Polish Consulate...

Warsaw, Kuwait, March 29: Marek Belka confirmed that he was a candidate for a new Prime Minister. Professor Belka is holding the post of director for economic policy in the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq by the end of March. He admitted he had accepted the proposal the offer to be a candidate for a new PM made a few days ago by President Aleksander Kwasniewski. Belka, on a visit to Kuwait, said that he had not conducted so far any talks on political support or candidates for ministerial posts.

Warsaw, March 29: Union of Labour (UP) leader Marek Pol has made his support for Marek Belka as a new Prime Minister dependant on a package of welfare laws to Hausner's economic austerity plan and a clear-cut time-table of Polish troops withdrawal from Iraq. President Kwasniewski met with leaders of the leading parliamentary caucuses in an attempt to gain the support for his candidate. Pol said that the president assured him that Belka was a candidate for an interim PM that would form a government of technocrats to rule Poland until new elections. Pol said Belka was a good candidate but the final decision on support has to be made by the party leadership. Like the president, Pol was also of the opinion that it was impossible to hold parliamentary elections together with elections to the European parliament. Meanwhile leader of the Polish Peasant Party (PSL) Janusz Wojciechowski said after consultations with the president that Belka candidacy was very hard to accept for the PSL. Final decision will be made by the PSL authorities. Later the President met with leader of the Citizens Platform (PO) Donald Tusk, who told Kwasniewski his party firmly speaks in favour of early elections. Tusk did not manage to convince the President to the idea of holding early elections together with elections to the European Parliament on June 13. The PO leader stressed that he and the President had the impression that gathering enough support for Marek Belka in the Sejm will not be an easy task. Kwasniewski will continue his consultations.

Warsaw, March 2-30: Sejm speaker Marek Borowski resigned his post pending the formation of his political party, the Social Democracy of Poland. As everyone knows I'm busy forming a party and this would certainly conflict with my speaker function, Borowski explained. President Kwasniewski said he accepted the decision which showed Borowski as a "man of honour". Parliamentary praxis lays it down clearly: the biggest group gets the speakership, the smaller ones occupy lesser posts, Kwasniewski said, adding that this should be "a rule in our parliamentary life". He also said he did not know which party would be most powerful in parliament in future. On Tuesday, the Sejm resolved not to vote on Borowski’s dismissal.

Warsaw, March 29: President Aleksander Kwasniewski said that government structures, local administration institutions and agencies as well as people were quite well prepared for Poland's integration with the EU. The statement was made at the cabinet council meeting in Warsaw. According to Kwasniewski, the Miller government still faces the most important task of wrapping up all issues related to Poland's integration with the EU. Kwasniewski stressed that the current government should wisely use the time it has so that Poland may enter the EU as well prepared, proud European state and not the proverbial poor relative. Leszek Miller assured there was no threat for Poland being unable to meet any commitment related to the integration before May 1. Poland will not surrender as regards the EU constitution but will seek a compromise for every country cherishing the hope that the EU Constitutional Treaty will be adopted still during the Irish presidency of the EU. Kwasniewski believes that a compromise that'll strengthen the country's position is possible. Miller added that such a compromise, to be accepted by Poland has to meet three criteria: it must provide a balance between small, medium-sized and large states, its entries must promote solutions adopted by agreements not votes and it has to be accepted by citizens. "They will decide whether or not we will have the European Constitution. A number of countries including, most likely, Poland is going to hold referenda on the constitution," Miller said.

Warsaw, March 29: President Aleksander Kwasniewski on Tuesday in Kiev inaugurates together with Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, the Polish Year in that country. The event has been organised by Warsaw-based Adam Mickiewicz Institute. Presidential aide Marek Siwiec said the timing is not coincidental: "In the year of Poland's accession to the EU we want to demonstrate how important Ukraine is for Poland, and that the EU accession does not mean that we are turning our back on Ukraine, but the opposite, it indicates our interest in developing contacts with Ukraine." Siwiec noted that a certain stage in Polish-Ukrainian relations is coming to an end as Kuchma's term in office expires this fall and Kwasniewski's next year. "Both presidents first met in Paris in January 1996. Many problems have yet not been solved, but I think the balance sheet is very positive," Siwiec said. In 1997 the two presidents signed in Kiev a Declaration on Forgiveness and Reconcilement which was to be a foundation for improvement of mutual relations. In Siwiec’s opinion tension and utter distrust have been removed from Polish-Ukrainian relations which marked contacts at the begining. The EU accession is the most important event for Poland, and presidential elections and constitutional reform are the major events in Ukraine, which are to be a test of maturity of democracy the Ukrainian state.

Warsaw, March 29: NATO will be necessary as long as dangers exist and the admission of new members to the Alliance will mean more safety, Polish defense minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski said commenting official NATO accession by Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. Calling the new entry "a triumph for NATO's open-door policy", he stressed that a bigger NATO will be safer, more stable and foreseeable. He also reminded that Poland and the new NATO members were already linked by political and military cooperation, primarily in the Polish-commandeered international force in Iraq.

Warsaw, March 29: Polish civil servants will undergo training in Italy and their Italian colleagues will come to Poland under a memorandum signed between the Polish Interior Ministry and the Italian Administration Ministry. Poland accepted the invitation to a group of countries (Italy, France and Spain) which were planning to unify procedures and public proceeding laws without any pressure from Brussels. The planned training are to cover public administration, staff management in public sector, reform and modernisation of public administration and improvement of services for citizens and firms.

Warsaw, March 30: Marek Belka, the candidate for the post of PM, said the Hausner plan is right for keeping the economy growing. He added that Jerzy Hausner should remain in a cabinet. "Poland cannot afford abandoning economic growth. The economy is growing by at least 5 pct in the first quarter, and it is in danger if suddenly it turns out that we will have to tolerate a rise of interest rates when problems with financing our needs emerge. And the Hausner plans will be the best way to avert or solve the problems, Belka said.

Warsaw, March 29: A total of 1,736 state-owned enterprises were still up for privatisation last year, the treasury ministry informed. In all, 5,544 national companies were completely or partly privatised between the August 1990 startup of privatisation in Poland and February of 2004. Shares in 998 national enterprises were also sold to private investors.

posted by: Oborski at 14:39 | link | comments |

The months-long governmental crisis ended over the course of two days with decisions triggering a fundamental change in the political scene: the prime minister announced his resignation and the Sejm Speaker founded a new political party.

At a joint press conference held with President Aleksander Kwaœniewski March 26, Prime Minister Leszek Miller declared that May 2, a day after Poland's accession to the European Union, he would resign from his office. Justifying his decision, Miller said that after certain Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) Sejm and Senate deputies had left the party, no efficient policy could be implemented any longer.

The president intends to officially present the name of his candidate for prime minister after consulting the heads of the biggest caucuses, in order that the new head of government be appointed on the same day as Miller's resignation. According to Kwaœniewski, there is no time for a thorough reconstruction of the government and in some areas, such as foreign affairs and defense policy, it would be unjustified.

Two of the most commonly mentioned candidates for prime minister are members of the government-Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration Józef Oleksy and Minister of Foreign Affairs W³odzimierz Cimoszewicz. Possible candidates from outside the government include Sejm Speaker Marek Borowski, the founder of the new party, and Prof. Marek Belka, former minister of finance and now a member of the provisional authorities in Iraq. Belka said that the office of prime minister had already been discussed with him, but he did not reveal any details.

Kwaœniewski underlined that if the parliament did not approve the new government-according to the Constitution, it has two weeks to do so-early elections would have to be held.

Asked whether Deputy Prime Minister Jerzy Hausner should also be in the new government, Miller said it depended on the new prime minister, who should be free to choose his own partners. "It goes without saying that it would be best if the Hausner plan were executed by Jerzy Hausner," said the prime minister. He also emphasized that for the coming five weeks the government would focus upon the draft bills needed for effective implementation of Hausner's plan, as well as upon the draft bills adjusting Polish law to EU requirements, the creation of a new health insurance act and work on preparing Poland to make efficient use of EU funds.

According to a majority of commentators, the ultimate reason for Miller's resignation was the March 25 founding of a new party, Polish Social Democracy (SDPL), by ex-SLD members headed by Borowski. Beside the Sejm Speaker, the members of the new party include former Minister of Labor Jolanta Banach, who will head the SDPL caucus, former SLD Deputy Chair Andrzej Celiñski, Deputies Izabella Sierakowska, Bogdan Lewandowski and Marek Balicki, as well as W³odzimierz Nieporêt, the disciplinary commissioner of the SLD. A Plus/Minus 30 initiative associating young leftist politicians will function as part of the new party. The SDPL might also attract members of the coalition Labor Union (UP) to join. Deputy chair of the UP, Deputy Speaker of the Sejm Tomasz Na³êcz intends to stay with his old party for a week more to convince it to merge with the SDPL and "construct a new image of Polish social democracy together."

The first SDPL congress is to take place in the fall. The authorities of the new party will be elected then, following local party elections. Its slogan is "Poland needs the left," based on three pillars-a healthy state, social democracy and Europe. The SDPL will present its own list of candidates for the elections to the European Parliament.

Borowski justified his move by expressing disappointment with the SLD. "Over two and a half years, over four million voters have turned their backs on the SLD," said Borowski. "They indicated that they did not like the way the Alliance was being governed and functioning, that they were disappointed with it, that the party had let them down. It's not possible [for the left] to recover public trust in that party. We have been disillusioned. The Alliance is endangered by a further fall in support and even elimination from the political scene." Borowski emphasized that in making the decision to leave the SLD he was prepared for the possibility of resigning from the office of the Sejm Speaker. According to Borowski, if a motion for his dismissal emerges, the SDPL will not take part in the vote.

"We are critical towards the initiative of founding a new party," said SLD Chair Krzysztof Janik. "It's a bad decision, made at a bad moment. It will not favor political stability in Poland, so much needed by the people, the state and the economy. It will not facilitate EU integration, including the election of a good Polish representation for the European Parliament."

The emergence of the new left is criticized by most opposition members. "In the Sejm we have had many examples of politicians leaving their parties, both on the right and on the left," said Roman Giertych, leader of the League of Polish Families (LPR). "All those deputies have shared a common fate, finally finding themselves on the margins of Sejm life." Representatives of Law and Justice (PiS) are demanding that new parliamentary elections take place in June, together with elections to the European Parliament.

According to Donald Tusk, chair of Civic Platform (PO), the party excludes the possibility of participating in or supporting the new government headed by the SLD. "The Platform will not contribute to appointing such a government, one that by definition is weak and torn," said Tusk.

posted by: Oborski at 14:34 | link | comments |

From Warsaw Voice

Stagnation in talks over the future European constitution has finally ended. At the March 25-26 EU summit, Poland signaled a willingness to compromise on the principles of the Nice Treaty.

According to leaders of the 25 states which from May 1 will constitute the enlarged European Union, the actual shape of the EU constitution will be agreed upon no later than the June 17-18 summit. The emergence of such a possibility was to a large extent influenced by the new, more flexible stand of Warsaw and earlier of Madrid.

"The atmosphere in Brussels was much better than in December 2003 [during the previous summit at which constitution talks were blocked by the Polish delegation, among others]," said Prime Minister Leszek Miller back in Poland after the summit. The optimism concerning the most controversial article of the Constitutional Treaty draft prepared by the European Convention, specifying the future method of voting in the Council of the European Union, followed the conciliatory statements of the Polish delegation concerning the double majority system of EU states and citizens, previously contested by Poland and Spain.

According to Miller, "compromise is an antonym of surrender." Miller said the terrorist attacks in Madrid necessitated a constitution that acted as a "mechanism making Europe more resistant to various threats." He added that "Spain's evolution in this domain is not insignificant." In his speech directly following the announcement of the official Spanish election results, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the Spanish prime minister elect, declared a readiness to compromise. His statement led Polish commentators to suggest that Warsaw was left alone in the battle to maintain the Nice principles. It was at this moment that the first clear appeals for Poland to become more flexible were voiced.

