Poland

[angelburst29]

That is insane:
Tonight, at 4:20 a.m., the Polish government voted to vote by correspondence for +60 years old and quarantined only in the May presidential elections.

The party which has majority PiS, has most of the supporters in this age range - above 60. That move was evil and clever. At 2:30 was the voting About „coronavirus anticrisis shield”, which is totally BS BTW and in 2:25 they added this addition about the postal voting for older people...

A little "slight of hand" as the Bill was slipped in just before the vote ... in the early hours on Saturday. According to this report, it goes against the Constitution and the electoral law? It must be another way of rigging votes but the opposition can still debate it?

Poland's PiS change electoral rules ahead of presidential vote

Law and Justice (PiS) leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki attends a parliament sitting following the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at parliament in Warsaw, Poland, March 27, 2020. Poland's parliament passed a law early on Saturday allowing postal voting for senior citizens and those in quarantine or self-isolating as the government looks to press ahead with May presidential elections which opposition parties want postponed. Slawomir Kamisnki/Agencja Gazeta

Poland's ruling nationalists fast-tracked changes to the electoral code through parliament in the early hours of Saturday in a bid to press ahead with presidential elections in May which have been criticized by opposition parties who want the vote to be postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The changes, which would allow postal voting for senior citizens and those in quarantine or self-isolating, were an unexpected last-minute addition to a bill that was intended to shield the economy from the effects of the health emergency.

Poland is due to hold the first round of its presidential election on May 10, with incumbent Andrzej Duda, an ally of the ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, well ahead in the polls.

The constitutional court ruled in 2006 that changes to the electoral code could not be made in the six months preceding the elections.

“This move is completely against the constitution and electoral law,” said Andrzej Zoll, a former head of Poland’s constitutional court, told the Onet website. “It must be emphasized clearly: six months before the election, no changes can be made.”
PiS lawmaker Marcin Horala rejected the criticism of the changes.

“The ban on changing the rules six months before the elections concerns its essential elements, such as the size of constituencies... Technical and organizational changes are allowed,” he wrote on Twitter.

Lawmakers voted online for the first time to pass the “anti-crisis shield” package, which is worth over 200 billion zlotys ($49 billion), after watching speakers in a largely empty chamber by video-link.

Opposition lawmakers complained of problems logging in to the online voting system.

The measures still have to be debated by the opposition-controlled senate. Senate speaker Tomasz Grodzki, a vocal critic of the government, said opposition senators disapproved of adding electoral changes to a bill on the economy.

Slovakia to limit some truck transit due to border jams
Slovakia is closing border crossings with Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Austria for the transit of trucks over 7.5 tons delivering non-essential goods, the police said on Friday.

Thousands of Ukrainians wait at Polish border to get home

Thousands of Ukrainians queued in long lines on Friday at the last three border crossings with Poland that remain open to get to their homeland before Ukraine closes its borders due to the coronavirus pandemic.

 

[Gruchaa]

A little "slight of hand" as the Bill was slipped in just before the vote ... in the early hours on Saturday. According to this report, it goes against the Constitution and the electoral law? It must be another way of rigging votes but the opposition can still debate it?

Don’t know... looks like due to this coronavirus madness they are implementing more laws which will be for them and decrease people freedom. That is scary and most polish people does not see that.

 

[angelburst29]

Maybe, with all this drama in the Election Law, they will take a closer look at the environment around them and start asking some really serious questions on what their Government Officials are doing and how things are not adding up in their favor?

From a personal point of view, the Polish have a rich heritage and some really beautiful customs. They have a lot to be proud of!

