Polish Consulate...

Warsaw, May 18: The next general elections in Poland will be held on September 25, President Aleksander Kwasniewski announced on Wednesday following a meeting with Sejm Speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz. Cimoszewicz announced that the first round of presidential elections will be held two weeks after general elections, on October 9 and if necessary the second round would be held two weeks later. Speaking at a news conference Kwasniewski said that the date of a referendum on the European Constitutional Treaty remains to be an open question. He recalled that the Sejm has not yet decided whether the treaty is to be ratified by way of a referendum or parliament. The president added that if parliament decides on a referendum than it could be held together with the presidential elections.

Cimoszewicz not to run for president

Warsaw, May 18: Sejm Speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz will not run for president. He announced his decision after a meeting with President Aleksander Kwasniewski on Wednesday. Speaking at a press conference Cimoszewicz said he upheld his earlier declarations that he intended to withdraw from politics after the present term of the Sejm ends. He added that "diversified" and chiefly personal reasons are behind his decision. Cimoszewicz said very many persons asked him and appealed on him to run, and very often these suggestions were accompanied by favourable opinions about his political activities. Also the president expressed his support many times. President Kwasniewski deplored Cimoszewicz's resolve. He believes that the Sejm speaker has excellent qualifications and prospects to win and hold the highest state post. "This decision is important and difficult decision, and I respect it," the president said. Still, he does not believe that Cimoszewicz would withdraw from the "broadly conceived public life. "In the recent presidential poll run by CBOS Cimoszewicz occupied the third place with a 14-percent support. Meanwhile leader of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) Jozef Oleksy said Cimoszewicz's decision means a "loss for the elections." Oleksy said this creates a new situation for the SLD and probably a plebiscite will be held among the party members which will have to choose their candidate. "It's ok. if there are two candidates of the left," he said. Leader of the Social Democracy SdPl Marek Borowski commenting on Cimoszewicz's decision said it was "a proof of great responsibility" and told newsmen that he counted on Cimoszewicz's support in his own presidential campaign. Borowski who is running for presidency appealed to left-oriented electorate for support. It is "in the interest of the left that all honest people of the left should cooperate, and there are such people also in the SLD," he concluded.

Weimar Triangle summit on Thursday

Warsaw, May 18: EU issues, the EU Constitutional Treaty and EU eastern policy are the main subjects to be discussed by the Presidents of Poland and France Aleksander Kwasniewski and Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder during a summit meeting of the Weimar Triangle in Nancy, France, on Thursday. The meeting will be held ten days before an EU Constitution referendum in France. Opinion polls suggest French voters could reject the constitution. "It is extremely significant for Poland to have good relations with France and Germany. And these relations have been developing very well, also thanks to our cooperation within the Weimar Triangle," head of the presidential office for international affairs Wieslaw Scholz told PAP on Wednesday.

Warsaw, May 18: We hope that it will be possible to reach consensus concerning the UN reform package still before its summit in September, Dermot Ahern, the Irish Foreign Minister and Special Envoy of United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, said Wednesday after a meeting with his Polish counterpart Adam Daniel Rotfeld. Ahern is one of the five Special Envoys. His Warsaw visit is part of his task to visit the biggest number of European capitals to present Annan-authored UN reform programme. Ahern said he believed he would win the widest possible support in Europe for the UN reform. The point is to make the EU get involved in promoting this reform package, he said. Rotfeld and Ahern agreed that the planned reform was meeting obstacles connected mainly with the change of the Security Council composition and the planned change of rules governing the use of force. Poland believes that first it is necessary to define UN goals and tasks and then adopt moves necessary to implement them. We must focus on formulating these tasks, Rotfeld said. Ahern stressed the UN secretary general had a similar opinion. Kofi Annan presented the reform package in late March. This has been the first such significant draft of changes in the UN since the establishing of the organization 60 years ago. Later in the day Ahern was received by President Aleksander Kwasniewski.

Poland expels Belarussian diplomat

Warsaw, May 18: The Foreign Ministry has decided to expel from Poland a counselor of the Belarussian embassy in Warsaw, deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Zalucki said at a Wednesday press conference. Zalucki said he summoned on Wednesday the Belarussian Ambassador to Poland to inform him on the expulsion which is implemented according to identical procedures applied by Belarussian authorities vis-a-vis a Polish diplomat in Minsk. Earlier this week, Belarus decided to expel Marek Bucko, counselor at the Polish embassy in Minsk. He was given one month to leave Belarus. Minister Zalucki also said that Poland decided to ban certain Belarussian officials, inspirers of recent steps directed against the Union of Poles in Belarus, from travelling to the country. Zalucki did not identify the officials by name but said there were fewer than 10.

Lavrov on Polish-Russian relations

Moscow, May 18: Russia is against attempts made by Poland to use historic issues in building political relations, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Wednesday. According to ITAR-TASS Lavrov said that on Tuesday he met with his Polish opposite number Adam Rotfeld, who opted for eliminating questions that cast shadow on bilateral relations. We expressed readiness to do it but we stressed that the process should be bilateral, said Lavrov who attended the 3rd Council of Europe summit in Warsaw. ITAR-TASS has also quoted spokesman for the Russian foreign ministry Aleksandr Yakovenko as saying that there were no objective reasons behind the cooling down of relations and that campaign in Polish mass media aroused particular concern.

Poll: 87 pct of Poles negatively about labour market situation

Warsaw, May 18: Eighty seven percent of Poles describe the situation on the labour market as bad or very bad, with only 2 percent describing it as good, according to a CBOS poll. The poll showed that 57 percent thought that the situation on the labour market will not change within the nearest year, 16 percent said it will deteriorate, 15 percent that it will improve. Fifty-three percent did not feel their jobs were under threat with 40 percent thinking otherwise. There are over 3 million registered unemployed in Poland, with only 420 thousand entitled to unemployment benefit. The poll was conducted on a representative sample of 1,052 adult Poles on May 6 to 9.

Schengen IT system postponed

Warsaw, May 18: The installation in Poland of a stolen cars and art and missing persons databank known as the Schengen system will be postponed by 18 months to December 31, 2006, the Sejm decided on Wednesday. The original installation date was set at June 30, 2005.
Poland is to receive 310 million euros from the Schengen Fund for the installation between
2004 and 2006.

Two Polish MEPs want re-imposition of sanctions on Cuba

Brussels, May 18: Two Polish members of the European Parliament MEPs who were not allowed to enter Cuba and sent to Mexico from a Cuban airport in small hours on Wednesday said they would appeal to the European Union for re-imposition of diplomatic sanctions against Cuba. Jacek Protasiewicz and Bogusław Sonik of the Citizens' Platform made the trip to attend a Friday congress on the development of civic society organised by the Cuban opposition. As they did not manage to get diplomatic visas they travelled as tourists. We do not know anything about the incident but if the law was violated the case will be examined by EU foreign ministers, External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner
Benita Ferrero-Waldner said.

Over 2,000 foreigners to be sent back to Poland

Warsaw, May 18: Over 2 thousand foreigners, who lodged applications for asylum in Poland and went to other EU countries, will be sent back to Poland, the Office for Repatriation and Foreigners said. Under EU legislation asylum seekers are not allowed to lodge the second asylum application while asylum procedure is in progress in one member state. Director general of the Office Jan Wegrzyn said that 800 foreigners returned to Poland so far with the rest to be sent back soon. From last May 8 thousand people sought a refugee status in Poland,
chiefly Chechens, who account for 80 percent of all asylum seekers, Afghans and Pakistanis.

Businessmen urge trade with Ukraine

Warsaw, May 18: Polish entrepreneurs should strive for more trade with Ukraine despite difficulties resulting from the country's political instability, the "Lewiatan" Polish Confederation of Private Employers (PKPP) announced on Wednesday at a meeting with Ukrainian government representatives in Warsaw. I would recommend doing business with Ukraine. It's a very fast growing country with a variety on good business options, said PKPP international aide Janusz Kaczurba. Elzbieta Bodio from the economy and labour ministry said the Polish government was in talks with Ukraine on reducing commercial barriers between both countries. She also mentioned talks on the resumption of Ukrainian oil supplies to south Polish refineries, halted last April 18 by Ukrainian PM Julia Timoshenko. According to the ministry 2004 witnessed a rapid rise in Polish-Ukrainian trade, Polish exports to Ukraine leaping 30 percent to over 2 billion USD and Ukraine's sales to Poland increasing by 41 percent (to over 1 billion USD). Poland mainly exports car parts, machinery and synthetics to Ukraine, while Ukraine sells Poland minerals, metals and chemicals.