"We are not excluding the possibility of reaching a compromise based on the double majority," said Foreign Affairs Minister W³odzimierz Cimoszewicz. "Much will depend on the detailed terms of such a compromise." According to the constitution draft put forward by the European Convention, for a decision to be adopted by the Council of the European Union it would have to gain support from 50 percent of states inhabited by 60 percent of EU citizens. Poland and Spain are unofficially said to be ready to agree to that system if the population threshold is raised from 60 to 64-65 percent. Both countries would than retain the veto option ensured by the Nice voting system.

"The whole political culture of the EU is based on compromise and it's better to compromise than to cause defeat," said Miller. At the same time, he declared that Poland's ultimate approval of the EU constitution should be expressed in a national referendum. The same opinion had previously been uttered by President Aleksander Kwaœniewski.

The stance of the Polish delegation in Brussels was positively evaluated by the National Council of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) meeting held the following day. According to Council members, "the worst scenario would be for Poland to be doomed to a loss of credibility." The Council's resolution expresses belief in the possibility of reaching a compromise which should "represent and guarantee the proper position of Poland."

Poland's departure form the "Nice or death" motto coined by Civic Platform (PO) leader Jan Rokita in the Sejm has been criticized by the opposition, particularly radical parties such as the League of Polish Families (LPR), the Catholic National Movement (RKN) and the Movement for the Reconstruction of Poland (ROP). Representatives of these parties demand that the government immediately explain its change of mind, which they consider tantamount to a betrayal of the national interest. Much seems to indicate that many parties will encourage their members to vote against the EU Constitutional Treaty in the possible referendum.

The issue of the Constitutional Treaty was by no means the only subject of the Brussels summit. The EU states' leaders also undertook to pursue closer cooperation in fighting terrorism and to increase the pace of Europe's economic position in relation to the U.S. They agreed that the EU should increase the pace of reforms and economic modernization if it wants to achieve the Lisbon strategy aim of catching up with the United States by 2010. The summit participants appointed Gijs de Vries, former Dutch minister of internal affairs, as coordinator of the fight against terrorism. The EU states will increase the pace of decisions on introducing passports and visas with computer-encoded fingerprints. They will also introduce an obligation for EU telecommunications operators to keep records of their clients' telephone and Internet connections.

The Polish delegation declared its full support for all summit decisions favoring economic growth and improving EU competitiveness. "We are stressing the problem of various barriers to the free movement of labor," said Miller. However, according to observers, the motion did not obtain the expected support of new EU member states. Although the need to "consolidate a free movement of labor" has been included in the summit's final document, it lacks a clear appeal to open labor markets to citizens of new EU states.

posted by: Oborski at 14:31 | link | comments |

By Slawomir Majman
From Warsaw Voice

Things are going well.
The Polish economy has shot forward. Industrial production growth is breaking records. Exports are growing even faster. Shipyards, car manufacturers, machinery and electrical equipment factories are experiencing a boom. Corporations are doubling their profits, and domestic demand is growing because employees are receiving higher wages.

The predictions spoke of a good 12-percent growth, but in fact industrial production grew by over 18 percent—a result worthy of the world’s most vigorous economies.

Things are going well in Poland.
Meanwhile, climbing to the top of popularity ranking lists is Andrzej Lepper’s Samoobrona—a party of frustration and populist negation. The creators of economic success—Leszek Miller’s ministers, on the other hand, are reaching rock bottom in voter opinion polls. The disintegrating camp of the ruling left is quite rightly concerned whether the socialists will make it into the new parliament at all, and Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) leaders have flushed Prime Minister Miller—the least liked head of government in the history of Polish democracy—down the toilet.

There’s an absolutely shocking discrepancy between the joyous objective economic data and the mood of millions of Poles who are sure their country is sinking into crisis, and who are prepared to follow the demagogues offering primitive populism and radically leftist, simple recipes.

What’s happened? Have the Poles gone blind? Have the Poles completely lost their minds?
■ Things are going well in Poland. Only, the Poles just don’t see it.
What most Poles see every day is unemployment, backwardness in rural areas, no place in society for every fourth citizen including young people, more modest household income than a few years ago.

Economic revival of itself does not create new jobs. On the contrary—it is often achieved by way of cost rationalization. After the bitter lesson of a long recession, companies are holding back investments. Revival does not yet mean growing affluence. The average Pole learns that things are going better only from his morning paper.

Moreover, the corruption scandals large and small that erupted during Miller’s term, usually blown out of all proportion by media hostile to the left, have convinced most Poles that they live in a country rotten to the core and on the brink of political catastrophe.

It is the stinking fumes of corruption scandals that have completely overshadowed the unquestioned economic success, Poland’s strengthened position in the international arena, and the decent terms of European Union accession obtained in the negotiations. It is the fog of corruption and disastrous personnel decisions that wrecked the Miller government’s reputation, destroying what for years was Poland’s most cohesive party—the SLD, and causing its electorate to drift away to the populists.

■ Have the Poles completely lost their minds? Have their politicians lost their minds?
At the very moment the sword of Damocles was hanging over the left and its government, when it was clear that the 18 months till the end of the term should be spent on undoing the damage, and rational political forces should be mobilizing to defend the bold government program for public finance rescue, the leftist leaders have been overcome by a frenzy of self-destruction.

This was the moment they chose to do a spectacular hara-kiri, ripping their bellies according to the samurai code: first from left to right, then deeper from right to left.

A group of SLD leaders pushed relentlessly for a breakup and created a new leftist party. Yes, the ranking lists give the SLD 8 percent, but 8 percent divided by two doesn’t yield 16, but at best 4 per head. Clearly this calculation doesn’t convince Sejm Speaker Marek Borowski, whose madness can’t even be stopped by appeals from President Aleksander Kwaśniewski. The dissenters’ leaders—Borowski, ex-SLD deputy chief Andrzej Celiński and their friend from coalition partner Labor Union (UP), Deputy Sejm Speaker Tomasz Nałęcz—are typical old-school Eastern European intellectuals who it’s nice to talk to over coffee but who certainly aren’t new left-wing leader material.

There are a few other factions jiggling around within the SLD. Some want a united party, others want to abandon it altogether. All are united by the will to get rid of the recent leader and strong man of Polish politics, Miller. They all have about as much charisma between them as a smoked mackerel.

Unexpectedly the SLD is in the situation of a man sinking in a swamp. The more they struggle, the deeper they are pulled down. Hysteria prevents them from being able to stop struggling.

Overcome by hysterical madness, the left’s leaders are going straight in one direction: towards the political margin.

■ In Poland, people win the elections first, and only then look around for something they should do.
For the SLD, this Polish rule meant a wasted first half of their term. When, belatedly, the government started doing a decent job, it had lost its electorate.
Some drifted towards the conservative Civic Platform (PO), having failed to find the efficient governing they’d expected from the left.

But most of the left’s supporters went over to Lepper’s populists, because when electing the SLD, these voters had been seeking the traditional leftist values, such as protection of the poor and those unable to cope in a free-market economy. They had been seeking a leftist alternative—and haven’t found it. The SLD became a machine for appointing people to civil-service posts, ignoring the aspirations of the poorer part of society. Visitors to party headquarters were seldom indigent young people, but rather businessmen searching for support in tenders.

So, have the Poles lost their minds because close to one-third of them support Lepper’s Samoobrona?

Despite his caricature-like image, Lepper is an unquestioned ambassador of social needs and anger. He expresses the views of the lower middle class whose flirt with capitalism has been a failure. The Poles have been let down by socialism and capitalism? “We choose the third way,” cries Lepper. Not enough money for the jobless and the sick? Lepper finds it in the parasitic banking system. The country rocks from corruption? Eradicate all politicians, from left and right, and give power to those who haven’t governed yet—Samoobrona.

In their chase after power and technocratic fixing of the economy, the socialists lost a large chunk of Poland. This chunk has been taken under the wings of Andrzej Lepper—a liberty-cap-wearing sans-culotte.

So, have the Poles lost their minds?
■ The Poles have lost their minds. Their politicians have been overcome by a suicidal mania.
The split in the SLD, the fight over European policy between PO leaders: Jan Rokita, who wants to die for Nice and wade in a sweet nationalist sauce, and Andrzej Olechowski, who speaks of compromise; the constant personnel pushing and shoving among the rightist leaders—this is a picture of the madness that affects the political elite this spring.

To make matters worse, there is the belief of over three-quarters of the Poles that the economy is collapsing, when in fact it’s the opposite.

Decent people have a problem this spring: who is it worth voting for in Poland?
In the face of this whole mess, Lepper—the refuge of the disaffected—stands like the Rock of Gibraltar.

The trouble is, Poland isn’t in danger of one government or another falling, or one prime minister or another.

Poland is in danger of eradicating the leftist-liberal political option for many years to come.

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Polish customers started their private preparations for Polish EU accession from buying large amounts of sugar which virtually disappeared from many supermarkets. Sugar is the only product in the EU the price of which is regulated, consequently, its price is expected to rise to 80 eurocents per kilogram after the accession. At the moment its price in Poland does not exceed 55 eurocents. Other products which will be more expensive are rice, flour, meat and dairy products. National Bank of Poland forecasts that although the price of rice may even double, the accession will increase inflation in Poland by 0,9%. Professor Jerzy Wilkin from the Warsaw University remarked, however, that many Poles spend as much as 50% of their income on food the average being 26.9%.

posted by: Oborski at 18:38 | link | comments |

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New Prime Minister Wanted

On Monday president Aleksander Kwasniewski will launch talks with major parties aimed at encouraging them to smoothly agree on a new prime minister and cabinet composition. Last Friday premier Leszek Miller announced to step down on May 2nd. One day after Poland’s accession into the EU, the outgoing prime minister will give his office to the new cabinet head. Should the latter fail to win a confidence vote in the lower house within the following two weeks or a candidate be selected, early elections would have to be held. The goal of the president’s consultations with representatives of major parties is to guarantee the selection of an appropriate candidate to take the post of prime minister and to hand the nomination on the day of Leszek Miller’s departure

posted by: Oborski at 23:07 | link | comments |

March 27 (Bloomberg) -- Poland's Ruling Democratic Left Alliance meets today to reorganize the party leadership after Prime Minister Leszek Miller said he will step down and the head of parliament left the party to form his own.

The national council of the ruling party, better known as SLD, starts today at 10:30 a.m. in Warsaw to discuss steps to take after yesterday's decision by Miller to quit the government on May 2 and the departure of Parliamentary Speaker Marek Borowski and 22 lawmakers. The SLD has seen its popularity slump to below 10 percent from 50 percent when it won 2001 elections.

``In half a year, SLD will be a completely new party amid changes we already have undertaken and we will pursue,'' said SLD Chairman Krzysztof Janik at a press conference yesterday, before Miller's announcement. ``We will have a discussion directly with Prime Minister Leszek Miller, looking straight into his eyes and not into camera lenses.''

Miller has struggled for more than a year to hold power after his coalition partner quit, his own lawmakers challenged him on a 54 billion-zloty ($13.8 billion) spending-cut plan and opposition parties such has Citizens' Platform pressed for early elections.

At a press conference with President Aleksander Kwasniewski following his return from Warsaw last night, Miller denied he was responsible for the party's split.

``There is no problem with Leszek Miller,'' he said. ``If it's going to help Poland and Polish social democracy, then my choice is to resign from leading the cabinet.''

Kwasniewski said he will begin talks on forming a new cabinet with other parties on Monday, so it will be ready to take power on May 2.

He said he expects some current cabinet members, such as the foreign minister and the defense minister, to remain in government and he expects a continuity in the government's effort to cut budget spending so the country can adopt the euro this decade.

If the new cabinet fails to win parliamentary approval by May 16, the president will be forced to call early elections, he said.

Miller has led a minority cabinet since the Polish Peasants' Party left the government. Before the split up led by Borowski, the SLD held 200 seats in the 450-seat parliament, and needed the support of opposition parties to pass bills.

The president said he will say who his candidate for becoming the Eastern European nation's next prime minister will be on Monday.

Borowski, who said he preferred former Economy Minister Marek Belka to be next premier, took 22 lawmakers from Miller's SLD with him to his new Social Democratic Party.

posted by: Oborski at 18:58 | link | comments |

WARSAW, Poland -- Prime Minister Leszek Miller said Friday that he will resign on May 2, the day after Poland joins the European Union, citing his government's dismal approval ratings.

