Tag: Poland

Poland's former interior minister Janusz Kaczmarek was arrested a day before he was to testify in a Parliament hearing over allegations of the Kaczyński government spying on journalists and opposition politicians. The case is being dubbbed a 'Polish Watergate', ahead of elections due to be held this Autumn.

A double-majority system with a safety clause could overcome Poland's request for a square root voting system in the Council, claim Daniel Gros, Sebastian Kurpas and Mika Widgren in a June 2007 paper for the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS).

Speaking ahead of what promises to be a difficult summit, Commission President José Manuel Barroso warned Poland that other EU members could turn their backs on the country in future budget talks if it persists in blocking a deal on a new EU Treaty.

European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering and Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi have called on the 'naysayers' to drop their resistance to institutional reforms ahead of a decisive EU Summit on 21-22 June.

The two central European states remain critical of plans for a slimmed-down EU Treaty based on the draft Constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters. This puts the countries on a collision course with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is seeking a breakthrough at the June European Summit.

The double majority voting system in the Council of Ministers and the division of competences between the EU and its member states are two major issues of concern for Poland ahead of a June summit on institutional reform, EU Ambassador Jan Tombiński has told EurActiv in an interview.

Following a visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Warsaw on 16-17 March, Poland agreed to back the Berlin Declaration despite the absence of a mention of Christianity in the text, clearing the way for the Treaty of Rome's 50th anniversay celebrations to take place later this week.

Lithuanian officials, angered by Russia's halting of oil supplies to the country, have said that they may join Poland in blocking talks on a new EU-Russia agreement.

Following differences of opinion with the prime minister, Poland's interior minister has announced his resignation, only two days after the Polish defense minister also quit his post.

Russian efforts to sign bilateral deals with large meat exporters such as Germany and Ireland have met with resistance at the Brussels EU summit.

Poland has stated its intention to hold a eurozone referendum in 2010. At the same time, the government has rejected criticism over its budget deficit.

Polish president Lech Kaczynski criticised compatriots working in the UK for artificially raising Poland's unemployment statistics. Many of the estimated 1 million Poles living in the UK are still registered as unemployed in the home country. 

Commission President José Manuel Barroso urged Poland to participate actively in the debate on the future of the EU. Meanwhile, the Polish government is still in political turmoil.

Despite its failure to fulfil European environmental requirements, Poland will receive the most money from the EU budget for developing rural areas and protecting the environment.

On his first visit to Brussels, the Polish prime minister makes efforts to give a positive image of the relationship between the Polish government and the EU.

Ministers are invited to discuss the European environmental programme, Natura 2000, on 25-27 August 2006 in Tuczno. Poland is currently under pressure from the Commission to fulfil European environmental requirements.

All the ten new member states have officially supported stronger workers’ mobility in the EU. However, a closer look shows a more complex picture marked by fears of brain drain and youth drain 

Despite reluctance of Polish political elites to discuss the fate of the EU Constitutional Treaty, public opinion in Poland is clearly in favour of a constitutional text, a recent survey shows. 

Poland's PM has denied reports on Warsaw's participation in a planned German-Russian Baltic Sea gas pipeline project. However, the country would not turn its back on a joint Baltic nuclear plant.

The fate of the governments in Poland, Lithuania and Hungary remains unclear, as the first two countries face internal turmoil and as Hungary awaits the second round of parliamentary elections. In the worst case, the uncertainties might delay their accession to the euro zone.

During their meeting in Prague last week, the presidents of the Czech Republic and Poland spoke out on their thoughts about how the EU should draft a new Constitutional Treaty and how unification of the continent is a threat to sovereignty.

Polish President Lech Kaczynski may call early elections this spring if the country's 2006 budget is not approved by 1 February.

Liberal professor of economics Zyta Gilowska, 56, has been named to succeed Tereza Lubinska as Poland's finance minister.

Poland's new premier has pledged to work closely with the EU and is pressing for an early deal on the 2007-2013 budget.