Lodz Wonderer

Moving Home

2010-11-05T17:01:00.000-07:00

The Lodz Wonderer is moving. Not far! Just to http://lodzwonderer2.blogspot.com/ where I can centralise everything under one google account.

HUB or SChAB

2010-10-18T15:11:00.001-07:00

Hub or Schab – an exhibition which did not happen.
by Mariusz Sołtysik

participating artists:

Agnieszka Chojnacka (PL)
Christine Mackey (IRL)
Ela Walters (PL)
Wiktor Polak (PL)
Mariusz Soltysik (PL)
Dmitry Strakovsky (USA)

place: Mediations Biennale, Poznań, Poland www.mediations.pl
date: 11/09/2010

The above exhibition took place as part of the Poznan Biennale, however it was organized by Lodz based artists and involved an international cast as the list above shows. The exhibition consisted of six videos simultaneously playing in the same room. The life-size projections told differing stories but rested on the same basic brief: to construct a video in which you talk about a piece of work or your work in general. By doing this Mariusz Soltysik risked bringing together a mish-mash of images in an incoherent deluge, yet this bold stroke on the curators side allowed for true artistic freedom and when placed together the six films created a symbiant whole that more than superceeded its component parts. HUB or SChAb illustrates well the often chaotic competition that exists within many 'curated' exhibitions, where works scream out for attention. These works from six very different artists draw the viewer in, enticing them to discover more about the artist and their work. HUB or SChAB allows us to enter the thought process of the artists.
For more details please visit the artists' websites.

The name calling continues...

2010-10-12T13:21:00.001-07:00

Six months after the Smolensk air crash and the leader of PiS has come out with insinuating remarks about President Komorowski. While refering to the First Lady's trip to Russia and a meeting with her opposite number, Jaroslaw Kaczyński expressed surprise that given her husbands position with regards the tradegy, he would have thought she would have refrained from such a visit (free translation carried out her ... But it's the general gist). This basically meant that in the PiS leader's view Komorowski is guilty of something with regards the crash. As usual Kaczyński has said enough to stir his supporters and keep the momentum going without really specifying anything.

Poland calls the bear's bluff!

2010-06-02T09:44:00.000-07:00

The deployment of a battery of US Patriot missiles to Poland in May 2010 is the fulfillment of agreements reached under the US/Polish Declaration on Strategic Cooperation signed in August 2008. This was always from the beginning a symbolic act, as one battery is incapable of defending Polish airspace; a fact acknowledged by the announcement Defence Minister Bogdan Klich that the Polish government has started initial supplier selection for the procurement of 10-12 Polish owned batteries costing around $1 billion each. However, the deployment brings US/Polish relations to a new level. A fact not missed by Russia who in Sep 2009 rattled its sabre in Operation West: a large scale exercise with Belarus centred around mock landings on a Polish beach and deployment of nuclear missiles.

While nuclear war may be far from any future reality, Poland treads a dangerous tight rope in its relations with the USA and Russia. The Smolensk air crash which killed the Polish president and many top figures in the country provided a thaw in Polish-Russian relations and many have seen it as a departure point for a new era. However, Poland's continued commitment to plans drawn up with America under the Bush administration may yet prove a stinking point.

While others in central/eastern Europe have trodden more carefully since the region's break with Moscow, Poland built upon its 1999 accession to NATO by staunchly supporting the USA in various cases, from the 2003 Iraq War to the proposed missile defence shield. This, coupled with Poland's vocal support of Georgia in the 2008 Russia-Georgia War has greatly irritated Poland's large eastern neighbour. While not suffering physical attack, Poland has suffered economically with Russia placing a ban on meat imports from Poland; officially for health reasons, although the EU did not feel such a need.

