Training
The school system in Poland has been the
subject of several reforms since the communist era. This
applies to both the curricula and the structure of the
school system.
A major turnaround from 2017 has caused
dissatisfaction. It has been warned that both the number
of schools is decreasing and the number of teachers
being fewer. The school system was remodeled despite
name gatherings and protests from teachers' unions and
parent associations ; The critics believe that the
Conservative Government Party Law and Justice pushed
through the changes too quickly, without thorough
analysis. About three-quarters of the teachers are
members of the trade union organization ZNP, which has
opposed the reform. The union has also been striking for
higher wages.
-
COUNTRYAAH:
Country facts of Poland, including geography profile, population statistics, and business data.
The 2016/2017 academic year raised the age for
starting school from six to seven years. In the autumn
term of 2017, compulsory school was extended from six to
eight years. It abolished then in place system with a
middle school, a supplementary stage for students in
secondary school age. Those students have been
transferred to elementary school. It takes several years
to phase out the old system.
In practice, this means returning to a system similar
to what Poland had in communist times. When the
superstructure phase was introduced in 1999, according
to media reports, the aim was to reduce differences
between schools in Poland and other EU countries. The
supplementary stage has also been seen as an explanation
for the Polish pupils' results in the so-called Pisa
surveys steadily improving between 2000 and 2012.
All in all, the compulsory school time has been
shortened again, by one year.
The new curriculum has also been criticized,
especially a strong emphasis on Polish history and folk
heroes. According to media reports, sex education should
not include methods for restricting children.
Anna Zalewska, who herself has a teacher background
and was responsible for the reform as Minister of
Education, in 2019 went on to become a member of the
European Parliament for Law and Justice.
The oldest of the institutions is Jagiello ń ska, a
university in Kraków founded in 1364. The largest
university is in Warsaw.
The tuition is free in the public school system, even
at the universities, for Polish citizens and EU
citizens. Private colleges can decide on fees
themselves.
- Andyeducation: Introduction to education system in Poland, including compulsory schooling and higher education.
FACTS - EDUCATION
Proportion of children starting primary
school
95.0 percent (2016)
Number of pupils per teacher in primary
school
11 (2016)
Reading and writing skills
98.7 percent (2008)
Public expenditure on education as a
percentage of GDP
11.6 percent (2015)
Public expenditure on education as a
percentage of the state budget
11.6 percent (2015)
2019
December
Polish-Russian word war about the world war
December 27
The Polish Foreign Ministry calls on Russia's
ambassador to stage a diplomatic protest, an element of
an ongoing war between the countries. President Putin
has recently claimed that Poland bore some of the blame
for World War II, he later spilled on accusations of
Polish anti-Semitism. On the Polish side, one responds,
among other things, that Nazi Germany and the Soviet
Union cooperated even before the war, and that Soviet
troops also attacked Poland shortly after the outbreak
of war, which began with the Nazi march in Poland on
September 1, 1939.
Dismissed judging team is approved
December 19
The Sejm, the lower house of Parliament, adopts the
new law that makes it easier for the government to
dismiss judges. The law is approved with 233 votes in
favor, 205 against and 10 abstentions. The law must be
approved even in the upper house, the Senate, before it
can take effect.
Manifestations against legislative proposals
December 18
In more than 110 cities, protests have been announced
against the government's overthrow of the judiciary. The
demonstrations are organized by legal associations and
grassroots organizations (see December 5).
The Supreme Court has warned the government the day
before, arguing partly that the new law that is underway
reminds of the communist regime's introduction of
martial law 38 years earlier, and that Poland's EU
membership could be in danger if the government
undermines the judiciary. The EU has announced that the
law will be closely scrutinized.
Capital cities want their own channel to the EU
December 16th
The EU-positive mayors in four European capitals sign
a joint declaration, which states that they should seek
direct cooperation with the EU, as their countries are
governed by EU-critical parties. Behind this "free
cities pact" are the rulers of Budapest, Warsaw, Prague
and Bratislava. At the intergovernmental level, Hungary,
Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia have their own
cooperation forum called the Visegrád Group, which was
formed before becoming EU member states. Several of the
governments are now involved in the EU's tributaries,
which consider that the government parties do not
respect basic legal and democratic values.
Protest call from Wałęsa
December 14
Former President Lech Wałęsa, legendary as a union
leader and freedom hero during the communist era, calls
for a mass protest against the changes to the judicial
system that Poland's conservative government is
implementing. "The destruction of an independent
judicial system must not be allowed," growls Wałęsa, who
says he is ready to lead a "million march" against
Warsaw.
The opposition is aiming for the presidential
election
December 14
The Citizens' Platform (PO), which is the largest of
Poland's opposition parties, agrees that Małgorzata
Kidawa-Błońska will become its candidate in the
presidential elections in the spring of 2020. She is the
Vice-President of Parliament's House of Commons and the
party believes she can gather wider popular support than
Jacek Jaśkowiak, mayor in Poznań, which is more
pronounced liberal on issues such as abortion law.