Miller made the announcement after talks with Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski.

Earlier Friday, nearly 30 lawmakers defected from Miller's Democratic Left Alliance party and called for him to resign.

The defections reflected deep dissatisfaction in the party with Miller just before Poland - a key U.S. ally in Iraq - joins the European Union on May 1.

Miller's popularity slumped in the face of high unemployment and his drive for unpopular spending cuts before Poland joins the EU. Miller said Friday that his government will see Poland through entry into the EU and he would stay on until a successor is found and voted in by parliament.

Kwasniewski said he accepted Miller's resignation and would propose a successor by Monday.

posted by: Oborski at 20:18 | link | comments |

Ruling left Splits Up

A group of 27 members of the ruling Social Democratic Left Alliance SLD has announced the creation of a new party Social Democracy of Poland. The group led by parliamentary speaker Marek Borowski said they could continue supporting the SLD in parliament if prime minister Leszek Miller steps down , otherwise , the new party said it would support opposition calls for early elections .Under Leszek Miller’s rule the SLD saw its support melt to less than 10% this month from the 42% it gained in the 2001 general elections. The rapid decision of the rebel group to separate itself from the SLD prompted calls for Miller’s resignation even from within his own cabinet.

Marek Borowski has officially introduced the Social Democracy of Poland. At a press conference in Warsaw Borowski underlined that the party aims at serving the state and not its members, he underlined that the movement rose up due to situation within the SLD which lost over four million of its electorate as a result of scandals, internal rows and incompetence. Marek Borowski said that such a situation called for the formation of a new leftist party, since as he said Poland needs the leftist movement.

posted by: Oborski at 20:10 | link | comments |

A Polish government delegation with Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz arrived in Brussels on Thursday to attend a two-day EU summit starting later in the day.

Poland and Spain want their alliance on the EU Constitution to remain in force. If they change their position on the vote counting system in the EU Council they will do it together, Prime Minister Leszek Miller said Wednesday after a meeting with Spanish PM elect Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. So far Poland and Spain have been against plans to depart in 2009 from the voting system adopted in Nice. Germany and France want this system to be replaced with the so-called double majority method. Asked whether Spain was planning to give up its efforts to keep the Nice system, Miller said: "Spain is at the moment analysing the situation but a modification of its position is rather certain. It is still unknown how this modification can look like but it should be expected." But we want to continue to speak with one voice or a very similar one, Miller said. The Polish PM also met with his outgoing counterpart and fervent supporter of the Nice vote system Jose Maria Aznar. Miller admitted that he was becoming a supporter of an idea to hold a referendum on the EU Constitution in Poland. This is a very significant legal and political act and the Polish people should have the right to voice their opinion, he stressed.

The timing of this visit was perfect as it took place just before our integration with the European Union; it convinced our partners that entering the EU we are not becoming Eurocentrist as they may have suspected, said President Aleksander Kwasniewski while summing up his six-day visit to Persian Gulf states. "On the other hand the membership of the EU strengthens Poland as the country becomes a member of a very important world's club and has the same legal, economic and political standards," he stressed. Kwasniewski said that political contacts with Persian Gulf states require trust in joint undertakings that should be developed between those states that are friendly towards each other. The president underlined the difficult situation in the region. He said that he had tough talks on Poland's presence in Iraq because of lack of optimism as to further developments there. "We will develop bilateral cooperation, we will cooperate with the entire region also on the international arena. Poland is highly valued here and this quality is being underlined by our integration with the EU. Poland's active policy in the region will be beneficial to both sides," the president summed up.

President Aleksander Kwasniewski arrived in Qatar on Wednesday morning for a one-day visit to that country. This is the last leg of Kwasniewski's tour of the Persian Gulf states. On Wednesday evening the president is coming back to Poland. During his visit to Doha the Polish president will meet Qatar's Amir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani and attend a Polish-Qatari economic forum.

PM Leszek Miller told journalists in Madrid on Wednesday that he would meet President Aleksander Kwasniewski Wednesday night or Thursday morning to discuss the outcome of his talks in Spain and an EU summit, that starts in Brussels on Thursday. "The president comes back from Qatar late Wednesday night so I will meet him either tonight or tomorrow. It will be a routine meeting. The president will also share his experience from the visit to Persian Gulf states, that concluded today," Miller added. Leszek Miller heads a Polish delegation that is leaving for a two- day EU summit on Thursday afternoon. The summit was to be devoted to the so called Lisbon strategy but after March 11 terrorist attacks in Madrid it is likely to focus on terrorism-fighting. Miller will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz. "Even though the agenda of the summit does not envisage a discussion on the EU Constitutional Treaty Ireland, that holds EU rotating presidency may come up with something it would like to present as a result of consultations on the treaty," he explained. The PM did not exclude the possibility of holding a referendum on the EU Constitutional Treaty in Poland. "I think this idea should be considered. The referendum could be held together with presidential elections to give it a chance for a higher turnout," he told journalists.

EU Commissioner for Enlargement Guenter Verheugen suggested Wednesday that Poland should make efforts to reach a compromise on the European constitution before its accession to the Union in May. According to AFP, Verheugen told Deutschlandradio that the European parliamentary elections in June would also be a good time. The matter is to find a formula which will help Poland demonstrate its ability to compromise with upheld brow, Verheugen said. In his opinion the Tuesday meeting of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder with Prime Minister Leszek Miller was "an important signal" of the will to offer Poland a helping hand to overcome the impasse.

Culture ministers of Poland, Germany and other Central European countries will meet in Warsaw in April to discuss the problems of expulsions, flights and migration in Europe and the proposal to create a coordinating centre for exhibitions, discussions and other related events, German minister of state for culture and media Christina Weiss said in Berlin Wednesday. Weiss said she hopes that this will make it possible to discuss difficult problems at a higher, spiritual level. The German minister is against the proposal launched by the German union of expellees BdV to build a Centre Against Expulsions in Berlin. In her opinion the problem of expulsions should be dealt with by a decentralised network of European centres and institutions operating in the countries concerned.

Sejm deputy-Speaker Donald Tusk announced in Wroclaw Wednesday that the Citizens' Platform (PO) will table a motion on self-dissolution of the Sejm and will call for new elections to be held together with elections to the European Parliament. Tusk said the PO wants the motion on self-dissolution to be examined some time between the end of March and early in April so that parliamentary and European elections could be held simultaneously in June. An appeal for the self-dissolution of parliament was issued by the Law and Justice (PiS) party last January, and the League of Polish Families called for early parliamentary elections last Tuesday.

Only 5 percent of Poles in an Ipsos survey backed the Leszek Miller government, 8 percent voiced support for the PM himself (4 points down from February). 89 percent criticized the government (5 points up from February). 84 percent criticized Miller (77 pct in February). Also down 3 points is support for president Aleksander Kwasniewski, 47 percent praising his work in March. 41 percent criticised the president (up 4 points from February). Ipsos ran the poll from March 5 to 9 on a random group of 1,005 Poles 15 and over.

posted by: Oborski at 20:03 | link | comments |

posted by: Oborski at 21:41 | link | comments |

"I'm not a crook because that's against my morals."
-Zbigniew B. aka Orzech in a statement in court; he was sentenced to a term of 12 years for heading an armed criminal group and ordering a murder

"Ordinary people are not interested in Leszek Miller's real function; for them, he might as well be archbishop."
-Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) deputy Jerzy Dziewulski when asked whether the SLD's results in public opinion polls would improve after the prime minister's resignation as head of the party

"I think it was out of pure love. He simply wants me to be close to him, not somewhere in Brussels."
-Nelli Rokita, wife of the leader of the Civic Platform (PO) Jan Rokita, on the fact that he firmly denied rumors about his wife's intention to run in the European Parliament elections even though she had not made a decision yet

"I put the letter on a nail hung in the toilet."
-Jerzy Jêdykiewicz, SLD party leader in Pomerania province accused of multi-million-zloty financial scandals, on the opposition's letter with a proposal to dissolve the SLD structure in the region

"He acted with dignity-atypical for a politician. He apologized to the wronged party, didn't obstruct the proceedings and didn't try to blame others."
-Miko³aj Borku³ak, judge from the district court in Zambrów, on Sergiusz Plewa, SLD senator from Podlasie province, who was fined and lost his driver's license for a year for causing a minor road accident while intoxicated

"The office staff were not interested. Only five people applied, so we canceled the session."
-Justyna Rytel-Kuc, from the Warsaw county office, on the planned six-hour work ethics training session for employees

posted by: Oborski at 14:05 | link | comments |

Leader of the ruling SLD Democratic Left Alliance Krzysztof Janik has said that the alliance’s National Council, which meets on Saturady, will take a decision on the future of the government. “We should not fear talks about the government nor should we fear taking decisions”- Janik said at a meeting with local party leaders.
Pressure has been growing in the alliance on making PM Leszek Miller resign and forming a new cabinet. Two splinter groups emerged, one formed around parliamentary speaker Marek Borowski, another made up of deputies sitting in Parliament for the first time.

The European Union summit which begins in Brussels later today is almost certain to see talks on the European constitution get off the ground again. The negotiations were suspended last December, largely due to an uncompromising stand of Poland and Spain. Now Spain is ready to modify its stand and Polish Prime minister Leszek Miller said that Poland and Spain will work together on a compromise. And foreign minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz said that Poland does not rule out a compromise on the voting arrangement. Speaking after a meeting with Benelux and Visehrad Group leaders, Cimoszewicz said everything depends on details and on what kind of a compromise is possible.

Polish railwaymen have threatened to go on strike, if the government does not start a dialogue with their Protest Committee on plans to slash 251 regional train services. The PKP state railways says that the services are making losses. Stanis³aw Kogut, who heads the Protest Committee, argues that the PKP management violates last year’s agreement under which all cuts would be closely analyzed with the unionists.

We would very much welcome peace and development in the Mideast region, Persian-Gulf-visiting President Kwasniewski said in Dubai. He assured Poland would not be pulling out from Iraq before its mission was over and would not enlarge its Iraq force. Explaining why Poland involved itself in the Iraq operation, Kwasniewski said that "we believed and still believe that the Saddam Hussein regime was a crucial threat to global safety and the safety of this region". Hussein used mass destruction weaponry also against his own people, he waged war against his neighbours and committed genocide. I am sure the world without Hussein is better than it had been when he was in power. This is why we took part in this mission in the belief that this would be part of a very important struggle against terrorism.

Trade between Poland and the United Arab Emirates could grow provided Poland is better promoted in the region, Emirates-visiting Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski said in Dubai. Earlier, Kwasniewski attended an economic forum, met members of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and visited a free trade zone. The President said afterwards that his visit in Dubai opened up a new cooperation phase between Poland and the Emirates. He also reminded that Poland's EU membership will help in trade with Arab countries. Poland is one of the UAE's major partners in Central and Eastern Europe. During his visit, Kwasniewski was assured that the UAE would open its embassy in Poland. The President underlined that his visit to the four Persian Gulf countries was to show Poland's interest in the region. Kwasniewski explained that Poland wanted to present the Arab partners with an investment offer and such actions that would enable the emirates to approach Poland in future "as a springboard for other contacts in central and eastern Europe." The President stressed the need for more information in Poland about the emirates and vice versa. Talks in Dubai also focused on the issue of resuming direct Warsaw-Dubai air connection suspended in 1999. The Polish side presented the partners from the emirates with a list of possible investments in oil, metallurgy, chemical sectors and tourism. After having left Dubai, President Kwasniewski arrived in Qatar for a one-day visit. This is the last leg of Kwasniewski's tour of the Persian Gulf states. During his visit to Doha, the President will meet Qatar's Amir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani and attend bilateral economic forum.

There is a will to continue mutual efforts and any modification of a position on the EU Constitution is to be done together, Prime Minister Leszek Miller said after a meeting with Spanish PM elect Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Miller admitted he was becoming a supporter of an idea to hold a referendum on the EU Constitution in Poland. Miller went to Madrid to attend a funeral mass to honour the victims of the March 11 terrorist attacks. Four Poles died in result of the attacks and six Polish persons have been hospitalised. Funeral ceremonies will also be attended by some dozen heads of states and governments and other VIPs, including the Royal family, US Secretary of State Colin Powell, President of the EC Romano Prodi and of European parliament Pat Cox..

