POLISH NEWS BYTES
Compiled by Robert Strybel,Warsaw Correspondent
(Updated 19 September 2024)
Torrential rains cause devastating floods in SW Poland The hard, parched drought-bound ground of SW Poland was unable to absorb much of the recent torrential downpours, causing flash floods throughout the region. Hardest hit were the voivodeships (provinces) of Dolnośląskie (Wroclaw), Opolskie (Opole), Śląskie (Katowice) and Małopolskie (Kraków). Thousands of flood victims were evacuated to higher ground, and many schools provided makeshift housing for evacuees. PM Tusk declared a state of natural disaster in the most affected voivodeships and pledged one billion złotys (about $250 million) in flood relief. EU assistance is also expected, and the bloc’s German chief Ursula Von der Leyen traveled to Poland to discuss the arrangements.
US Embassy alerts Americans in Poland to flood disaster Warsaw’s American Embassy has alerted Americans living or traveling in Poland to the flood disaster in the SW of the country. It urges Americans to follow the guidance of local and national authorities regarding possible evacuation. Any impacts of the flooding on American Citizens or US interests should be reported to the US Embassy Warsaw or the US Consulate General Kraków. It also urges all US citizens to enroll in the State’s Department Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts and ensure they can be located in an emergency:
https://pl.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/security-and-travel-information/
KOLDZKO/ photo by: Wojciech Koziol/ www.polityka.pl
Impostor spreads false rumors about flood-control plans – Tusk PM Tusk has cautioned against false reports about allegedly planned demolitions of flood defenses and revealed the identification of a military impersonator spreading them. The disinformer has appeared in army uniform driving a vehicle with false number plates. Panic among local residents has been triggered by the government’s alleged intention of blowing up defective dams and flood dykes. At the same time, flood-relief efforts have to contend with thefts from rescuers and fraudulent fund-raising campaigns.
Poland dismantles suspected Russo-Belarusian spy/sabotage ring Poland has disabled a suspected ring of Russian and Belarusian spies and saboteurs engaged in hybrid warfare by stealing information and blackmailing state institutions. Polish Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski told a press conference that Poland’s special services had successfully prevented attacks aimed at institutions connected to national security. “The first half of 2024 saw over 400,000 reported incidents and nearly 100,000 interventions by our services, double the number in 2023,” he explained.
Moldova’s and Ukraine’s EU bid will be accelerated – Tusk During his visit to the Moldovan capital of Chișinău, PM Donald Tusk assured Moldovan President Maia Sandu that her country’s and Ukraine’s bid to join the EU would be accelerated under Poland’s rotating presidency of the EU Council during the first half of 2025. It will be co-presided by Denmark ad Cyprus. Putin has indicated that he is not opposed to Kyiv’s EU membership but rules out any possibility of it or Moldova joining NATO.
L&J leaders disagree on 2025 presidential candidate Law & Justice leader Jarosław Kaczyński recently said that the right potential presidential candidate would be a “tall, handsome man, speaking English well.” Former PM Beata Szydło publicly disagreed on radio saying: “At this moment that is not what is important for Polish people. We need to appeal to our base rather than to middle-ground voters.” Szydło has long been popular with L&J’s grassroots voters from small towns, her “Polish people” for whom a modern international outlook is not important. The key problem is that there is currently no L&J hopeful on the horizon who could beat the ruling coalition’s most likely candidate, Warsaw’s left-wing Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski.
Polish Episcopate accuses government of law-breaking Poland’s Catholic bishops have accused the state authorities of “violating the law” by seeking to expand abortion opportunities, improperly treating prisoners, “spreading hate”, and “marginalizing the importance of religion”. The Episcopate’s document “Concern for the Homeland” said: “Tendencies to atheize public life and eliminate ethics from the political sphere are causing concern.” This has included examples of “state bodies breaking the law,” it added.
President Duda lauds Church’s role in Poland Speaking at Jasna Góra monastery in Częstochowa, Poland’s holiest Catholic shrine, Poland’s President said said that the gathering of so many faithful was “an answer to those who say that we do not need religion and that it is not necessary to teach it to young people”. The occasion was an annual pilgrimage marking the end of the harvest. “When someone tries to take this away from us, they are also taking away an important, inalienable part of Polishness that we can never give up. Thanks to that, among other things, we survived the most difficult times. That is where we found support.”
Irate parents greet leftist education minister in Mielec Hundreds of disgruntled parents turned out to meet Education Minister Barbara Nowacka when she visited the SE industrial town of Mielec at the start of the new school year. They held up a banner that read: “We want God in books and schools!” to protest downsized religious instruction, leftist indoctrination and the removal of classic literature from the curriculum. Nowacka, the unwed mother of two, has said she has no intention of ever marrying her hook-up partner.
To get benefits Ukrainian kids must go to Polish schools The Polish government has changed the rules qualifying minors for a generous monthly allowance of 800 złotys (about $200) till age 18. Ukrainian refugee children could study in Polish schools or follow the Ukrainian curriculum online. Now only those Ukrainian kids enrolled in Polish schools qualify for the monthly benefit. Intercultural assistants will help them overcome cultural barriers, and additional Polish-language classes will be provided.
Candy-bar-shaped chocolate museum opens in Warsaw Warsaw’s cultural landscape was recently enhanced by the Wedel Chocolate Factory Museum. At the nearly $53 million facility resembling a giant chocolate-covered wafer bar,. visitors can admire, enjoy the fragrance, sample the sweet delicacies and see how they are made. Polonian favorites include Torcik Wedlowski (chocolate-covered wafer torte), Ptasie Mleczko (chocolate-covered marshmallow creams), Delicje (chocolate-covered, fruit-filled sponge biscuits), wafer bars, boxed chocolates and liquor-filled chocolates. The company was set up 170 years ago by Polonized German immigrant Karl Wedel (pronounced: veddle).
Taylor Swift seen wearing Polish fashions in New York City Polish “Swifties” have reported the mega-star was spotted at an event in New York City wearing the attire of Polish fashion firm Undress Code. Earlier this year, Swift brought down the house when she gave three performances in Warsaw. Undress Code, which was set up six years ago by Iza Godkewska and Kacper Zieliński, has already made an international impact. It specializes in female apparel that is stylish, ultra-comfortable and providing minimum body coverage.