Donald Tusk, former prime minister, among others, would
probably have been the first choice, but he has declared
that he will not run. The PO hopes to win the
presidential post not least because the president can
veto laws passed in parliament, and the conservative
ruling party PiS does not have a sufficient majority in
the House of Commons to pass a law without the
president's support.
Respit for Poland at climate meeting
13th of December
When the EU heads of state and government agree on
the goal that the Union should be carbon-neutral in
2050, Poland assures respite. Poland, with its heavy
dependence on coal as a source of energy, thinks it will
not be able to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions so
quickly and wants to keep its own pace of action, but
will be granted a postponement in June with its
decision. The new President of the European Commission
Ursula von der Leyen has published a plan on how to
change the EU economy in a more climate-friendly
direction. One of the cornerstones of EU negotiations is
nuclear power: Poland, like the Czech Republic and
Hungary, wants EU support to be used for nuclear
projects.
HD: Legal reforms are partly illegal
December 5
The Supreme Court considers that part of the Polish
government's reform of the judiciary is contrary to
European and thus to Polish law. The Disciplinary
Chamber does not meet the requirements of the law, it is
stated in the HD's conclusions (see November 19).
In line with criticism from the political opposition,
the Court considers that the Disciplinary Chamber is not
sufficiently independent from the government and
Parliament. A week later, the ruling party PiS responds
with a supplement that would make it punishable for
judges to question the legality of judicial
appointments. According to the proposal, judges should
also not be allowed to engage politically.
November
Legal reform is bounced back to Poland
November 19
The European Court of Justice will issue a ruling on
the Disciplinary Chamber with the power to punish judges
and prosecutors established by the Polish government.
Both the ruling party Law and Justice (PiS) and the
opposition and the judiciary interpret the ruling as a
victory. PiS critics have questioned both the
Disciplinary Chamber and other legal reforms of concern
that the government is gaining too much influence over
the judiciary (see September 20, 2018
and June 24, and July 17, 2019).
The case in the European Court of Justice addresses
cases where Polish judges complain about being forced to
retire. In the disciplinary chamber, which with the new
order would decide their case, sit members that PiS
wanted to place there. According to the European Court
of Justice, it will now be the Supreme Court of Poland
to decide whether the Disciplinary Chamber is to be
considered legitimate. According to the ruling, courts
in Poland cannot bring cases to the disciplinary chamber
unless it has been judged to be independent.
Extremist group revealed
November 13
Polish police have uncovered an extremist group that
has planned attacks on Muslims. Two people have been
arrested in major cities and explosives have been
seized. The group should have taken the impression of
the acts committed by Anders Behring Breivik in Norway
in 2011. Poland has 38 million inhabitants, of which
about 20,000 are estimated to be Muslims. In eastern
Poland, Tatars who are Muslims live for centuries.
The opposition controls the Senate
November 12
Tomasz Grodzki, who belongs to the opposition party
Citizens' Platform, will be President of the Senate. The
opposition wins the vote by 51 votes to 48. What the
opposition parties can achieve when they control the
Senate is to stop the rapid laws being tabled in the
Sejm. It has happened during the last term of office
that the Conservative government, which then had a
majority even in the Senate, took advantage of the
opportunity given by the takeover to rapid legislation.
The opposition, on the other hand, cannot push through
its own legislative proposals through the Senate, such
proposals can be stopped by the majority side of the
government in the Sejm. In the new Senate, the EU flag
now makes the Polish company again. During the last term
of office, the EU flag was withdrawn.
The climate gets a ministerial portfolio
November 8
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Jaroslaw
Kaczyński, leader of the Government Party Law and
Justice, present the new government (see October
13). Many ministers remain on their posts. One
of the news is that a Ministry of Climate Affairs will
be set up, with the mission to promote sources of
renewable energy and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
The post of EU Minister is dismissed from the Foreign
Ministry but placed directly under the Prime Minister.
When the government approved the seismic November 19,
Morawiecki said in the government statement that Poland
should work to reduce Brussels centralization within the
EU and that there must be a return to Christian values
in the Union.
Poland violated EU law in court reform
November 5
The European Court of Justice has concluded that
Poland violated EU law when the retirement age for
judges was lowered in 2017 and different retirement ages
for men and women were introduced in the judiciary (see
December 20, 2017 and October
19, 2019). Since the European Commission
brought the matter to the European Court of Justice, the
Polish government has withdrawn some of its changes in
the judiciary, but the Commission has argued that there
were grounds for concern about the development of
justice in Poland. Previously, the European Commission
has been right to Poland on the issue of maximum age for
judges in the Supreme Court (see June 24, 2019).
October
EU lawyer: Illegally say no to refugees
October 31st
Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic violated EU
law when they refused to accept refugees in 2015, when
an unusually large number of refugees applied to Europe.
