The European Commission announced yesterday it had asked the EU’s top court to impose financial penalties on Poland over a controversial judicial disciplinary chamber, stepping up a long-running dispute with Warsaw over the rule of law. Critics say Poland’s judicial disciplinary chamber is politicized; the European Union’s Court of Justice ruled earlier that the commission undercuts EU law and should be dissolved.
The Polish government said three weeks ago that the chamber would be dismantled as part of broader judiciary reforms in the coming months; however, the EU’s Executive Commission announced on Tuesday it was taking action against Poland.
The move came after Brussels in July threatened to fine Warsaw for disregarding a ruling by the top EU court that certain judicial changes in Poland are incompatible with EU law.
In a formal statement and press release, the EU Commission declared it would be “asking the Court to impose a daily penalty payment on Poland for as long as the measures imposed by the court’s order are not fully implemented.”
In response, Polish officials such as Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro described the actions as “a form of aggression” and “a legal hybrid war in the economic sense, waged against Poland.”
Source: PAP, Radio Poland
Polish officials have joined their counterparts in Germany and the US in condemning the sentencing of Belarusian opposition figures Maria Kolesnikova and Maxim Znak.
On Monday, the pair were sentenced to 11 years and 10 years in prison, respectively, leading to an outcry from several Western countries, according to reports from Reuters news agency.
In a series of posts on Twitter, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz called the decision by Belarusian authorities “an open crushing of human rights and another step intended to intimidate Belarusian society,” actions which “deserve firm condemnation.”
He was joined by President Andrzej Duda, who voiced solidarity with Kolesnikova and Znak, calling on behalf of Poland for “the unconditional release of all political prisoners,” particularly those “imprisoned for fighting for an independent and democratic Belarus.”
Source: PAP, Radio Poland, Reuters
Hundreds of political and economic decision-makers from around the world have flocked to Poland for three days of debate on a wide range of business and social topics.
More than 3,500 guests from Europe, Asia, the United States, and the Middle East, among them senior politicians, parliamentarians, business executives, and culture leaders, are expected to attend the annual Economic Forum, which begins in Karpacz, southern Poland, on Tuesday.
The annual event is the largest conference of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe and is sometimes referred to as the „Polish Davos.” In addition to political, economic, and social issues, participants are expected to debate health, innovation, security, and the media during the over 350 panel discussions being held during the three-day conference.
The annual Forum has existed for 30 years; it was previously held in Krynica before moving to the ski and spa resort of Karpacz this year.
Source: Radio Poland
Poland continued its dominance at EuroVolley 2021, defeating Belgium 3-0 in front of a packed crowd at Tauron Arena in Kraków Monday night.
The win marked the fourth straight tournament victory for the Polish men’s volleyball team after defeating Portugal, Serbia, and Greece in the past week. Despite losing to Poland earlier, Serbia remains at the top of Pool A, one point ahead of Poland in second.
The Polish team will face off against the Ukrainian team, currently in third place, tonight at 5:30 pm at Tauron Arena in Kraków.
Source: eurovolley.cev.eu
Weather
Today will be partly cloudy and warm, with a light breeze coming in from the southwest and very little chance of rain. Temperatures will peak around a high of 24°C, or 76°F, cooling off overnight to a low of 11°C or 52°F. Similar weather is expected for tomorrow, with temperatures continuing to warm up as the week progresses.
Elizabeth Peck/ua
