[lateStarter]

Nothing new to report. The press is all over PiS. The funny thing is that a 3rd party is actually making inroads. People are tired of same 2 parties (PiS and PO) and everything PiS does now, just adds point to the new party.

Modern (Polish: Nowoczesna, styled as .Nowoczesna), is a liberal political party in Poland founded in late May 2015 by the economist Ryszard Petru.

The party received 7.6% of votes in the 2015 Polish parliamentary election,[2] which resulted in winning 28 seats in Sejm.

You can read more about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_%28political_party%29

[radon1]

If the EU leadership is happy with essentially unlimited immigration from the Middle East because of "demographic issues" or whatnot, it is difficult to understand why don't they grant visa free regime to the Ukrainians. Benefit/cost would be favourable.

[lateStarter]

http://time.com/4164787/poland-media-bill-press-freedom/

[Sixstrings]

http://time.com/4164787/poland-media-bill-press-freedom/

Hm, well that didn't take long, starting some press crackdown already.

From the european federation of journalists:

Poland: we are outraged by the abolition of safeguards for pluralism and independence in public service media

The undersigned press freedom and media organisations – European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Association of European Journalists (AEJ), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) – are outraged by the proposed bill, hastily introduced by the majority party in Poland yesterday (29 December) for immediate adoption, without any consultation, abolishing the existing safeguards for pluralism and independence of public service media governance in Poland.

...

We consider that the proposed measures will represent a retrograde step making more political, and thus less independent, the appointment of those in charge of the governance of public service media in Poland.

We urge the Polish authorities to resist any temptation to strengthen political control over the media.

To date, Poland can boast an excellent track record in terms of freedom of the media, which ranks in the top category in the Reporters without Borders World Press Freedom Index 2015 as well as in the 2015 Freedom House report on political rights and civil liberties.
http://europeanjournalists.org/blog/2015/12/30/poland-media-organisations-to-oppose-abolition-of-safeguards-for-pluralism-and-independence-in-public-service-media/

[Sixstrings]

UK Guardian, says Poland's president is "hungry for total control" and polls show 56% of Poles say their democracy is under threat. Ruling right wing party outright says that if journalists think they can be "absorbing Poles’ attention with criticism of our changes or policies, then that has to be stopped." Well gee, that's blunt.

Polish president has said in the past that he admires Orban, and he'll "bring Budapest to Warsaw:"

Law and Justice party leader Jarosław Kaczyński.

Poland’s new leader seems hungry for total control. The west can’t look away

Democracy is under threat in Poland, the European Union’s sixth-largest member state. Just two months after the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party won parliamentary elections and took over government, this is a view shared by more than half of the Polish people (56%).

On Monday, despite protests from the European commission and tens of thousands of Poles who have taken to the streets in recent weeks, the Polish president, Andrzej Duda, signed into law a controversial bill undermining the ability of Poland’s judiciary to effectively maintain checks on parliament.

...

Kaczyński believes post-communist Poland was, at the onset, appropriated by cliques of unpatriotic and amoral cynics who sold the country to the highest bidder and placed their friends in key institutions to ensure the lion’s share of benefits from the country’s economic transformation were shared among a privileged elite. Wresting the state back from these unpatriotic forces, in Kaczyński’s view, will require revolutionary determination. “They [the constitutional tribunal] don’t want us to chase away the clique of cronies who’ve taken over the state, but you can count on us, we will prevail,” says Kaczyński.

...

Ryszard Terlecki, head of PiS’s parliamentary club, was forthright about why his party wants direct control of public media. “If the media imagine that for the next few weeks they will be absorbing Poles’ attention with criticism of our changes or policies, then that has to be stopped,” he stated. PiS has also passed legislation enabling it to easily fire civil service officials and has introduced bills that would give the police and intelligence services increased surveillance powers on citizens – despite the fact Poland hardly faces any credible terrorist threat. Critics fear these will be used to monitor “unfriendly” journalists and NGOs.

Kaczyński once vowed to “bring Budapest to Warsaw”, expressing admiration for authoritarian Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán who favours “illiberal” democracy.

...

So what can be done? Only fierce resistance from Poles themselves, as well as intensified pressure from Brussels and Washington, could curb Kaczyński’s increasing appetite for total control.
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/dec/31/poland-leader-jaroslaw-kaczynski

US State Dept asks about the consitutional court reform

Mark Toner, a spokesman for the US Department of State said the US had asked Poland about the constitutional court reform.

“We have raised questions with the government about legislative actions with regard to the constitutional tribunal. And we’re going to continue to have these discussions with them,” Toner said.

“I think a system of checks and balances and judicial independence are crucial elements of constitutional democracy and the rule of law. The United States cares deeply about Poland, which is a fellow democracy and a valued NATO ally. We remain confident about the strength of Poland’s democracy and the ability of the Polish people to address these issues in accordance with the democratic norms and the rule of law in Poland,” he added.
http://wbj.pl/us-state-dept-asks-about-the-consitutional-court-reform/

Courting disaster
An attack on judicial independence reveals the government’s ideology

On December 28th President Andrzej Duda (nominated by PiS, though technically non-partisan) signed a law that would, among other things, require Poland’s constitutional tribunal to approve all verdicts by a two-thirds margin, crippling its ability to review legislation.

