Polish Consulate...

"The method is both effective and humane."
-Halina Czerwik, manager of a MarcPol supermarket in Czêstochowa, about the idea of getting rid of sparrows that fly into the store by hanging a large stuffed hawk from the ceiling

"It's a simple equation. If there are 230 deputies instead of 460, the amount of harm done will be cut in half."
-Donald Tusk, deputy speaker of the Sejm, justifying the idea to cut the number of Sejm deputies by half, put forward by his party, the Civic Platform (PO)

"This is a man with competencies from a different system... Actors in silent movies did not survive films with sound."
-Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, former president of the National Bank of Poland, on the appointment of Stanis³aw Nieckarz, former finance minister from the communist era, to the Monetary Policy Council (RPP)

"It's hard for me to say which foreign languages our deputies speak, since I speak to them in Polish."
-Adam Bielan, press spokesman for the Law and Justice (PiS) parliamentary caucus, when asked what Western languages its members could speak

"In Poland, if you play the piano, you have to love Chopin-they'll hammer it into your head in every possible way. And I find it hard to feel love when I sense I'm being coerced into it."
-Piotr Anderszewski, a Polish pianist very well-known outside Poland, on why his repertoire includes mainly works by Mozart, Bach and Beethoven

"It turned out that the child simply did not want to go to school, and the mother could not handle him, so she called us."
-A police officer from Szczecin, where a woman called the police saying that her 10-year-old son was smoking marijuana at home

posted by: Oborski at 13:32 | link | comments |

Years ago, the top echelons of Poland's communist party included Andrzej Werblan; a tough man, a dogmatic post-Stalinist, an apparatchik widely disliked for his orthodoxy. And suddenly, in the Solidarity period, just after 1980, he loudly started demanding democracy and consequently was chucked out of everywhere. During martial law a well-known dissident met Werblan at one of the Western embassies, and asked him, "How is it possible that you, an old fox and old party devil, suddenly started believing that democracy was possible under communism?" Werblan replied, "No, I didn't think it was possible, but I have a granddaughter, and I thought of her reading about Poland's history one day and asking, 'What did you do for democracy, Grandpa?' So I had to do something."

Nice explanation.

Prime Minister Leszek Miller has started working for his place in history.

Malicious people are saying that's all he's got left. No other prime minister in free Poland had such negligible support. None lost so much in such a short time in the eyes of public opinion. No PM's party was ever headed for such an election defeat as Miller's Democratic Left Alliance (SLD)-as things stand today.

Miller is working for his place in history, where he wants to find himself as the man who eradicated, once and for all, any remnants of socialist, wasteful social policy from Poland's free-market economy, as a pioneer of reducing taxes and the businessmen's Hammurabi granting them a code of economic freedom. These are necessary steps that no other government ever dared take, and it's a paradox that it was a socialist prime minister who decided on a liberal revolution. But, in the short term, Miller's actions are meeting with a lack of understanding and aversion on the part of the left's traditional electorate, and to gain the support of leftist politicians there had to be some arm-twisting and sticking of pins under fingernails.

Because, people didn't elect Miller to drive a stake through the heart of the socialist system of welfare spending. People didn't elect Miller this ex-communist to offer a lofty apotheosis of his new ally and ideal, the fierce anti-socialist and economic liberal, Spain's Prime Minister José Maria Aznar.

On the other hand, no normal politician will go for a vision of unavoidable defeat and work only for history. So, resorting to unexpected tactical ploys, Miller is able to show that despite falling ratings, he is the one and only true boss in the government camp. A strong leader of the SLD and a strong prime minister. By introducing into his government as a deputy PM the narcissistic hedonist and individualist Józef Oleksy, he killed two birds with one stone. He drew into the government center its greatest critic, depriving of all hope those who had been counting on a split of the leftists, and refreshed his team's image with the Falstaffian visage of the last popular politician on the left side of the wall.

Poland has a better government than would seem from reading the Polish papers.