LPR urges Sejm for debate on state security

Warsaw, May 18: The League of Polish Families LPR has motioned the Sejm for an "urgent debate" on the threat to the state security. The LPR substantiated the motion by the allegation that companies of lobbyist Marek D. could be branch offices of the Russian special services and could have materials compromising politicians who had contact with the lobbyist. LPR leader Roman Giertych told a news conference in Warsaw on Wednesday that links between Marek D. and Russia security services had been confirmed by the findings of the Sejm special committee for PKN Orlen. 44-year-old Marek D. was arrested in September last year after being apprehended by officers of the Internal Security Agency on corruption charges.

German neo-nazi magazine printed in Poland

Berlin, May 18: The Saxony branch of the German neo-nazi National Democratic Party (NPD) regularly prints its magazine "Deutsche Stimme" (German Voice) in Jelenia Gora, southwest Poland. Andreas Schumann, spokesman for the Saxony foreign ministry, confirmed the fact in a Wednesday conversation with PAP. About 10 days ago police in Saxony seized two Polish trucks with Polish-printed editions of the neo-nazi magazine. Schumann explained that the printing of "Deutsche Stimme" in Poland was legitimate as NPD was a legal party. However, the political and moral side of this is shocking - NPD is clandestinely using channels which it publicly criticizes as against German interests, he said. NPD is for the closure of Germany's borders with the Czech Republic and Poland as a measure to protect German labour.

Rzeczpospolita on air travel tax

Warsaw, May 18: Air ticket prices may rise by over 300 zlotys if Brussels introduces a tax on airplane tickets to fund extra aid to Africa and the developing world, the Rzeczpospoita daily wrote. EU finance ministers agreed to levy a tax on airplane tickets to raise funds for development aid. The most radical variant foresees a tax of 30 euros on international flights outside the EU and 10 euros on EU flights plus 10 euros on the departure of planes. The financial burden for air passengers may reach 80 euros which will negatively affect the development of cheap air lines. Poland's finance ministry has not decided yet whether to levy the tax, Rzeczpospolita wrote.

First tank for Malaysia presented in Gliwice

Gliwice, May 18: The first PT-91M tank made for Malaysia was presented in Gliwice on Wednesday in the presence of Defence Minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski. After a serious of tests on Polish testing grounds the tank will be sent to Malaysia where it will be officially presented. If the tank is approved by Malaysian authorities, the Gliwice-based Bumar Labeda plant will start series production. A 400 million USD contract for the delivery of 48 tanks and
assistance vehicles was signed two years ago.

Hortex's frozen food exports up

Warsaw, May 18: Hortex's frozen food sales abroad rose over 40 percent year-on-year during 10 months of the current financial year, Hortex said in a communiqué. The value of exports in the entire financial year is estimated at 145 million zlotys. Hortex's financial year lasts from June to May. "As regards the frozen food business we focused on exports, in particular the eastern markets, where consumption growth potential is still big," Hortex's president Tomasz Krupisz said. Two-thirds of Hortex's frozen food sales go to foreign markets, chiefly to Russia (90 percent). Other exports destinations include the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Finland, Sweden. Hortex has a 46 percent in the Polish frozen food market.

Ryanair to launch new connections to Poland

London, May 18: Europe's largest low fares carrier, Irish Ryanair, is getting ready to launch four new connections to Poland, Ryanair said in London on Wednesday. Encouraged by the success of its service to Wroclaw, Ryanair will operate flights from London Stansted Airport to Gdansk, Szczecin, Bydgoszcz and Rzeszow from October.

Vistula to sell MurphyNye clothes

Warsaw, May 18: Vistula signed an agreement with Italy's Sixty Active S.p.A. to sell clothes from MurphyNye, Vistula said in a communiqué on Wednesday. "The agreement was signed for three years. Vistula will be an exclusive distributor of MurphyNye clothes in Poland," Vistula said. The clothing company plans to open seven shops with MurphyNye garments in Poland in the next 3 years, Vistula CEO Michal Wojcik added. We plan to build a special network of MurphyNye stores. The first will open in Poznan on June 4, Wojcik said at a press conference. MurphyNye informal and sports clothes are sold in 90 shops in 34 countries.

GUS: Average year-on-year wage in April up 1.8 percent

Warsaw, May 18: The average gross wage in April 2005 totaled 2,471.22 zlotys (748.8 USD) and was 1.8 percent higher than in April 2004 and 0.4 percent lower than in March 2005, the Central Statistical Office GUS said Wednesday. The average wage without payments on earned profits totaled 2,465.33 zlotys, up 1.7 percent on April 2004 figure and fell 0.4 percent on March 2005 figure. Corporate units in March employed 4 million and 753.6 thousand people or 1.7 percent more than in April 2004. Compared to March 2005 the number of employed grew by 0.2 per cent.

Sejm passes cinema law

Warsaw, May 18: The Sejm on Wednesday passed a controversial cinema bill foreseeing the creation of a Film Institute financed from a 1.5-percent tax on TV commercials. The bill, warmly welcomed by Poland's film milieu, was strongly opposed by TV broadcasters, who called the new tax "a forced tribute". Donald Tusk from the opposing Citizens Platform (PO) said there were no grounds for co-financing national film industry from taxpayer pockets.

"Jewish Motifs" film festival in Warsaw

Warsaw, May 19: The 2nd International Film Festival "Jewish Motifs - Ha-Motiv Ha-Jehudi" with 40 films in the programme started in Muranow cinema in Warsaw on Thursday. The 40 films in the competition for the Warsaw Phoenix, documentaries, feature, short, animated and experimental films dealing with problems connected with the Jewish people come from various authors of different countries. Among them are "Rosenstrasse" of Margarette von Trotta, and French-Israeli production "Avanim" directed by Raphael Nadjari. Israeli director Savi Gabizon with his picture Nina’s Tragedies will be the guest of the festival. Each day of the festival will be hosted by embassies of different countries presenting films referring to the influence of Jewish culture on a given European country and other parts of the world. Israel will be the host on May 19.

Kaczynski: no to gay parade

Warsaw, May 18: Warsaw president Lech Kaczynski Wednesday announced that he would not agree to a gay rights parade in Warsaw. Kaczynski, who refused to ok the march on its planned June 11 date due to the unveiling on that day of a monument to a Polish general, told PAP that he was also against holding gay parades in the city. On that day (June 11 - PAP) we will be honouring general Rowecki, so a gay parade on the same day would be a joke. Besides, I'm all for tolerance but against propagating gay lifestyles, Kaczynski. The parade organizers today said they had the Warsaw authority. Kaczynski forbade the gay rights demo last year on grounds that it "propagated perversion" and "insulted religion".

posted by: Oborski at 21:26 | link | comments |

It was the annual Katyn Memorial Service in Cannock today. It was an excellent event and very moving. A Radio Hey Now team came up and broadcast both the Mass in full live from the Polish Church in Wolverhampton. They then came over and broadcast the full ceremony from the Katyn Memorial on Cannock Chase! Afterwards they came to the buffet back at the Polish Club in Wolverhampton and recorded a lot of interviews. Talking to George Matlock of Radio Hey Now I gather that they are very keen to pick up on events outside as well as in London. You can find Radio Hey Now at http://www.radioheynow.com/

George Matlock of Radio Hey Now, Wolverhampton SPK Chairman and event organisaer Mira Kisiel and Mike Oborski.

Mike Oborski (3rd from left), then Edmund Szynczak, Maria Lee, Barry Lee and Basia Whitmore.

posted by: Oborski at 20:21 | link | comments |

Doctors go west in Polish brain drain

Crisis looms in Warsaw as medics migrate to Britain in search of a living wage

Daniel McLaughlin in Warsaw and David Smith
Sunday May 15, 2005
The Observer

Leszek graduated from a Polish medical school 20 years ago. Qualified in general practice and expert in cardiology and anaesthetics, he works an 80-hour week at two Warsaw clinics and sees more patients at home. The average doctor in Poland earns £350 a month.

posted by: Oborski at 20:06 | link | comments |

President: Putin was not scheduled to come to Warsaw summit
Warsaw, May 12: Russian president Vladimir Putin was not scheduled to attend the Warsaw Council of Europe summit on May 16 to 17, president Aleksander Kwasniewski said Thursday. "Let us not seek problems in everything," the president told the journalists when asked whether Putin's absence at the Warsaw summit could be regarded as a sign of a cooling in Polish-Russian relations. "Nezavisimaya Gazeta" wrote Thursday that it was for the first time that Putin refused to take part in a summit of an organisation of which Russia was a member. Russian foreign ministry said Wednesday that Russia would be represented by foreign minister Sergey Lavrov at the Warsaw summit. The president noted that the cooling in Polish-Russian relations was felt "notably after the end of a political crisis in Ukraine (the Orange Revolution)." He added that "a difference of opinions on Ukraine will persist between Poland and Russia for a long time."

