Deal Reached Between Polish Government and Protesting Farmers

Polish Farmers protesting at the border with Ukraine have agreed to temporarily suspend their blockade due to a deal announced by the Ministry of Agriculture.

The deal includes subsidies and loans totaling up to PLN 3.5 billion and maintaining the same farm tax amounts from 2023. Agriculture Minister Czeslaw Siekierski stated “These measures will be implemented after the legislative process is completed and acceptance by the European Commission is obtained.” Truckers are still continuing their protest, which has taken place over two months currently with the wait time of around 70 hours to cross the border. Protesters are demanding the introduction of commercial permits for Ukrainian companies to transport goods, which would not apply to humanitarian aid and supplies for the Ukrainian army as well as the suspension of licenses issued to companies established after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

Source: IAR, PolskieRadio

Polish MP Fined for Illegal Campaigning

MP Łukasz Mejza of the Law and Justice Party has been fined PLN 78,500 by Zielona Góra city council for illegally campaigning, by leaving up over a thousand fliers and posters, after the media blackout in the October Election.

The adverts appeared on the night of 11-12 October The municipal office of Zielona Góra say they attempted to contact Mejza at both his office and home address, but were unable to reach him, which is why the punishment was just announced within the last week.

Mejza’s actions were condemned by former associate Mayor Janusz Kubicki of Zielona Góra, and the local Law and Justice electoral committee, who denied any involvement and directed all inquiries to Mejza himself. Mejza was elected despite the controversy and has yet to comment on the matter.

Source: NotesFromPoland

“A History of Polish Literature” to be Published in the United States

The Academic Studies Press of the United States will next month publish “A History of Polish Literature,” written by Polish Scholar Anna Nasiłowska and translated to English by Anna Zaranko.

The publisher made remarks concerning Nasiłowska’s work on their website, saying it “immerses readers in the rich tapestry of Polish literature and reveals its enduring impact on European identity from the Middle Ages to the late twentieth century.”

Source: PolskieRadio

Poland Takes Second in United Cup

Poland has finished second in the United Cup Tennis Tournament in Australia after a defeat against Germany on Sunday. Iga Świątek, who has been named Poland’s best athlete of 2023, gave Poland an early advantage with a victory over Angelique Kerber.

The victory was followed by losses in the men’s singles between Hubert Hurkacz and Alexander Zberev and mixed doubles with Świątek and Hurkacz losing their tie-breaker to Germany’s team. Despite the loss, reaching the finals of the United Cup is being seen as the greatest achievement in Polish tennis history.

Source: IAR, unitedcup.com, PolskieRadio

Weather

Tomorrow will be another cold day with temperatures expected to be between -10 and -6 degrees Celsius, or 14 to 21 degrees Fahrenheit, however, we can expect a bit of sunshine from mid morning to mid afternoon.