The judgment is made by the Advocate General of the
European Court of Justice. The three EU countries
refused to follow a decision on the distribution of
refugees which would reduce the pressure on reception in
Greece and Italy (see December 7, 2017).
The countries that said no referred to law and order as
well as internal security, arguments rejected by the
Advocate General. The European Commission took the case
to the European Court of Justice, which does not have to
follow the Advocate General's statements, but it usually
does. The penalty can be fined.
Russian-Polish investigation of air crash
October 28
Polish and Russian investigators jointly launch a new
investigation into the air crash in Russian Smolensk
2010 when 96 people lost their lives. Among the victims
were Polish President Lech Kaczyński and large parts of
the country's political elite, who were on their way to
a commemoration. The Polish government party PiS and its
strong man, brother of the dead president, are convinced
that the crash was a terrorist act.
PiS requires conversion of votes
22 October
The Government Party Law and Justice (PiS) requires
recalculation of the votes in the Senate election from
six constituencies, where PiS lost hardly (see
October 13). A week later, the Supreme Court
has tried the first of the six cases and rejected the
complaint.
Old camp guard in court
October 17
A 93-year-old man who served as a guard in the Nazi
death camp at Stutthof outside Gdańsk during World War
II is being tried in Germany. The man is accused of
contributing to the death of over 5,200 people; most of
the victims were Jews. Since he was a teenager himself
when he supervised prisoners in the camp, he is tried as
a minor. He has stated that he was summoned to the Nazi
army as a 17-year-old in 1944 and commanded to the SS
service in Stutthof. About 65,000 people met the death
in Stutthof, which was first set up to house political
prisoners from Poland. The 93-year-old is one of the old
camp guards prosecuted in light of the fact that John
Demjanjuk, a former guard in the Sobibór camp, was
sentenced in court in 2011.
Conservative victory in parliamentary elections
October 13
Governing Law and Justice (PiS) will be the biggest
in the parliamentary elections, as expected. 44 percent
support guarantees continued conservative governance
with family-oriented welfare policy. The ruling party's
dissatisfaction with the EU that the judiciary's
independence does not appear to have deterred voters.
The Liberal Citizens Coalition will be the second
largest with 27 percent of the vote. The Left is again
mandated through a multi-party alliance that reaches 13
percent support. Even the peasant party and the
Confederation alliance, which stands far to the right,
pass the barrier to Parliament's lower house. The Senate
election gets the most surprising result: PiS loses its
majority. The opposition is now estimated to be able to
collect 51 out of 100 seats in the upper house.
Polish writer receives Nobel Prize
October 10
Olga Tokarczuk, Polish author, is awarded the 2018
Nobel Prize in Literature, the prize that was not
awarded the year before as a result of internal
contradictions within the Swedish Academy. Tokarczuk
writes in many genres, including poetry, novels and
short stories.
The abolished time limit provides for victims of
abuse
October 8
A court in Gdańsk decides that a man who, for several
years in the 1980s, was subjected to sexual abuse should
receive compensation from the perpetrator, who is a
priest, by the congregation and by the Catholic diocese
where the abuse was committed. The uniqueness of the
case is that the Court of Appeal cancels the limitation
period, the time limit that would otherwise have meant
that it was too late to sentence a penalty. The amount
of the damages will be 400,000 zloty, about SEK 1
million. The Catholic Church has recently been
increasingly criticized for allowing and concealing
abuse against children and young people (see
March 14 and May 14, 2019).
Law and justice go to victory, but how big?
October 7
The Government Party Law and Justice clearly leads,
with 42 percent voter support, in the Institute's
Kantars survey ahead of the parliamentary elections on
October 13. The center parties' Alliance KO reaches 29
percent support and the Left Alliance 13 percent. A
couple of small parties are close to the bar to get a
mandate and six percent of the voters surveyed have not
decided which party to vote for, so the united
opposition looks to have the chance to defeat the
Conservative government party. But a survey with more
respondents, by the Institute Dobra for the press group
Polska, gives Law and Justice a clear rolling victory by
48 percent.
September
Ex-Presidents warn of dictatorship
September 30th
Three former presidents warn in an open letter about
growing authoritarian tendencies. Lech Wałęsa, Aleksandr
Kwaśniewski and Bronisław Komorowski write that the
two-week election will decide whether Poland should be a
democratic rule of law or continue to execute on a
sloping plan against dictatorship. The post is made in
support of opposition alliances in a situation where
voter surveys give the ruling party Law and Justice
40-45 percent support.
The church is accused of discrimination
September 23
Two different authorities will investigate how the
Catholic Archdiocese of Krakow complies with the law.
The diocese has laid off three employees at the church's
press office with reference to the women being
unmarried. Two of the women have adopted children, and
thus are family carers. Two married women are allowed to
keep their jobs at the same time.