President lays flowers at Pilsudski's monument
Warsaw, May 12: President Aleksander Kwasniewski laid Thursday flowers at the monument to Marshal Jozef Pilsudski to mark the 70th anniversary of his death. Earlier in the day a mass was said in the John the Baptist cathedral to pay homage to Pilsudski and his soldiers. Father Eustachy Rakoczy said in his homily that it is difficult to find another such great statesman in the history of Poland. Jozef Pilsudski died on May 12, 1935. He was a Polish marshal, statesman and the one of the founders of the Second Republic of Poland.

The 3rd Summit of the Council of Europe in Warsaw
Warsaw, May 12: The 3rd Summit of the Council of Europe will be held in Warsaw on May 16 and 17. It ends the six-month Polish presidency of the Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe is the continent's oldest political organisation, founded in May 1949. Belgium, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, Great Britain and Italy were the first member countries that signed the Statute of the Council of Europe. Now the organization groups together 46 countries, including 21 countries from Central and Eastern Europe. Poland joined the Council of Europe on November 26, 1991. The Council of Europe has a membership application from Belarus and has granted observer status to five countries, namely, the Holy See, the United States, Canada, Japan and Mexico. The Council of Europe is distinct from the 25-nation European Union, but no country has ever joined the Union without first belonging to the Council of Europe. The Council of Europe has its headquarters in Strasbourg, north-eastern France. The aim of the Council of Europe is to achieve a greater unity between its members. The Council was set up to defend human rights, parliamentary democracy and the rule of law, to develop continent-wide agreements to standardise member countries' social and legal practices, to promote awareness of a European identity based on shared values and cutting across different cultures. Since 1989, its main tasks have been to act as a political anchor and human rights watchdog of Europe's post-communist democracies, to assist the countries of central and eastern Europe in carrying out and consolidating political, legal and constitutional reform in parallel with economic reform, and to provide know-how in areas such as human rights, local democracy, education, culture and the environment. The 1st summit of the Council of Europe, held in Vienna in October 1993, set out new political aims. The Heads of State and Government cast the Council of Europe as the guardian of democratic security, founded on human rights, democracy and the rule of law. Democratic security is an essential complement to military security, and is a pre-requisite for the continent's stability and peace. During the 2nd summit of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg in October 1997, the Heads of State and Government adopted an action plan to strengthen the Council of Europe's work in four areas: democracy and human rights, social cohesion, the security of citizens and democratic values and cultural diversity. Today, the Organisation continues to grow while at the same time increasing its monitoring to ensure that all its members respect the obligations and commitments they entered into when they joined. The main component parts of the Council of Europe are the Committee of Ministers, composed of the 46 Foreign ministers or their Strasbourg-based deputies (ambassadors/permanent representatives), which is the Organisation's decision-making body, the Parliamentary Assembly, grouping 630 members (315 representatives and 315 substitutes) from the 46 national parliaments. The current President is Rene van der Linden (the Netherlands), the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, composed of a Chamber of Local Authorities and a Chamber of Regions. Its current President is Giovanni Di Stasi (Italy), and the 1800-strong secretariat headed since September 2004 by Secretary General Terry Davis (United Kingdom). The 2005 budget of the Council of Europe is 186 million euros.

Cimoszewicz on Council of Europe summit
Warsaw, May 12: The 3rd summit of the Council of Europe, to be held in Warsaw on Monday and Tuesday is a very important European event from the point of view of politics, protocol and prestige, believes Sejm Speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz (SLD). According to Cimoszewicz, in view of recent changes in Europe (last year's eastward enlargement) the Council of Europe should be responsible for "preventing new divisions in Europe." The Sejm speaker and Poland's former foreign minister is also of the opinion that the summit should adopt a political declaration and a plan of action which would renew member-states' commitment to democracy, democratic standards, human rights and civic freedoms. "This is an important meeting. In a natural way the meeting in Warsaw may symbolise the future-oriented way of thinking and may make us more optimistic than the recent meeting in Moscow when political leaders got together to reflect on the past," he noticed. The summit is to be attended by 21 presidents of states and 18 Prime Ministers. France is likely to be represented by its Foreign Minister Michel Barnier as PM Jean-Paul Raffarin had been reported sick. Moscow said the Russian delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Great Britain's PM Tony Blair will be represented in Warsaw by his deputy John Prescott. From Italy deputy PM and Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini is expected. Participation in the summit has been confirmed by German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, Ukrainian President Victor Yushchenko, Spanish PM Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. The Republic of San Marino will be represented by co-chiefs Captain Regent Cesare Gasperoni and Captain Regent Fausta Morganti. Poland will be represented by President Aleksander Kwasniewski and PM Marek Belka who will lead the debates on the alternative basis. The debates will be divided into three sessions: The first, titled "European Values - European Unity" will, according to Ambassador Jerzy Pomianowski, centre on all "what we associate with the notion of European identity and what is the basis for creating the platform of common values of rights and conventions." The second session "Challenges Facing the European Society" will be devoted to the development of information society, science, education, the prevention of conflicts and all forms of discrimination. The last session "New European Architecture" will centre on cooperation between European organisations: the Council of Europe, the European Union and the OSCS which should better define the areas of their operations so as not to double initiatives.

Warsaw authorities okay demonstration on May 16
Warsaw, May 12: The authorities of Warsaw will not ban an anti-war demonstration of "Stop War Initiative," planned for May 16 or, the 1st day of the Council of Europe summit, PAP learnt in the city hall on Thursday. A new march route of the demonstration was approved by police and the Government Protection Office which rejected the previous route as it coincided with the route of vehicles transporting government officials and delegations.

Ukrainian Ambassador: We are still knocking on EU doors
Warsaw, May 12: Ukraine continues knocking on the doors of the European Union counting that the Community will at least "turn the key in the lock", Ukrainian Ambassador to Poland Ihor Kharchenko said during the conference "European Union and south-eastern Europe" organised by the Centre of International Relations in Warsaw on Thursday. The meeting was also attended by Foreign Minister Adam Rotfeld and representatives of Moldova and Belarus.
Rotfeld pointed out that at present Poland's foreign policy is part of the EU policy. He stressed that Poland has been a traditional advocate of active policy vis a vis eastern neighbours. "We are glad that our efforts towards creating an eastern dimension of the EU policy have been successful to a large extent, he added recalling Poland's share in solving last year's crisis in Ukraine. He dismissed suggestions that can be heard especially in Russia that the EU and Poland mediating in Ukraine interfered in that country's internal affairs. Rotfeld stressed that also Belarussian society "needs a sign that it was not forgotten by the EU."

Senate: Belarus violates minority rights
Warsaw, May 12: The Belarussian government's policy towards the Union of Poles in Belarus (ZPB) stands in violation of basic European minority rights, Polish Senate speaker Longin Pastusiak said Thursday. Earlier today the Belarussian justice ministry declared a March election of ZPB authorities illegal and ordained a new election within two weeks. We will certainly take a stand on the matter. The Belarussian authorities' stance towards ZPB stands in violation of basic national minority rights and fundamental OSCE and CE standards, Pastusiak said, reminding that one of the Polish Senate's tasks was care over the interests of Polish communities abroad.

OBOP: PO ahead PiS
Warsaw, May 12: The Citizens Platform (PO) would win parliamentary elections if they were held in May as its support rose to 24 percent, according to a recent OBOP poll. The Law nad Justice (PiS), placed second with 20 percent of votes. Next came Samoobrona with 12 percent of votes, the League of Polish Families (LPR) - 9 pc, the Social Democracy for Poland (SdPl) - 5 pc, the Polish Peasant Party (PSL) - 8 pc. Democratic Party with a 4 per cent backing and the ruling Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) with 3 pc of the votes would fail to win seats in the Sejm as they fell short of the five percent of the vote required for parliamentary representation.