Looking back in History, the governing forces in Poland have made some serious mistakes - that were not in the peoples best interest. Unfortunately, the people were forced to carry the burden on their own backs and have suffered greatly because of it. There will come a point, when the people's voices will become louder then the Politian's, but until that time, do the best you can and above all - keep your traditions and customs alive, including your language. In my earlier years, I found learning English difficult. I looked upon my own heritage as more expressive. English sounded like "slang" to me and lacking in descriptive character. Unfortunately, my family had migrated to this USA Country - older members have now passed away and it's been over 35 years since I spoke my own language. In my generation, it has been lost. I never taught my children - for there was no useful purpose in their every day World. I doubt, I could pick up a copy of Pravda in my native language and read it? All has been forgotten.

Polish presidential challenger urges boycott of May vote, halts campaign

The main Polish opposition candidate running for president called on Sunday for a boycott of the country's May election due to the coronavirus and completely suspended her campaign, adding to doubts about whether the vote will go ahead as planned.

 

[Gruchaa]

I found learning English difficult. I looked upon my own heritage as more expressive. English sounded like "slang" to me and lacking in descriptive character. Unfortunately, my family had migrated to this USA Country - older members have now passed away and it's been over 35 years since I spoke my own language. In my generation, it has been lost. I never taught my children - for there was no useful purpose in their every day World. I doubt, I could pick up a copy of Pravda in my native language and read it? All has been forgotten.

Agree, I think I can call myself a patriot in some way. However this word is so wrongly interpreted in our times. In Poland if you call yourself patriot you will get sticks like: bolder „soccer fan”, Nazi fan or „some stupid Man who cant think”. That is sad. Polish have truly interesting history, language and tradition. Also lots of people are beautifull. However minority is giving us a bad advertisement. Lots of things to learn from;) Angelburst, could you remind me from which country are you from?
PS. In terms of language - I am not the best in english but in polish there is much more words to describe reality than in english. But Maybe that is only my subjective feelings.

 

[angelburst29]

Angelburst, could you remind me from which country are you from?

Family migrated from Yugoslavia - I'm Slavic - not Slovak. From the earliest time I can remember, I was told that each of my Grandparent's were Slavic and my Parent's Marriage "was arranged" with hopes of both families coming back to their native Country.
As fate would have it, that dream never materialized and died with them. Since then, both of my Parent's have also passed over, including their siblings. I'm left with two younger Brother's, a hand full of Cousin's and I have two Son's. Due to the Marriage arrangements for my Parent's, I always assumed I was "just Slavic" but recently, I learned I'm also part Russian! It's like "a cliff-hanger" because I was never informed - even my Brother's were surprised. So now, I have a mystery to track down.

For some, Heritage is not given much thought. It's taken for granted, yet Heritage is part of our foundation that runs through our blood and part of "who were are". We should give it more Respect and Honor our Ancestor's.

Polish presidential challenger urges boycott of May vote, halts campaign

The main Polish opposition candidate running for president called on Sunday for a boycott of the country's May election due to the coronavirus and completely suspended her campaign, adding to doubts about whether the vote will go ahead as planned.

 

[angelburst29]

Spat over presidential election tests Poland's ruling coalition
Poland's conservative ruling alliance faced the risk of a split on Friday after a junior partner refused to support a plan to allow a presidential election to take place on May 10, as scheduled, despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Polish president says postal voting possible for May election: media

Postal voting could allow Poland's presidential elections to be held in May despite the coronavirus, President Andrzej Duda said in an interview published on Saturday, amid signs the governing coalition could split over the issue.

Polish lawmakers reject presidential election plan, coronavirus deaths rise

Polish lawmakers on Monday rejected a proposal from the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party to hold a presidential election on May 10 by postal ballot, increasing uncertainty that the vote can take place at all while the coronavirus pandemic persists.

Head of junior Poland coalition party quits over election plan
Accord, a junior party in Poland's ruling coalition, will stay in government, its head Jaroslaw Gowin said on Monday, but he said he was quitting as he opposes the country holding a presidential election in May, when its coronavirus outbreak is expected to peak.

