A review of press reports from around the world on Poland’s recent general election.

Much of the world’s press views the election in traditional political terms of “right-wing” and “left-wing”, missing some core issues.
https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7785/Artykul/3262972

Polish elections assessment -what are the next moves?
https://sldinfo.com/2023/10/poland-after-the-elections-what-happens-next/

Poland’s ruling conservatives win parliamentary election, but lose majority: final results
https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7784/Artykul/3262674

Poland’s opposition parties win Senate elections
https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7789/Artykul/3262591

Poland’s Robust Democracy Delivers Change
https://cepa.org/article/polands-robust-democracy-delivers-change/

OSCE on elections in Poland
https://www.warsawvoice.pl/WVpage/pages/article.php/58338/news

If not stopped in Ukraine, Putin could threaten Poland, others, Biden warns https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/9766/Artykul/3264760

Rally in solidarity with Israel planned in Warsaw
https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7785/Artykul/3265273

Polish special forces achieve key NATO certification https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7784/Artykul/3264320

America looks forward to working with Poland’s next government https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7784/Artykul/3263116

Biden says US can’t let Russia win in Ukraine, move ‘into Poland’ https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/9766/Artykul/3261955

The post PI Newsletter October 2023 appeared first on Polonia Institute.

Polish PM on the anniversary of the outbreak of World War II 

https://www.warsawvoice.pl/WVpage/pages/article.php/57981/news 

Station U.S. Troops in Poland, Not Germany 

Warsaw and other allies on NATO’s eastern flank are vital to deterrence and are pulling their weight. 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/station-u-s-troops-in-poland-not-germany-nato-russia-ukraine-war-allies-military-warsaw-7f604c07 

US Congress OKs sale of 96 Apache helicopters to Poland 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/9766/Artykul/3236669 

Every inch of Polish territory is secure and protected: US ambassador 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7784/Artykul/3238134 

Polish deputy FM says Germany must pay for WWII 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7785/Artykul/3235100 

Arcane Thunder: Army’s Future Warfare Exercises in Poland 

Drones, satellites and more: Army exercise in Poland provides glimpse of the future 

https://www.stripes.com/branches/army/2023-09-08/poland-exercise-mdtf-11293552.html 

NATO kicks off major Baltic Sea drills 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/9766/Artykul/3238794 

Poland’s migration policy is a model for Europe 

The migrant crisis on the Italian island of Lampedusa shows that the European Union lacks a well-thought-out migration policy, the Polish interior minister has said, adding that his country’s migration policy should be a model for Europe. 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7785/Artykul/3242371 

Russian propaganda is seeking to discredit Poland’s army and national security agencies and has falsely accused NATO soldiers stationed in Poland of criminal activity, a senior Polish security official has said. 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7784/Artykul/3240081 

‘Woe to My Enemies’ Rages Russia’s Mouthpiece-in-Chief 

A  perfect example of the way Russian propaganda operates and the degree of brazen arrogance exhibited by Vladimir Putin’s pet propagandists 

https://cepa.org/article/woe-to-my-enemies-rages-russias-mouthpiece-in-chief/ 

Poland builds powerful army to deter Russia 

Poland is creating a powerful army to discourage Russia from attack, and to avoid a repeat of the 1939 Soviet invasion, the Polish defence minister has said. 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7784/Artykul/3243632 

US State Department approves sale of USD 4 bn air defence equipment to Poland 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7784/Artykul/3240161 

US approves second phase of Poland Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) 

https://www.army-technology.com/news/wisla-america-approves-second-phase-of-poland-air-defence-programme/ 

Poland orders 486 HIMARS artillery launchers from United States 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/9766/Artykul/3239785 

Poland starts calculating WWII losses caused by Soviet Union 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7784/Artykul/3241591 

US to set up nuclear-energy training centre in Warsaw 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7784/Artykul/3241039 

Kyiv agrees to search for victims of the Volhynia Massacre 

https://www.warsawvoice.pl/WVpage/pages/article.php/58041/news 

NATO is Poland’s strongest security guarantee: president 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/7784/Artykul/3242209 

101st and 82nd Airborne Division soldiers deploying to Eastern Europe 

https://taskandpurpose.com/news/army-deployments-eastern-europe/ 

 “If the Russians reach Poland, what’s next?” 

