Posted on 10/25/2005 9:10:51 AM PDT by lizol
Polish president warned over ultra-right shift
By Stephen Castle in Brussels
25 October 2005 Poland was given a blunt warning over its human rights obligations yesterday - after the election of a president who has sought to curb gay rights and campaigned for the restoration of the death penalty.
The clear victory for Lech Kaczynski, who won 54 per cent of the vote in Sunday's run-off, marks a sharp change for Poland as a majority of voters embraced the populist politics of a man who has promised to bring about moral renewal.
Mr Kaczynski, whose twin brother will also be a key figure in the new government, has caused alarm by raising the issue of reparations for Germany's wartime destruction of Warsaw.
The European Commission described capital punishment as contrary to the EU's basic values yesterday. An article of the EU's governing treaty states that countries that fail to observe fundamental rights can, ultimately, be stripped of their European voting rights.
Politicians have been alarmed by the statements of the president-elect, and are hoping he and his party will be reined in when in office. Martin Schultz, leader of the socialist group in the European Parliament, said Mr Kaczynski is "on probation", adding: "I hope the president will be a different kind of person to the [one we saw as] candidate."
Chris Davies, leader of the British Liberal Democrat MEPs, said: "People are alert. I hope the Polish president will not seek to challenge some of the basic principles and values of the EU."
The final round of the Polish presidential election was fought between two right-wing parties, both of which were born out of the Solidarnosc union movement that ousted the Communist government in the 1980s.
As in parliamentary elections two weeks earlier, Mr Kaczynski's Law And Justice party campaign overtook that of the rival Civic Platform.
Mr Kaczynski's strong moral tone courted the religious right and the traditionalist elements of Poland's powerful Roman Catholic Church.
During the campaign, he called for the return of capital punishment for the worst murders and, as mayor of Warsaw, he sought to ban a gay rights march on security grounds. Germany has been concerned about the nationalist tone of his rhetoric.
The Law And Justice party's website carries an interview with the president-elect in which he argues Poland has "moral grounds to demand compensation" for wartime destruction by the Nazis. He adds: "Polish-German reconciliation is important but it has made some forget what has really happened. Poland's foreign policy did not take advantage of the fact that Germany and Western Europe as a whole have an unclear conscience toward Poland." Meanwhile, the result is seen as a setback for economic liberalism and caused the zloty to dip temporarily.
The pro-business Civil Platform and its presidential candidate Donald Tusk had backed a flat tax and deregulation. By contrast, Law And Justice called for a greater state role in tackling poverty, corruption and unemployment, protection of the welfare state, and made generous campaign promises to farmers and heavy industry workers.
Because of the result of parliamentary elections, the two centre-right parties must form a coalition government. That is likely to mean a compromise on economic reform, one that will exclude a flat tax but mean some reduction in taxation.
A spokesman for the European Commission said: "One of the conditions for starting negotiations with a potential candidate country is that the existing death penalty must be abolished. This is considered not to be in line with the basic values, on which the EU is based." Discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation contravenes a commitment to respect minorities, the rule of law and human rights, he added.
Germany has been concerned about the nationalist tone of his rhetoric.HA!
What values????
A spokesman for the European Commission said: "One of the conditions for starting negotiations with a potential candidate country is that the existing death penalty must be abolished. This is considered not to be in line with the basic values, on which the EU is based."
death penalty is not a basic value but the systematic murder of millions of children through abortion is?
The stance of Lech Kaczynski towards capital punishment will be a real test if the EU in the current formation will remain stable or not. Since most western European countries, their politicians and their populace see the death penalty simply as a babaric act that is not compatible to European values*, I am afraid that this point on the agenda of President Kaczynski brings in even more dynamite into the Polish-European relations than his idea to present Germany a bill for WWII reparations.
It is quite probable that espechially the Benelux, Sweden, the UK and probably France will give Lech Kaczynski hard resistance to his approach. Furthermore capital punishment is in contradiction to European law that was accepted by Poland.
Do you think that Kaczynski will enforce his ideas although he will probably be isolated within Europe or not?
*
To my American friends: Things and values in Europe are different to those in America. I just reflect the current situation and I do not want to offend anybody.
Yep! Journalists always had bad manners. It is their job to exaggerate to sell more copies of their newspapers. The thing is, that the real information has to get through to the people. Due to our state owned TV (ARD/ZDF) this is not always the case in Germany, although somebody interested can get all nessecary infos out of the very good German newspapers (i.e. DIE WELT, FAZ). The FAZ gave a much more balanced picture of Kaczynski than the ARD i.e..
Kaczynski actually supports bringing death penalty back to Polish criminal law. But he's stated many times, that he'd do it, if it was possible within the frames of current legal system. And he's fully aware it's not possible if Poland wants to stay within EU (and he wants to stay). So those are just his views, shared by majority of the Poles.
So this is nothing but hot air... Same old story.
Will he send GROM or is carpet bombing going to be more suitable?
What utter arrogance! Of course Martin chulz was instrumental in imposing the religious test eliminating Signore Buttiglione from the European Commission because he stated his Catholic belief that- gasp - homosexual activity was immoral. Mustn't have any freedom of thought or speech on homosexuality in the new Europe...
I agree with Atlantic Bridge's polite attitude especially concerning German and Polish issues. It's never a problem to give a gentleman's courtesy even in expressing an opinion.
The conservative Germans and the Poles share a conservative Pope. Even if there many of both nations who aren't Catholic, the family values of Pope Benedict XVI will appeal to the universal goals of both societies. Both nations can draw upon their Christian history to counter the aggression of socialist liberal politics and policies.
I was hoping for Tusk as he would have put more pressure on a flat tax model in Europe that would increase the probability that Washington as well change the tax system. We need to change in order to compete with China and India and their low wages. Now we will have a social democratic policy in both Germany and Poland.
Note to the rest of Europe, the days of pushing Poland around are over. Deal with it.
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