Letter to Poles on Brexit: "Go home"
September 18
About 800,000 Poles living in the UK have received
letters from the country's London ambassador. The letter
urges Poles to "seriously consider" returning to their
home country when Britain leaves the EU, otherwise they
should make sure to apply for a residence permit. Last
year, 116,000 Poles moved home. More than a quarter of
those who remain have applied for a permit to stay.
Parliament closes after the election
11 September
At the request of the ruling party Law and Justice,
Parliament is updated. The closure lasts until after the
election on October 13, and then it will be the old
members who gather because the parliamentary session has
not ended. PiS justifies the decision that members want
time for campaign meetings in their constituencies. The
political opposition is critical and doubts that PiS has
pushed through the decision of noble motives.
Promises: Low wages are raised in several steps
September 10
In the run-up to the election on October 13, the
government announced that a promised increase in the
minimum wage will be implemented in January, with
further increases in 2021 and 2023. About 1.5 million
Poles work for the minimum wage, which in 2020 will be
2,600 zloty, corresponding to just over SEK 6,300.
The largest opposition group changes poster names
September 3
Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, Deputy Speaker of
Parliament, has been promoted as prime ministerial
candidate for the alliance of the Liberal Opposition
parties Citizens' Platform and Moderna. The message is
left by Grzegorz Schetyna, who thus takes a step back.
The alliance has about 25 percent support in the
electorate against 40 percent for governing Law and
Justice. A grouping on the left ranks third in opinion
polls with 12 percent support.
Formal apology for wartime suffering
1 September
On the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second
World War in front of Germany's President Frank-Walter
Steinmeier an official apology to Poland. It happens in
the town of Wieluń where the first Nazi bombs were
dropped in 1939. Nearly six million Poles were among the
war's at least 50 million victims. Of the six million
Jews murdered, half came from Poland. Before the
anniversary, the issue of German damages to Poland has
again been up for debate. Germany rejects new demands.
August
Uncleaned sewage in river with outlet in the Baltic
Sea
August 28th
Large amounts of unclean wastewater from Warsaw flow
into the Wisła River, which flows through the city and
eventually into the Baltic Sea. The reason is that a
sewage treatment plant on the eastern side of the river
ceased to function a few days earlier. Preparing crisis
measures. The wreckage is not said to affect the quality
of drinking water in the capital.
Judges were thrown out by minister
20th of August
Łukasz Piebiak, Deputy Minister of Justice, resigns
after it was revealed that he staged dirt-throwing
campaigns against lawyers. Those who have been subjected
to dirt throwing are judges who opposed the government's
reform of the judiciary - and Piebiak himself has a
court of judges behind him. For the disclosure stands
the news site Onet.pl. Prime Minister Morawiecki
declares that the matter has been decided as of
Piebiak's departure. In that case, Justice Minister
Zbigniew Ziobro avoids political consequences, although
it seems unlikely that he would not have been aware of
what was going on. The political opposition demands that
Ziobro also resign, but does not have the support of
enough mandates to cast him in a vote of no confidence.
Clear result of health care reform
August 19th
An audit conducted by state auditors shows that a
major health care reform that the Conservative
government has undergone has not achieved the targets.
It has not become easier for patients to gain access to
care and hospitals continue to build up debt. The
auditors reviewed 29 hospitals and data from the first
year with the new system (October 2017 - October 2018).
One of the aims of the reform was to strengthen
hospitals run by public authorities, as they were
considered to have slipped in standard compared to
private hospitals.
Sentenced for abuse of power - now Minister of the
Interior
August 14th
Mariusz Kamiński becomes new Minister of the
Interior. This is provoking reactions because as late as
2015, the PiS politician was banned by the court from
holding a public office. He was convicted of abuse of
power at that time, but was pardoned by President Duda
before the case could be tried in higher court. Kamiński
founded and led Poland's first anti-corruption
authority; it was the post he had when a court struck
down how the authority was investigating suspected
mosquitoes within the Department of Agriculture.
The President flew privately with the State plan
5 August
Marek Kuchciński, President of Parliament, publicly
apologizes for his extensive use of state aviation for
personal travel. He also emphasizes that the trips were
legal. Despite this, three days later he submits his
resignation application. The political opposition and
local media have revealed that Kuchciński has used
government planes and military helicopters about a
hundred times over the course of five years. On 23
occasions he had relatives with him. Kuchciński
represents the ruling party Law and Justice (PiS). The
newly appointed Interior Minister Elżbieta Witek is
elected new President.
The Left joins the elections
5 August
Several left-wing parties form an alliance before the
parliamentary elections. The alliance is called the Left
(Lewica) and deepens a cooperation the parties already
have: As a single unified group, they can lower the
barrier they must overcome to get into parliament from 8
to 5 percent. The parties included are the Democratic
Left Alliance (SLD), Spring (Wiosna), Left Together (Lewica
Racem), the Polish Socialist Party (PPS) and the Labor
Union (Unia Pracy). They also have support from feminist
groups, among others. The alliance can pave the way for
the Conservative Government Party Law and Justice (PiS)
by making it harder for PiS to reach its own majority.
