Officials in Poland have honoured the victims of a communist-era massacre of workers in the north of the country more than five decades ago.
The commemorations marked 51 years since Poland’s former communist rulers in December 1970 ordered the army and police to open fire on protesting workers on the country’s Baltic coast, killing at least 45. In December 1970, drastic price rises led to massive, more than week-long protests in Gdynia as well as Gdańsk and Szczecin in northern Poland, triggering one of the most brutal crackdowns of the communist era. Government officials and local leaders have attended ceremonies to light candles and pay respects in front of memorials in the northern port cities of Gdynia and Gdańsk.
Source – Polskie Radio
Polish parliament passes disputed media ownership law
The lower house of the Polish parliament has voted down an attempt by the upper house to scupper a planned amendment to Poland’s radio and TV broadcasting laws which would ensure that Polish media companies do not have majority ownership by media companies outside of the EU, in line with some other EU countries. Critics of the Polish government suggest that the move is an attempt to curb media that is critical of the government. The US Charge d’Affaires in Poland said that that Washington was deeply disappointed by the move, while the Polish deputy foreign minister responded by saying that diplomats should not interfere in the internal affairs of the countries in which they are posted. The Polish president is under pressure from the US to veto the law.
Source – Polish Associated Press
Polish prosecutors investigate EU judges over past rulings on Poland
Polish prosecutors are investigating whether EU judge have broken the law when passing judgements on Poland in the EU courts. The move comes after reports in the French media that there are networks of influence active in the EU institutions working against the current Polish government. In an article in the French “Liberation” newspaper, it was written that there is “a vast network of influence peddling and conflicts of interest” operating at the top of EU institutions. Poland’s National Council of the Judiciary has prepared a resolution calling on the CJEU to “suspend activity until doubts as to its independence are resolved”.
Source – Notes from Poland
Gdańsk’s oldest door to be restored
And finally, a nearly 600 year old door in Gdańsk’s Town Hall is set for renovation. The door which is likely to be the oldest door in the city, separates the „Wielka Weta” chamber from the city’s archive room in the main town hall which was built in the 14th Century. The door is made of oak panels which are held together with iron nails. In 2006, the age of the door was confirmed using the latest dating techniques. The door has seen many distinguished guests over the centuries including presidents and monarchs and survived even the ravages of World War II that saw much of the building destroyed.
Source – Gdansk.pl
Weather
Today will be a cloudy day with some sunny intervals in a moderate breeze and temperatures of 5 degree centigrade (41 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day, dropping to 4 degrees overnight. Tomorrow should be a little more sunny in a moderate breeze and temperatures of 5 degrees during the day and 1 degree overnight.
That was the Radio Gdańsk English news and weather.
Martin Caren/aka