During its two years in power, the SLD has cured itself of socialist utopias and remnants of populism, however painful that might be for the bumbling socialists and professional defenders of the working classes. He has learned what you can do when in power, and what you simply cannot do. The prime minister is able to give the Poles a show of vigor once in a while, something they really need.

The way Miller's government undertook its independent game on the international chessboard is worthy of respect. The resolute betting on the American card has changed Poland's importance on the diplomatic scene. On the European front, Miller and his colleagues worked really hard to negotiate decent terms of EU accession, and the Polish resistance to the Franco-German dictate in the EU induced even a fierce enemy of the left, the leader of the opposition Law and Justice (PiS), Jaros³aw Kaczyñski, to offer a pompous compliment: "You have done something worthy for Poland, gentlemen."

After years of recession, the economy has gotten off to a rapid restart, exports and production are growing, the government has employers' unanimous support, and Deputy Prime Minister Jerzy Hausner's plan for economizing is opening the door to the recovery of public finances and a lasting return to stable economic development.

However, hardly anyone in Poland today doubts that just as the government policy starts to bring results after four years, and the government stops making schoolboy mistakes, Miller's team will be removed from power in the next elections.

The prime minister and his government have a terrible reputation in Poland.

Two years in power have shown that the Polish left is infected with all the nasty diseases of power: corruption, nepotism, buddy-buddy arrangements and cynicism hidden behind a screen of pragmatism.

Hardly a week goes by without scandal, leftists being accused of corruption, the accusations inflated beyond all proportion by media unfriendly toward the left. The government camp is bleeding closer to death every day under a barrage of accusations. Though in many cases the exaggeration is pretty obvious, resulting from the media's overwhelming hostility toward the government, there's no doubt that there has been a demoralization of part of the left's leadership.

Poland in reality has a three-chamber parliament today: the Sejm, the Senate and the Investigation Commission checking out the Rywin scandal. This corruption scandal has not only demolished the government's public image, but has turned some of the commission's members into heroes of a previously anemic opposition, to mention but today's unquestioned prime-ministerial candidate Jan Rokita.

Does the pandemonium of scandals that the Poles have been witness to over the past two years mean that catastrophic corruption has occurred in Miller's Poland? I'm afraid the Poles have let themselves be driven into hysteria, persuaded that in their country, especially on the left of the political spectrum, corruption is beating world records. Corruption is an inseparable, deformed sister of politics, a fact that the French, Belgians or Italians are seeing constantly, actually on a greater scale than the Poles.

In corruption, the facts aren't really the point. Nobody can hope to convince the Poles that the government's political backup are not a gang of degenerate thieves. And that's a nail in the Miller government's coffin.

Tripping over its own mistakes, Miller's government is wading toward the end of its term.

Mistakes as horrifying as the carelessly caused nightmarish mess in the health service early in the year. The mess was the result of the government ignoring the demands of family doctors; demands that may or may not have been egotistical. Closed doors to doctors' offices will linger in voters' memories much longer than the prime minister's international successes.

The government wades on through its mistakes, governing better than it did in the beginning, always hoping that it can win back the Poles' trust, though nobody else believes it can.

Meanwhile, it's better at inscribing itself into Poland's latest history than fighting for voter support. Unluckily, this will only be noticed by the children of those who are going to the ballots in 18 months' time.

posted by: Oborski at 13:28 | link | comments |

The political position of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) went from bad to worse after the party suddenly lost its parliamentary majority and was defeated in a vote on the national budget.

This came on the heels of long-awaited reshuffles in the government and the SLD parliamentary party. The opposition triumphed in parliament Jan. 23. The ruling coalition of the SLD and the Labor Union (UP) failed to enlist enough support to defend the government's version of the budget bill. In a 222:214 vote, the house passed a key amendment providing for a more than half-a-billion-zloty subsidy to the PKP state railway company. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy, Labor and Social Policy Jerzy Hausner said this threatened to destabilize state finances.