In the 2015 election, the left got 7.6 percent of the
vote, so they did not pass the 8 percent block for
voting parties.
Election on October 13
August 2
President Andrzej Duda announces that the upcoming
parliamentary elections will be held on Sunday, October
13. The decision must also be confirmed by the election
authority. Duda says the election should be held as soon
as possible so that the election movement does not get
dirty.
July
Income tax for young people is scrapped
31 July
A new law abolishes income tax for almost anyone
under the age of 26. Two million employees below a
certain income threshold are believed to be affected.
However, the tax for young self-employed workers
remains. For the Treasury, the reform will mean a loss
of 2.5 billion zlotys (just over SEK 6 billion). It is
part of a large package - with still unclear funding -
which includes, among other things, a thirteenth monthly
payment to pensioners and strengthened support for
families with children. The law comes into force three
months before the parliamentary elections and is assumed
not only to be able to increase voter support for the
government. In some cases, it is expected to lead to
earlier "black" jobs becoming "white". Possibly even
more young Ukrainians will apply for jobs in Poland.
Last year, almost three-quarters of the work permits
granted to Ukrainians went.
Upset feelings around Pride
July 21st
The premiere march in the town of Białystok
degenerates when it is disturbed by people throwing
stones, eggs and crackers. Police later state that 112
quarrels have been identified. After the event, support
marches in several cities are conducted by sympathizers
for the LGBTQ movement. The issue of sexual minorities
polarizes Poland and the debate climate is not uncommon.
Government-friendly Gazeta Polska lets print a
gay-friendly sticker that comes with the magazine.
Opposition cooperation with obstacles
July 18
Opposition parties, despite negotiations, have failed
to form a center-left bloc to challenge the conservative
ruling party PiS in the fall elections. The Citizens'
Platform (PO) sets up together with the smaller Moderna
(Nowoczes) and Polish Initiative (Polska Inicjatywa),
but has not agreed with the Democratic Left Alliance
(SLD), says the PO's leader. SLD is now considering
forming an alliance with the Party of Spring (Wiosna).
The date for the election is not set, but it will be
between mid-October and mid-November.
Warning from the European Commission
July 17
The European Commission is not satisfied with how the
Polish government is handling criticism against the fact
that judges can be punished by a new disciplinary
chamber (see June 24). Now, the
Commission - which considers that there is a risk that
Polish judges are being punished for doing their job
independently - is going to bring Poland before the
European Court of Justice on this issue too, which could
result in fines. At the same time, the European
Commission announces that it intends to examine how the
rule of law is followed in all Member States. Annual
reports can be expected.
Record heat with many deaths
July 1st
In June, when Poland sweated under a heat wave, 113
people drowned. 90 percent of those who drowned were men
and many were affected by alcohol. The heat reached a
record level for June with 38.2 degrees.
June
Polack convicted of espionage in Russia
June 25
In Moscow, Marian Radzajewski is sentenced to 14
years in prison, to be served in a penal colony (with
criminal work), for having spied on Poland's behalf.
According to the FSB security service, he must have
collected military information and tried to access
components of the Russian air defense system S-300.
Illegally force judges to retire
June 24th
The European Court of Justice blames the Polish
government for one of its changes to the judiciary. This
is an expected outcome (see December 17, 2018).
Reducing the retirement age of judges to 65 years
violates EU law, according to the court. The ruling
applies to judges in the Supreme Court. Advocate General
Evgeni Tanchev, who is an advisor to the European Court
of Justice, has also made the same recommendation on the
issue of Polish judges serving in the lower court. On
June 27, another judgment comes from the Attorney
General who opposes Poland: even the new Disciplinary
Chamber for judges is illegal.
Poland sets conditions for EU climate targets
June 20
Poland leads the opposition to measures when EU
leaders fail to reach an agreement on when the member
states should be climate neutral (not causing an impact
on the earth's climate). Ahead of the UN Climate Summit
in September, many EU countries want to agree that the
target should be reached by 2050, which would, among
other things, require greenhouse gas emissions to be
sharply reduced. Poland, with the support of Hungary,
among others, believes that there should be a support
mechanism for the EU's poorer countries that are coal
dependent.
US strength in Poland is expanding
June 12
The United States will relocate 1,000 soldiers to
Poland from Germany, where the US forces include 52,000
men. According to President Trump, some military
equipment is also being moved, including drones. The
message is given in connection with President Duda
visiting the White House, but Trump's promise does not
go so far as to fulfill requests made by the Warsaw
government: that the United States establish a permanent
base in Poland. The US already has about 4,500 men in
Poland.
