Polish general Jarosław Gromadziński is set to take charge of the multinational Eurocorps (Eurokorpus) military force at the end of this month.
Poland’s defense ministry announced yesterday that Gromadziński, who recently attained the rank of three-star general, will assume leadership of the Eurocorps on June 29. Earlier this year, Gromadziński oversaw the training of Ukrainian troops in Germany together with senior US officers, according to reports by Poland’s IAR press agency.
The Eurocorps is a multinational military force that can be used for humanitarian, rescue, and peacekeeping missions by international organizations such as the European Union, NATO, and the United Nations.
Poland became one of the Eurocorps’ Framework Nations in January of 2022, joining France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Spain.
Source: Polskie Radio, PAP
In a press conference earlier this week, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki clarified that under Polish law, every woman in Poland has a right to an abortion if her life or health is in danger.
His comments followed earlier statements by Health Minister Adam Niedzielski, who announced on Monday that he had appointed „a panel of 13 experts, including seven female experts,” to draw up more detailed abortion guidelines for medical centers following the death of „Dorota,” a 33-year-old pregnant woman who died of septic shock in May.
Protesters in cities across Poland took to the streets on Wednesday, demanding a relaxation of abortion rules in the wake of Dorota’s death, with experts claiming she should have been offered an abortion to save her life.
Ahead of the protests, Morawiecki expressed his „deepest condolences” to Dorota’s family, saying he was „not jumping to conclusions about the causes because they are being investigated.”
He went on appeal „to everyone to not use a lack of guidelines or some concerns as an excuse. Abortion is legal in Poland when a woman’s life and health is at risk. Polish law is unequivocal about this.”
Source: Polskie Radio
On Wednesday, cultural and historical institutions across Poland observed the National Day of Remembrance for Victims of German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camps.
On June 14, 1940, 728 Polish political prisoners were transported from a prison in Tarnów to KL Auschwitz, marking the first mass transport to what would later become the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp.
The 728 prisoners from the first transport included Polish soldiers of the September Campaign, members of underground Polish independence organizations, high school, and university students, and a small group of Polish Jews. Out of these 728 prisoners, an estimated 200 survived.
Some 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, were killed in Auschwitz during its five years of operation. Almost half of all Poles deported to the camp died, along with hundreds of thousands of other „undesirables,” including people with disabilities, homosexuals, Soviet prisoners of war, and people of minority nationalities such as the Roma.
The Auschwitz camp was liberated on January 27, 1945, by the Soviet Red Army.
According to Joanna Gierczyńska of the Pawiak Prison Museum in Warsaw, June 14 „commemorates the victims of arrests, prisons, concentration camps, and extermination camps who died during World War II.”
In preparation for yesterday’s commemorations, the Auschwitz Memorial and Museum published a wealth of educational materials, including a previously unknown set of documentary photographs.
The materials, including a podcast and an online tour, are available on the museum website >>>HERE.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, Polskie Radio, ipn.gov.pl
Radio Gdańsk will be broadcasting live from Kościuszko Square in Gdynia tomorrow to mark the start of the annual Sea Festival, which runs from June 16-25.
As part of the „Postcards from Gdynia” program, presenter Magda Manasterska will talk to numerous guests about the uniqueness of Gdynia, including its cultural, educational, and culinary offerings.
The discussion promises to include some of the seasonal delicacies and novelties available in Gdynia, as well as ways for both tourists and residents to stay fit and have fun over the summer holidays.
Ms. Manasterska will also discuss the many events and attractions offered during the upcoming Sea Festival, which kicks off tomorrow.
The program for the ten-day festival includes regattas, visiting ships, a sailing parade, concerts and exhibitions at venues around the city, and exciting events at cultural institutions and maritime schools.
Tune in tomorrow from 12:00-3:00 p.m. or look >>>HERE for more information on Gdynia and the Sea Festival.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy, with a chance for rain showers throughout the day and a light breeze coming in from the north. Temperatures will be slightly cooler than yesterday, with a daytime high of 19°C or 66°F, dropping to a low of 13°C or 55°F overnight. Slightly warmer weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for some rain again in the afternoon.
Listen:
Elizabeth Peck/MarWer