Poland's wish to place itself firmly in the 'western' camp following the end of the Cold War has undoubtedly been achieved, yet Poland continues to pursue policies which further distance itself from Russia. This strategy goes against the geopolitical reality that Poland is faced with, and risks endangering Poland. Although, conflict is not a likely outcome, Poland's economic interests are conceivably at threat. Resource security is paramount in the 21st Century for all countries and Poland receives the majority of its gas (approx 65%) comes form Russia and other ex-Soviet countries. As Ukraine found out, Russia can easily turn the tap off.

It is paramount therefore that as we approach the end of the first decade of the 21st Century, Poland establishes a positive relationship with Russia; one that can foster both economic and military security. This does not mean that Poland must negate its democratic ideals and relinquish its support of countries like Georgia, merely that Poland must find its own middle way: a road that ensures peace and prosperity for Poland and the greater region it resides in.

The Flight Recordings

2010-06-02T09:31:00.000-07:00

The tapes have been released concerning the presidential plane's crash (see here:

The Warsaw Voice )

Although I haven't read the publications this article in Warsaw Voice leaves me feeling that we have suffered a white wash. Are we to believe that an experienced pilot ignored ground control advice and then also ignored his own instrument alarms and smoothly flew the plane downwards. Also what about the reference to an "official'? Why is this not included in the publication?

I don't want to sound conspiratorial but this is just ridiculous!

Constidtutional considerations

2010-01-20T03:28:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday The Warsaw Voice published this:

Government and Opposition Parties Argue Over Constitution Changes, January 19, 2010
Poland's leading party PO refuses to consider constitution changes suggested by the main opposition party PiS, which includes strengthening the position of the President, the daily Rzeczpospolita writes.

PiS proposal is being criticized by PO as "a return to a state system where the constitution confirms the centralized and ideological character of the state with the President in the role of the First Secretary", PO parliamentary club spokesperson Andrzej Halicki said.
PiS in turn blames PO for lack of constructive collaboration for the common good and failure to present own project.

Well as if in answer to the lack of a PO proposal, on the following day The Warsaw Voice published this:

Polish PM Proposes Weakening of Presidential Veto, January 20, 2010PM Donald Tusk proposes dampening of presidential veto, according to theses send by the PM's chancellery to the parliamentary Speaker, the daily Dziennik Gazeta Prawna writes.

Tusk wants the presidential veto to be rejected with an absolute majority and not with three-fifth majority, as it is the case at present.
The PM also wants to make an unambiguous provision that it is the PM who is responsible for foreign policy.

Personally I would go with a simple majority rather than an absolute, as the difference between 3/5 (60%) and absolute (51%) is hardly worth the trouble of changing. An absolute majority takes in to account all parliamentarians; even those not present. Whereas the simple just takes into account the ones who can be bothered to turn up and vote (var more sensible).

These two articles illustrate well the chasm that exists between the two sides. They have fundamentally opposing views, which does not bode well for cooperation.

I am of course in favour of the PO option. Being British I am not used to a division of powers between a PM and President. In theory the Queen can veto (refuse to enact) any law in the UK. She can also simply sack the PM and rule directly. For that matter she could install her butler as PM. Luckily she doesn't do any of these things and we seem to get along quite happily. The last occasion she used such powers was appointment of Harold Wilson as Prime Minister in February 1974; following political chaos. The last monarch to veto legislation was Queen Anne, who withheld assent from the Scottish Militia Bill 1708.

Therefore, please could the President simply open Supermarkets and Hospitals, Present hours and medals and have dinner with distinguished visitors?

Mayoral Eviction

2010-01-20T02:47:00.001-08:00

The Warsaw Voice reported on Tuesday that:

Łódź Residents Vote to Recall Their Mayor , January 19, 2010Inhabitants of the central city of Łódź have voted unanimously to recall their mayor, Jerzy Kropiwnicki, in a special referendum on Sunday.

Over 95 percent of these who took part in the referendum wanted the incumbent mayor dismissed, with the 22.2 percent turnout, which is enough to consider the results binding.