The defeat of the Leszek Miller Cabinet was due to an about-face made by deputies from a parliamentary circle led by Roman Jagieliñski's Democratic Peasants' Party (PLD). After enlisting five new deputies, who have either left or been tossed out from their parliamentary groups, the PLD circle has transformed itself into a 15-member Federative Parliamentary Caucus (FKP). Unofficial information suggests that Jagieliñski demanded several government jobs from the prime minister, in addition to seats on the supervisory boards of Treasury-owned companies, in exchange for his circle's support in the Sejm. Rumor also has it that a major role was played by Mariusz £apiñski, the former SLD health minister who was kicked out of the government, the SLD parliamentary group and eventually the party some time ago. £apiñski has now joined the FKP as its secretary. Miller reportedly refused to bargain. Later, clearly irritated, the prime minister said that he had "no intention of bending to blackmail." However, under the current circumstances, the government can count on no more than 214 votes in the Sejm, while the required majority is 231. Pessimists warn that this may end with a rejection of the public finance rationalization plan authored by Hausner, the key economic blueprint of the ruling coalition for the rest of its term.

The party's parliamentary failure has encouraged internal consolidation within the SLD. A day later, the Hausner Plan was unanimously approved by the SLD national council. However, this does not alter the fact that in order to secure safe support in the Sejm, SLD politicians must now negotiate, looking for either permanent or one-off alliances. Unexpected assistance may come from the largest opposition party-the liberal Civic Platform (PO). PO leaders, even though they are critical of many of Hausner's ideas and spare no criticism for the government's economic policy, admit that they are uninterested in toppling the government by rejecting the Hausner Plan, because this could spell chaos for the economy.

The latest change in the arrangement of forces in parliament stole the show, overshadowing the recent reshuffles within the SLD. As expected, Jerzy Jaskiernia resigned as head of the SLD parliamentary caucus. He was replaced-predictably-by Krzysztof Janik, until now minister of internal affairs and administration. A major surprise, on the other hand, was the appointment of Józef Oleksy to replace Janik as minister of internal affairs and administration. In addition, Oleksy, who served as prime minister in 1994-95, was provided with the status of deputy prime minister. Before joining the government, Oleksy was one of Miller's main critics within the SLD.

The opinions of observers are divided. Some say the prime minister has thereby neutralized one of his main adversaries; others suggest this may be a step toward replacing Miller as SLD leader and prime minister in the coming months.

posted by: Oborski at 13:25 | link | comments |

‘Visa regime for Poles travelling to the US will be retained’, heard president Alexander Kwasniewski, while visiting Washington...

The American side, however, promised to ease visa restrictions that the Polish citizens face when making a journey to the United States. During his meeting with George W. Bush president Kwasniewski said ‘the future of the world is without visa, not with visa. That should be our goal.’ Poland had hoped that one reward for its help in the U.S.-led war in Iraq, involving the deployment of 25 hundred troops, would be an easing of visa rules to match the visa exemptions enjoyed by other European nations, including those that opposed the war, such as France and Germany.
To conclude the visit to the United States the Polish head of state was received by US defence minister Donald Rumsfeld who praised the Polish troops stationed in Iraq. The American government promised to increase its funds for the modernisation of the Polish armed forces from 12 to 66 million dollars a year as of 2005.

Prime Minister Leszek Miller said he would call for early elections if parliament rejected his leftist minority cabinet's austerity plan aiming to prepare Poland for euro zone membership...

Miller's declaration came after the cabinet finally approved a package of measures set to generate about 30 billion zlotys, that is nearly 8 billion dollars, in savings until 2007. The savings amount to 3.8 per cent of Poland's current gross domestic product. "If this plan could not be carried out because it did not gain support in parliament, there would be no other solution than early parliamentary elections," said prime minister Miller.

The zloty and bond prices have risen in reaction to yesterday’s approval of minister Jerzy Hausner’s austerity programme...

Despite today’s rise in the value of the Polish currency some experts predict unstable months on the financial markets and possible weakening of the zloty flowing from the uncertainty over the introduction of the ambitious plan.

MP of the ruling Democratic Left Alliance - Zbigniew Kaniewski – will become new treasury minister. His main task, experts say, should be the speeding up and completion of privatisation...