Reformed government guarantees promises to voters
June 4th
Finance Minister Teresa Czerwińska, who has been
trying to hold back government spending to reduce the
budget deficit, is one of the ministers to be replaced
when the government is reformed. Marian Banaś, who is
replacing her, has a background as Deputy Minister and
Head of the Tax Office, but he belongs to the Government
Party Law and Justice (PiS) faithful - and the party is
expected to bring welfare promises to voters ahead of
the parliamentary elections to be held at the end of
2019. Several of the former ministers leave their posts
because they have been elected to the European
Parliament.
May
PiS largest in EU elections
May 26
Governing Law and Justice (PiS) wins just over 45
percent of the vote and 27 seats in the European
elections. Opposition Alliance The European coalition,
led by the Citizens' Platform, receives just over 38
percent and 22 seats. The remaining 3 mandates accrue to
the newly formed Party Spring (read more about the
parties in the Political system). The anti-EU alliance
that a libertarian and some nationalist parties formed
before the election does not reach the five percent
barrier. The turnout is just over 45 percent, an
unusually high figure for Poland.
Used police helicopters in election campaign
May 22
Marek Opioła, chair of the Sejm Security Committee
and a candidate in the European Parliament elections for
the ruling party Law and Justice, has made a publicity
video for his candidacy. Without consulting the police,
Opioła has used one of the police Black Hawk helicopters
for the recording, where he himself is seen jumping out
of the helicopter wearing a helmet and bulletproof vest.
National Police Chief Jarosław Szymczyk storms against
the use of police in a party political context. The
display of the campaign video has been stopped and the
party is withdrawing from it.
Jewish criticism of the Polish government
May 20
An American law on the return of property stolen by
the Nazis from their Jewish victims contributes to
dissent between Poland and Israel (see February
1, 2018). In Poland, which also suffered
heavily from the Nazis, the government has highlighted
that measures provided for by the law - such as damages
- are not the responsibility of the Polish state. Jewish
World Congress condemns a statement by Prime Minister
Morawiecki; at a meeting of the Government Party Law and
Justice, he is reported to have said that "it would be
to give Hitler a posthumous victory".
False online accounts and hate messages blocked
May 17
Facebook has closed 27 Polish pages where there has
been fake news and hate messages, says the organization
Avaaz, which describes the pages as hostile to Jews,
Muslims, immigrants, feminists and sexual minorities.
Facebook confirms that "a number of" pages have been
closed, including fake accounts.
Sharpened punishment in time for child abuse
May 14
The government announces that it wants to tighten the
penalties for sexual abuse of children, from a maximum
of 12 to 30 years in prison. Recent revelations about
Catholic Church abuse, which is close to the
Conservative Government Party Law and Justice (PiS), are
pushing the party not least for the forthcoming European
Parliament elections. A documentary about abuses that
priests have made a great appearance and Robert Biedroń,
leader of the Liberal Party Spring (see February
3), uses the film as campaign material. Parties
in the PiS-critical Europe Alliance may also favor the
election (see February 24).
April
Prosecution against employee in Nazi camp
April 18
A now 92-year-old man is accused of contributing to
the death of 5,230 people in the Nazis' Stutthof camp
near Gdańsk during World War II. The man worked in the
camp where about 65,000 of 110,000 prisoners - Poles and
Jews - perished. He is now prosecuted in Germany, where
a number of lawsuits are still being conducted against
persons still living in the Nazi death machinery (see
November 6, 2018).
Teachers strike for higher salaries
April 8
At the same time as the government is issuing
financial promises to agriculture and pensioners,
dissatisfaction among the teachers of Poland, who
believe that the governing bodies have failed to reform
the school system. About 15,000 schools and preschools
are closed when educators go on strike for increased
salaries. The leader of the teachers 'union ZNP
describes the protest action as the largest in the
school's area since 1993. The strike is interrupted for
students to be able to write tests, but since the
conflict is not resolved, a large part of the teachers'
groups are suspended for further actions during the
autumn term. A smaller teachers' union says yes to the
government's offer of a 15 percent increase in salary.
Refund to the elderly just in time for the election
April 4th
Poland's pensioners receive a one-time bonus - around
€ 200 in tax refund. This will be done on a proposal
from the PiS government party and just until voters are
expected to vote in the European Parliament elections at
the end of May. The proposal is adopted by a large
majority in the Sejm, and is not expected to encounter
patrol in the Senate either. Opposition politicians
accuse the government of using taxpayers' money for
voice fishing.
The EU faces a new fine for Poland
April 3
The European Commission is launching yet another
lawsuit against Poland for overthrowing the justice
system. Judges are punished on political grounds for
their decisions (see September 20, 2018)
and the independence of the judiciary is violated in
violation of EU treaties when judicial appointments can
be controlled by the government, the Commission
considers (see March 25, 2019). Poland
has two months to maintain the criticism. In the end,
the penalty can be fined. Poland has backed away from EU
criticism in another case, that judges were forced to
retire to leave room for new executives (see
December 17, 2018).
March
New way of appointing judges is approved
March 25th
The Constitutional Court has concluded that the
Constitution of Poland allows the new system of
recruitment of judges introduced by the government.