We agreed that a compromise on the EU constitution was not only necessary but quite possible, Polish PM Leszek Miller said in Warsaw after talks at his home with visiting German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. Poland (and until recently Spain) wants the inclusion of EU Nice Treaty voting rules in the new EU constitution, the other EU members opt for a double majority system proposed by the European Convention. Spain's future government has recently announced it would withdraw its backing of the Nice Treaty. Miller said Poland was open to a compromise solution on the constitution and stressed that both he and Schroeder would instruct their foreign ministers to work on the matter together with Ireland, now holding the EU rotating presidency. Schroeder, on a brief visit to Warsaw pending the EU summit in Brussels, said there were ways for Poland to make its mark in the EU without resigning from double majority voting. I see ways to make Poland's weight in the EU felt without giving up the double majority system, Schroeder said, adding that double majority voting did not lie "solely in Germany's interest" but was better for the entire Union. According to Schroeder Polandfriendly adjustments of the system's thresholds were possible, its introduction could also be postponed until 2014. We're sure we'll find a way out of this under Ireland's EU presidency, Schroeder said. Miller and Schroeder also discussed German property claims against Poland. Miller said the German chancellor had clearly refuted all such demands on Germany's part. Both leaders also reviewed the global anti-terrorism campaign, Miller also invited Schroeder for this year's celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the 1944 Warsaw Uprising against the Nazis.

Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz said that PM Leszek Miller expressed the opinion that a referendum on the adoption of the EU Constitution was a "good idea". According to Cimoszewicz, such a decision should be taken after the draft has been presented to the Parliament. And a decision concerning further ratification procedures should be taken at that moment, he said and added that this would be the most reasonable solution. The minister expressed the conviction that there were chances to reach an agreement on the EU constitution which would not result in disputes in Poland. A referendum is a good idea but let us remember that in order to declare it valid in Poland it must be attended by 50 percent of Poles entitled to vote, Cimoszewicz said. Therefore he added such a referendum might be held together with presidential elections as this would increase voters turnout.

The leaders of the centrist Citizens Platform (PO) outlined their position on the EU constitution and German exile claims against Poland at a meeting with members of the CDU. After the talks PO's Donald Tusk assured CDU was not planning to back German vindication claims after taking over government. He added that CDU head Angela Merkel would present her party's position on the issue "in a manner satisfying the Polish side" at the PO congress on May 3. These are difficult problems, also for the Germans, but after today it appears certain that CDU will not back any such claims, Tusk said. Postwar German exiles from west Poland are claiming vindication for property and land lost in result of their resettlement. If endorsed, the claims could surpass Poland's financial means.

PM Miller said that a compromise on the vote-counting system in the EU constitution will let Poland preserve its present position. The PM explained that he did not know what type of a compromise the sides would work out but underlined that the December Sejm resolution calling on the government to stick to the Nice system of vote-taking was still binding for the government. President Kwasniewski said in Dubai that information he received from Foreign Minister Cimoszewicz suggested that "a certain possibility of reconciling two positions on the EU constitution, one presented by Poland and another presented by Germany, was looming on the horizon." Meanwhile, opposition parties were not that happy with the course of Miller's talks with Schroeder. Leader of the Law and Justice (PiS) Jaroslaw Kaczynski said a compromise on the EU constitution has been repeatedly mentioned but it has been dealt secretly. He stressed that in the eyes of PiS the draft law of the EU Constitutional Treaty contradicts the national interest of Poland not only as regards a decision-making system but also other issues. Even sharper criticism of Miller's position was voiced by head of the National-Catholic Movement (RKN) Antoni Macierewicz, who termed it a "total surrender to the dictate of Germany."

Joining the EU gives Poland both the access to the world biggest market and the possibility to use 12 bn euros in the coming years, EU Commissioner for internal market Frederik Bolkestein said. Money could be spent on infrastructure, scientific research and other fields that require support. According to Bolkestein, most of the work connected with Poland's joining the EU has been done, but there are still four fields that require much attention: mutual acceptance of professional qualifications and titles, free flow of goods (like used cars imports), and questions regarding securities market and investment services.

The three Pakistanis and one Ukrainian, detained Sunday for questioning over for possible links to terrorism, were released as the Central Investigation Office (CBS) found no evidence of any such connection. The police HQ spokesman said all four were in Poland legally and may remain in the country. After the men were detained police found marked-up city maps in a search of one of the men's apartments. Areas of the city were circled on the maps, including a zone with the capital's only synagogue, an area housing an embassy and police headquarters although no specific sites were marked. Reportedly, the marked areas were mainly around offices where they were applying for residence permission.

The government popularity ratings hit a new record low since the start of its tenures with 92 percent of Poles negatively assessing the government. The number of dissatisfied with the performance of the Prime Minister remained unchanged to the February level standing at 82 pct, a March poll of TNS OBOP shows. The number of people positively assessing President Kwasniewski remained at 57 percent.

March was a successive month to record Poles' falling confidence in the EU, according to a IPSOS poll. Only 28 percent of the surveyed said they trusted the EU and 61 pct declared they did not. In February the respective figures were 30 pct and 55 percent.

posted by: Oborski at 14:01 | link | comments |

Vladimir Putin's re-election as president of the Russian Federation came as no surprise. The result had long been a foregone conclusion before March 14.

As Rossiyskaya Gazeta writes: "Only the ritual of Putin's legitimization took place... it was merely a referendum on extending his term."

From the Polish viewpoint, most important is the policy that Putin will pursue towards Central and Eastern Europe. Most Polish observers have no doubt that Putin has chosen the path of reform-but reform according to the Russian model. The daily Izvestya characterizes this with aplomb: "Putin has unconditionally chosen the traditional way for Russia-the way of from-above reforms, of coercing the country, by force if need be, into making progress. The kind of progress as seen by the president from the top. The way is one of modernization, not democratization."

In Polish political circles, the view prevails that this will not mean a return to Moscow's imperial yearnings. Stanis³aw Ciosek, former Polish ambassador to Moscow and advisor to President Aleksander Kwaœniewski on Eastern policy, says: "I don't believe that Putin's Russia would want to take any kind of action aimed at depriving former Soviet countries of their independence-including Belarus, not to mention Ukraine and other countries. It is my conviction that these are permanent geopolitical changes. However, Putin will want to have the closest possible alliances with, and influence on, that area."

Bartosz Cichocki, an expert at the Center for Eastern Studies (OSW) in Warsaw, says: "If we are speaking of the area's re-integration, I would see this process as mainly economic. This is an expansion of Russian capital, of Russian private companies with state involvement. Of key importance here is an answer to the question of what action the Russian state will take vis-a-vis the privatization processes taking place in the former Soviet satellite states and whether it will take advantage of these processes to strengthen its own influence, or not. This has not yet been settled. For Russia, it is immensely important who wins the presidential elections in Ukraine in a few months. And how strong President Alexander Lukashenko will be; so far he has been blocking Russian capital expansion in Belarus."

Grzegorz Gromadzki, an expert from the Batory Foundation, takes a somewhat different view. To him, it does not seem so clear that imperial designs will not be revived in Russia, manifested in the wish to make its neighbors economically dependent. "In my opinion, designs of this kind will appear because Putin's team is unusual, they are thinking about integration of the former Soviet empire. Russia cannot play as significant a role in international politics as before. Naturally, Putin's team will endeavor to achieve success closer to home."

To what extent could these designs lead to subordination of neighboring states? Could dependence on Russian gas or oil influence their independence, and will the Russia of Putin's second term be inclined to take advantage of this for its local goals and global-political games? Cichocki says: "I don't think the Russians are seriously considering reconstructing the Soviet Union; they have bad associations with it. But, I can see a process of economic reintegration of the former Soviet republics, of further economic dependence on Russia, with its raw materials. What is needed here is an active economic policy on the part of Western countries. The point is to seek an alternative to the Russian economy."

Ciosek makes a similar remark: "The problem, I believe, is whether the European Union will present reasonable integration proposals to countries in the East: Ukraine, Belarus and Russia itself. For the time being, I don't see much love for Ukraine, for example, from the EU. It is Poland that is strongly pressing and explaining that this kind of vision is needed; it seems to me that the EU should go further in its policy towards these countries. Further integration of the continent is needed for the sake of our common security."

What position Russian politicians adopt may well depend on Europe's stance. "I think these relations depend on the EU rather than Russia, on what kind of policy Europe creates towards Russia. Weeks ago, the european Commission published a statement stating very clearly: if we want to speak with the Russians seriously and want to be treated seriously by Moscow, we have to speak in unison. The first test is extension of EU-Russian agreements to new members. If the EU shows solidarity, then Moscow will note that such countries as Poland, Slovakia and Lithuania, are treated by the 'old Union' as true partners. If the EU speaks in one voice concerning the new members, then it will be easier for Russia's relations with its nearest neighbors to prosper," says Gromadzki.

Especially since the chances are rather slim that Russia will again start to play its former imperial role. "To be an empire, you need strength. You also need an attractive political model. Contemporary Russia has neither; and for some time, it won't," says Ciosek. This prognosis does not depend on whether Russia is with Putin, or without him.

posted by: Oborski at 13:49 | link | comments |

The consequences of the terrorist attack in Madrid-elections lost by the ruling conservatives and the sudden turn in Spain's foreign policy-have radically complicated Poland's situation both in Iraq and in the struggle over the European Union Constitution Treaty.

José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, leader of the Spanish socialists and the prime minister elect, said shortly after his victory that Spanish troops would be withdrawn from Iraq, if the United Nations did not take over control of the operation. In Zapatero's opinion, the war in Iraq was "a disaster." He also called for a "major international debate" on how to avoid this kind of military intervention in the future.

Today, there are around 1,300 Spanish soldiers in the multinational division under Polish command. According to Minister of Defense Jerzy Szmajdziñski, the division is still able to manage if shortages occur after withdrawal by one of the contingents-especially since Iraqi units, in formation for many months, are increasingly well-prepared to act on their own.

According to most observers, Spain's withdrawal from the coalition would nevertheless deal a strong blow to the Polish government, which a year ago made the decision to become involved in Iraq, even though the majority of the public was against it. Naturally, the question of Polish soldiers' participation in the Iraqi mission is under discussion once again. Some parliamentary parties, for example the increasingly strong Samoobrona movement of Andrzej Lepper and the League of Polish Families (LPR) of Roman Giertych, are totally against any further involvement of the Polish Army.

Adding more fuel to the flames was a controversial statement by Aleksander Kwaœniewski, who at a meeting with a group of French journalists March 18 said he felt "discomfort that [Poland] was misguided by information about weapons of mass destruction." The Polish leader's unprecedented criticism of Washington soon made the headlines in America and Europe, igniting speculation that Poland-following in Spain's footsteps-might reconsider its position.

Less than a day later, Kwaœniewski assured American President George W. Bush in a telephone conversation that the Polish troops would stay in Iraq "as long as necessary." Meanwhile, the President's Office explained that the quote from Kwaœniewski had been distorted in translation as well as taken out of context. What the president actually spoke about was the legitimacy of the operation that started in Iraq one year ago; he criticized the recent announcements by the new Spanish authorities and appealed for a continuation of the war on international terrorism. The alleged "misguidance" was part of a statement in which Kwaœniewski expressed his regret that the issue of weapons of mass destruction supposedly possessed by Saddam Hussein's regime had not yet been clarified.

Nice or... whatever?
The future of the intervention in Iraq is not the only issue colored by the tragic events in Madrid. Spain wants to alter its approach to the future EU Constitution Treaty, an issue fiercely discussed over the past few months. Enrique Baron-Crespo, leader of Spanish socialists in the European Parliament, said March 15 that Madrid would no longer block the European constitution.

So far, Poland and Spain shared the opinion that the EU constitution should not put an end in 2009 to the Nice system of voting in the European Union Council, in favor of the system of double majority. According to the new system, decisions in the EU Council will be made with the support of at least one half of EU countries which represent no less than 60 percent of the EU's population. The possible change in Madrid's policy means Warsaw will be left practically alone on the battlefield.