In an extended interview for CBS’s “60 Minutes”, President Zelensky has given a frank summary of the situation of the war – as concerns Ukraine, but also regarding Russia and the entire “world order”. 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/9766/Artykul/3245226 

Video: President Duda’s address to the UN General Assembly 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_lJytAXyEs 

Russia’s war in Ukraine ‘has permanently changed global security architecture’: Polish president 

Moscow’s war in Ukraine has permanently changed the global security architecture, while Russia has discredited itself as a member of the international community, Poland’s president said in New York on Wednesday. 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/9766/Artykul/3245969 

Grain Tensions Escalate Between Ukraine and Staunch Ally Poland 

Poland says it summoned the Ukrainian ambassador after Zelensky’s earlier comments at the U.N. General Assembly. 

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/09/20/world/russia-ukraine-news 

Polish official slams Zelensky’s UN remarks about Ukrainian grain ban 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/9766/Artykul/3245537 

Crisis in Warsaw-Kiev relations 

https://www.warsawvoice.pl/WVpage/pages/article.php/58139/news 

Andrzej Duda on the grain dispute with Ukraine 

https://www.warsawvoice.pl/WVpage/pages/article.php/58131/news 

Poland supports Ukraine, but must protect its interests 

Poland is helping Ukraine fight Russia’s invasion, but needs to protect the interests of its farmers and that’s why Warsaw has banned the import of Ukrainian grain, the Polish president has said. 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/9766/Artykul/3246024 

Grain issue won’t affect Polish-Ukrainian relations. 

The issue of Ukrainian grain imports must be resolved, but it won’t affect Polish-Ukrainian relations in a significant way, Poland’s president has said. 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/9766/Artykul/3247009 

As Dispute With Ukraine Escalates, Poland Says It Won’t Send New Weapons 

By Monika Pronczuk 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/21/world/europe/poland-ukraine-weapons-grain.html 

Poland isn’t sending new arms to Ukraine: gov’t spokesman 

The Polish government spokesman said on Thursday that his country was not sending any new weapons to Ukraine except previously agreed supplies of ammunition and armaments. 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/9766/Artykul/3246379 

Putin Is Winning His Grain War, Pitting Poland Against Ukraine 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/09/22/putin-is-winning-his-grain-war-pitting-poland-against-ukraine/7666c40c-58ff-11ee-bf64-cd88fe7adc71_story.html 

Polish President reaffirms strength of Polish-Ukrainian relations, thwarts Russian divisive efforts 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/9766/Artykul/3247716 

Polish defence minister questions Zelensky’s proposal to give Germany permanent seat on UN Security Council 

The Ukrainian president’s proposal to make Germany a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council is “disappointing” for Poland, as Germany has not paid reparations for war crimes committed during World War II, the Polish defence minister has said. 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/9766/Artykul/3246243 

‘We Are in Europe’: Warsaw exhibition highlights Pope John Paul II’s vision for Ukraine 

https://www.polskieradio.pl/395/9766/Artykul/3246682 

Visa Scandal Rocks Poland (Possibly) 

The apparently illegal sale of entry visas is clearly a serious matter, but the effect on October’s election is far from clear. 

https://cepa.org/article/visa-scandal-rocks-poland-possibly/ 

The post PI Newsletter September 2023 appeared first on Polonia Institute.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/poland-election-democracy-2023_n_63c0127fe4b0d6f0ba0208b6/amp