SdPl: SLD has to change to form coalition with us
Warsaw, May 12: Head of the Social Democracy of Poland SdPl parliamentary floor group Jolanta Banach makes dependant a joint presidential race with the Democratic Left Alliance SLD on the latter's improvement. The key to the SLD improvement is for the party to halt mass scale theft of the state property and a stop to the single-party state management, SdPl head Marek Borowski said. Borowski, who runs for the presidency on SdPl ticket told PAP he
was willing to reach an agreement with a possible SLD candidate Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz on the withdrawal of the weaker candidate if Cimoszewicz turns to him prior to declaring his decision to enter the presidential race. Otherwise no agreement will be possible, he added.

SLD divided over Oleksy
Warsaw, May 12: Some Democratic Left Alliance SLD politicians are trying to convince party leader Jozef Oleksy to resign still before the party convention, scheduled for May 29. If he fails to resign we will try to dismiss him, they warn therefore renewing a discussion on Oleksy's possible replacement. According to SLD secretary general Marek Dyduch top party leadership is to undergo an evaluation during the convention. Some politicians told PAP that all leaders may be replaced during the convention. A SLD national council preparing the programme of the convention is to meet on May 20. Among the most frequently named Oleksy's successors are: Economy and Labour Minister Jacek Piechota, deputy SLD head Grzegorz Napieralski and Mazowsze branch head Jacek Zdrojewski. Also mentioned has been Agriculture Minister Wojciech Olejniczak.

Russia critical over PiS campaign spot
Warsaw, May 12: Russia's foreign ministry Thursday criticized Poland's conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS) in connection with its TV election spots condemning Russia's policy towards Poland, the recent armistice celebrations in Moscow and Polish president Aleksander Kwasniewski's attendance of the celebrations. "As a rule Moscow does not pass comment on such productions. However, in this case we are alarmed by the fact that the film is completely geared to undermining Russian-Polish relations and inspiring negative attitudes towards Russia and its nations. We hope such anti-Russian agitation does not win a broad support in Polish society", the Russian ministry wrote in an online statement. PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski today called Russia's reaction "evident interference in Poland's internal affairs" and proof that Russia "believed it could meddle in Polish election campaigns". "If Poland wanted to comment on the way it is treated in the Russian media, we would have to issue such statements constantly, he remarked, adding that Russia's reaction "showed what kind of role it saw Poland in". The 45-second spots were aired on Polish public TV last week between Thursday and Sunday. Their commentator among others accused the Soviet Union of invading Poland during world war two and criticized the Moscow armistice celebrations as "coercing gratitude for Yalta". Also shown were film clips from Ukraine's "orange revolution", another shot pictured Kaczynski stating that Poland "has not allowed Russia to stifle democracy" in Ukraine.

Poles disinterested in Sejm inquiry committee work
Warsaw, May 12: Fifty nine percent of Poles are not interested in the work of the Sejm special inquiry committee for PKN Orlen. 61 percent declare lack of interest in the committee for the privatisation of PZU insurance company, indicates the newest CBOS poll. Thirty nine percent of Poles said they were interested in the committee examining PKN Orlen and 2 percent had no opinion on the matter. 37 percent monitored the work of the Sejm cttee for PZU privatisation.

Rzeczpospolita: Budget games begin
Warsaw, May 12: With the work on the 2006 budget underway, the Rzeczpospolita daily notes that the finance ministry assumes that the deficit will be smaller than this year and the parties with the biggest public support want bigger spending cuts. The paper stressed that the Finance Minister Miroslaw Gronicki wants next year's budget deficit to be 30 billion zlotys, down from this year. But this proposal is supported only by the Democratic left Alliance and the Social-democracy of Poland. The Citizen's Platform wants to lower spending even by 10-20 billion zlotys. Leader in public opinion polls, the Law and Justice, supports budget lowering plans but does not want to reduce social welfare spending. The League of Polish Families and the Self-Defence do not think there is a need to cut the deficit.

Foreign trade deficit at 1.5 billion after March
Warsaw, May 12: Poland's foreign trade deficit fell to 1 billion and 542.6 million euros after march 2005 from 2 billion and 622.1 million after March 2004, the Central Statistical Office (GUS) said Thursday. Foreign trade deficit in dollars fell to 2 billion 22.3 million USD from 3 billion and 265.7 million USD after March 2004. Exports rose by 23.5 per cent to 16.2 billion euros from 13.1 after March 2004. Exports in dollars increased by 30.1 pct to 21.4 billion USD. Imports after March 2005 at 17.4 billion euros, rose 14.8 pct. Imports in dollars increased to 23.4 billion USD, or by 21.0 pct.

Poland pays back 868 million USD to US
Warsaw, May 12: Poland has paid back the 868 million USD part of the Paris Club debt owed to the United States on Thursday, deputy Finance Minister Wieslaw Szczuka said. Szczuka said that today's payment means the total payback of the US part of the Paris Club debt with the exclusion of 96 million USD transferred to the Ekofund. On Friday, Poland will repay 202 million euros to Sweden. Szczuka added that the ministry is still waiting for a reply of the biggest Paris Club creditor - France which Poland owes 2.6 billion euros.

Gillette distribution centre opens in Katowice zone
Katowice, May 12: One of the biggest Gillette's European distribution centres opened in Dabrowa Gornicza, southern Poland on Thursday. The investment, worth 2.5 million euros will give jobs to more than 200 people and will send its products to customers in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and to distribution centres in Africa and Asia. John Jensen, the Gillette Group Poland CEO, told a news conference in Dabrowa Gornicza on Thursday that they had picked up Poland due to its geographical location, the size of the market and good terms for investors.

Congress of Polish Literature Translators starts in Cracow
Warsaw, May 12: A paper read by Ryszard Kapuscinski speaking of the contribution of translators into development of culture inaugurated the 1st World Congress of Translators from Polish Literature in Cracow on Thursday. The Congress, the first event in its kind held in Poland, is attended by over 170 persons from all over the world. The participants in the Congress arrived from 50 countries, mostly European, but also from China, Egypt and Cuba.

Heaney, Geremek honoured with honoris causa doctorates
Cracow, May 12: Literary Nobel prize winner Irish poet Seamus Heaney and former Poland's foreign minister Bronislaw Geremek received honoris causa doctorates from the Jagiellonian University on Thursday. Seamus Heaney was awarded for his poetry and essays and for promotion of Polish contemporary poetry. Bronislaw Germek was honoured for academic achievements and contribution to political transformations in Poland and Europe. The ceremony attracted many guests, including literary Nobel prize winner Wislawa Szymborska, historian Norman Davies and reporter Ryszard Kapuscinski.

posted by: Oborski at 19:42 | link | comments |

From Warsaw Voice

"You have to talk to a bear in a bear's language, and not complain that he's not a canary or a squirrel."
-Stanisław Ciosek, the Polish president's advisor for international affairs and former Polish ambassador to Moscow, in front of the special Sejm commission investigating the PKN Orlen scandal, on negotiations with Russia

"Thank God there's no third Kaczyński brother because then he would want the Sejm speaker's post."
-Bronisław Komorowski, a deputy from the Civic Platform (PO), on Jarosław and Lech Kaczyński, the leaders of Law and Justice (PiS), who believe that after this year's elections they will take over the offices of president and prime minister

"I hope that chess, not baseball, will remain the Russian national sport."
-Garry Kasparov, a former world chess champion embarking on a political career, on the fact that during an autograph session a young man suddenly hit him on the head with the chessboard Kasparov had just signed

"He said that arranging for a sanatorium for the old woman would be possible, but he demanded six boxes of chocolates and two bottles of sparkling wine."
-Eugen Vitu, press spokesman of the Moldovan Center for Fighting Corruption and Organized Crime, on Deputy Labor Minister Valeriu Mostovoi, accused of an attempted bribery solicitation

"Today, the national income per one Russian is $10,000 a year, but the Zionists take away $9,000 of that, and that's why pensions keep growing in Israel."
-Economist Alexander Banin at a demonstration in Moscow

posted by: Oborski at 18:45 | link | comments |

By Sławomir Majman
From Warsaw Voice

In May 1945, the allied powers crushed Nazi Germany.
The victory over Germany wouldn’t have been possible without the decisive contribution of the powerful Soviet army.

The Nazi occupation of Europe was a threat to the existence of many nations, including the Polish nation.

It was Germans, not Russians, who murdered 6 million Polish citizens, destroyed 38 percent of national assets, turned Warsaw into a pile of rubble.

Thanks to the Soviet army’s march into Poland, the chimneys of Majdanek and Auschwitz/Birkenau stopped smoking sooner.