When the referendum results are confirmed Kropiwnicki, who has been the mayor of Łódź since 2002, will be replaced by a commissioner appointed by the Prime Minister.

The referendum was inspired by local Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) politicians, who blame the right-wing mayor for ineffectual investments, expensive and unnecessary business trips, closure of a new theatre complex and faulty infrastructure and transport.

To those who know Lodz this comes as no surprise. There have been a catalogue of bad decisions and people are generally frustrated with his actions.

Lithuanian, Polish and Ukrainian Brigade

2009-11-19T04:18:00.000-08:00

The formation of the joint Lithuanian, Polish and Ukrainian brigade ("LITPOLUKRBRIG") was formalised on Nov 14th during a meeting of EU Defence Ministers. The brigade will be based in Lublin, Poland and is scheduled to be operational by 2011. This brigade marks an important moment in Polish-Russian relations as it aims at establishing a physical commitment to Ukrainian security.

Although the final outcome of the brigade’s future rests on the results of the Ukrainian Presidential elections in 2010, this move is significant in the fact that a brigade level unit will be the largest permanent military organisation created between Nato and non-Nato (former Soviet Republic) members. More importantly it will sent a sharp message to Moscow, who still consider the Ukraine to be firmly within it’s sphere of influence.
The working language of the brigade will be English and the brigade will be primarily available for peacekeeping duties within an EU, Nato or UN framework.

Poland is by far the dominant partner within the group and the housing of the brigade at Lublin advertises Poland's status as a military and security player on the global arena.

Poland: A Regional Power

2009-11-12T11:37:00.000-08:00

2009 marks the latest of Poland’s many milestones on the road to re-establishing itself as a regional power akin to the status it enjoyed in the mid 17^th century. It has now been 20 years since the dramatic fall of communism and the re-birth of a free Poland. During that time many important steps have been taken in an ever strident effort to secure both political and military integrity. This year also marks the 10^th anniversary of Poland’s entry in to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO). In this essay I will discuss the achievements that have been made and look at the direction in which Poland is heading in terms of security and foreign policy.

Establishing an international presence

Polish membership of both NATO and the European Union (EU) were from the offset primary policy goals during the 1990s. These were achieved in 1999 and 2004 respectively. As part of NATO Poland has taken part in the Afghanistan mission, and to secure it status as a dependable ally of the USA (NATO’s paramount power), also in the Iraq mission. The latter finished earlier this year; while the Polish force in Afghanistan successfully carried out its first offensive operation (Op Eagle’s Feather) also this year. The conduction of Op Eagle’s Feather has significance beyond its limited affect upon theatre operations. This was the first time since the end of communism that Polish soldiers deployed offensively.

Modernising the Military

During the Cold War the Polish military was a large conscript based organisation designed to conduct defensive operations of a conventional manner. In 1989 the new Polish state inherited a huge and somewhat overwhelming organisation that was technologically outdated and tactically inefficient for the role in which Poland was to find itself as a member of NATO. Since that time much has been done to re-equip and re-train the Polish military. An inevitable part of that has been the professionalisation of the armed forces with the last group of conscripts being sworn in to the military in Dec 2008. Poland has invested heavily in modern technology with the Leopard tank and Rosmark APC (Armoured Personnel Carrier) significantly improving the land forces capability and manoeuvrability. The most costly and high-profile purchase has been the F-16 Fighter from Lockheed-Martin which replaces Soviet era Mig-29s and Su-22s. These vehicles combined with the general re-structuring of the Polish military along NATO lines have been somewhat controversially paid for by the 22.6 billion Złoty defence budget (2008 figure: 7.4 $ billion). This budget makes Poland one of the biggest European defence spenders proportional to its size (1.95% GDP). Alas Poland still does not have a strategic lift capability nor logistical organisation capable of deploying the military overseas and therefore relies upon its NATO allies, primarily the USA, for missions such as Afghanistan.