Poland's parliament rejects ruling party plan to vote on postal ballot proposal

Polish lawmakers rejected a ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party proposal on Monday to hold a presidential election on May 10 by post, making it more uncertain whether the ballot will take place amid the coronavirus pandemic.

 

[angelburst29]

It looks like they still have not settled the issue of mail-in ballots for the Presidental election?

Poland to announce new election date within two weeks

The head of Poland's electoral commission said on Sunday that the parliament speaker had 14 days to declare the date of a new presidential election in place of a Sunday vote that while never officially cancelled did not take place due to the coronavirus.

Poland to reconsider mail-only presidential election, sources say

Poland's ruling coalition plans to propose legislation on Monday to allow both postal and in-person voting in a presidential election postponed from last Sunday, sources said, as it seeks political backing to schedule a new ballot.

Four Tajik men accused of militant recruitment in Poland
May 11, 2020 - WARSAW - Four Tajik men have been detained in Poland on charges of trying to recruit Muslim converts to carry out militant attacks, authorities said on Monday.

The four would be expelled and barred from reentering Poland and the rest of Europe’s Schengen area, Stanislaw Zaryn, the spokesman for the minister coordinating special forces, said.

“They were trying to recruit people who could be used to commit some kind of terrorist crimes,” Zaryn told Reuters.

“They were inspired by ISIS (Islamic State) ... but they were not a part of the organisation,” he said.

A Lebanese citizen was detained in April accused of trying to organise an Islamist network in Poland and other EU countries.

In 2019 Polish security services arrested two far-right sympathisers accused of planning attacks against Muslims.

Internal Border Guard officers detained the Tajik men on May 7 on the basis of evidence collected by the Internal Security Agency (ABW), Zaryn said in a statement.

Special forces are under the control of interior minister Mariusz Kaminski.

 

[angelburst29]

Poland to extend school closures for most children
Schools in Poland will stay closed for most children until June 7, an education ministry spokeswoman told state news agency PAP on Thursday, with only day care for young children provided as the country tries to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Arctic Warriors deploy to Poland for NATO support
More than 80 Soldiers assigned to the Alaska Army National Guard’s 297th Regional Support Group departed from Ted Steven International’s Kulis airfield on May 13 for a deployment to Poland in order to provide support for U.S. Army Europe’s Atlantic Resolve mission.

Since April 2014, U.S. Army Europe has led the Department of Defense’s Atlantic Resolve land efforts by bringing units based in the U.S. to Europe for nine months at a time, according to U.S. Army Europe’s website.

Atlantic Resolve provides these rotational units with the ability to build readiness, increase interoperability, and enhance the bond between ally and partner militaries through multinational training events.

“This is going to be the first time our unit has supported an Army services component command for a geographic combatant commander,” said Alaska Army National Guard Col. Matthew Schell, commander of the 297th RSG. “When we are deployed, we will all learn how our job fits into an Army service component command and I think that our Soldiers will learn a lot about fine-tuning their leadership and professional skills in a joint environment.”

There are three types of Atlantic Resolve rotations: armored, aviation or sustainment task force. These rotations are overseen by the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division, a regionally aligned headquarters based in Poznan, Poland.

While in Poland, the 297th RSG will provide the essential sustainment functions for the rotational forces that are training there. This will include base operations support across Poland where they will provide facilities management assistance for dining, lodging, gymnasium and laundry amenities.

According to their website, U.S. Army Europe is working closely with U.S. military and host nation officials to respond to the COVID-19 situation and keep personnel informed. The health and well-being of all Soldiers, civilians and family members are top priority and critical to mission readiness.

“We know that the COVID-19 pandemic is going to change the way we react with each other and the Polish Army during our deployment,” Schell said. “We will continue to look out for the safety of our Soldiers through social distancing, masks and hand washing”.

There are approximately 6,000 Soldiers participating in Atlantic Resolve at any given time, conducting operations and exercises across 17 countries.