It was Germans, not Russians, who planned and implemented the demented idea of turning the Poles into Untermenschen, deprived of schools, any form of self-government, culture. It was Germans, not Russians, who organized the system of universal terror, round-ups, mass executions.

posted by: Oborski at 18:42 | link | comments |

From Warsaw Voice

The parliamentary elections will not be held earlier than scheduled and the government of Marek Belka will continue working until the autumn.

Despite pressure from the opposition, the leftist-dominated Sejm has not passed a motion to dissolve itself and President Aleksander Kwaśniewski did not accept the resignation of the prime minister and his Cabinet.

May 5 the Sejm rejected motions from the League of Polish Families (LPR), Law and Justice (PiS) and the Civic Platform (PO) urging self-dissolution of the house (see photo). The majority needed for such a decision was 307 votes. The motions were voted on a one-by-one basis; even the motion with the greatest support ran short of 52 votes to be passed. Consequently, the elections will be held in line with the constitutional mandate in the autumn.

posted by: Oborski at 18:39 | link | comments |

From Warsaw Voice

Two, maybe three, generations have passed since the end of World War II. For an individual this is almost a lifetime, but, in the historical sense, it is only a fleeting moment. A horrible event such as this stays in the memory of people and shapes the policies and worldview of societies and nations. But for how long?

Sixty years after the war, everything seems different. Poles seem to be a different people and society. Poland is a different country and European alliances are much different now than in May 1945. But are we-as a people who live in the problems of our own times and look steadily towards the future, though are always strongly reminded of the past-different?

posted by: Oborski at 18:37 | link | comments |

President to attend Weimar Triangle summit in Nancy
Warsaw, May 11: President Aleksander Kwasniewski will attend the Weimer Triangle summit meeting in Nancy, France, on May 19, the Presidential Chancellery reported on Wednesday. The office of the French president reported Tuesday that the summit will be also attended by Presidents of France Jacques Chirac and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

Solana receives Man of Year award
Warsaw, May 11: EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, on Wednesday congratulated Poland and Poles successes of the 1st year of membership of the European Union. Solana, who met with President Aleksander Kwasniewski, Prime Minister Marek Belka and Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld, said Poles should be proud of great success achieved in integration with the European Union. Solana has come to Warsaw directly from the Moscow EU-Russia summit. He said the summit brought positive results. "We managed to push forward the EU-Russian relations," he said. Questions concerning Russia in the context of Moscow celebrations of the 60th anniversary of victory in the second world war dominated the press conference given by Solana and minister Adam Rotfeld after their talks. Solana declined to give his opinion on the polemics concerning Polish and Russian history evaluations. On the same topic Rotfeld said that President Vladimir Putin's failure to mention the Polish contribution in the victory over Nazi Germany was significant and telling. But he also said that the reaction in Poland was exaggerated and overblown. He denied that the Polish-Russian relations reached the bottom. In the human, cultural and economic dimensions the relations were good, Rotfeld declared.
- Javier Solana received the man of the Year 2004 award for "outstretching the hand to Ukraine" here Wednesday from the Gazeta Wyborcza newspaper. In his address Solana said he treated the award as a token of appreciation for the common success in creating a united and peaceful Europe. "We sometimes fail to appreciate the importance" of living in a united, free and peaceful Europe, he said. "A short look back in history will persuade us that this state of affairs is revolutionary," Solana stressed. "Poland perhaps understands the historic importance of this new European order better than other countries." President Aleksander Kwasniewski participating in the event, said that he and Solana had met in times of great importance for Poland and Europe. This was true of the decisions to enlarge NATO and the enlarge the EU. "The third time was in Kiev (..) We fought for values there. Even for a single moment we did not take one of the sides (in the presidential race)," Kwasniewski stressed.. Kwasniewski voiced his belief that Solana will build very good EU-Russia relations. Poland was vitally interested in the best possible EU-Russia relations, he added.
- The European Union's foreign policy, chiefly in the context of the Moscow EU-Russia summit which ended Tuesday were the main topics discussed at the meeting of Prime Minister Marek Belka with Javier Solana. Solana also spoke of the preparations for the next summit scheduled for September this year. Referring to the EU's eastern policy, Belka presented the state of the current Polish-Russian relations, including above all co-operation in the power sector. In Belka's opinion this is also one of major areas of the EU's dialogue with Russia. Javier Solana also met with Sejm Speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz. The discussion focused on the Moscow V-Day 60th anniversary celebrations. Solana presented the course of his talks with representatives of Russian authorities on the current situation in the Middle East and prospects of introducing democratic standards in Chechnya. He also spoke of the problem of visa policy and the principles of readmission in the EU-Russia relations. Solana and Cimoszewicz discussed the prospects of the referendum on the European constitution in France.

Cimoszewicz still undecided as to presidential race
Warsaw, May 11: Sejm Speaker Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz has failed to decide whether he will run for the presidency, as he put it after a meeting with leader of the Democratic Left Alliance SLD Jozef Oleksy in Warsaw on Wednesday. Cimoszewicz told PAP that during the meeting the SLD head tried to persuade him to run. "This is not a secret," he added. But he did not want to give any date of his possible decision. "I will invite you for a meeting and, of course, I will tell you then if I had something political in nature to say," he said. Oleksy did not want to comment on the meeting. He confirmed that the question of Cimoszewicz running for the presidency was discussed.

Tribunal: EU Accession Treaty not unconstitutional
Warsaw, May 11: The EU Accession Treaty does not infringe on the Polish constitution, the Polish Constitutional Tribunal ruled Wednesday. In its verdict the Tribunal stated that the Accession Treaty was "conformant" with the preamble to the Polish Constitution and that its signatories were all sovereign countries. It further stressed that Poland's constitution remained the country's supreme legal act also after EU accession and that the Polish government's cession of some of its competencies to EU institutions did not violate Poland's sovereignty. The verdict came in response to May 4 charges against the Accession Treaty by rightwing MPs Marek Kotlinowski (League of Polish Families), Jan Lopuszanski (Polish Agreement) and Antoni Macierewicz (Catholic-National Movement).

Warsaw honours 3rd Council of Europe summit
Warsaw, May 11: Warsaw will honour the 3rd summit of the Council of Europe with culture events titled Warsaw European Night. As part of the event some galleries and museums will be open until midnight this Saturday. Among them the Centre of the Contemporary Art in the Ujazdowski Castle and Green Gallery will offer entrance free-of-charge. The exhibition "50 years of the Council of Europe art" will open at Kazimierzowski Palace. Open will be the Palace of Culture and Science, the Museum of Warsaw Uprising and the Museum of Caricature. Selected movie theatres will show the best European films shot after 2000 while people walking in the streets on Saturday night will watch performances by street theatres.

Foreign minister to represent Russia at Council of Europe summit
Warsaw, May 11: Russia will be represented at the 3rd Summit of the Council of Europe, to be held in Warsaw on May 16 and 17, by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Lavrov's deputy Vladimir Chyzhov said Wednesday.Russia does not expect any sensational developments during the summit, the third one in the 56-year long history of the organization, Chyzhov said. The summit, to be attended by 21 presidents and 18 PMs, is planned to adopt a political declaration, a plan of work and a declaration on cooperation between the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Rzeczpospolita: PO and PiS supported by 22 pct each
Warsaw, May 11: The Citizens Platform (PO) and Law and Justice (PiS) would get 22 percent of votes each if parliamentary elections were held in early May, according to a Rzeczpospolita poll published Wednesday. According to the daily, PiS could be more optimistic even though it received the same number of votes as PO because it gained 5 percentage points from April whereas PO lost 2 percentage points. Samoobrona got nearly 15 percent of votes but 2 percentage points less than a month ago. Next came the League of Polish Families (LPR) that could count on 11 percent of votes, down by 1 percentage point. The Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) received 7 percent of votes and the Polish Peasant Party (PSL) 6 percent. The Democratic Party - democrats.pl with 4 percent of votes would not win seats in the Sejm as it fell short of the five percent of the vote required for parliamentary representation. In such situation PO and PiS would have quite a stable majority in the Sejm with 246 seats. Samoobrona would have 81 seats, LPR - 61, and SLD and PSL - 35 each.