The narrative of “backsliding in democracy” and that the current Polish government poses some kind of threat to democratic governance has been pushed by its opponents for close to eight years now and while it produces a nice soundbite it is nowhere near the reality. Here are some facts. In 2015 the current ruling party PiS won the parliamentary elections by getting 5.7 million votes. In 2019 PiS won the parliamentary elections again by with 8 million votes. Andrzej Duda, the current president and the candidate of the PiS party, won the election in 2015 with 8.6 million votes. He secured the re-election in 2020 with 10.4 million votes. The pattern here is clear. PiS is not only the party that has the largest support among the Polish voters, but the policies it pursued led to a large increase in support after the first term of its rule. This shows clearly that a large part of the Polish electorate unequivocally supports the policies pursued by the government. Is it not that the essence of democracy? Even today, after eight years of rule that encompassed navigating Poland through the COVID pandemic, dire economic issues and now facing the consequences of Russian invasion of Ukraine, PiS still, by far, has the largest support among the Polish population according to current opinion polls. Are we to assume that the author believes 40 percent of Polish population to be inherently opposed to democracy? Or is it that being culturally traditional, Catholic and having views not completely in step with the dominant politically correct vision of “democratic” society is in itself an issue? Those of us that remember communism fret a discourse in which democracy is qualified by an adjective. A ”liberal” democracy suggests that there is a limit to full democracy qualified by an adjective. As a reminder before 1989 no Communist country admitted to be communist or not democratic. All of these countries styled themselves to be “people’s democracies”. All of those “people’s democracies” were totalitarian governments. Are we to assume that former supporters of “people’s democracies” have now evolved into supporters of “liberal democracies?” I think this question is valid when the author sources his attack on the current Polish government by interviewing people like Dariusz Rosati who from 1962 until 1989 was active in Polish Communist Party including holding a position of first secretary of the party unit at the Warsaw School of Economics from 1981 to 1985. Should former Communist apparatchiks really be judges of what true democracy is?

Poland is not evolving into an autocracy under the PiS government and no one ever should buy into that discourse. It is the PiS government that is at the forefront of supporting Ukraine against the Russian invasion. It is Poland that serves as the main hub for millions of Ukrainian refugees, who found nothing but welcome and a helpful hand in Poland. It is Poland that serves as the main conduit for sending military aid to Ukraine strongly leading the effort by providing large amount of its own military equipment while also using its influence to press Western governments to provide more aid. The Polish government leads the West against the Russian totalitarian menace. Articles warning of a possibility that Poland would degenerate into autocracy under the current PiS government are complete nonsense. It is a time to give the Polish government full support and recognize it as a leader of pro-democratic countries helping Ukraine fight the Russian invader. If we truly care about democracy at the core is tolerance of alternative political views. It is a fact that the PiS government is mainly supported by conservative, traditional, religious voters. Their political views deserve tolerance just as all alternatives. And if the parties those voters cast their vote for win elections that result has to be respected not branded as “backsliding of democracy.“

The post Response to “Poland Poses The Next Test For Global Democracy — Along The World’s Most Dangerous Border” appeared first on Polonia Institute.

The new draft law on the judiciary submitted by the Polish government in December 2022, and now adopted by the Sejm, is an important step towards fulfilling the obligations arising from Poland’s National Reconstruction Plan, European Commission spokesman Christian Wigand said. We will continue to follow closely the next steps of the ongoing legislative process, and then we will analyze the law finally adopted. We are in contact with the Polish authorities to ensure that Polish legislation is fully in line with the commitments made under the National Recovery Plan (in Polish: Krajowy Plan Odbudowy, KPO) in the field of judicial independence. It will be important that the adopted final law raises the standards of judicial protection and judicial independence, Wigand said.

On January 13, the Sejm passed an amendment to the law on the Supreme Court. The legislation will now go to the Senate. 203 deputies voted for the amendment, 52 were against, and 189 people abstained. According to the authors, the adopted amendment to the law on the Supreme Court by PiS is to fulfill the key “milestone” in order for the European Commission to unblock funds for the KPO. The assumptions of the act were negotiated during the talks of the EU Minister Szymon Szynkowski aka Sęk in Brussels.

