Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told reporters on Friday that Poland has no problem with the rule of law, but some European Union countries do not understand its judicial policies. The comments were made during a news conference in Brussels, following a contentious two-day summit of the European Council. Poland’s judicial reforms and rule-of-law mechanisms were one of the main topics discussed during the council, along with energy security and the ongoing migrant crisis at the EU external border with Belarus.

Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal ruled in a landmark judgment earlier this month that parts of EU law were incompatible with the Polish constitution, sparking debate across various EU institutions.

According to Morawiecki, Poland joined the European Union in 2004 “on the basis of our constitution, which gives certain prerogatives to international treaties, certain powers which are sometimes quite far-reaching in terms of economic life, but not without their limits.”

He added that the EU’s prerogatives “obviously” did not extend to policy areas such as “sport, health, public safety or border security.” At the same time, he observed that Poland was among the most pro-European nations and „firm believers in the transatlantic community.”

Morawiecki reportedly told EU leaders Warsaw was planning a new package of judicial reforms. as Poland “won’t accept our judicial policies being declared invalid.”

Source: Radio Poland, PAP

Health officials are warning that the number of COVID-19 infections in Poland could rise in the weeks ahead as the Delta variant of the coronavirus begins to spread more quickly and the cold weather forces more people indoors.

The Ministry of Health reported 6, 274 new coronavirus infections and 75 COVID-related deaths on Saturday, with 232 new cases reported in Pomerania and 37 in Trójmiasto.

Health Minister Adam Niedzielski said on Wednesday that the number of daily COVID-19 infections had doubled in the country over the past week, and “drastic steps” could be necessary to counteract what he called an “explosion of the pandemic.”

Niedzielski said at the end of last month that the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was expected to reach its height in Poland in November or December, with up to 40,000 new cases per day.

Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland

In an effort to boost COVID-19 immunity, the Polish Ministry of Health is offering a third round of “booster” vaccinations for those at higher risk of complications and exposure to the disease.

Anyone 12 years of age or older can be vaccinated for free with two doses, and people over 50, health care workers, and people with reduced immunity due to various chronic diseases can also receive a third “booster” dose.

In the words of Health Minister Adam Niedzielski, “Everyone wants the pandemic to end as soon as possible, and it will end when the COVID-19 vaccination process is carried out quickly and efficiently…this our common goal.”

There are over 550 vaccination sites in the Pomeranian Voivodeship and over 150 in Trójmiasto, including mobile vaccination points.

Information on registration for initial vaccination or booster shots can be found on the gov.pl website, by registering online at the pacjent.gov.pl portal, or by calling the special vaccination helpline at 22 62 62 989.

Source: Radio Gdańsk

The Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) is encouraging residents to take part in the “Light a memory candle” event starting today, in remembrance of those killed during the “Tannenberg” operation during WWII.

From the outbreak of the war until the end of 1939, some 55,000 representatives of the Polish leadership, including Polish officials, social and political activists, teachers, priests, and representatives of the intelligentsia and gentry lost their lives in mass, public and secret executions.

Territories of the Second Polish Republic forcibly incorporated into the Third Reich in 1939 were particularly affected, and memorial sites can be found in the regions of Wielkopolskie, Łódź, Gdańsk Pomerania, Kujawy, and Upper Silesia.

Participants in today’s memorial event are encouraged to photograph the lighting of remembrance candles at one of the memorial sites, such as those in Szpęgawski Forest and Karpno in Pomerania. Photos can then be emailed to IPN at spalzniczpamieci@ipn.gov.pl, to be included as part of an online exhibit.

For more information on the victims and places of remembrance or how to participate in the “Light a memory candle” event, visit >>>THIS SITE. 

Source: Radio Gdańsk

Weather

Today will be partly cloudy and cool, with a slight chance of rain in the late evening and a light breeze coming in from the southwest. Temperatures will peak around a high of 12°C, or 53°F, dropping to a chilly overnight low of 2°C or 36°F. A similar mix of sun and clouds is expected for tomorrow, with a chance for rain returning on Tuesday.

Elizabeth Peck/ua