"So long as there are no official declarations concerning the change of the Spain's position on the voting system in the EU Council, nothing can be certain," said Prime Minister Leszek Miller, but he added that "the worst thing Poland could face is isolation."

The prime minister said the issue of the Constitution Treaty would be the main subject of his conversation with German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder March 23 in Warsaw. Miller said he would certainly not conduct talks in the spirit of the slogan "Nice or death," which Jan Rokita, leader of the opposition Civic Platform (PO), coined when the crisis surrounding the EU constitution began. "In this area, the Polish government has worked with all governments of the enlarged Union," Miller said. "We sustain our declaration to seek a sensible compromise."

The EU constitution was the dominant theme at the PO's party convention, which March 20 exposed an open conflict between PO Chairman Donald Tusk, supported by Rokita, who is head of PO Sejm caucus, and Andrzej Olechowski, one of the party's founders and head of its program council. "We have to seek a compromise: it's no use fighting alone," Olechowski said, trying to explain that out of the 25 countries constituting the EU upon enlargement in May, only Poland stood by full preservation of the principles of the Nice Treaty. "We do not even allow the thought that the Polish delegation could come to the summit [of the EU in March] only to show it is ready for full concessions," Tusk replied. "The PO will not give its approval to the ratification process of the constitution treaty, if the Polish government accepts conditions that do not guarantee protection of the national interest of Poles in the EU."

Rokita also attacked Olechowski, accusing him of "anachronism" and succumbing to a vision of the world where "the small and the medium-sized obey the demands of the large ones without a peep." As a result, the PO Council nearly unanimously approved the party's firm position on the EU Constitution. Olechowski left the conference room before the vote.

posted by: Oborski at 13:46 | link | comments |

Sold production is growing at an unparalleled pace, profit making companies are more and more numerous, retail sales have gone up and exports continue to boost business. The Achilles' heel of the Polish economy remains investment-still too small to markedly reduce unemployment.

According to the latest Central Statistical Office (GUS) data, in February 2004 sold industrial production increased by 18.4 percent, a pace of growth not achieved since 1996. Analysts did not expect such rapid growth. It cannot be ruled out that in March sold production will increase by over 20 percent. These good results mean that the pace of economic growth could this year exceed the 5-percent mark forecast by the Ministry of Finance, possibly amounting in the first quarter to even 5.2 percent.

The sectors reporting the greatest improvement? In February, the shipping industry's sold production was 90 percent higher than last year. Sales of automobiles and caravans increased by 80 percent, non-metallic raw materials by 42 percent, machines and electrical apparatus by 32 percent. Of the Polish industry's 29 sectors, 26 increased their sales in February.

According to the GUS, imports have also reported growth year in, year out. With exports growing faster than imports, in recent years the foreign trade deficit fell from $17.3 billion in 2000 to $14.1 billion in 2002.

Export-oriented firms' relatively good mood is attested by their plans to hire new employees. According to quarterly economic research conducted by the National Bank of Poland (NBP), the percentage of firms planning to increase employment is growing. Preparing for personnel recruitment are mainly foreign firms, companies increasing their exports and businesses earmarking a major part of their production for abroad.

Construction has done considerably worse than industry. In February, construction sales were 6.4 percent lower than last year, reporting a drop by 11.5 percent over the first two months of this year. More finishing work is being executed, but the activity of companies preparing land for construction has diminished.

Let's go shopping
The industrial product sales increase was mainly due to exporters, but domestic demand also keeps improving. According to the GUS, retail sales increased in February by 12.1 percent in annual terms. Poles eagerly purchased cars (+22.8 percent), and also furniture, household appliances and audio-video equipment (+17.3 percent). Due to the announced VAT tax increase for building materials, the retail sales of this group of products has gone up by as much as 89 percent. Some consumers are buying more food stocks in the fear of price increases following Poland's accession to the European Union.

Indirect signals have also appeared of an improvement in domestic demand. According to budget implementation data, income from indirect taxes-VAT and excise tax on consumer goods-has increased in comparison with 2003 by almost 17 percent. This proves that consumption is growing.

According to the GUS, over 70 percent of Polish companies reported in 2003 a bottom-line profit. They earned altogether over zl.17 billion, while 2002 brought a loss to the tune of zl.1.96 billion. However, this does not mean that, with more money in their coffers, they want to invest. Some firms are waiting, uncertain if the revival is stable. Others are deferring investing to May 1, 2005, expecting the inflow of EU structural funds to assist them in making development investments. Considering the shortage of domestic savings, investments remain a week point.

A positive phenomenon, on the other hand, is the fact that the rate of unemployment, standing in February at 20.6 percent, has stopped growing. In relation to last year's level, Poland had 50,000 fewer unemployed.

Profitable exports
As a result of the market opening and economic transformation, the direction of the stream of goods flowing from Poland to abroad has changed: a reorientation took place from countries of the former Eastern Bloc towards Western Europe. The leading and increasingly more important customers of Polish exports today are EU member countries, also constituting the main supply source for Polish enterprises. In 2002, 69 percent of Polish exports went to EU members, while the share of the EU in Polish imports amounted to 62 percent. Only 19 percent of Polish exports went to Central and Eastern Europe.

The change of the main directions of trade has been good for the Polish economy, but some analysts believe that at present exporters should seek new markets for their products and not limit themselves to EU markets.

Exporters are additionally helped by the weak zloty. The market research conducted by the NBP indicates that exports are profitable for Polish companies, if the exchange rate of the dollar is below zl.4.80, and the rate of the euro is below zl.4.

For months now, exports have been the Polish economy's driving force. Upon entry to the EU in less than two months' time, a market of 360 million consumers will open to Polish exporters well-prepared for the increased competition.

Regardless of the undeniable successes in exports, it is also important to increase domestic consumption and domestic investments, because reduction in unemployment-affecting as many as 3.5 million people in Poland-mainly depends on stimulating investment.

posted by: Oborski at 13:43 | link | comments |

posted by: Oborski at 17:22 | link | comments |

President Aleksander Kwasniewski met with PM Leszek Miller to discuss the state of Poland's preparations for the forthcoming EU summit, to be held in Brussels in late March. The two politicians discussed the EU Constitution draft and Poland's position on the document. The president informed the PM about his visit to the Republic of Malta and the PM presented to the president the results of a Visegrad group meeting.

We have to do all we can to ensure that education does not become a luxury, available to the rich only, said President Kwasniewski opening the first educational congress here. Education provides the soil on which Poland can build its success in the EU, he added. Kwasniewski drew attention to the fact that never in the past had the number of students enrolled at Polish universities been so high - some 2 million. We have implemented important and difficult reforms in the educational system but we must be prepared for more changes, the president noted.

A Polish general will be the next commander of the multinational division in Iraq during the third shift, deputy Defence Minister Zanusz Zemke said summing up a five-day visit of a parliamentary-government delegation to Iraq. He added that during the third shift the Polish contingent would be reduced by around 10 percent (some 200 soldiers). The name of the new commander, who is to take over the command from general Bieniek in July, will be revealed in early April. Zemke praised the Polish command of the multinational division. At present much time was devoted to trainings for Iraqi army and police. At the moment the number of Iraqis being trained in the Polish zone stands at around 20,000. They are to take over some duties of the division and this creates a chance for reducing the number of Polish troops, he said. The Polish delegation returns to Poland together with three Iraqi girls who will undergo treatment in a hospital in Gryfice. The delegation was composed of seven members of the Sejm and Senate defence committees.

The reconnaissance operation conducted by Polish soldiers was good and they proved to be effective, Defence Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski said speaking about the capture by Poles of people suspected of killing of two American civilians and an Iraqi translator. Two Americans working for the U.S.-led CPA were shot dead along with their Iraqi translator after their car was stopped at a makeshift checkpoint in south-central Iraq by men dressed as Iraqi policemen. The shooting happened on the road to Karbala Tuesday night, Col. Robert Strzelecki, the Polish military spokesman for the multinational division, said by telephone from the Camp Babylon. Polish troops arrested Iraqi suspects still during the night and found the victims' bodies in their car. The terrorists have been detained will be transported to a prison in Baghdad and interrogated by American troops because the victims were U.S: citizens. Reportedly, Poles received the information from Iraqi civilians.

Poland's European policy will be coordinated by a cabinet European committee headed by deputy PM Jozef Oleksy, the government decided. The committee will be supported by the European Secretariat at the PM's Chancellery, made up of the transformed office for the Committee of European Integration. According to the Minister for European Affairs Danuta Huebner, the committee will be made up of deputy heads of ministries. Huebner believes committee will be set up in a few months.

Following Poland's EU entry inflation will rise by a maximum of 1.6 percent in 2004. But price hikes of some commodities and services may be higher, the Rzeczpospolita daily revealed. According to a central bank analysis, prices of gas, electricity, pork, cigarettes and building materials will probably go up more than the projected 1.6 percentage points. The food market will be the hardest hit by price changes, e.g. prices of milk and sugar will rise. "This will be caused by a complicated system of farmer subsidies, production limitations and export subsidies as part of the Common Agricultural Policy," the daily said. Prices of grain would fall, resulting in lower prices of bread and cakes. Brand-name liquor like Scotch whisky or English gin, should be cheaper by at least 20-30 percent as of May 1, the paper said, due to changes of customs tariffs. But price changes of industrial products should be much lower after the accession. Central bank believes that at least a half of cost adjustments will be born by producers through profit reduction.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu received an honorary doctorate of the Warsaw University. Tutu, a South African peace activist who rose to worldwide fame in the 1980s through his opposition to apartheid, was the first black Anglican archbishop of Capetown who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (1984). Tutu said he accepted the title granted to him by Warsaw University on behalf of millions of ordinary people from South Africa who fought against horrors of apartheid. He stressed that it was a great honour to receive the award in Poland. So much has been done to destroy you, Tutu said and added he had in mind Poland's partitions, deportations, and moves designed to destroy Polish culture and tradition. In 1978 Tutu became the first black General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches. He is an honorary doctor of a number of leading universities in the USA, Britain and Germany.

The 5th Gniezno Congress of Christian churches will be held between March 12 and 14 under the motto "A Europe of the Spirit". An ecumenical Way of the Cross led by bishops of seven Christian Churches will be held for the first time. Like today's Europe, the Congress will have an multi-national, multi-cultural and ecumenical character. Its 700 participants will include leaders of European Christian opinion-shaping millieus, well-known politicians, and people of culture and media from the East and West, those "two lungs" of Europe for integration of which Pope John Paul II appeals. The participants will pray a Rosary for Europe together with the pontiff and Christians gathered in the capitals of the countries entering the EU. The Congress is to give a new impulse to the ecumenical dialogue in view of the uniting Europe and prepare Christians from Central and Eastern Europe to participate in shaping the future of the united Europe. The original Gniezno Congress was held one thousand years ago and permanently bound Christian Poland to Europe

Antiglobalist protests at the European Economic Forum (EEF) in Warsaw will be peaceful, Polish antiglobalist spokesmen said responding to safety fears voiced by city authorities. Thousands of antiglobalist protesters are expected in town during the EEF on April 28-30. The organizers of the Davos World Economic Forum have said that if the conference is successful it could be held in Warsaw regularly. Activists from the Polish antiglobalist movement said that the protests would be aimed against "exploitation and injustice" and would be peaceful, including rallys, street shows and happenings. They also stressed that globalists were not aggressive by nature and that most riots during antiglobalist demonstrations were called out by "hyper-tense police". In a media statement antiglobalists protested against being presented as "excellently organized combat units" by Warsaw authorities. The main demonstrations against Warsaw forum are scheduled for April 29.