According to these provisions, disciplinary and immunity cases of judges would be resolved by the Supreme Administrative Court, and not, as currently, by the Chamber of Professional Liability of the Supreme Court. The Supreme Administrative Court will adjudicate disciplinary cases of Supreme Court judges in the first instance in a 3-person panel, and in the second instance in a 5-person panel. In turn, in the case of judges of lower and military courts, the Supreme Administrative Court will be a disciplinary court in some cases in the first instance and in all cases in the second instance. The Supreme Administrative Court will also take over the competence to settle the so-called immunity cases of judges of all courts.

The amendment also provides for fundamental changes regarding the so-called test of independence and impartiality of the judge. It is intended to allow examining the judge’s compliance with the requirements of independence and impartiality, taking into account the circumstances surrounding his appointment and his conduct after the appointment, if the independence or impartiality standard could have been breached, affecting the outcome of the case. The possibility of such tests is provided for all judges, and in accordance with the applicable regulations, a request for such a test may be submitted by a party to the proceedings conducted by a given judge. According to the changes adopted on Friday, the judge’s impartiality test will be able to be initiated not only by the party to the proceedings, but also by the court itself “ex officio”.

President Andrzej Duda stated that he did not participate in the preparation of the project nor was he consulted on it. He appealed for calm and constructive parliamentary work on the bill and stressed that he would not agree to solutions that undermine the constitutional system and would not allow any legal act to be introduced into the Polish legal system that would undermine judicial appointments or allow anyone to verify them.

From: wPolityce.pl

The post European Commission blackmails Poland to take over control of Polish judiciary. appeared first on Polonia Institute.

One of the thinkers most readily cited today by Russian elites linked to the power camp is the philosopher and writer Konstantin Leontiev, who lived from 1831-1891. He was an enemy of Western civilization, which he considered rotten and decadent, and with which he contrasted a healthy Byzantine civilization. At the same time, he noted with horror that Russia was subject to the same decaying processes as Europe, so he advised that it should be “frozen” a bit so that it would not rot to the core. According to Leontiev, Russia can save the world. Still, for this to happen, it must be “frozen,” that is, liberal-egalitarian progress must be stopped, even if this were done with violence and at the cost of many victims.

A similar argumentation appears today in the statements of many representatives of Russia’s political and religious elites associated with the ruling establishment and the Moscow Patriarchate. Leontiev – along with Ivan Ilyin and Nikolai Danilevsky – is the Russian philosopher most often quoted by Vladimir Putin in recent years.

The Only Joy in Warsaw

Probably not many Poles know that for a time, Konstantin Leontiev also lived in Warsaw, where he worked on the editorial board of the “Warszawskiy dnevnik” or Warsaw Daily newspaper published in Russian. However, one can learn little about the Poles and their lives from his newspaper texts of the time; they could just as well have been written in St. Petersburg or Crete (where he had previously served as a diplomat). Sometimes, however, Polish realities serve the author as a backdrop for his thoughts and reflections. This is the case, for example, in an article published in the pages of the aforementioned daily on February 21, 1880.

It is worth quoting a fragment of this text, bearing in mind that it comes from the “mystical” period of the philosopher’s life – already after his conversion to Orthodoxy, when he spent a lot of time locked up in monasteries (including Mount Athos and the Hermitage of Optina). Here is the beginning:

“No matter how long a Russian might live in Warsaw, he can never fully feel at home here. An alien type of city, lacking the worldly importance and those material comforts that European capitals are full of, nor the national mementos dear to our hearts that draw us to the Moscow Kremlin; uncomfortably cold apartments, unbelievable overpricing, and a society that is reserved and distrustful in its relations with us….

All this, taken together, has an unpleasant effect on the Russian resident of Warsaw.

However, with all these inconvenient conditions, there is one side of life in Poland that is particularly striking and rewards the Russian heart for all its heavy and depressing feelings here – with just one, but for that extraordinarily pleasant impression.

This impression is created by the Russian troops stationed in Warsaw.