Members of the Supreme Judicial Council, who nominate
the country's judges, are now appointed by the
parliament, which is dominated by the conservative
ruling party PiS. The system undermines the judiciary's
independence, according to critics (see November
21, 2018).
The church admits hundreds of abuses against
children
14th of March
Over the past 30 years, 382 representatives of the
Catholic Church in Poland have been guilty of sexual
abuse against children and other minors. A total of 624
victims are known, of which more than half are boys. The
information is published by the church in a report based
on information from dioceses and monastic orders.
Archbishop Wojciech Polak says he is filled with "pain,
shame and guilt". Groups representing the victims, and
have accused the church of protecting perpetrators and
hiding their crimes, are demanding to know if the church
has also informed the police. The report does not
mention the names of perpetrators. A crime victims'
organization has previously submitted material on the
Vatican of about 400 abuses (see February 21).
In that compilation there are 85 priests who have been
convicted of sexual abuse of children.
February
Poland equips the armed forces
February 28
By 2026, Poland will invest the equivalent of
approximately SEK 450 billion in upgrading its defense
force. The plans include the purchase of 32 fighter
aircraft, helicopters, submarines and air defense
systems. The intention is to increase readiness in the
east - the military flank of NATO's eastern flank - as
announced by Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak. Some of
the planned purchases are already known, as is Poland's
desire for the US to maintain a permanent military base
in the country (see February 10, 2019
and November 17, 2017).
The opposition rallies ahead of EU elections
February 24th
Six parties form an alliance ahead of the European
Parliament elections in May to guard EU membership. The
six opposition parties - which claim that Poland's
conservative government wants to move the country out of
the EU - are the Citizens' Platform (PO), the Polish
Peasant Party (PSL), the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD),
the Liberal Moderna (Nowoczesna) and Teraz (Nu) and the
Greens. According to TVN24, the parties have also set
their sights on cooperation ahead of the next
presidential and parliamentary elections.
Report to the Pope on Church Abuse
February 21st
Data on 400 cases of child sexual abuse committed by
representatives of the Catholic Church in Poland have
been collected in a report submitted to Pope Francis. In
the report, bishops and archbishops are accused of
darkening abuse. The report is presented in connection
with the Pope holding a bishopric conference in the
Vatican to discuss abuses within the church. In Gdańsk,
at dawn, activists tear down a statue depicting a priest
who, after his death, has been accused of giving up on
children (see September 27,
October 2 and November 19, 2018).
Protest against Sweden in judicial case
February 19
Sweden's ambassador is called to the Polish Foreign
Ministry to receive "indignation" against the former
judge Stefan Michnik not being extradited. Michnik is in
his 90s, has been living in Sweden since the 1960s and
has become a Swedish citizen. According to Polish
authorities, he sentenced anti-communist regime critics
to death in the 1950s.
Anger at statements about the Holocaust
February 15
Poland's foreign ministry calls on Israel's
ambassador, and Prime Minister Morawiecki intends to
stay home from an imminent meeting with Israel and the
Visegrad group countries (which brings together four EU
countries). The reason is dissatisfaction with a
statement by Prime Minister Netanyahu who according to
the Polish approach makes Poles guilty of the Holocaust
(see February 1, 2018). Two days later,
Morawiecki rejects a proposition by US Secretary of
State Pompeo that Poland should legislate on
compensation for people who lost property in connection
with the Holocaust. Such a law was passed in 1960,
emphasizes the prime minister.
Poland signal policy arena - meeting and maneuvering
February 14th
In Warsaw, a number of countries gather for a
conference on the Middle East - in practice, about Iran
that has not been invited. Speakers include Israeli
Prime Minister Netanyahu and US Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo. They hope the meeting will increase the pressure
on Iran, but most European countries are cautious (see
January 11). The day before, Pompeo
followed a military exercise with sharp ammunition in
Orzysz seven miles from the Russian naval base
Kaliningrad; a maneuver with several participating NATO
countries and with signal value directed towards Moscow.
The US ambassador states that the US forces in Poland,
currently 4,000 men, will be further expanded.
Air defense business with the United States
February 10
Poland will buy a mobile artillery system from the US
for the equivalent of SEK 3.8 billion. The Himars
system, dubbed the "high mobility artillery rocket
system", was developed for rocket artillery and ground
robots - either six rockets at a time with seven miles
range or a robot with 30 miles range. In the past,
Poland has decided to buy American Patriots robots for
more than ten times the amount.
The name of the new Liberal Party: Spring
February 3
Robert Biedroń, former mayor of Słupsk, has
registered his new party. It is named Wiosna (Spring).
Since Biedroń has liberal values and is openly gay
himself, the party is expected to become popular among
voters who are critical of Poland's current, socially
conservative rule. The election to the European
Parliament in May will provide a tangible measure of the
party's attractiveness, but already in an opinion poll
the week after registration, Wiosna becomes the third
largest party after Law and Justice and the Citizens'
Platform (see September 4, 2018).