Afro-Jazz Night gala and a concert of Herbi Hancock in Warsaw due soon, a gala concert of Flamenco Jazz and performances of Diana Krall during the Christmas Jazz Night are the biggest events of the 6th edition of the Era Jazz 2004 project. "The spring edition of the festival to be held between March 14 and 19 will highlight concerts by great jazz stars, like Tony Lakatos, Hamiet Bluiett, George Mraz, Kahil El Zabar, Adam Nussebaum and Billy Bang," Era Jazz project director Dionizy Piatkowski told reporters. Concerts will be held in Cracow, Poznan, Bydgoszcz, Gdynia, Wroclaw and Warsaw. The leading Chicago formation, New Black Jazz Trio, and the legendary jazz-rock group Osibisa will perform at the Warsaw in March. Herbie Hancock will appear with a Polish symphony orchestra in Warsaw's National Philharmonic in May. Flamenco Jazz Night with the participation of Paco de Lucia is scheduled for October, while Christmas Jazz Night with great vocalist Diana Krall is planned for December.

posted by: Oborski at 23:57 | link | comments |

By Sławomir Majman

From Warsaw Voice

There were ups and downs. Yes, there was a sometimes striking Polish anti-Semitism. But, anti-Semitism was a disease to which people succumbed all over the world and Westerners were not immune to it either.

Sometimes one gets the impression that all the great Americans come either from Warsaw or Białystok.

There are particularly many people from those parts in the worlds of culture and science. When you read about the Singers, Roths, Millers, Hoffmans, Meyers, Weinbergs, Goldmans and a dozen American Nobel Prize laureates, it’s hard not to believe that you could have easily communicated in Polish with the grandpas of those venerable gentlemen.

The Jewish historian Simon Dubnow calculated that out of the total of 16 million Jews in the world, 6.5 million lived within the historical borders of Poland. The second-largest group of the Jewish nation was in the United States, which actually drew from the Polish reservoir anyway.

The position of Polish Jews was consolidated over centuries, and was not weakened by the poverty of the Jews here. For centuries the world imported philosophers, rabbis and cantors from Poland. The true Jewry lived in Poland. Jerzy Kosiński, the Polish-American writer of Jewish descent, wrote “For hundreds of years our Jewish soul lived next door to, and sometimes together with, the Polish soul. The problems between us resulted mainly from the similarities, not the differences.”

There were ups and downs. Yes, there was a sometimes striking Polish anti-Semitism. But, anti-Semitism was a disease to which people succumbed all over the world and Westerners were not immune to it either.

For years, the French were leaders in anti-Semitism—in the late 19th century, a group of influential politicians and famous intellectuals founded the Anti-Semitic League. Disgracefully, at the start of the Dreyfus scandal, the great Clemenceau himself muttered with animosity, “They’re boring us to death with that Jew.”

There were ups and downs because these were two large nations living next to each other. The history of that coexistence is burdened with guilt and mistakes, but it also has its bright moments. That’s why, when the Polish prewar authorities awarded the classic of Jewish literature, Szalom Asz, with the Polonia Restituta Cross, he said the famous words, “The Vistula speaks to me in Jewish.”

■ The Holocaust eclipsed anything that went on before between Poles and Jews.
In 1943, protesting against the indifference shown towards the annihilation of Polish Jews, a member of the Polish parliament-in-exile, Szmul Zygielboim—a Jew, socialist and Polish patriot—committed suicide. He ended his suicide note with the words, “It is my wish that the remnants that are left of several million Polish Jews live to see liberation in a world of freedom and socialist justice together with the Polish people. I believe that such a Poland will emerge and that such a world will come.” These words sounded extraordinarily bitter when recalled 25 years later, in 1968.

■ Much has been written about the dark events of March 1968. This was when the hardline faction of the communist party, identified with Gen. Moczar, reached for anti-Semitic demagogy in its fight for power in a communist country.

Merciful history has dropped the curtain of oblivion on the furious anti-Semitic campaign in the government newspapers, on the resolutions passed at countless meetings that the few Jews remaining after the Holocaust should pack up their bags, on the purges carried out under any pretext or even without one, on the persecution of eminent figures of science and culture.

A climate unbelievable in postwar Europe was created, taking on simple forms at the lowest level. When a Łódź worker of Jewish origin said one morning that he was cold, he heard “Go to Sinai if you don’t like it in Poland,” while my self-righteous janitor muttered as she mopped the stairs, “Let them go. There’s a shortage of housing in Poland.”

As Adolf Rudnicki, a prominent Polish writer, described those days, “Not a hair on anybody’s head was harmed, worse—souls were killed.”

Memories remain of the goodbyes at Warszawa Gdańska train station, said to those forced to leave by being fired from their jobs. Memories remain of the tears cried by those leaving and by their Polish friends left behind on the platform.

■ March 1968 gave birth to the generation of Polish irredentists and stripped it of any illusions about communism.

It was only March ‘68 that dispersed the idealist pipe dreams concerning communism. March was the end of the illusion that the communist system of government could be regenerated or repaired. Such illusions became indecent even. It was March ‘68 that conclusively severed the leftist-liberal idealists from communism.

Freed of the burden of illusions, in 1980 the generation of March ‘68 youth stood at the side of the worker activists forming Solidarity. It was this generation—20 years after March ‘68—that buried communism in Poland.

But March ‘68 also pulled out the stake from the anti-Semitic ghoul’s chest.

After reading their daily paper, ordinary people could easily see there was nothing shameful about being an anti-Semite. The frustrated were given a scapegoat. Some of them remembered that lesson far too well.

To this day, it is the heritage of March ‘68 that anti-Semitism can be used in political warfare; that one can show an aversion for Jews and still be considered a decent person; that an aversion to the mythical Jew has become a cure for the complexes of people who are impoverished and feel lost in today’s world.

■ Every Pole who has ever spoken to a foreigner must have heard the question “Are Poles anti-Semites?” Or more strongly, “Why are the Poles anti-Semites?”

Is there anti-Semitism in Poland? Unquestionably—yes. The old anti-Semitism was a sad disease of the mind. The postwar variety is a more serious mental disease because it thrives very well without any Jews, even without any signs of aversion for a specific Jew.

The widespread belief that the Jews rule Poland today, is a disease. The feeling that the good Poles are being hurt by the powerful, sneaky Jews, that the Jews pose an economic danger, is a disease. The lack of a general and unequivocal condemnation of anti-Semitism, is a disease.

Above all, the hollow, often unconscious aversion of Jews that lurks in the minds of many good or very good people, is a disease.

■ There are no Jews in Poland and never will be. Nothing can change that truth.
They say that about 5,000 are left here. Most of them are elderly or very old. All rational causes of disputes between Poles and Jews are gone. What causes could there be? Not religious—because you’d be hard put to find a religious Jew. Not cultural, because the Jews who are left are usually Polonized and co-create Polish culture.

After years of difficult Polish-Jewish coexistence the Jews, who are no more, left the Poles their sense of humor, their cuisine, and—to some—a curious anti-Semitism that does very well without Jews.

An anti-Semitism from the theater of the absurd.

posted by: Oborski at 23:46 | link | comments |

HEARD IN PASSING

"He explained they didn't have such animals in Sweden."
-A forest ranger from Puszcza Borecka forest on a Swedish hunter who had bought a permit to hunt a wild boar and, upon seeing his target from a distance, shot a protected European bison

"God help Poland!"
-Aldona Kamela-Sowiñska, Treasury minister in the former government of Jerzy Buzek, upon learning that a fourth head of the Treasury Ministry was appointed in the cabinet of Prime Minister Leszek Miller

"I'm not so crazy as to support a party and then have to make excuses after it leads the country into ruin."
-Draftsman Andrzej Mleczko on his principle of remaining apolitical

"According to an invoice for the court issued by an expert-the experiment aimed at determining the impact of a hen's egg on the car body lasted 16 hours; however, only three eggs were used."
-An excerpt from documents of a court trial in Opole, where a retiree was accused of throwing eggs at the car of a municipal administration official

"The bride, her family and the guests were convinced that this was a joke and that someone had dressed up as police officers, so everybody waited for the groom's return."
-A police officer from S³upsk, where a 35-year-old man for whom four arrest warrants had been issued was arrested in front of the Registrar's Office, only moments before the start of his wedding ceremony

"$50,000 for the State Treasury, $1,000 for the wedding party, $300 for the bride's outfit, 10 gold rings, and 10 rams to cover other costs."
-A section of an ordinance recently issued in Turkmenistan, regulating the fees for foreigners wanting to marry women from Turkmenistan

posted by: Oborski at 23:43 | link | comments |

From Warsaw VoiceThe first battle in the Sejm's struggle over the Hausner Plan was successful. Sejm deputies passed March 4 the first bills of the package of savings reforms and directed three other draft bills to a Sejm committee.

At the beginning of March, there was plenty of controversy in the Sejm concerning the first package of bills of the savings plan devised by Minister of the Economy, Labor and Social Policy Jerzy Hausner (pictured). Savings in expenditure on administration and the public sector are a necessity for the state budget, which has been struggling with a growing deficit. However, the Sejm debate turned into a heated discussion, an argument even, during which Hausner tried to patiently counter the arguments of his opponents.

Hausner said the condition of the budget encouraged his plan: the budget deficit is still very high and public debt is dangerously approaching the constitutional level of 60 percent of gross domestic product. If it went higher than that, in 2007 the government and local authorities would have to prepare budgets without deficit by cutting expenditure. Such cuts, in turn, could hamper economic growth. The uncertain condition of Polish finances is additionally aggravated by the zloty/euro exchange rate, which is nearing 5. This, in turn, increases the cost of handling the public debt.

What will change?
According to the bill on disability and retirement pensions, these can be valued only when the total inflation rate over several years reaches 5 percent (but no less frequently than once in three years). The condition of state finances permitting, the Sejm can adopt a valuation even with a lower inflation rate. Thanks to altered rules of valuation, through 2007 the state budget will save zl.8.8 billion.

The bill on pre-retirement benefits puts limitations on this form of support for employees and reduces it to zl.600 per month. The benefit will require a few more years of work to be granted. It will be paid to those who have sought a job for no less than six months without success. Today, it is paid right after an employee who is not yet entitled to early retirement loses a job and is unlikely to find another one. The "extinguishing" of pre-retirement benefits is supposed to bring zl.1.8 billion in savings through 2007.

Less protective
Prof. Marek Góra from the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH), author of the new Polish retirement system, approves of Hausner's line of reasoning. According to Góra, the present, as well as every future Polish government, will face the challenge of how to keep people in the labor market. The current regulations, which allow for early retirement, push older people out of the market. "We have been burdening the public with growing expenses," Góra said. "As members of the public, we can see the government's expenditures, but they are, in fact, our resources which we have to pay in the form of tax. It is right to reduce expenditure, as for many years we have been spending money in a not particularly well-considered way. We have to stop doing so. We need to remember that public expenditure is covered by the same people who are in the labor market, or by their children. If we do not cut expenditure here, we will have to increase taxes for other people who are frequently in a difficult situation. This could, for example, be the normally inconspicuous tax on the workplace."

The difficult situation in the labor market results primarily from pre-retirement benefits and early retirement. On the surface, it seems that the more people retire, the more jobs there are for the young. But in reality it is the other way round-the more people resign from professional activity, the larger costs the rest of the public has to bear and the more workplaces are shut down, especially those for people with lower qualifications. Hausner wants to activate people in their fifties by means of a special project. According to Góra, the increase of employment for older people is a challenge faced by Poland and economies of most European countries.

KRUS for farmers only
Another controversial bill discussed in the Sejm was the plan to subordinate the Farmers' Social Insurance Fund (KRUS), which costs the state budget zl.11 billion, to the Ministry of the Economy instead of the Ministry of Agriculture, as has been the case so far. Farmers today pay a fixed retirement insurance contribution which is much lower than what other workers pay. They do not pay any health contribution at all. The current maximum contribution for farmers is zl.250 per month, whereas people running business activities pay a monthly contribution of almost zl.700 (minimum) to the Social Insurance Company (ZUS). Moreover, the KRUS-due to the lower contribution rates-has become a "shelter" for many people who own a little land, but are not farmers and live off of a different form of business. The Sejm has decided that these people will be eliminated from the KRUS as of July 1.