In the street, in the cathedral, at mass during the holy days, in the tiny church on Miodowa Street, in the theater, in the Russian club – everywhere you see the military… All the crowds of fresh, young, fearless soldiers, those brave, energetic faces of the officers, those commanders, ‘tested in the great hardships of the storms of battle,’ and ’those gray-haired old generals, the sight of which is humbling and lifts us up’…. and those Cossacks, hussars, and lancers ‘with their mottled badges,’ the infantry (‘that tireless infantry’), marching somewhere with their even, firm and robust step…”

To see all this so often, to encounter it at every turn and almost at random, and where is it… At the very borders of neighboring countries, where cautious leaders have long since barely restrained the hostile impulses of social prejudice against us… This is an absolute joy!

In Praise of Violence

It is no coincidence that this admiration for the omnipresence of Russian troops in Warsaw is a prelude to Leontiev’s musings on the nature of war and violence. Later in his text, he writes:

“Great is this thing – war! He who called the war a “divine institution” was correct. It is a devouring fire­ – it is true – but a cleansing one!

We Russians ourselves are obliged to regard our military as the best and the greatest of our people if we want to be just in our reasoning and honest in our hearts.

Without violence, it is impossible. It’s not true that one can live without violence… Violence not only wins but also convinces many, if there is an idea behind it, behind this violence.”

The idea that Leontiev served was the concept of an imperial Russia ­– the bearer of Byzantine civilization and the Orthodox religion ­– the only one that can save a broken, corrupt world. In turn, the tool of this salvation is the Russian army. Similar phrases can be heard today from the mouths of both Kremlin officials and the bishops of the Moscow Patriarchate.

A Satanist in Christian Disguise

Let the words written by another Russian philosopher Nikolai Berdyayev (1874-1948) sum up Leontiev’s thoughts:

“For Leontiev, Christianity is not a religion of love and good news, but a dark religion of fear and violence. (…) I dare to call Leontiev a satanist who put on a Christian disguise. His religious pathos was aimed at apocalyptic prophecies about the rejection of love, the death of the world and the Last Judgment. He enjoyed this dark vision of the future and was not attracted to the other, positive side of the prophecies: of the Resurrection, of Christ’s final victory, of the ‘new heaven and new earth.’ There was a dark pathos of evil in Leontiev’s split and demoralized nature, and he loved violence more than anything in the world.”

It’s a characterization that fits today with that (not at all small) part of Orthodox Russians who see the bloody war against Ukraine as a manifestation of a divine mission. One thing is sure: they have an audience to appeal to.

For the Polish language original, please see:

https://wpolityce.pl/swiat/610497-jedyna-radosc-rosjanina-w-warszawie

The post The only joy of a Russian in Warsaw or one of Putin’s favorite philosophers in Poland appeared first on Polonia Institute.

https://republikapolonia.org

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoio47mNkW43cHC0X-QGmdw

The post Konferencja Stowarzyszenia Republika Polonia appeared first on Polonia Institute.

The post A gift of personal Polish heritage appeared first on Polonia Institute.

President Duda: Today, I reached a decision regarding a law that has been the subject of a lively and vociferous debate in recent months both at home and abroad. Following an in-depth analysis, I have decided to sign into law the amendment to the Code of Administrative Proceedings, adopted by the Sejm and the Senate.

I am convinced that, with my signature, this era of legal chaos ends – an era of re-privatization mafias, uncertainty for millions of Poles, and a lack of respect for the most fundamental rights of citizens of our country. I believe in a state that protects its citizens against injustice.

I am pleased that, despite the heated political disputes that we engage in on a daily basis regarding these changes, important as Polish women and men consider them, we have managed to build a political consensus. No political group opposed the amendment to the KPA, either in the Sejm or in the Senate. This clearly demonstrates how important and expected these legal changes are and that they enjoy broad support within our country.

We must remember that the act implements the ruling of May 2015, in which the Constitutional Tribunal ruled that seeking the annulment

of administrative decisions that constitute the basis for the acquisition of property after lapse of many years, is inconsistent with the Constitution.

