A concerned Polish citizen – www.israelhayom.com https://www.israelhayom.com israelhayom english website Sun, 22 Oct 2023 04:20:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 https://www.israelhayom.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/cropped-G_rTskDu_400x400-32x32.jpg A concerned Polish citizen – www.israelhayom.com https://www.israelhayom.com 32 32 Polish elections give us hope for a new beginning – but change could be harder than it seems https://www.israelhayom.com/2023/10/21/polish-elections-give-us-hope-for-a-new-beginning-but-change-could-be-harder-than-it-seems/ https://www.israelhayom.com/2023/10/21/polish-elections-give-us-hope-for-a-new-beginning-but-change-could-be-harder-than-it-seems/#respond Sat, 21 Oct 2023 08:11:52 +0000 https://www.israelhayom.com/?p=913807   The Opposition was preparing with a declaration to form a joint government: Koalicja Obywatelska (Civic Platform), Lewica (Left) and Trzecia Droga (Third Way) after winning the election. It won a total of 249 seats, surpassing PiS (Law and Justice) 194 and Konfederacja (Confederation) 13 seats. In the Senate elections, the opposition formed the so-called […]

The post Polish elections give us hope for a new beginning – but change could be harder than it seems appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

]]>
 

The Opposition was preparing with a declaration to form a joint government: Koalicja Obywatelska (Civic Platform), Lewica (Left) and Trzecia Droga (Third Way) after winning the election. It won a total of 249 seats, surpassing PiS (Law and Justice) 194 and Konfederacja (Confederation) 13 seats. In the Senate elections, the opposition formed the so-called Senate Pact, winning 66 seats, while PiS obtained 34 seats. The president's decision now lies in whom to entrust the formation of the government, either to a minority government (right-wing parties) or to the victorious opposition with the most seats in Sejm. The society remains optimistic for change towards universal, European values with a focus on human freedom, respect for rights and the constitution, as well as building stronger ties with the EU and NATO.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

The essence is a change in tax law, support for entrepreneurs, recovery of EU funds from the KPO (national reconstruction policy) that were blocked by EU due to the actions of PIS. In addition, the new government's activities should be focused on supporting local authorities and territorial self-government units. Likewise, it is important to restore supervision of the military and police under state government and for state treasury companies to be under state authorities. It is crucial to examine the actual state finances after the current 8-year rule of PIS and to create a coherent state financial policy.

Furthermore, there is a dire need for public media to be reformed as it has become a mere tool for PIS propaganda.

Separating the functions of the Attorney-General's Office and the Minister of Justice is crucial, as the ZP (United Right) representative had sparked numerous controversies with his combined role. Hence, restoring order in democratic structures, including the reinstatement of legally elected judges in the Constitutional Tribunal and Supreme Court, ensuring the rule of law in line with constitutional standards is pivotal.

The support of teachers and higher education staff with salary hikes is also paramount. Women are not overlooked in the electoral program, with Civic Platform vowing to bestow a 1500 PLN benefit on women returning to the workforce after childbirth. I am optimistic that the elections will advance the rights of the LGBT community, with the newly formed coalition supporting the enactment of partnerships law. Additionally, the opposition promises to increase the aid and support for disabled individuals and their caretakers.

It is imperative to ensure that the previous government is held responsible for any wrongdoing that occurred during their tenure, including breaches of the law and constitution, financial abuse, detrimental impact on the education and economy sectors, and the propagation of biased messaging on public television. Failure to address these issues may reduce the effectiveness of the opposition.

The current opposition situation presents several challenges ahead. The political landscape is poised to be dynamic and I maintain optimism in the potential for the new government to perform well. However, it is undeniable that there will be obstacles to navigate, particularly in addressing conflicting perspectives within the coalition.

Regarding the future of Polish-Israeli relations, personally I would respectfully express my hope for a call to foster peace, while acknowledging the potential risks of nationalist tendencies and judicial reforms. In my opinion it is crucial that both countries prioritize seeking a collaborative and peaceful solution to ongoing conflicts, including extending humanitarian assistance to Gaza. I would like to reaffirm that Poland fully recognizes and supports the sovereignty of Israel, while also strongly condemning any acts of violence by Hamas or any other extremist groups.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

The post Polish elections give us hope for a new beginning – but change could be harder than it seems appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

]]>
https://www.israelhayom.com/2023/10/21/polish-elections-give-us-hope-for-a-new-beginning-but-change-could-be-harder-than-it-seems/feed/
Why we are marching in Poland https://www.israelhayom.com/2023/06/07/why-we-are-marching-in-poland/ https://www.israelhayom.com/2023/06/07/why-we-are-marching-in-poland/#respond Wed, 07 Jun 2023 11:04:56 +0000 https://www.israelhayom.com/?p=891189   Why have the Poles taken to the streets? Because we are fed up with the fact that the authorities are violating the Constitution, that the rule of law is in ruin, that the courts and independent judges have been made irrelevant, and that the principles of democracy that were built since 1989 by previous […]

The post Why we are marching in Poland appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

]]>
 

Why have the Poles taken to the streets? Because we are fed up with the fact that the authorities are violating the Constitution, that the rule of law is in ruin, that the courts and independent judges have been made irrelevant, and that the principles of democracy that were built since 1989 by previous Polish governments have been undermined.

That the courts have been destroyed and have been taken over with pseudo judges supporting the ruling party, turning the Constitutional Court into a political dummy that issues politically favorable rulings.

We because of the destruction of the Independent Prosecutor's Office which has become a tool in the hands of politicians. Institutions of the state have ceased to serve citizens and provide what the government wants to achieve.

We are marching because of the arrogance of those in power who have packed public companies with their own people; we are marching because of the unprecedented scale of nepotism.

Protesters in Warsaw in June, 2023 (Photo: Israel Hayom)

We are marching against all the steps that are designed to take us out of the European Union; we are marching to protest the political fight against our EU allies and friends.

We are fighting against the regime that gets away with every law it wants to pass, a regime that attacks social minority groups, e.g. the LGBT community. The regime does not support people with disabilities, recognizing that it is too small and unimportant of an electorate for them.

We are marching because of 28 new fees and taxes levied by the regime, using the entrepreneurial class for its own political purposes; we are marching because it has been destroying the independent media, independent journalists, and freelancers.

The authorities have been doing purges in culture for past years by withholding funding to independent cultural centers, theaters, and NGOs. At the same time, they fight local governments by limiting funding and blocking investments.

Protesters in Warsaw, June 2023 (Photo: Israel Hayom) Israel Hayom

More than 2 billion zlotys – that's how much the European Commission has already deducted from Poland for fines imposed by the EU Court of Justice. The penalty imposed on Poland in connection with the changes made by the Polish government is the highest ever charged in the history of the European Union.

The writer is a Polish citizen living in Poland. At the request of the writer, Israel Hayom has withheld her full details.

The post Why we are marching in Poland appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

]]>
https://www.israelhayom.com/2023/06/07/why-we-are-marching-in-poland/feed/