Poland will get part of a 230-million USD US Iraq aid
Warsaw, May 11: Poland will get part of a 230- million-USD aid instalment for the United States' Iraq and Afghanistan allies approved by the U.S. Senate earlier today, the Polish defence ministry announced Wednesday. Ministry spokesman Piotr Pertek told PAP that the actual amount allotted Poland was as yet unknown. According to the Raport monthly Poland could get between 30 and 40 million USD, or, in an "optimistic" scenario - even 50-70 million. We are waiting for this information, Pertek told PAP. Initially aid for U.S. allies was planned at 400 million USD, of which Poland was to receive 100 million, however last March the U.S. House of Representatives struck the project on grounds that it was not a top priority expense.

Lithuania, Ukraine, Poland to form joint battalion in Kosovo
Kiev, May 11: Lithuania and Ukraine signed an agreement in Kiev on Wedensday under which a joint battalion with Poland will be formed to participate in a NATO peace mission in Kosovo. Relevant documents were signed by Lithuanian Defence Minister Gediminas Kirkilas and his Ukrianian counterpart Anatoliy Hrycenko. The documents now await the signature of Poland's defence minister Jerzy Szmajdzinski and ratification by the parliaments of the three countries. The joint battalion will group some 140 Lithuanian troops and 200 to 300 Polish and Ukrainian troops, each. It will be stationed in the eastern part of Kosovo. At present there are 300 Polish, 288 Ukrainian nad 30 Lithuanian troops in KFOR international peace forces in Kosovo.

Lepper for constructive non-confidence vote in govt
Katowice, May 11: Poland's parliament could still manage to pass a constructive non-confidence vote against the Marek Belka government and appoint a new cabinet, Samoobrona leader Andrzej Lepper said Wednesday in Katowice, south Poland. Lepper particularly criticised Belka's decision to join the opposing Demokraci.pl party, which in his opinion "compromised Poland in the eyes of the world". Lepper said that if appointed, a new government should halt all current privatisation projects, introduce a welfare minimum and a minimum wage, change the legal status of the National Bank of Poland (NBP) and strive to improve the situation in the health service.

General Jaruzelski visits father's grave in Siberia
Moscow, May 11: General Wojciech Jaruzelski on his journey to Biysk, Altai territory in Siberia on Wednesday visited his father's grave and the monument to Poles oppressed by the Soviet regime. Together with Poland's ex-president tribute to the victims of Soviet repression was paid by the governor of the Altai territory Mikhail Yevdokimov and leader of the Altai Republic Mikhail Lapshin. Jaruzelski has been staying in Biysk since Tuesday and visited a factory in which he had worked till 1942, the house in which the Jaruzelski family used to liveand met with members of the "White Eagle" community. Jaruzelski came to Russia at the invitation of President Vladimir Putin to attend the ceremonies marking the 60the anniversary of the V-Day. During WW2 the Jaruzelski family was deported from Lithuania to Siberia. Wojciech's father Stanislaw was arrested and sent to a camp. He died in 1942 after being released from the camp. The same year Wojciech Jaruzelski joined the Polish Army.

Poland will get part of a 230-million USD US Iraq aid
Warsaw, May 11: Poland will get part of a 230- million-USD aid instalment for the United States' Iraq and Afghanistan allies approved by the U.S. Senate earlier today, the Polish defence ministry announced Wednesday. Ministry spokesman Piotr Pertek told PAP that the actual amount allotted Poland was as yet unknown. According to the Raport monthly Poland could get between 30 and 40 million USD, or, in an "optimistic" scenario - even 50-70 million. We are waiting for this information, Pertek told PAP. Initially aid for U.S. allies was planned at 400 million USD, of which Poland was to receive 100 million, however last March the U.S. House of Representatives struck the project on grounds that it was not a top priority expense.

Finance Ministry may propose 2006 deficit at 30 bn zlotys
Warsaw, May 11: The finance ministry may propose the next year budget with a deficit of some 30 billion zlotys (9.4 bn USD), Finance Minister Miroslaw Gronicki told Radio PiN on Wednesday. On Tuesday the ministry presented budget indicators on the basis of which it plans to draft the 2006 budget including a 4 percent GDP growth and 1.5 percent annual average inflation. "We predict an improvement in economic conditions in the EU and a rebound of home demand. These two factors should let us keep a 4 pct pace of growth," Gronicki said. "A combination of rather restrictive monetary and fiscal policies with high unemployment will not give us a big room for manoeuvre," he added. This year's budget deficit will stand at 3.6 percent of GDP, down from 4.6 percent in 2004, the Finance Ministry wrote in a forecast published Wednesday. In 2005 the public debt will reach 53 percent of GDP, up from 50.3 percent in 2004. This year the debt-GDP relation according to the Polish methodology will grow to 53 percent, mainly due to growing costs of the pension system reform, the ministry said. In accordance with the ESA95 methodology the public debt will stand at 45.1 percent of GDP, up from 43.6 percent in 2004, the ministry said. The GDP growth in 2005 will stand at 4.0-4.5 percent, Finance Minister Miroslaw Gronicki told reporters on Wednesday. Gronicki expects that the budget deficit will fall to 30 bn zlotys next year. We will be trying to reduce the budget deficit to around 3 percent of GDP, Gronicki said. He added it could be 3.0-3.2 percent of GDP. The minister said he expected that both in 2005 and 2006 investments would go up by over 10 percent.

GUS: Average pay at 2,415.45 zlotys in 1st quarter
Warsaw, May 11: The average monthly pre-tax pay was 2,415.45 zlotys (747.8 USD) in the first quarter of 2005, the Central Statistical Office (GUS) said on Wednesday. In March 2005 the average pay was 2,480.50 zlotys. In the 4th quarter of 2004 the average pay was 2,405.46 zlotys, in the 3rd quarter of 2004 2,269.93 zlotys.

RPP member on interest rates and inflation target
Warsaw, May 12: The current interest rate levels guarantee that inflation will stand at the level close to the target of 2.5 percent, member of the Monetary Policy Council (RPP) Dariusz Filar told a TVN 24 programme. "One should look at our current decisions and take into account that we adopted a neutral bias. This indicates that both interest rate cuts and rises are equally possible," Filar said. The next inflation projection will be presented in late May. The latest inflation projection published by the National Bank of Poland (NBP) in February said that at the end of 2005 inflation would fall to 2.5 percent and would stabilise around this level in 2007. According to Filar, the macroeconomic budgetary assumptions for 2006 concerning a GDP growth are cautious but more optimistic as far as inflation is concerned. The Finance Ministry said that in 2006 GDP will grow by at least 4 percent and that inflation will stand at around 1.5 percent.

New permits in the Lodz special economic zone
Lodz, May 11: The Lodz provincial governor Stefan Krajewski handed the permits to DSWI, Hapam, E.G.O., Kampmann and HT Lancet here Wednesday. DSWI is a wire maker, its products are used in white goods manufacture. The Lodz facility will supply materials to Bosch-Siemens in Lodz. E.G.O. will make control and distribution equipment for white goods. Hapam wants to invest almost 10 million zlotys and hire 60 people in the Lodz special zone to produce electrical equipment. Kampmann and HT Lancet will invest 110 million zlotys in total. The former company makes medical and lab equipment, the latter makes heating and ventilation gear. The Lodz special economic zone was established in 1997 and covers the area of 337 hectares. Investment outlays borne by companies located in the zone have topped 3 billion zlotys and over 7,000 new jobs were set up.

Three banks plan to operate abroad
Warsaw, May 11: Three Polish banks, Bank Millennium, NordLB and WestLB, notified the General Banking Supervision Inspector about an intention to start operations in the European Union countries, the Banking Supervision Commission said on Wednesday. Millennium Bank's Agnieszka Zygo said that the bank, together with its Portuguese partner, will launch a two-month pilot programme in France in order to estimate the potential of the Polish community on the French market. NORD/LB Bank Polska Norddeutsche Landesbank notified the Polish banking supervisions about its intention to start operations in Germany. WestLB Bank Polska is planning to start operations in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

LOT airlines order four planes in Brasil
Warsaw, May 11: Brasilian plane maker Embraer will sell four Embraer 175 jets to LOT Polish airlines, the airline said Wednesday. Deliveries will start in the second quarter of next year. LOT will be the first air carrier to introduce the plane to Europe. LOT now has 10 Embraer 170 planes and 14 smaller models, Embraer 145.