In my opinion, this is the end of a state of uncertainty, during which apartments, and real estate acquired in good faith could be seized by means of an ordinary administrative decision after their owner from over 70 years ago was suddenly found. Experience has shown that these owners were often fictitious and that criminal groups were making fortunes at the cost of tens of thousands of people thrown onto the streets.

Anyone born in the wrong place and at the wrong time could be a victim, and re-privatization to restore justice became almost synonymous with injustice and genuine suffering.

In considering the act, I analysed numerous counterarguments. I understand them, and I welcome the fact that the new law does not close the door to compensation for former owners, who are still entitled to civil proceedings.

I have also familiarized myself with appeals from abroad. Their authors often argued that the new law was aimed at a specific group – Jews who survived the Holocaust.

I unequivocally reject this type of rhetoric with every fibre of my being – not only as the President of the Republic of Poland, but as a person who, not least for personal reasons, has never treated matters pertaining to the Holocaust with indifference. I am opposed to associating this act with the Holocaust. Poland is a guardian of the memory of the victims of German crimes against Jews, and we will not allow the Holocaust to be instrumentalized for current political purposes. We will continue to remind the world that every second victim of the Holocaust was a Polish citizen and that our government-in-exile did much more than any other to counteract the atrocities committed during the Holocaust.

I stress the fact that 6 million citizens of the Republic of Poland died during World War II. Almost every Polish family lost a loved one, and communist expropriations and nationalizations, especially during the late 1940s, affected all citizens, regardless of nationality and religion.

This property was later rebuilt, restored and maintained for decades with public funds, whereas German perpetrators of the war did not pay Poland for our enormous material losses, and not a single Western country took part in rebuilding our country, which was destroyed by the Germans.

The act signed does not contain anything that would be alien to the legislation of the countries in which politicians and organizations protested against it. The periods after which an administrative decision cannot be challenged are often much shorter than in Poland, where 30 years were sufficient to recover or seize property. These are the periods that coincide with the long-standing principle of acquisitive prescription, even in bad faith, that has existed in Polish law for a long time.

In Poland binding is the law which is passed by the Polish Parliament and approved by the president, who has been elected by a majority of citizens. In performing the duties of the office entrusted to me by my compatriots, I am guided solely by the good of the Republic of Poland, its citizens, and our constitutional order.

Decyzja Prezydenta RP Andrzeja Dudy ws. Nowelizacji Kodeksu Postępowania Administracyjnego:

Podjąłem dziś decyzję w sprawie ustawy, która w ostatnich miesiącach była przedmiotem ożywionej i głośnej debaty w kraju i za granicą. Po dogłębnej analizie postanowiłem podpisać przyjętą przez Sejm i Senat nowelizację Kodeksu Postępowania Administracyjnego.

Jestem przekonany, że wraz z moim podpisem kończy się epoka chaosu prawnego – epoka mafii reprywatyzacyjnych, niepewności milionów Polaków i braku poszanowania dla elementarnych praw obywatelek i obywateli naszego kraju. Wierzę bowiem w państwo dające obywatelom ochronę przed niesprawiedliwością.

Cieszę się, że pomimo towarzyszących nam na co dzień gorących politycznych sporów wokół tych niezwykle istotnych z punktu widzenia Polek i Polaków zmian udało się zbudować konsensus polityczny. Przeciwko nowelizacji KPA zarówno w Sejmie, jak i Senacie nie opowiedziało się żadne z ugrupowań politycznych. To jeszcze wyraźniej pokazuje, jak istotne i oczekiwane są to zmiany prawne i że cieszą się one szerokim poparciem w naszym kraju.

Należy również pamiętać, że ustawa wykonuje orzeczenie z maja 2015 roku, w którym Trybunał Konstytucyjny orzekł, że stwierdzanie po wielu latach nieważności decyzji administracyjnych stanowiących podstawę nabycia np. własności, jest niezgodne z Konstytucją.

