 mln) in 2016.
According to data from the Interior Ministry, over 5,000 ethnic Poles returned to their country of origin between January 2001 and December 2014. (aba/rk)
- See more at: http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/223952,Poland-steps-up-plans-to-repatriate-ethnic-Poles-from-Mariupol#sthash.WsURuG0K.dpuf