Zycie Warszawy on plans of alterglobalists
Warsaw, May 11: Police forces are getting ready for the 3rd Summit of the Council of Europe, to be held in Warsaw on May 16 and 17. Alterglobalists planning to stage an illegal demonstration are their biggest problem, the Zycie Warszawy daily said Wednesday. We do not expect any unrest but we are ready for any possibility, a spokesman for the Warsaw police said. On Monday, May 16, alterglobalists are planning to march from the Defilad Square in Warsaw downtown to the Zamkowy Square in the Old Town. Warsaw's authorities refused Tuesday to grant a permission to stage the march. Organizers of the demonstration said they would appeal the decision but stressed they were not giving up their plans. The daily recalled that despite earlier fears no incidents were reported in April 2004 during the debates of the European Economic Summit in Warsaw.

posted by: Oborski at 02:18 | link | comments |

Warsaw, May 9: I have returned from the celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War Two in the deep conviction that the presence there of the Polish president was not only called for but necessary, Polish president Aleksander Kwasniewski said Monday in Warsaw after returning from the Moscow festivities. The event I attended was certainly of crucial international and political importance, Kwasniewwski said, adding that his absence from the ceremony would have been "a mistake with bigger or smaller consequences for Polish-Russian relations". Kwasniewski called Russian state head Vladimir Putin' much-criticised speech at the ceremony (during which he omitted to mention Poland among the anti-fascist allies - PAP) "uncommonly politically correct and well-weighed", and assured it contained no attempts at revising history nor controversial statements regarding Poland. According to Kwasniewski his absence from Moscow would also have been badly received by the attending presidents of the U.S. and France.

Warsaw, May 9: Polish politicians Monday reacted critically to Russian president Vladimir Putin's speech at the Moscow celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War Two. In his speech Putin failed to list Poland among the anti-fascist allies and underscored the historical importance of reconcilement between Russia and Germany. He also made no reference to post-war divisions in Europe. "We shall always remember the help received from our allies, the U.S., Britain and France, as well as other countries in the anti-Nazi coalition", Putin said. He also voiced thanks to "German and Italian antifascists" and called Russia's reconcilement with Germany "one of post-war Europe's biggest successes". Jozef Oleksy, leader of the ruling Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), said he was "unpleasantly surprised" at Putin's failure to thank the Poles for their war effort. I fail to see why president Putin thanked German and Italian antifascists but not the Poles, who shed blood arm in arm with the Soviet Army, Oleksy told PAP. Commenting Putin's praise of Russian-German reconcilement, Oleksy called it "an important herald of the future relations between the EU and Russia", and proof that Russia "wanted to be a continental power with a bilateral accord with the EU". Law and Justice (PiS) leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski called the speech "another crass insult on Putin's part" and "confirmation of my suspicions that Poland will be completely ignored" in Moscow. Referring to controversies around Polish president Aleksander Kwasniewski's presence at the ceremonies, Kaczynski said the president's trip to Moscow had been "pointless". There was no

reason for him to have to listen to this insulting speech, Kaczynski opined. Citizens Platform (PO) leader Donald Tusk called Putin's speech "moderate but unpleasant for Poles". We can't pretend we didn't notice the silence about Poland, Tusk said. If mention is made of the U.S., Britain, France and even German and Italian antifascists but none of the nation which put in the most effort and the biggest sacrifices in conquering Nazism, and was also attacked not only by Germany but by the Soviets, then this speech is not tantamount with the truth, the PO leader remarked. In Tusk's opinion also the setting of the Moscow festivities was unpleasant for the Poles. Something bad happened. I mean that president Kwasniewski attended a ceremony symbolised among others by the hammer and sickle and portraits of Stalin, both of which mean tragedy and catastrophe for the Poles, not victory, Tusk said. Referring to Putin's praise of Russian-German reconcilement, Tusk said the Russian president's words "had an ominous ring for Poland". These words are a very serious warning for Poland, Tusk said, stressing that it was time to change "the false approach to Polish-Russian relations". According to Democrats leader Wladyslaw Frasyniuk Poland should not concentrate on "single incidents" but strive for long-term improvement of relations with Russia. We must remember that compared to what the Russian press had prepared us for, the speech was rather moderate with no attacks against Poland. Putin heads one of the world's last empires and for quite some time yet will strive to build up a position of global influence. Changing Russia's approach to our country is a lengthy process, not all resentments will disappear right away, Frasyniuk warned. He added that Russia is angry with Poland over its aid to Ukraine's "orange revolution" and rallying EU support for Ukraine. Andrzej Lepper, leader of the Samoobrona Farmer Party, called Putin's non-reference to the Soviet Union's September 17, 1939 invasion of Poland, the Ribbentropp-Molotov pact and the Yalta agreements, "falsifying history". President Putin has manipulated historical facts. He should have said that September 17 and the Ribbentropp-Molotov pact were criminal acts, Lepper stated, adding that the Russian president's behaviour could have "an adverse effect on Polish-Russian relations". Former president and Solidarity founder Lech Walesa said Putin's ommission of Poland in his Moscow speech had come as "no surprise". Putin behaved like a typical Russian leader. Putin is a true native son of Russia, a great-Russian. He always was and always will be. We mustn't expect too much - he didn't notice his neighbours before and he won't now. That's the Russian mentality. Besides, there's also the insecurity after the fall of the Soviet Union, Walesa admonished. Former PM Tadeusz Mazowiecki called Putin's speech "shocking", he also condemned the Russian president's non-reference to post-war Europe. We must keep in mind that true reconcilement and rapport needs a squaring of accounts with the past, Mazowiecki said. Tomasz Nalecz from the Social-democracy for Poland (SdPl) called Putin's speech "a sad example of history's intrumentalisation for political ends" and "an element of a broader policy pursued by Russia's diplomacy". Of course I'm pleased about his tribute to general Okulicki and his tough speech in the Polish Embassy, but I must say he could've just as well delivered it in Poland. In other words, no one paid much attention to president Kwasniewski in Moscow, Kaczynski said.

Warsaw, May 9: A recent vote on parliament's dissolution showed that there exists a majority enabling a constructive non-confidence vote, PM Marek Belka said Monday commenting the Polish Peasant Party's (PSL's) suggestion of appointing an interim government. According to PSL the new government would be formed on a consensus by all political parties and groups. The project has been backed by the Samoobrona Farmer Party. In order to install a new government, interim or otherwise, one must first do away with the existing team, which is possible by means of a constructive non-confidence vote. On Saturday Marek Dyduch, general secretary of the ruling Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), mentioned the possibility of SLD launching a constructive non-confidence vote against the Belka cabinet.

New York, May 9: The end of the war and the ultimate fall of the Third Reich did not bring the desired, full independence to the Poles, Foreign Minister Adam Daniel Rotfeld said at a special session of the United Nations General Assembly marking the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. The minister said that while recalling the events of between September 1939 and May 1945, one should not only pay tribute to the victims but also ask whether that chapter was closed for everyone of us in May 1945. Rotfeld recalled that the 1945 Yalta Treaty was concluded above the Poles' heads between the three main powers of the anti-Hitlerite coalition and de facto made Poland subordinated to the Soviet Union. Other nations of Central and Eastern Europe suffered the same fate, he said. The minister stressed that he wanted to pay homage to all those soldiers of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and other nations which had fought in the Red Army for their heroism, dedication and sacrifice. Rotfeld recalled that also Poles contributed to the victory of 60 years ago. Polish soldiers fought at all fronts of the Second World War and the Polish military effort was the greatest after the USA, the USSR and Great Britain. Speaking of anniversaries celebrated in 2005 the Polish minister referred to the 25th anniversary of the birth of Solidarity and pointed out that this social movement initiated the process of peaceful and democratic transformation in many countries of this part of the world and put an end to then post-war division of Europe which started in 1939. Polish society will not lack will of agreement and reconciliation with all nations, especially with our biggest neighbours, the German and Russian peoples, the minister stressed. However the reconciliation should be based on truth. Remembrance of history is instructive and creative only when it expresses truth, without omissions, blackening some events and whitening others. Reconciliation is possible only through truth and common understanding of history, Rotfeld concluded.

Warsaw, May 9: Social Democracy of Poland leader Marek Borowski will start his election campaign in Cracow in mid-May with a slogan the "The Right Man on the Left. "The slogan will appear on billboards, posters and cards with "Marek Borowski's commitments". "The campain's aim is to make Borowski chief presidential candidate of the left wing and Lech Kaczynski's strongest rival," one of Borowski's aides said unofficially.

Warsaw, May 9: A wreath-laying ceremony took place at the Memorial Cemetery of Soviet Soldiers in Warsaw on the 60th anniversary of the end of World War Two on Monday. The ceremony assisted by a Polish Army company was attended by representatives of the Embassy of the Russian Federation, diplomats and a delegation of the defense ministry. Prayers for the fallen were said by Orthodox Church priests and military chaplains. Over 20 thousand of soldiers and officers of the 1st Belarussian Front fallen in the years 1944 and 1945 rest at the Soviet Memorial Cemetery in Warsaw.