Hausner would like the Sejm to start work on further bills of the savings package in mid-April. The bills are: amendments to the law on disability and retirement pensions from the Social Insurance Fund (FUS), which would diversify contributions paid by entrepreneurs; amendments to the law on the social insurance system, which would postpone the retirement age for women; and amendments to the law on sickness benefits. The government will start work on these drafts March 30.

posted by: Oborski at 23:39 | link | comments |

posted by: Oborski at 23:32 | link | comments |

Killers Of American Civilians In Iraq Caught By Polish Troops

Polish soldiers in Iraq have detained five terrorists who shot two US civilians and their Iraqi interpreter near Hillah, yesterday. They have already been handed over to the American MPs and taken to Baghdad for questioning by the FBI . Colonel Robert Strzelecki, spokesman for the multinational forces in the south-central stabilization sector told Polish Radio that the five attacked the Americans in their car, shelling the vehicle and killing its passengers. They then dragged the three bodies into their car and drove off. Polish troops in the region reacted immediately and traced the terrorists thanks to a tip from their Iraqi sources.

South African archbishop Desmond Tutu, the longstanding national liberation and anti-apartheid activist, has been given an honorary doctorate by Warsaw University. The archbishop said he accepted the honor on behalf of all the true heroes of the struggle – millions of ordinary South Africans who suffered the ordeal of racial segregation and humiliation. Desmond Tutu reminded in his speech that next month will see the tenth anniversary of the toppling of white rule and unjust domination in his country.

Shirin Ebadi In Krakow Collecting Funds For 'Quake Stricken Bam

Shirin Ebadi, Iranian human rights campaigner and last year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate has come to Krakow. She is taking part in a fund raising action under the motto “A City For A City – Krakow For Bam”. Sums collected will be donated to the victims of the earthquake in the Iranian town of Bam which claimed the lives of some 40 thousand of its inhabitants leaving close to 75 thousand without shelter back in December. Polish charity organizations had been quick to react and the present fund raiser is another in a series conducted by the Polish Red Cross, the church Caritas Organization and the Polish Medical mission. The present visit of Shirin Ebadi to Krakow is at the invitation of the Polish Humanitarian Organization and the City Mayor Jacek Majchrowski.

New Social Security System A Threat To Polish Companies?

Deputy minister of economy Krzysztof Pater has admitted the implementation of the public finances reform drafted by vice premier Jerzy Hausner would result in a greater social security burden for many Polish companies. This would be an outcome of planned ammendments to be introduced to the social security system. Acknowledging this, Pater dismissed allegations that the new system would contribute to an increased risk of companies going bankrupt as a result of the operation.

The mayor of Warsaw Lech Kaczyñski asked president Aleksander Kwaœniewski to change to location of the European Economic Forum which will take place in the end of April this year. The Forum is to take place in Palace of Science and Culture in the very centre of Warsaw, near the Central Railway Station. Implementation of the plan to cut off this part of the city for three days including closing down the only line of the underground would equal a communication catastrophe.
Several thousand antiglobalists are expected to arrive in Warsaw for the Forum. Their representatives announced earlier today that they planned only peaceful demonstrations, happenings and performances of street theatres, all that to samba rhythms. The main part of the demonstration is planned for the 29th of April.

Poland is to chip in to the construction of a monument commemorating king Vladislas III in Varna, Bulgaria. Vladislas III (1424-1444), king of Poland (1434-1444), Bohemia and Hungary lead in 1444 Christian armies against Turkish forces besieging Constantinople. His death in the battle of Varna ended any meaningful attempts to save the capital of Byzantium which fell to the Turks in 1453.
According to the Bulgarian public radio, Polish ambassador to Bulgaria S³awomir D¹browa claims that Poland is ready to cover the costs of the monument provided the Bulgarian authorities supply an appropriate location. The monument is expected to be unveiled in November 2004 by the presidents of Poland and Hungary to commemorate the 560th anniversary of the battle.

The Magic Star Awarded in Cairo

Polish animated movie "The Magic Star" directed by Wies³aw Ziêba was awarded the Special Jury Award at International Festival of Children Films in Cairo, Egypt. The film is a cinema version of the popular animated TV series "The Animals from the Wicker Bay" about the adventures of young rat Archibald and his friends. "The Magic Star" tells the story of Archibald's visit to big city.

posted by: Oborski at 18:30 | link | comments |

From Warsaw Voice

This year, the Polish economy will develop considerably faster than previously, economists predict. A chief factor that will encourage investment in Poland will be the country's accession to the European Union. A revival is expected both in the construction of infrastructure and in the commercial real estate market.

According to Central Statistical Office (GUS) data, last year the GDP growth rate in Poland was 3.7 percent, one of the better results in Europe. Moreover, the GDP growth rate continued to increase in each consecutive quarter of the year. In the first quarter, the rate stood at 2.2 percent, while in the third-as much as 3.9 percent. Preliminary October and November results indicate fourth-quarter reports of a record performance in the economy-the growth rate may even reach 4.5 percent.

The primary contributor to this economic revival is first and foremost good export results-over 6-percent growth calculated in euros, and somewhat bigger domestic demand. Individual consumption last year increased 2.8 percent, financed among other things by increased social benefits and loans. Growth also took place in equilibrium conditions. The internal equilibrium featured low inflation. Price increases, which last year did not exceed 2 percent, clearly testified to their stability. The level of external equilibrium, gauged by the current account balance in foreign trade, also turned out to be quite satisfactory. The account deficit dropped below 2 percent of GDP, to the surprise of even the most optimistic. According to analysts, this combination of economic growth and both internal and external equilibrium is undoubtedly the best since the beginning of market transformations in Poland over a dozen years ago.

JP Morgan analysts believe that, should the zloty exchange rate stay low, the present economic growth structure may become fixed, with exports remaining its driving force. This would be beneficial, also because the Polish economy is less strongly connected with the world than the economies of its neighbors. Moreover, exporters-by buying raw materials, semi-finished products and capital goods at home as well as by paying their employees-indirectly contribute to increasing domestic demand.

Good prognoses
According to most forecasts, the global economy in 2004 will develop much faster than last year. Economic improvement is also to affect Poland, with European integration expected to be a factor influencing this growth. The European Commission forecasts that in the first year of membership in the EU, Poland and other Central European countries will develop at least twice as fast as the current "Fifteen."

Integration should stimulate the economy of Poland and its neighbors in various ways and is expected to produce GDP growth of about 1-2 percentage points higher. The common legal regulations should encourage foreign investors to move production to Central Europe. The world's largest market will open up to Polish exporters with no obstacles to sales, even concerning agricultural products and other sensitive goods. EU state assistance rules should lead to better utilization of budgetary funds, while multi-billion structural funds will help make up for the huge backlog in infrastructure construction.

JP Morgan analysts assess that Poland and Slovakia will be the fastest developing countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The forecasts for the region provide for the Polish GDP growth rate to amount this year to 4.8 percent. Government prognoses foresee an even higher growth rate of 5 percent. This indicates that Poland will be the fastest developing country among the four countries in the region of Central Europe. The Polish economy will also develop markedly faster than most other European countries-members of the EU.

The main prospective source of growth in the Polish economy are investments, which the government expects to grow in real terms by 12.2 percent this year. Factors conducive to increasing investment outlays include a relatively high level of production capacity utilization-in particular in branches producing for export, the necessity to modernize machinery capital in firms that have delayed this move for two years, and a generally improved financial standing for companies as well as an expected, even if slight, interest rate reduction.

The second factor behind faster economic growth will undoubtedly continue to be exports. The zloty-to-euro exchange rate could somewhat strengthen, but it still should remain quite low, making it easier for producers to maintain their position on Western markets, and possibly also to increase sales.

Good climate
Everything seems to indicate that 2004 will be of critical importance for foreign direct investment (FDI) in Poland. Conducive to this will be both Poland's membership in the EU and the prospect of faster economic growth. According to experts, a precondition for achieving a 5-percent economic growth rate in Poland is obtaining 10 billion euro FDI annually. Reaching this level is becoming increasingly more realistic. This would mean that 2003 was the last year with no FDI increase in Poland.

In 2000-2003, investment activity in Poland continued to decline, both as a consequence of global economic slump, the falling number of mergers and takeovers and a slower pace of privatization in Poland. In the first half of last year, foreign firms invested $2.53 billion in Poland, $702 million less than in the same period of 2002. The best proof that the situation is changing for the better is the fact that the Polish Agency for Information and Foreign Investment (PAIiIZ), an agency supporting FDI coming into Poland, is currently handling about 100 projects of foreign firms interested in investing in Poland.

Poland has all the characteristics of a market that can attract investment capital, confirmed by the $68 billion capital already invested here. Notably, in terms of the invested capital's cumulative value, Poland is the unquestionable leader in the whole of Central and Eastern Europe. Little wonder, then, that top foreign authors place Poland in the group of best investment locations. Poland's main assets include the size of its market and growing purchasing potential, the country's location-advantageous for developing cooperation with eastern markets: Russia, Ukraine and other countries of the former Soviet Union, labor resources, improving education among young people and upcoming EU membership.

In the near future, Poland may be a key location for companies moving their service centers from Western European countries, which is confirmed by McKinsey's report Poland-a Services Center for Europe. Against the backdrop of other countries in the region, Poland has the most academic centers which produce the largest numbers of higher education graduates-as already noted by over a dozen reputable firms that have inaugurated Business Process Offshoring (BPO). This involves investment in service activities connected with bookkeeping, human resources management and call centers. In the five years to come, this is estimated to bring 15 billion euros of investment in service sectors and 500,000 new jobs.

Poland ranks among the top countries in terms of investment attraction in a report prepared by the American consulting firm A.T. Kearney. According to the report, FDI Confidence Index 2003, the most attractive capital locations in the world today are China followed by the United States and Mexico. Among the leaders, Poland ranks fourth as the most attractive country for investment in Europe. In the history of the ranking, investors have never before given such a high mark to Poland.

Breaking ground
Increasingly positive industrial production data should soon influence the crisis-stricken construction business. Construction company representatives believe that EU accession will offer the sector more advantages than problems. Integration will ensure compliance with Western standards, and therefore will entail an increase in investments in road infrastructure and environmental protection. This scenario will mean the end of several years of recession in the trade. Another growth factor will be the amount of FDI.

Accession gives Poland an opportunity to obtain money from European infrastructure development funds. For example, from the Cohesion Fund, Poland stands a chance in 2004-06 of obtaining over 1.1 billion euros for the construction of freeways and 800 million euros for expressways. One unknown, however, remains-whether Poland will amass its own funds to fully absorb EU funds.

Certain signs pointing to the situation's improvement in road construction were already noticeable last year. After many years of discussion about ways to finance freeway construction, the actual roadwork has finally started. Late in November, a 37.5-kilometer section of the A2 from Wrzeœnia to Krzesiny was finished for use. It connects the Konin-Wrzeœnia A2 section of 47.7 km, completed one year earlier, and the Poznañ beltway of 13.3 km, completed in September. Today the entire length of the A2 covers a total of 98.5 km. At the beginning of December, a 17.5 km section of the A4 Nogawczyce-Kleszczów was finished for use. Thanks to its completion, drivers can now go from Gliwice to Wroc³aw by freeway. This is Poland's longest freeway section, with 144 km.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure Marek Pol says that since the beginning of 2002, 123 km of freeways have been completed in Poland.

The government program for the construction of freeways and other national roads in Poland in the years 2002-05 provides for, by the end of 2005, about 550 km of freeways, nearly 200 km of expressways, 47 km of local beltways as well as road surface reinforcement work on a total of 500 km.

According to Pol, the actual integration of Poland into the EU will occur only when Polish transportation infrastructure is connected with the EU's. Therefore, accelerating the implementation of infrastructural programs is a priority. In completing this task, the Transport Infrastructure Development Strategy for 2002-06 and the Future, prepared by the Ministry of Infrastructure, is designed to lend assistance.

The strategy's basic goal is to improve transport accessibility in Poland: first and foremost-by 2006-through improving connections from Warsaw to European capitals, and next-by 2013-by improving connections between majors regions of the country. Relevant investments are aimed, among other things, at ensuring efficient land and air transportation connections for the capital of Poland and Poland's main economic centers with EU countries and neighboring countries, connections that will intensify trade exchange on the Single Market and attract foreign investors. Plans include the development of land and air connections of major urban areas, railway junctions and regions to better use their economic potential and promote competition between the regions.

