In a high-profile judgment, Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal ruled yesterday that some articles of the European Union treaties went against Poland’s constitution.
Thursday’s ruling by the Warsaw-based constitutional court came after a motion by conservative Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who brought the case in March as part of a dispute with the EU over changes to Poland’s judicial system.
The ruling appears to question a fundamental tenet of European integration and has added to the ongoing friction between Warsaw and Brussels. At stake is some 23 billion euros in grants and 34 billion in affordable loans from the EU as part of its pandemic recovery aid. Approval of the funding has been stalled by ongoing questions put forward by the European Commission regarding rule of law protections in Poland.
In a related case on Wednesday, the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the EU voided a decision made by a Polish Supreme Court judge who had been „appointed in a way that „cast reasonable doubts… as to his neutrality.””
Critics have warned that questioning the primacy of EU law could eventually result in Poland’s departure from the bloc, an outcome previously rejected by PiS party leader Jarosław Kaczyński. In a media interview last month, Kaczyński declared that his party sees „Poland’s future unequivocally in the EU” but „wants to resolve the crisis currently besetting the bloc.
Source: Radio Poland, Reuters
Qualifiers for Stage II of the 18th International Chopin Piano Competition were announced late last night in Warsaw.
Of the original 87 participants, 45 pianists representing 14 different countries qualified to advance to Stage II of the competition. The qualifiers include 9 pianists from Poland, 8 from Japan, 7 from China, 5 from Italy, 3 from the United States, and 3 from Canada.
Stage II of the competition is slated to run from October 9-12, with morning auditions beginning at 10:00 and evening sessions at 17:00. In the second round, participants must play a 30-40-minute recital featuring both a waltz and a polonaise.
All auditions will be streamed in 4K via the Chopin Competition mobile app, online via the Chopin2020.pl website, and on the Chopin Institute’s YouTube channel.
Source: chopin2020.pl, PAP
An exhibition showcasing America’s NBA basketball league has come to Poland, launching its journey through Central and Eastern Europe.
The interactive, immersive exhibit allows participants to experience the ideas, history, culture, and science behind the NBA and some of its greatest players. The exhibition officially opens in Warsaw today, with the Polish capital being the first of several cities, including London, to feature the exhibition.
Participants can play the latest version of NBA 2K, practice their dunking skills in a VR simulator or a real-life hoop arcade, and view a collection of rare and autographed memorabilia, including a special section on Polish players.
More information on the exhibit can be found online at https://www.thenbaexhibition.com/.
Source: Radio Poland, thenbaexhibition.com
Visitors to Łostowice Cemetery in Gdańsk now have the option to visit areas of the cemetery via an autonomous, self-driving bus.
The driverless bus began carrying passengers on Thursday along an approximately 1,100-meter route from the entrance gate at ul. Łostowicka to the gate at Cedrowa Street.
The bus is scheduled to run 3 times an hour from 11:00 to 16:00 every day for the next 30 days, with a suspension of services during the All Saints (Uroczystość Wszystkich Świętych) holiday.
The autonomous bus in Łostowice is a continuation of a Scandinavian project started two years ago, in which Gdańsk became the first city in Poland to feature a driverless bus on a route to Oliwa zoo.
The „Sohjoa Baltic” project, which includes Finland, Estonia, Sweden, Latvia, Germany, Norway, and Denmark, aims to research and promote autonomous, self-driving minibusses as viable solutions for urban transit.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Weather
Today will be partly cloudy and cool, with very little chance of rain and a gentle breeze coming in from the southeast. Temperatures will peak around a high of 14°C, or 57°F, dropping to a chilly overnight low of 2°C or 36°F. Similar weather is expected to stick around through the weekend, with a chance for rain and cooler temperatures returning on Tuesday.
Elizabeth Peck/MarWer