Good growth in the economy 2018
February 1st
Growth in the economy was 5.1 percent in 2018,
according to preliminary data. Despite a slight slowdown
in the fourth quarter, the growth rate was the highest
since 2007. Household consumption drove up the figures,
private consumption rose slightly more than expected.
Developments in 2019 are difficult to calculate due to
Brexit. Nearly one million Poles live and work in the UK
and are worried about not being allowed to stay in the
country upon leaving the EU.
Butchery scandal spread to EU countries
February 1st
A slaughterhouse in Kalinowo in north-eastern Poland
has been closed and an investigation is in progress
since it was revealed that the company had secretly
received sick animals for slaughter. The meat has been
sold in at least 15 countries, including Sweden, which
were alerted via EU cooperation when the fraud was
discovered. The meat, which was not inspected by a
veterinarian, is withdrawn from the market in all
countries. Expertise from the EU, which has witnessed
food scandals in several countries in recent years, will
analyze the case on the spot.
January
Polish protest at Auschwitz
January 27
An ultranationalist group demonstrates with the
Polish flag at the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp
on the anniversary of the Holocaust victims. The group
is small, but the protest is described as the first of
its kind and is led by a man who is convicted of having
burned a fool of a Jew. A statement by Prime Minister
Mateusz Morawiecki on Memorial Day also astonishes: He
emphasizes that the responsibility for the mass murders
was borne by "Hitler's Germany", rather than Nazism. In
Auschwitz, around a million Jews were murdered, as well
as many non-Jewish Poles, Romans and Soviet prisoners of
war.
Court criticism against the Holocaust Act
January 17
A court intervenes against Poland's controversial law
on the Holocaust. A word that, among other things, makes
it punishable to say positively about "Ukrainian
nationalists" is, according to the court, so diffuse
that it contravenes the constitution. From the
beginning, the law has caused outrage in both Israel and
Ukraine (see February 1 and
June 27, 2018). The Kiev Parliament has stated
that it equates Ukrainian independence efforts during
the Second World War with Nazi crimes.
Gdańsk's mayor knife-killed
January 13
The mayor of Gdańsk Pawe ł Adamowicz becomes
the cutter in the heart during a fundraising campaign to
purchase medical supplies. He dies the day after. The
attacker, who is convicted of armed robbery against
banks, accuses the politician and the former government
of the National Citizens' Platform (PO) of torturing him
in prison. Adamowicz belonged to PO until 2015.
Diplomatic quarrel over Iran meeting in Poland
January 11
A summit will be held in Poland with the aim of
increasing international pressure against Iran, states
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who states that
dozens of countries will participate. Iran, which calls
the plans "an anti-Iranian circus", a few days later a
diplomatic protest to Poland. From Polish diplomats come
various bids on the extent to which the Warsaw Summit on
February 13-14 can be described as anti-Iranian.
Spy hunt with connection to China
January 11
A Chinese businessman is arrested for spying. The man
is the sales manager in Poland for the large Chinese IT
company Huawei, which quickly gives him the kick. A pole
with a background in the fight against cyber crime for
the Polish security service is also seized. Several
Western countries have recently decided to stop
equipment from Huawei for safety reasons. It is
primarily about 5G networks that lay the foundation for
new wireless services and technologies such as
self-driving cars.
Italy seeks cooperation with Polish right
January 9
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini visits
Poland, saying that Italy's government coalition wants
Poland's help to enforce a Europe with "more security
and less bureaucracy". Salvini meets several politicians
on the right, including Jaroslaw Kaczynski (PiS).
Salvini's campaign is aimed at the elections to the
European Parliament in May. Resistance to immigration
unites them, but there is at least one serious obstacle
to cooperation: the Italian government is unlike the
Moscow-friendly Polish.
Stepped up shelter for wild boar
January 9
Hunters and environmental organizations protest that
the Ministry of Energy and Agriculture has ordered the
hunting of wild boar to reduce the risk of spreading one
of the diseases known as swine fever. African swine
fever was first detected in Poland in 2014 and the
spread of infection also threatens domestic pigs. The
industry is worried as Poland is one of the largest
exporters of pork in the EU. Since April 2018, 168,000
wild boars have been killed and the decision that now
raises protests is about intensive hunting that will
take place during the weekends in January. Opponents
fear the disturbance of the ecosystem and that the hunt
should lead to an increase in the spread of infection.
Fire protection claims after the death of teenagers
January 5
Five teenage girls are killed in a fire in an
adventure facility in the city of Koszalin. They have
rented themselves into an "escape room", which means
that you have to get out of a closed room with the help
of clues. The event discovers that such events have
reached enormous popularity - but happen with poor fire
safety. An intensive effort is initiated with
inspections and closures. Tighter fire protection rules
are announced.
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