Witold Orlowski, economy advisor to president Kwasniewski points to frequent changes on the post of treasury minister and to the negletion of the privatisation process in Poland. This is said to be spoiling the image of Poland in the eyes of foreign investors. The new minister will replace Piotr Czy¿ewski dismissed last week. The nomination will be handed by president Alexander Kwasniewski later this afternoon.

Talks on EU constitution as well as Polish-Irish relations will constitute the core of Polish prime minister Leszek Miller’s working visit to Ireland tomorrow...

The head of the Polish cabinet will be received by his Irish opposite number Bertie Ahern and president Mary McAleese. Poland is concerned with further development of its already good relations with Ireland. Currrently trade exchange between the two countries amounts to half a billion dollars annually, while the level of Irish investments in Poland remains at the level of over 1 billion dollars. Tomorrow’s visit was planned for December 5th, yet it had to be postponed due to the crash of the helicopter carrying the prime minister.

Now the weather

– it is a cloudy day except for the north-west. It is snowing in places, the snowfall may be heavy in southern and south-eastern Poland. temperatures range from minus 8 degrees Centigrade in the north-east to minus 2 in the west. Winds are light and moderate.

posted by: Oborski at 13:20 | link | comments |

Polish President Alexander Kwasniewski is expected to meet president George Bush later today...

The main subjects of their talks will be Polish participation in rebuilding the Iraqui economy, F-16 fighter planes bought by the Polish airforce, military cooperation and the controversial issue of visas for Polish citizens travelling to the US.

According to Jan Rokita, leader of the Civic Platform opposition party, there is little chance for success in the latter issue – Poland should have demanded lifting visa restrictions before it joined the US in the Iraqui military operation.

According to news agency reports Iraqui terrorists attempted to attack Polish military checkpoint in Karbala, the capital of Polish military zone in Iraq...

When Polish soldiers responded with fire, the terrorists attacked the house of the commander of Iraqui police force in Karbala. Two local policemen were killed in the ensuing exchange of fire. This was one of several attempted attacks in the zone within last 24 hours. Ensign Zbigniew D¹bkiewicz, spokesman of the first multinational brigade, says that four suspects were detained and the terrorists probably were preparing an attack against the Camp Szczecin Polish military base.

The programme which includes cutting government expenses by 8 billion US dollars by 2007 one third of which by limiting social security programmes is described by critics as quite controversial. A large part of the project had to be scrambled to secure support of the MPs from the government coalition. The opposition says it will vote against the programme although there is still a chance that the centrist Civic Platform will support it.

Aleksander Malachowski, the doyen of the Polish labour movement, honorary president of Labour Union and ex-deputy speaker has died in Warsaw...

Malachowski was also a writer, journalist and in the 1960s a radio reporter. Elected in 1989 to the first democratic Polish parliament he opened the first session as the pro-term speaker. After the 1991 election he was the deputy speaker of the lower house of Parliament.

Police from Lubuskie province in Western Poland have arrested a drug dealing gang in the town of Miêdrzyrzecz...

The enquiry into a drug dealing network which distributed amphetamines at local clubs has continued for several months. Initially, only small-time dealers were attained but the ring leaders, two women aged 20 and 25 were arrested. According to the police more arrests are expected soon.

More news about a success in fighting drug dealing just in from the Baltic port city of Gdansk...

Polish custom officers have found drugs worth approximately a quarter of million dollars aboard British ship the “Green Freezer”.

The programme includes a concert by top Polish jazz singer Anna Maria Jopek – who last year teamed up with Pat Metheney on a successful album - and a gala concert at Cannes Festival Palace of music by the renowned contemporary composer Wojciech Kilar. The Polish Radio Orchestra will perform his most famous works including the suite from Francis Ford Coppola’s “Dracula” and “September Symphony”, a musical homage to America after September 11th. This is the first time Poland participates in the Music Fair on such a scale.

And now for the weather – it is a reasonably nice day all over Poland – cloudy but in the South and East a fair amount of sun...

The temperatures range from minus 2 degrees Centigrade in the north-east to minus 7 in the south and south-east. Winds are light and moderate.

posted by: Oborski at 17:41 | link | comments |