A very important issue featured in the strategy is the reconstruction of the basic road network in Poland by adjusting to the 11.5 tonne/axle wheel load standard. The task of aligning part of Poland's national roads with the EU standard, will be implemented through reconstruction of roads situated in international transport corridors not earmarked for the development of freeways or expressways within 10 years. The reconstruction will encompass about 750 km of roads by 2006.

The strategy also attaches much weight to improving transport safety. The main activities in this area will focus on improving road traffic safety. According to this plan, during the budgetary period 2004-06, about 60 beltways-and by 2013 altogether 97 beltways-will be built. Plans also provide for reconstructing city thoroughfares.

Real estate revival
Poland's accession to the EU will be a factor in the revival of the Polish commercial real estate market. According to Jones Lang LaSalle experts, developers, agents, investors and lessees expect accession to expand the market's development opportunities. Developers are interested in buying land for the construction of new office buildings. A revival on the warehouse space market is also visible, as is increasingly greater diversification of trade space opportunities all over Poland.

After several years of boom, in the last two years the office real estate market continued to stagnate. An excessive supply of office space in relation to demand caused a drop in rent rates and discontinuation of many planned projects. However, the end of 2003 seems to indicate that the crisis is subsiding. According to CB Richard Ellis data, in the fourth quarter of last year in Warsaw, over 47,000 square meters of office space was rented in the city center and over 42,000 sq m outside the center. Thanks to this, the office space vacancy rate dropped from 18.7 percent to 17.5 percent in the center and from 17.5 percent to 11.9 percent outside the center.

The forecasted economic improvement encourages many investors to buy land and prepare new investment ventures. Firms which are planning to build office complexes include Skanska, AIG/Lincoln, GTC and Ghelamco Poland.

However, a particularly large revival is expected on the commercial space market. According to Jones Lang LaSalle forecasts, in this sector a considerable increase is expected in the number of foreign firms on the market-at present the number is estimated at 215-which will entail an increase in the number of operating international and local brands. Despite competition and the anticipated consolidation of commercial companies, the position of domestic firms is expected to strengthen. Regional shopping malls in smaller cities will also continue to develop. The market position of new commercial forms such as factory outlets will also grow.

Real estate market analysts claim that, as more third-generation facilities open, investors are beginning to seek locations. The facilities that do not undergo modernization or reconstruction and fail to maintain their prestige will disappear from the market. Developers are now inclined towards multifunction complexes featuring not only shopping and entertainment areas, but also conference, recreation and hotel facilities.

Success is hardly certain for every shopping mall, even if customer interest in complete shopping under one roof has not waned. The sector's star is Warsaw's Galeria Mokotów, which owes its leading position mainly to its investor and operator, Globe Trade Center. The firm has succeeded in selecting good lessees and from the start has managed the investment well.

The best market for investors of this type is Warsaw, mainly because of residents' higher earnings, lower unemployment and better infrastructure. The capital of Poland already has shopping malls with a total area exceeding 600,000 sq m, but further facilities are in the works. The largest are Arkadia, Blue City and the Golden Terraces complex.

Although the best shopping mall customers mainly live in Warsaw, investors are more and more interested in regions featuring large potential and purchasing power, such as Silesia, Wroc³aw, Poznañ and the Gdañsk-Gdynia-Sopot Tricity area. Poznañ has recently experienced a commercial space market boom. A highlight last year was the opening of the large shopping/entertainment center Stary Browar (Old Brewery). In the years to come, several more large malls are planned to open in Poznañ.

Major investments are also planned in Szczecin, whose trump card is its proximity to the border with Germany. Modern shopping centers will also be erected in the near future in Wroc³aw, the Tricity area, Cracow, £ódŸ and Silesia, including Katowice and Gliwice.

posted by: Oborski at 12:52 | link | comments |

Leaders of the four largest central European countries about to join the EU
backed controversial plans today to allow the bloc's spending to grow by up to 25 percent over the next decade. The plans, put forward by the European Commission, have run into heavy fire from some of the largest and richest existing members, who want to limit the EU budget at close to current
levels despite its eastward expansion. The Visegrad leaders also said during their Prague meeting there should be no attempt to put the cohesion policy which determines how regional aid is distributed back into the hands of individual countries and that
all parties must look for ways to simplify the drawing of
European funds. They also agreed on the continuation of the existence of the Group after EU enlargement. There are two more meetings of the presidents and foreign ministers of the Visegrad Group scheduled to take place still before the EU summit in Brussels on March 25 and 26.

Polish President Aleksander Kwaœniewski continues his two-day official trip to Malta, where he arrived yesterday for talks on bilateral relations, European issues and the situation in the Middle East and North Africa. President Kwaœniewski’s schedule includes a meeting with Maltese Premier Edward Fenech Adami and leader of the opposition Labour Party Alfred Sante. He is also to speak at the University in Valetta on EU expansion as seen from the Polish perspective. Malta is the smallest of EU candidate countries set to join on May 1st and has a similar position to Poland’s on some EU issues, including the Constitution Treaty and the voting system.

Jerzy Hausner, the Economy and Labor Minister, is finalizing work on drafts of two more laws comprising his fiscal consolidation program, both of which are scheduled to go before parliament in mid-April. One bill suggests raising the age of retirement for women from 60 to 65, on a par with that of men, although the change would only come into effect gradually from 2014. Furthermore, this draft law would also change the rules under which pensioners can work and alter disability benefit provision. Another bill provides for raising social security contribution rates for the higher earning self-employed. At present all self-employed persons can choose to pay contributions on a minimum assessment base of 60% of the average salary, although this would be significantly raised for those with higher incomes should the law be enacted.

Szirin Ebadi, Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate will arrive to the southern city of Kraków on Wednesday. She was invited by the Polish Humanitarian Mission and Krakow’s mayor to visit the city of the occasion of a charity action organized there and devoted to the victims of the earthquake in the Iranian city of Bam. A charity concert and auction have already taken place and now the Polish Humanitarian Mission has planned a happening called “The chain of help – Kraków-Bam” for Wednesday with the participation of Szirin Ebadi.

It's not possible for those who have nostalgic memories of People's Poland and those who have nightmares about it as a colonial dictatorship, to hold the same views on Col. Kukliñski.

I wouldn't ever want to live on Col. Kukliñski Street.
Col. Ryszard Kukliñski's recent passing renewed the dispute over Poland's most famous CIA spy. For some, he was a great patriot, the man who practically saved the world from World War III, the first Polish officer in NATO, a man deserving to have a street named after him in every larger city in Poland.

To others, he was a traitor, a spy at the beck and call of foreign intelligence, disclosing the targets for a nuclear attack on his homeland. For others still-a hero, yes, only not a Polish hero but an American one. For most Poles-a figure of a morally dubious nature to say the least.

Who was Col. Kukliñski? An officer of the General Staff who-in the years he worked for U.S. intelligence-passed on an unbelievable 35,000 pages of secret Warsaw Pact materials, mainly Moscow's strategic plans, such as the deployment of Soviet and Polish secret army command posts and information on the antiaircraft defense system of Moscow and its allies. He also passed on a final report: details of the plans for imposing martial law in 1981-an operation that ended Solidarity's liberation spring. It's this report that's causing the sharpest polemics.

• Poland's recent history has many instances of people being crammed into the national Pantheon and never really being at home there.

Inter-war Poland named its many new streets after heroes of the Polish-Bolshevik war, who were zealously removed by the communists after they came into power. They in turn endowed the streets with the names of warriors from their own movement. These, again, didn't survive the system's downfall.

Today Col. Kukliñski has become the object of the Polish rightists' sacralization efforts. He has become the right's icon even, especially for the extreme rightists who draw their life's strength from continuing a slightly belated battle against the spirit of communist Poland. He is a model of fighting against communist Poland as a vassal state of the Kremlin, a precursor of the U.S.-Polish alliance who built it in great secret long before an open alliance became possible. That's why the gentlemen from the right compare the colonel to the heroes of the national uprisings and debate which streets to name after him.

Even so, Kukliñski's heritage does not awaken unequivocal rapture even among the historic symbols of Solidarity. Take Lech Wa³êsa, who always spoke with restraint about the colonel's activity: "A man who betrayed his oath cannot be a good model," and who appealed after his death, "Speak more quietly over this coffin."

Adam Michnik was harsher: "The whole legend created around Kukliñski is inappropriate and embarrassing. Kukliñski decided by himself to start spying and everything he did was done at the CIA's orders."

What's it all about? In those days many people were in opposition-some weaker, some stronger-to the communist state. This cost quite a few of them persecution and years in prison. But even the most extreme opponents of communist Poland and its dependence on Moscow never went as far as to collaborate with foreign intelligence. The Polish anti-communist opposition was pro-American, but light years separated this pro-Americanism from serving U.S. intelligence services. During martial law, when the cruder regime propagandists tried insinuating that Solidarity leaders were U.S. agents, the oppositionist leaders considered it the greatest insult imaginable.

Yes, Kukliñski sent off a detailed report on the preparations for martial law whose imposition suppressed the Solidarity movement for years. He sent it where he was supposed to according to his CIA bosses. However, he didn't make any attempt to warn Solidarity leaders. If he had dared do that, it would be easier to see him as a Polish patriot and not Langley's super-agent. Years later, Reagan's expert for Eastern European affairs, Richard Pipes, explained that the White House didn't warn Warsaw and Moscow as to any consequences of martial law because they must have decided martial law was better than a Soviet invasion.

The fact of working for U.S. intelligence is no reason for glory in Poland. It is cause for respect from the CIA, which is why Kukliñski was rightly awarded the U.S. intelligence's highest distinction. It'd be best if his enthusiasts left it at that.

For the Polish anti-communist emigration and the opposition at home, there was a sharp line between fighting communism and spying. That is also why the road of these people into the national Pantheon will become simple and obvious with time.

I don't know if they would feel good in that Polish Pantheon in the company of Ryszard Kukliñski.

• One's attitude towards Kukliñski depends on one's attitude towards communist Poland.
It depends on how far one considered People's Poland as a sovereign state, where one felt at home despite everything.

"After all, we lived there and weren't foreigners," wrote the anti-communist poet Adam Zagajewski about that Poland.

Today, as human memory conjures up images from those years, for the great majority of Poles these are not repulsive pictures. People attended school and college, attained various positions, got married and divorced, all without any sense of being strangers in a country not fully sovereign, whose government they didn't elect, based on an ideology verging on ridiculous that hardly anyone took seriously anymore. The system sucked in millions, to mention but the peasant and worker sons to whom the system gave social advancement that their fathers couldn't even have dreamed about.

This experience of the majority clashes with the vantage point of those whose memories are of a Poland with pathetic serfdom, the muzzle of censorship, the hateful potato faces of the mono-party apparatchiks, the humiliatingly all-powerful secret police.

It's not possible for those who have nostalgic memories of People's Poland and those who have nightmares about it as a colonial dictatorship, to hold the same views on Col. Kukliñski.

• It's the hot year 1956. The country is seething. This is the turning point that will eliminate the perversions of Stalinism.

Soviet forces start off from their garrisons near the German border towards Warsaw, prepared to stifle Polish democratization. A flotilla with the cruiser Zhdanov tries to get into the Bay of Gdañsk, but the Polish Navy commander, Commodore Admiral Jan Wiœniewski refuses right of entry into Polish territorial waters and threatens to use force. Gen. Jan Frey-Bielecki orders an air force squadron from Poznañ to bomb the Soviet armored units if the talks with the Russians should fail. In Warsaw, Spanish Civil War veteran Gen. Wac³aw Komar garrisons the airport, radio stations and telephones to defend the democratic changes.

1968-student demonstrations in Poland in defense of freedom of speech. Officers are ordered to dress in civilian clothes and disperse the demonstrators. Only one of them, Col. Edward Perkowicz, says he won't go at students with a truncheon.

Wiœniewski, Frey-Bielecki, Komar and Perkowicz wore the same uniforms as Ryszard Kukliñski. May the colonel's shadow forgive me, but I put more value on the actions of those forgotten Polish officers of communist times than on even his most magnificent service to the CIA.

"Cześć!"

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Poland Condemns Terrorist Attacks in Madrid

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