Govt. Announces Cabinet Reshuffle
The government has announced plans for a Cabinet reshuffle later this month as it draws together a new ruling coalition.
Government spokesperson Piotr Müller told press on Monday that changes should be announced mid-next week with the reshuffle wrapping up before the end of the month.
The Cabinet – or Council of Ministers – is made up of the most senior members of the government, including deputy prime ministers as well as heads of departments ranging from agricultural policy to national defence. Its members are nominated by the prime minister and approved by the president at the behest of parliament.
The reshuffle is expected to allocate two positions to MPs from the Polish Republican Party, which is expected to join the government’s United Right coalition in parliament.
PM Head to Hungary for V4/Egypt Talks
Poland’s Prime Minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, is heading to Budapest today for talks with the Visegrad Group.
Also known as the „V4”, the group made up of Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, and Hungary is also joined today by Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el Sisi.
The five countries are expected to discuss issues ranging from terrorism and migration to economic development and tourism. The sides are also set to discuss the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines in Africa.
Gdansk Democracy Week Kicks Off with Student Elections
In Gdansk, the city’s „democracy week” has gotten underway with student elections in schools across the city.
The election of student councils is part of new civics lessons in some Gdansk schools. The new classes launched last month and include learning about local, national, and European society.
The 5th Gdansk Democracy Week continues throughout this week with a series of debates, discussions, and lectures at the European Solidarity Centre and the Gdansk University.
Gdansk-Venice Flights Announced
New flights are set to connect Gdansk with two of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations.
Budget airline Ryanair announced that twice-weekly flights from Gdansk’s Lech Wałęsa Airport will carry holidaymakers to Venice, Italy, and Malaga, Spain.
The Venice flights are part of the airline’s plans to launch a new hub at the city’s Marco Polo Airport, connecting Gdansk travellers onwards to destinations around the world.
Bill Proposes Changes to National Anthem
A new bill could see changes made to Poland’s national anthem.
The proposed law would rearrange the verses in the 224-year-old Dąbrowski’s March to match the original order.
The anthem, penned in 1797 by Józef Wybicki during the Napoleonic Wars, details unfulfilled plans to liberate Poland from occupation. Despite a ban, Dąbrowski’s March survived the 123-year occupation as a popular patriotic hymn. It became the official national anthem of independent Poland in 1926, but by then, the order of its verses had been jumbled.
The proposed Bill on State Symbols would restore the anthem to its original, chronological order, telling the story of the plan to free Poland that never came to pass.
If adopted, the act would come just in time for the 200th anniversary of Wybicki’s death.
Weather
A blustery day today with a mix of sunny spells and showers likely throughout the afternoon.
Temperatures today reaching 11°C, 52°F, but feeling very chilly in the wind.
A mild but wet night on the way. Showers continuing into tomorrow before clearing up later in the day.
Thomas Holdstock/MarWer