W mojej ocenie jest to zakończenie stanu niepewności, kiedy to nabyte w dobrej wierze mieszkania i nieruchomości, mogły zostać odebrane zwykłą decyzją administracyjną, gdy znalazł się ich właściciel sprzed ponad 70 lat. Praktyka pokazała, że często właściciele ci byli fikcyjni, a kosztem dziesiątek tysięcy ludzi wyrzucanych na bruk bogaciły się grupy przestępcze.

Ofiarą mógł być każdy, kto urodził się w niewłaściwym czasie i miejscu, a reprywatyzacja, która miała przywracać sprawiedliwość, stała się niemal synonimem niesprawiedliwości i ludzkiej krzywdy.

Rozważając ustawę, analizowałem liczne kontrargumenty. Rozumiem je i z zadowoleniem przyjmuję fakt, że nowa ustawa nie zamyka drogi do odszkodowań dla dawnych właścicieli, którzy nadal mogą korzystać z postępowań cywilnych.

Zapoznałem się również z treścią apeli pochodzących z zagranicy. Ich  autorzy często podnosili argument, jakoby nowa ustawa wymierzona była w szczególną grupę – w Żydów ocalałych z niemieckiej Zagłady.

Jednoznacznie odrzucam tę retorykę i mówię to z całą mocą, nie tylko jako Prezydent Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, ale również jako osoba, dla której sprawy Zagłady, również z przyczyn osobistych, nigdy nie pozostawały obojętne. Łączenie tej ustawy z Zagładą budzi mój stanowczy sprzeciw. Polska jest strażnikiem pamięci o ofiarach niemieckich zbrodni na Żydach, nie pozwoli na instrumentalizowanie Zagłady do bieżących celów politycznych. Nie ustaniemy w przypominaniu, że co druga ofiara Holocaustu była polskim obywatelem, i że nasz rząd na uchodźstwie zrobił wiele by przeciwdziałać Zagładzie, więcej niż jakikolwiek inny.

Przypominam też, że podczas II wojny światowej zginęło 6 milionów obywateli Rzeczypospolitej. Niemal każda polska rodzina straciła kogoś bliskiego, a komunistyczne wywłaszczenia i nacjonalizacje, w szczególności z końca lat 40., dotyczyły wszystkich obywateli niezależnie od narodowości i wyznania.

Majątek ten był później przez dziesięciolecia odbudowywany, restaurowany i utrzymywany za publiczne środki, a niemieccy sprawcy wojny nie zapłacili Polsce za gigantyczne straty materialne żadnych odszkodowań. Również żadne państwa Zachodu nie brały udział w odbudowaniu zniszczonego przez Niemców kraju.

Podpisywana ustawa nie zawiera też nic, co byłoby nieznane prawodawstwom państw, z których politycy i organizacje przeciwko niej protestowali. Okresy, po których nie można podważać decyzji administracyjnej są w nich nierzadko znacznie krótsze niż w Polsce, gdzie 30 lat było wystarczające na odzyskanie lub przejęcie majątku. Są to okresy zbieżne z istniejącym w polskim prawie od bardzo dawna terminem zasiedzenia nieruchomości, nawet w złej wierze.

W Polsce obowiązuje prawo, uchwalone przez polski parlament i zaakceptowane przez prezydenta, wybranego przez większość obywateli. A ja, pełniąc swój urząd, który powierzyli mi Rodacy, kieruję się wyłącznie dobrem Rzeczypospolitej, jej obywateli i ładem konstytucyjnym.

Prezydent RP Andrzej Duda

The post President Duda signs the amendment to the Code of Administrative Proceedings appeared first on Polonia Institute.

The post “Solidarity Movement” Long-term Implications of 1981 Crackdown on the Solidarity Movement appeared first on Polonia Institute.

The post Rezultaty Konkursu Instytutu Polonia na Esej Historyczny o Zbrodni Katyńskiej appeared first on Polonia Institute.