Telewizja Polska 2

Who is in Charge of the Direction of the Public Thought in Poland?

This year amidst the Corona Crisis, the Polish party PiS (Law and Order) has managed to push through a bill, which gives the polish public media TVP and Polskie Radio two billion zloty as a compensation for the losses they have faced during the pandemic. This among others, gives room for debate about who gives the direction of the public discourse and what are thus the conditions of existence for other players such as independent media.

Przemysław Czarnek

Who is the new Minister of Education and Science in Poland?

In recent weeks Poland has graced international news due to its controversial activities regarding the rule of law, women’s rights, the treatment of church and the EU budget. There is, however, another recent event which has not claimed such notability, yet has strong repercussions on a national scale. On the 7th of December students from Polish universities started a strike against the recently appointed minister of education, Przemyslaw Czarnek, in the fear that his anti-semitic, nationalistic and homophobic beliefs can have long term influence on the knowledge exchange in educational institutions.

Women’s rights

Who does the ‘Women’s Strike’ actually fight for?

On the 22nd October 2020 the Polish constitutional court ruled that the act of aborting a foetus with serious birth defects is unconstitutional. Protests, resembling ones from 2016 broke out all over the country sparking international recognition and support, but also strong criticism from opposition groups such as pro-life or catholic organisations. Nevertheless the 2020 ‘Women’s Strike’ adresses issues that go beyond the abortion ban and thus it should be recognized for what it actually stands for, an attempt to safeguard the democracy ad rights of an entire nation.