PiS has appointed five additional judges to the tribunal, in a move the standing judges ruled unconstitutional. PiS politicians refer to the court as a bastion of the previous Civic Platform government that must be subdued. Liberals and centrists have taken to the streets in protest.
http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21684826-attack-judicial-independence-reveals-governments-ideology-courting-disaster

Poland's new nationalist leaders leave some Poles regretting their votes

'Taking back my vote'

PiS’s decisive win in October reflects the appeal of anti-establishment parties across Europe.

...

Many Poles who supported PiS were simply tired of the same party in power for nearly a decade. PiS promised to reduce the retirement age, give more benefits to families, and crucially, remains firmly opposed to the EU’s plans to redistribute refugees across the bloc.

But PiS is going farther than many former supporters are comfortable with. Robert Dopierała, a lawyer in Gliwice, wrote a letter to President Duda in December stating simply: “I'm taking back my vote from you,” he wrote. “I know that by giving you my vote, in a way I allowed you to do what you do right now.”
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2015/1229/Poland-s-new-nationalist-leaders-leave-some-Poles-regretting-their-votes

[Sixstrings]

Slovakia protests the PiS party government raid on the joint Polish-Slovak NATO center:

Slovakia criticizes Poland over raid on NATO center

Slovakia’s Defense Minister Martin Glváč wrote a letter to his Polish counterpart, Antoni Macierewicz, in which he severely criticized his entrance to the NATO counterintelligence center in the dead of the night on December 18.

“I request a stop to all non-standard actions,” the letter read.

Glváč wrote that contrary to statements made by some Polish officials, the raid was not agreed with Slovakia. “With whom had the Polish side consulted the appointment of a new head of the center?”

The Slovakian Defense Minister reminded that the NATO facility is an independent, international institution, and not a part of Poland’s MoD. “I ask you to present your vision of Poland’s contribution to the development of the center. I expect your proposals no later than January 31, 2016,” the letter concluded.

At around 1 AM on December 18, Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz, assisted by ministry officials and military police, entered the NATO counterintelligence center to oust the head of the office.

The press reported that in order to get in, some doors were broken while others were opened with a copied key.

Bartłomiej Misiewicz, a ministry official said then that the ousted head, Krzysztof Dusza, had failed to act on a dismissal order. The defense ministry appointed Robert Bala as the acting director, who was also among the staff that raided the office that night.

NATO’s Centres of Excellence (COEs) are nationally or multi-nationally founded institutions that train and educate leaders and specialists from NATO member and partner countries.

COEs are not part of the NATO Command Structure and NATO does not directly fund them. However, the overall responsibility for COE coordination and utilization within NATO lies with Allied Command Transformation (ACT).

The COE in Warsaw is run jointly by Poland and Slovakia.
http://wbj.pl/slovakia-criticizes-poland-over-raid-on-nato-center/

[lateStarter]

Just to make it clear, Duda is the President but the PiS Party leader Jarosław Kaczyński is the one actually pulling all the strings. Duda actually looks like a goofy kid - he always has this stupid looking grin on his face like: hey! I'm signing something! I'm the president. This is cool!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zzekh3qj8l2ysdc/duda.jpg?dl=0

[onlooker]

From afar, this seems like a ultra-right wing nationality party making a play to establish an authoritarian government that will oppress any dissent.

[lateStarter]

Good article in the Economist.
http://www.economist.com/news/europe/21684826-attack-judicial-independence-reveals-governments-ideology-courting-disaster
But be sure to check out the comments on the article.

[lateStarter]

Another article followed by interesting (in a rational way) comments;
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2016/01/mathew-d-rose-now-it-is-polands-turn.html

[onlooker]

I am compelled to post this as a new topic as it merits some discussion. This is worrying to say the least. It is really at Russia's doorstep. Combined with the rhetoric from Trump about forcing China and Russia to respect the US and also his appointment of war hawks into his inner circle. I was hoping this was going to be the one positive from a Trump presidency, less tension with Russia and China, well it seems now we may have more. https://www.apnews.com/cb5d55ba66694c2c ... P_Politics

[Cog]

Poland is a full member of NATO and joint military exercises are part of our treaty obligations. Does Russia think that Poland is going to invade them? The Poles are very pro-US and have not forgotten the Katyn forest massacre. Poland is also one of the five NATO countries that fulfill their 2% of GDP on military spending.

