"Cześć!"

 

Belka confirms he is a candidate for PM

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

Presidential candidate arouses controversy

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

Sejm: Borowski resigns

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

President values preparations for membership of EU

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

Kwasniewski inaugurates Polish Year in Ukraine

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

NATO necessary as long as threats exist

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

Poland, Italy sign memorandum on civil servants' training

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

Hausner plan right for keeping economic growth, Belka

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

Privatisation: over 1.5 thousand companies unsold

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

New low-fare air connections launched

Warsaw, March 29: Wizz Air low cost airline will on April 19 launch air connections between the Polish southern city of Katowice and four European cities: London, Berlin, Milan and Rome, Wizz Air CEO Jozsef Varadi said on Monday. By the end of 2004 the lines will be serviced by 9 Airbus A320 and the number of aircrafts will gradually go up. Wizz Air capital comes from 20 private investors, also Polish. Meanwhile, another low cost carrier Air Polonia launched direct flights from Gdansk to London, Mondays and Fridays. Also German EAE inaugurated a regular Lodz - Cologne/Bonn air connection. It will be serviced by ATR 42 planes capable to take 46 passengers. Planes will fly everyday, Monday to Friday. Lodz, located in central Poland, is the second largest Polish city

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