Deployments of ready, combat-credible U.S. forces to Europe in support of Atlantic Resolve is evidence of the strong and unremitting U.S. commitment to NATO and Europe, according to U.S. Army Europe.

 

[angelburst29]

Some restrictions are slowly being lifted and a call for neighboring Borders to be re-opened.

Miners in Poland's Silesia region to go back to work next week: PM

Miners in Poland's Silesia region, which has seen the largest concentration of coronavirus cases in the country, will be able to return to work on Monday and Tuesday, Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Saturday.

Poland appoints conservative interim Supreme Court head in judicial turmoil
Poland's president appointed an ultra-conservative as new interim head of the Supreme Court on Friday after his predecessor resigned, deepening judicial and political turmoil ahead of a controversial presidential election.

Polish archbishop refers child abuse negligence case to Vatican

The Polish Catholic Church's most senior archbishop notified the Vatican on Saturday of a Polish bishop accused of shielding priests known to have sexually abused children.

Police use tear gas on Polish protestors demanding businesses reopen

Police in Warsaw used tear gas on Saturday against protestors demanding the government act faster to allow businesses to reopen following a coronavirus shutdown.

Germany calls on Poland, Czech Republic to open borders soon

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Saturday called on Poland and the Czech Republic to fully open their borders soon to enable the free flow of people and goods.

Germans stage protests against lockdown measures, social distancing rules
Thousands of Germans across the country took to the streets on Saturday to protest against restrictions imposed by the government to contain the coronavirus pandemic, police and organizers said.

Czechs to take major steps to relax virus restrictions
The Czech Republic will take major steps to relax its coronavirus lockdown measures from May 25, opening restaurants, hotels and pools and allowing gatherings of hundreds of people, health officials said on Friday.

Baltics open Europe's first pandemic 'travel bubble' as curbs ease
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia opened their common borders at the stroke of midnight, creating the first "travel bubble" within the European Union in a bid to jump-start economies broken down by the coronavirus pandemic.

Austrian borders with Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary to reopen June 15
Austria's borders with the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary will fully reopen on June 15, the interior ministry said on Saturday, extending an easing of border controls to its eastern neighbors previously agreed with many of its neighbors to the west.

Hungary to start easing coronavirus curbs in capital from Monday
Hungary will start lifting coronavirus restrictions in Budapest from Monday, though residents returning to shops or travelling on public transport will have to wear face masks, officials said on Saturday.

Slovenia anti-government protests continue as country calls an end to epidemic
Thousands of cyclists took over the centre of Ljubljana once again on Friday to protest against Slovenia's centre-right government of Prime Minister Janez Jansa, less than a day after the government called an end to the coronavirus epidemic, while loosening restrictions.

Slovakia lifts last Roma settlement quarantine
Slovakia lifted a quarantine on the last of five Roma settlements that were closed off in April to contain the spread of the new coronavirus, a member of the European Parliament and the country's permanent crisis committee said.

 

[angelburst29]

Fact or Myth?

Dilapidated Polish palace named as secret repository of Nazi gold

The location of 28 tonnes of Nazi-era gold hidden by the Waffen SS in the dying days of World War Two has been pinpointed to the bottom of a disused well in the grounds of the Hochberg Palace, near Wałbrzych - S.Milejski

The owners of a dilapidated palace in Poland have put up a security fence to deter treasure hunters after their property was named as the secret location of 28 tonnes of Nazi gold, buried there in dying days of WWII as the Red Army advanced westwards.

Located in Roztoka, a town in south-west Poland, the palace once lay in Germany before the end of the war changed the international borders.

The claims of hidden gold were made in a diary written some 75 years ago by an SS officer (see photograph below). Writing under the pseudonym Michaelis, the officer detailed 11 locations where gold and artefacts owned by the Nazis were buried as Soviet forces swept in from the east, overwhelming German defences.