[peripato]

I am compelled to post this as a new topic as it merits some discussion. This is worrying to say the least. It is really at Russia's doorstep. Combined with the rhetoric from Trump about forcing China and Russia to respect the US and also his appointment of war hawks into his inner circle. I was hoping this was going to be the one positive from a Trump presidency, less tension with Russia and China, well it seems now we may have more. https://www.apnews.com/cb5d55ba66694c2c ... P_Politics

It's just as well that cooler heads prevail at the Kremlin, despite which I don't believe NATO would be foolish enough to start a war with Russia, let alone invade. But if it did, you can be sure that Moscow would reach for the nukes sooner, rather than later. Russian doctrine since the end of WW2 is that she will not be forced to fight a defensive war on her own territory again.

[sparky]

.
With the level of rhetoric and posturing , what I fear is a 1914 moment ,
a crisis developing into an all out confrontation without anyone really wanting to push thing so far .
There was in each capital the feeling the other side had to back down
while politicians were grand standing and the press were thumping their chest ,
each side claiming they were aggressed , the events took a dynamic of their own , downward

[onlooker]

.
With the level of rhetoric and posturing , what I fear is a 1914 moment ,
a crisis developing into an all out confrontation without anyone really wanting to push thing so far .
There was in each capital the feeling the other side had to back down
while politicians were grand standing and the press were thumping their chest ,
each side claiming they were aggressed , the events took a dynamic of their own , downward

True Sparky. When the provocations become too much or too frequent, the other power or powers can categorize the other side as overly aggressive and decide on some first strike attack. Also, it is about saving face, if people or countries humiliate each other, then that is fertile ground for escalation to all out conflict.

[Cog]

The Poles have determined that they will not be occupied/dominated by Russia ever again. At least not without Russia paying a very heavy price for doing so.

[Plantagenet]

I am compelled to post this as a new topic as it merits some discussion. This is worrying to say the least. It is really at Russia's doorstep. Combined with the rhetoric from Trump about forcing China and Russia to respect the US and also his appointment of war hawks into his inner circle. I was hoping this was going to be the one positive from a Trump presidency, less tension with Russia and China, well it seems now we may have more. https://www.apnews.com/cb5d55ba66694c2c ... P_Politics

Trump didn't send the US troops into Poland.

This is Obama's doing.

Cheers!

[Cog]

And if you look at the loudest voices for going to war with Russia right now, they are Democrat voices. Trump continues his calls for calmness amidst the war drums.

[dissident]

The Poles have determined that they will not be occupied/dominated by Russia ever again. At least not without Russia paying a very heavy price for doing so.

Poor little Poland deserved what it got. Being an American you have zero knowledge of history but ignorance is not an excuse. Poland was rather ambitious back in the 1600s and actually foisted regime change on Russia (look up false Dmitry). Playing such games got it incorporated in the Russian Empire as was normal for most of history, politically correct snowflake modern viewpoints notwithstanding. But the first thing that newly independent Poland did in 1919 was launch a territorial conquest war on the USSR where it grabbed western Ukraine and western Belorus. (My western Ukrainian family was living in Poland before WWII, you can't claim these were ancestral Polish lands or some other such BS). During the 1919-1921 war the Poles ran internment death camps where 100,000 Soviet POWs died. Poor little Poland, indeed.

The so-called "partition of Poland" by Stalin and Hitler was the return of 1917 borders of Ukraine and Belorus. There was no 50-50 split as implied by the hater western propagandists. Poland is setting itself up to get glassed. Its chihuahua tantrums while hiding behind Uncle Scumbag are utter chicken shit loser nonsense. Uncle Scumbag is going to have to decide what starting WWIII is worth. Poland is irrelevant. And Russia does not want this dump. All you NATO pinheads are under epic delusions of grandeur and worth. And to use the 1939 historical conditions as some sort of model for the current situation is simply retarded. In the missile era, land buffers have no value. So Russia is not going to be grabbing the Baltics like the USSR did back before the Nazi German war of genocide. You lying, ignorant f*cks insinuate that the USSR land grab before 1940 had nothing to do with the Nazis. You can keep spouting whatever revisionist drivel makes you special snowflakes feel better.

[Tanada]

.
With the level of rhetoric and posturing , what I fear is a 1914 moment ,
a crisis developing into an all out confrontation without anyone really wanting to push thing so far .
There was in each capital the feeling the other side had to back down
while politicians were grand standing and the press were thumping their chest ,
each side claiming they were aggressed , the events took a dynamic of their own , downward

Perhaps I am foolish but I am not as concerned about this for one simple reason. Vladimir Putin knows that in a nuclear conflict none of the participants are winners and likely many of the non-participants also lose. He wants Russia to be strong and powerful, but if invaded he will use the nuclear defense. On the other hand he has reason to believe NATO would also use nukes if he invades Poland. Therefor no matter how foolish EU/NATO/USA politicians may be I don't think they are stupid enough to actually invade Russia/Beylorus. That gives me comfort because well educated political leaders most frequently point to the Tsar of Russia in 1914 as the straw that broke the war into actual conflict. Tsar Nicholas II issued the call up order for his reserves that lead Germany and Austria-Hungary to conclude he was planning all out war. In a mostly agricultural country you do not call the farmers out of the fields during harvest season unless you intend on needing them.