Poland asks UNESCO to add Gdańsk Shipyard to World Heritage list, Polish president to run for re-election, Polish unemployment rises to 5.5% in January. Polish deputy culture minister has hailed “a great moment” for her country after officials this week applied for UNESCO World Heritage status for the historic Gdańsk shipyard, the cradle of the famous Solidarity Anti-Communist movement. Speaking alongside Gdansk’s mayor she said, „This is a great moment for the Ministry of Culture, a great moment for the people of Gdańsk, and I also think for Poland as a whole,”. She also mentioned that the Gdańsk shipyard “is one of the most important sites not only in Poland but throughout Europe.” She noted that this year marked the 40th anniversary of the signing of the landmark 1980 August Agreements, when Poland’s communist government was “for the first time forced to sit at a negotiating table with striking workers.” The Polish workers’ protests of the time “changed the course of history in Poland, Europe and worldwide,” she said.
Polish President Andrzej Duda has officially announced this week that he will be seeking re-election in a vote this spring. The presidential elections will take place on May 10th, with a potential second round scheduled for May 24th. Duda was quoted as saying that he wants to help the country’s right-wing government „to continue its mission” of bringing positive change to the country. He praised the government of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and declared that, if elected for a second term, he would sign into effect „every well-prepared piece of legislation aiming to support the public and the country’s development,”. Duda is Poland’s most trusted politician, according to the latest monthly survey by pollster CBOS, and the favourite to win May’s election, according to another survey for TVN.
Unemployment in Poland rose to 5.5 percent in January from 5.2 percent in December according to Poland’s Deputy Labour Minister this week. He added that he expected joblessness to fall in the coming months. January „is the most difficult month when it comes to seasonal or occasional work,” he said. He added that there were 920,000 people without work in Poland last month. Unemployment in December edged up to 5.2 percent from 5.1 percent in November, according to the country’s Central Statistical Office. The European Union’s Eurostat statistics agency, which uses a different methodology, said last week that unemployment in Poland was a modest 3.3 percent in December one of the lowest rates in the European Union.
Parking Revolution Coming to the Centre of Gdansk Old City
And finally, a parking revolution is coming to Gdansk Old Town in the weeks and months. Due, to be implemented by the end of June this year, there will be wide ranging changes to the current arrangements which will benefit residents but will make parking more expensive. Parking will now be payable everywhere around the old town seven days a week, and the fee for the first hour will increase from 3zl30 to 5zl50 – an increase of 60%. The idea behind the initiative is there will be fewer cars around the old town and public transport will become a much more competitive option. Officials say that fewer cars means cleaner air and less traffic and more space for pedestrians and cyclists and there will be more space for resident parking.
Weather
Today is going to cloudy with showers in a moderate breeze. Temperatures will reach 7 degrees centigrade (45 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day and will fall only slightly to 5 degrees overnight. Saturday will remain cloudy with more showers during the day. It will be a little warmer than Friday with temperatures staying around 9 degrees centigrade.
RG/MC/ak