The palace, once the home of the aristocratic Hochberg family, was selected as the location for the gold, which had apparently come from banks in the Breslau, now the Polish city of Wroclaw.

“The manuscript covers the last months of the war and the efforts made by the SS to hide treasure, bank deposits and valuables from advancing Soviet forces,” said Roman Furmaniak, from Silesian Bridge, a foundation based in the south-west town of Opole and the owners of the diary.

“I’m not saying it [the gold] is definitely there, but according to the information it was buried there,” he added.

The sensational claim comes from a diary, written seventy five years ago by a Waffen SS officer under the pseudonym Michaelis, which describes the operation to hide treasure controlled by SS chief Heinrich Himmler at eleven locations across Lower Silesia and Opole

To make sure it was well hidden and protected from any fighting, the gold was apparently hidden at the bottom of a well on the palace’s ground. The well was then blown up and its entrance levelled to conceal it.

Just how the foundation came into possession of the diary, which had remained secret for decades, has added a twist of mystery to the story.

The diary was handed over by a Christian lodge in the German town of Quedlinburg. Composed of the descendants of former SS officers and German aristocrats, the lodge gave the diary to Silesian Bridge as an act of atonement for crimes committed by Germans during the Second World War.

Michaelis was, apparently, a member of the lodge.

Mr Furmaniak has said since the foundation got the diary last year they have had its authenticity verified by historians, but also stressed that it has no intention to claim a share of the gold, if it is ever found.

The owners of the palace, a couple from the northern city of Szczecin, have so far shunned the limelight, only issuing a statement on Facebook, in which they pledged to co-operate with state authorities.

The naming of the property as the location for such find echoes claims of a Nazi train stuffed full of gold lying buried in a secret tunnel near the southern Polish city of Walbrzych.

According to legend, a train laden with Nazi gold disappeared into the hills around Walbrzych in the dying days of the Second World War as it tried to escape the advancing Red Army.

In August 2015 two treasure hunters, Piotr Koper and Andreas Richter, claimed to have found the train hidden in a secret tunnel, which formed part of a massive and still mysterious Nazi complex of tunnels and chambers that riddle the Walbrzych hills.

But in December that year a research team from Krakow’s University of Science and Technology announced it had found no evidence to back up the claim of hidden gold.

Professor Janusz Madej, the team’s leader, said they had used a variety of technology including ground penetrating radar and magnetic equipment and concluded “there may be a tunnel but there is no train”.

In 2016 Koper and Richter secured permission to begin digging at the site.

But after seven days of digging - at a cost of 116,00 Euros (£103,000) - neither train nor tunnels were found.

 

[Deleted member 4320]

Fact or Myth?

Dilapidated Polish palace named as secret repository of Nazi gold

The location of 28 tonnes of Nazi-era gold hidden by the Waffen SS in the dying days of World War Two has been pinpointed to the bottom of a disused well in the grounds of the Hochberg Palace, near Wałbrzych - S.Milejski

The owners of a dilapidated palace in Poland have put up a security fence to deter treasure hunters after their property was named as the secret location of 28 tonnes of Nazi gold, buried there in dying days of WWII as the Red Army advanced westwards.

Located in Roztoka, a town in south-west Poland, the palace once lay in Germany before the end of the war changed the international borders.

The claims of hidden gold were made in a diary written some 75 years ago by an SS officer (see photograph below). Writing under the pseudonym Michaelis, the officer detailed 11 locations where gold and artefacts owned by the Nazis were buried as Soviet forces swept in from the east, overwhelming German defences.

The palace, once the home of the aristocratic Hochberg family, was selected as the location for the gold, which had apparently come from banks in the Breslau, now the Polish city of Wroclaw.

“The manuscript covers the last months of the war and the efforts made by the SS to hide treasure, bank deposits and valuables from advancing Soviet forces,” said Roman Furmaniak, from Silesian Bridge, a foundation based in the south-west town of Opole and the owners of the diary.