Bielsko-Biala, May 9: Over 150 former Auschwitz Nazi death camp prisoners signed a founding act of the International Centre for Education about Auschwitz and the Holocaust, Andrzej Kacorzyk from the State Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum said. The first to sign the act were Wladyslaw Bartoszewski and French political activist Simone Veil who did so during the commemorations of the 60th anniversary of Auschwitz liberation on Janaury 27. Recently the act was signed by Nobel prize winner and former prisoner Elie Wiesel. In addition to Poles, the act was signed by prisoners from Belarus, Ukraine, Israel and the United States.The founding act contains an appeal to historians, academics, and teachers to preserve the memory of the victims of the Auschwitz death camp and the Holocaust, deepen the understanding of the mechanisms of hatred and contempt and to develop dialogue and cooperation. The Centre will be located at the State Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum in the vicinity of the former camp. The Centre will cooperate closely with the Jerusalem's Yad Vashem, Washington's Holocaust

Memorial, with leading world universities, international institutions and organisations. The Auschwitz death camp was set up in 1940, KL Aushwitz II-Birkenau two years later. Over million people were killed there, chiefly Polish and European Jews, Poles, the Gipsy people and Soviet prisoners.

Warsaw, May 9: Professors Franciszek Ziejka and Jacek Purchla have been granted the German Federal Crosses of Merit, the German Embassy in Warsaw told PAP on Monday. Professor Franciszek Ziejka, the rector of the Jagiellonian University, was honoured with the Great Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his involvement in

reconciliation between the Polish and German nations. Director of the International Culture Centre in Cracow Professor Jacek Purchla received the Cross of Merit with the Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for outstanding contribution to understanding between the Polish and German nations. Professor Ziejka received the distinction on Sunday and Professor Purchla will receive it on Wednesday.

Warsaw, May 9: Representatives of families of Poles murdered in Katyn staged Monday a protest in front of the Russian Embassy here against the celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of the WW2 end in Moscow. They demanded Russia should recognize the Katyn

crime as genocide. Sixty five years ago the NKVD murdered some 22 thousand Polish army officers, police officers, doctors, professors and priests who had been taken prisoners after the Soviet invasion of Poland. The Russian military prosecutor's office conducted investigation into the Katyn forest massacre for 14 years but it was dropped in September 2004.

Warsaw, May 10: Russia, China and Germany are the countries which Poland should be most afraid of, according to a PBS survey commissioned by Gazeta Wyborcza. People under 40 years of age fear Russia more, older people with elementary education fear Germany. Germany was most often mentioned as the country Poland should cooperate with, and was followed by the U.S. and Great Britian. Ukraine came fourth and was mostly the choice of educated people.

Katowice, May 9: Three new investors, Germany's Kirchhoff, Italy's Ferroli and Canada's Process-Electronic, will build their factories in the Katowice Special Economic Zone. They will invest a total of 170 million zlotys and create 460 new jobs. Ferrol Poland will build a heater and central heating boiler factory in Sosnowiec for 120 million zlotys and give employment to at least 210 people. Production will start in 2007. By mid-2007 Kirchhoff Polska Assembly is planning to build a factory of car body elements for 37 million zlotys. It will give jobs to 200 people. A daughter-company of Canadian Process-Electronic will build a plant for designing and assembly of industrial processes control systems in Sosnowiec. The plant will cost 8.6 million zlotys to build and will employ 50 people. In the entire 2005 the Katowice zone expects to attract over ten new investments of the total value of 1 billion zlotys and several thousand new jobs. Established in 1996, the Katowice Special Economic Zone, the biggest such zone in Poland, attracted over 7 billion zlotys in investments.

Warsaw, May 9: A group of representatives of Iranian companies met with Polish businessmen in Warsaw on Monday to exchange information of their trade offers and establish new contacts. Polish-Iranian 2004 turnover exceeded the value of 65 million USD.

During the first two months of 2005 Polish exports to Iran jumped to 35 million USD, Andrzej Swiezaczynski of the Economy Ministry said during the meeting. Slawomir Okon of the Polish Chamber of Commerce stressing that Iran for years has been among Poland's important economic partners, recalled that first economic ties go back to the 17th century. Representatives of the Polish Economy Ministry stressed the improvement of economic conditions in Iran over the past several years and the opening of Iran on other countries. Iranian businessmen arrived in Poland on an economic mission organized by the Qazvin Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Mines.

Warsaw, May 9: April's industrial production fell 4.8 percent year-on-year, compared to a 3.7 percent fall in March, according to a survey carried out by PAP in April. According to economist estimates, April's retail sales fell 12.6 percent year-on-year, against a 0.3 percent fall in March. The Central Statistical Office will release industrial production data on May 20 and retail sales data later in May. In a May survey, economists projected Poland's economic growth at 3.35 percent of the GDP in the 1st quarter of 2005, 3.8 percent in the 2nd quarter, 4.7 percent in the 3rd quarter, and 5.3 percent in the 4th quarter.

Gdansk, May 9: Fourteen vessels from seven NATO countries started a wide scale mine sweeping exercise in the Baltic sea on Monday. Ships from Estonia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland taking part in the exercise due to end on Sunday.

Torun, May 9: Professor Maria Szyszkowska has been officially registered as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize, Senator Krystyna Sienkiewicz informed PAP Monday. Szyszkowska's

candidature was submitted by Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey at the motion of organisations fighting homophobia. "Professor Szyszkowska's candidature was proposed by international organisations affiliating homosexuals, people fighting homophobia and pacifists, Sienkiewcz said. A draft law on registering domestic homosexual partnerships was created under the auspices of Szyszkowska, later passed by the Senate. At present the bill is waiting to be examined by the Sejm.

Konin, May 9: Aluminium Konin-Impexmetal will allocate 170 million zlotys to modernise its rolled steel section in a move to improve product quality and sales, the company's management board head Marek Kacprowicz said. Aluminium Konin-Impexmetal made 30 million zlotys in net profits in 2004, unchanged from 2003 when the profits rose over 7 times

from 2002. In 2004 rolled product output was over 71 thousand tons, up close to 4 tons from 2003. The plant produced 54 thousand tons of aluminium, up 1.3 thousand tons from 2003. The company exported 60 percent of its production, chiefly to EU countries.

Brussels, May 9: The European Investment Bank will continue to focus on backing Poland's infrastructure and transport which are crucial for attracting foreign investments, EBI deputy president Ivan Pilip said. "Infrastructure and transport will remain the bank's priority in Poland (...) Appropriate infrastructure is necessary to bring about growth of direct foreign investments. Investors perceive weak transport infrastructure as an obstacle in carrying out their investment plans," EBI deputy president said. EBI has been backing many investment projects in Poland and other countries of the region with cheap loans since early 1990s.

posted by: Oborski at 17:06 | link | comments |

European Parliament discusses bill on effects of WW II

Former prime minister Jerzy Buzek has expressed the hope that the EU will acknowledge the historic truth about WWII and the post war Soviet annexation of this part of Europe.

Speaking on Polish Radio Jerzy Buzek reminded that the European Parliament is to adopt a bill on that matter, which is vital considering the ongoing attempts by Russia to falsify history .

The bill states that after WW II a part of Europe has fallen under a new tyranny which cost many lives and an economic abyss. Buzek said that for Poland the true end of the war came in 1989 after the democratic revolution.

The former premier added however that while history has to be remembered and talked about Poland cannot bother Europe with its martyrology.

posted by: Oborski at 16:57 | link | comments |

Two rightist groupings lead popularity polls

The rightists Law and Justice and the centrist Civic Platform are in the lead of a recent popularity poll conducted by the Rzeczpospolita daily.

The poll shows that had general elections been held last weekend both parties would have gained 22% of votes and a total of 246 seats in the Lower House.

A possible coalition of the Law and Justice and the Civic Platform could be strengthened by the participation the League of Polish Families which could give the rightists block 307 seats in parliament.

According to Rzeczpospolita the strong position of Law and Justice is the result of a professional and well prepared election campaign. These results however cannot point to the obvious leader of the autumn scheduled general elections writes Rzeczpospolita.

posted by: Oborski at 16:55 | link | comments |

Russia's famed Bolshoi Ballet has cut short a tour of Poland after tensions with Moscow boiled over into a boycott of its performances by local fans.

"Cześć!"

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