Polish lawmakers on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to approve the enlargement of NATO to include Finland and Sweden in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Last night, the lower house of the Sejm nearly unanimously passed legislation enabling President Andrzej Duda to ratify the two Nordic states’ membership in NATO.
The legislation now goes to the Senate, the upper house of Poland’s parliament, for further debate.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak said on Wednesday that the accession of Finland and Sweden would “strengthen NATO significantly” and prove “advantageous for Poland’s security” by “ater[ing] the situation in the Baltic Sea region.
Earlier in the week, NATO’s thirty allies signed accession protocols for Finland and Sweden to join the Western military alliance, a move that still needs to be ratified by member states.
Canada, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland have already ratified Finland and Sweden’s NATO entry, with several other alliance members set to follow suit in the coming weeks.
Source: Radio Poland, Radio Gdańsk
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson officially resigned yesterday after a sexual misconduct scandal and several key resignations fatally undermined confidence in his government.
On Thursday afternoon, Johnson announced his resignation as Conservative Party leader and UK Prime Minister. He said he would remain in office until a successor was selected, which should be within a few weeks.
Johnson has stated he does not intend to make any significant policy changes until he formally departs Downing Street and plans to remain an MP after leaving the position of Prime Minister.
A top aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Johnson „for always being at the forefront of supporting Ukraine.”
President Zelensky’s office later issued a statement expressing “sadness” at the news of Johnson’s resignation, declaring that “we have no doubt that Great Britain’s support will be preserved, but your personal leadership and charisma made it special.”
In his resignation speech outside Downing Street yesterday, Johnson promised the UK would continue “standing up to Putin’s aggression in Ukraine” and would “continue to back [Ukraine’s] fight for freedom for as long as it takes.”
Source: PAP, Reuters
Health minister Adam Niedzielski said yesterday that the Polish government may reintroduce mass COVID-19 testing if the daily number of hospitalizations exceeds a tentative threshold of 5,000.
In a television interview on Thursday, Niedzielsk elaborated on the government’s response to a possible new wave of COVID-19 infections, saying that the daily number of hospitalizations “will shape decisions and determine what measures we’ll be introducing.”
According to Niedzielski, Poland is “very far from that threshold,” saying the daily number of COVID-19 hospitalizations was “currently around 400.”
He also told Polsat News that the government had emergency plans “at the ready” to bring back mass testing, increase the number of hospital beds and potentially “reintroduce mask-wearing on public transport if necessary.”
On Wednesday, Poland reported 964 new COVID-19 cases, including 133 reinfections and three deaths of people with COVID-19.
Source: Radio Poland
After a pause due to the pandemic, the International Festival of Outdoor and Street Theaters or FETA returns to Gdańsk this weekend at Park Reagana.
The festival program includes a diverse mix of large open-air shows and small, intimate performances incorporating dance, theater, new media, puppet shows, and circus art. The natural spaces of the popular seaside park will be transformed into a theatre wonderland for children and adults of all ages, featuring theatre artists from Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Finland, and Lithuania.
The FETA festival runs from July 7-10 at Park Reagana, with performances staged at various locations between Brzeżno pier and Jelitkowo beach. For a complete program of events, visit https://feta.pl/.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Weather
Today will be partly cloudy and warm, with a slight chance of rain in the morning and a gentle breeze coming in from the northwest. Temperatures will peak around a high of 21°C, or 69°F, dropping to an overnight low of 13°C or 56°F. Similar weather is expected for tomorrow, with a chance for rain and thunderstorms returning on Sunday.
Elizabeth Peck