“I’m not saying it [the gold] is definitely there, but according to the information it was buried there,” he added.

The sensational claim comes from a diary, written seventy five years ago by a Waffen SS officer under the pseudonym Michaelis, which describes the operation to hide treasure controlled by SS chief Heinrich Himmler at eleven locations across Lower Silesia and Opole

To make sure it was well hidden and protected from any fighting, the gold was apparently hidden at the bottom of a well on the palace’s ground. The well was then blown up and its entrance levelled to conceal it.

It is possible. Nazis had to hide somewhere all of those things coming from a robbery (but not only, their own possessions too). Walbrzych (near Wroclaw) and Wroclaw were German cities before the war, so with high probability, there was (rather then is now) gold.

After years such info spreads to the public, some historians and hotheads research and explore such places and mysterious. But be realistic. After many spies in work, in particular, working in the time of war that gold was captured by the Soviet army just after they could enter there.

The other possibility is that the Nazis were leaded and depended on hypothetical groups living in the underground bases etc., then you can be sure that they care about the gold until it would come into possession of anyone from outside.

But if there is gold still, I do not believe that we find the truth and everything will be hidden to the public.

 

[angelburst29]

Poland June 24, 2020 - Polish President Andrzej Duda will be hoping for a pre-election windfall from a trip to Washington on Wednesday that risks being overshadowed by the fallout from revelations about Donald Trump's foreign policy.

Polish leader visits Trump hoping for election boost
The visit from Duda -- a populist closely allied with Trump -- comes a day after the publication of former security advisor John Bolton's tell-all tome and four days before a crucial presidential election in Poland.

It will be Trump's first meeting with a foreign leader since the coronavirus pandemic hit in March, and both delegations will be tested for the disease before the talks.The central expectation on the Polish side is that Trump will announce extra US military assistance for Poland -- a constant demand from Warsaw, particularly in the wake of Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The US could boost the number of its troops deployed in Poland as well as provide fighter jets and military transport planes, according to Polish media reports.But a senior US official cautioned that it would be "premature" to talk about troop deployment in terms of "any specific number to any specific location".

"President Duda will have an opportunity to look very presidential and that's, I think, a big part of this," said Michal Baranowski, director of the Warsaw office of the German Marshall Fund of the United States.Baranowski said the visit could help "mobilise" Duda's electorate in Sunday's vote and even help boost support for Trump among Polish American communities in swing states ahead of the US election in November.

Polish leader visits Trump hoping for election boost
LIVE: President Donald Trump holds a joint press conference with the President of Poland

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[Gruchaa]

On Sunday there will be election for polish President. Unfortunetely, Most of the people will vote for the same story - KO or PiS.. in my opinion new blood is required ;)

 

[Gruchaa]

And there won’t be any new blood. Same story - choosing between PiS and PO.. and the ultimate question is: which one is the less Evil? Personally I still dont know :)

 

[Deleted member 4320]

And there won’t be any new blood. Same story - choosing between PiS and PO.. and the ultimate question is: which one is the less Evil? Personally I still dont know :)

This is interesting what is going on in the Polish government. Two sides, eager of power. PiS actually got the one-way ticket. They have behaved like typical psychopaths at the position of power, at least plenty of them should be prosecutorial charges and opposition will want to use it for their benefits. PiS can't allow for it. In turn, PO can't allow being excluded from politics and lose all the influences and benefits for them.

Saying more, the only way to cover all the PiS's guilties is to eliminate anyone who can be dangerous, because of the decisions they made. Criminal and detrimental to Poland. It makes the conflict between two of these sides very hot. I think we can see in the not so long time the coup d'état by the military with help from the western "Friends" or we will be governed officially by the foreign government or some kind of institution.

The minus: chaos in the country. The plus: people may wake up because, anyway, Poland is governed from outside by the puppet government and it will be explicit.

Be aware of those things, Poles.