Political assertiveness

From a policy perspective Poland has tried to place itself at the heart of both the EU and NATO. During 2009 Poland nominated three individuals to senior NATO/European positions: Radosław Sikorski for NATO Secretary General, Wlodzimersz Cimoszewicz for Council of Europe Secretary General and Jerzy Buzek for European Parliament President. Poland achieved a 1 out of 3 success rate with Jerzy Buzek being elected President in Jul 09. This drive to become a central player within these organisations has been matched by Polish foreign policy within central and Eastern Europe. The high-profile involvement of President Kaczynski during Russian/Georgian hostilities in 2008 and the support of Ukraine’s ‘Orange Revolution’ are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of Poland’s engagement in regional affairs.

Reasons behind Poland's actions

The motivation behind Poland’s assertion of its position has its roots in Poland’s turbulent past. Many Poles still feel a sense of betrayal at the way Poland was dealt with by its allies during and after the Second World War and this, coupled with the cultural memory of Poland’s partition at the end of the 18^th century and the more recent forced membership of the Soviet-bloc, leaves Poland insecure as to its territorial integrity. It is not surprising therefore that successive Polish governments have been so ever-forward in there bid to make Poland a central NATO and European actor.

Tightly connected with this sense of in-security and bid for security reassurances from its allies is the missile defence project first outlined by the US Bush administration. Poland was caught somewhat off-guard by the abrupt cancellation of the project by President Obamma and saw the project along with the stationing of US troops on Polish soil as a way of guaranteeing a US response to aggression by a third party upon Poland. Vice-President Joe Biden during his October visit to Warsaw was therefore doing his utmost to reassure Poland of US military support. This came shortly after the announcement of a new missile project by The Whitehouse. Were Poland to eventually host US troops it would confirm Poland as an important strategic ally for the US. However, it would do little to increase Poland’s own status as a regional power.

Poland's future

The two strung path Poland is trying to tread, one of both military and political dimensions, has both drawbacks and advantages. While expanding its military powers Poland does indeed gain notoriety within the international community. However, the amount of 'hard power' currency that can be gained is at best limited. Poland's economy can not at present maintain the sort of investments that are required of a global actor. Apart from the USA there are only two other NATO members who regularly deploy troops outside of a peacekeeping framework: France and the United Kingdom. These two countries are both members of the economic G8 group and have a GDP far in excess of Poland's. Even on a regional basis, Poland's military would be unable to operate outside of a NATO/coalition setting. This of course does not mean that Poland's efforts are wasted. The modernisation of the Polish military was well over due and the experience gained in foreign operations is invaluable for the men and women of the armed services. It should just be recognised that today's 'strategic partner' can be tomorrow's 'friendly nation'. Were an example of how situations can change easily, the Polish government should look no further than the 'special relationship' between the USA and UK. In 1982 the Falklands Crisis and War highlighted that there are limits to the amount of help that can be given and many in Britain were left aghast at the apparent cold treatment the UK received from its special ally.

Unanswered questions

Politically, a resurgent Poland is able to gain certain advantages such as the op-out clause in the Lisburn Treaty regarding the Human Rights Charter. The question is of course whether such a path can be maintained over the foreseeable future. At present the Polish economy is strong in relative terms and both the governing and opposition parties in the Polish parliament generally support such moves. Poland may not be able to regain the heights of 17^th Century Europe, but it can undoubtedly become a mainstay of both NATO and EU power politics. Poland recognises that to succeed in today's world it must be part of strong organisations. However, that does not mean that it can not put forward its own objectives once in a while.

Back to school!!!

2009-08-30T23:39:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a nice long and hot summer, but now it is the time for work - well sort of!! In the news in Poland there is the tragic death of two pilots ay Radom airshow over the weekend as well as PM Putin's visit to Poland for the aniverssary of the start of the Second World War. He has publicy supported his ministries's claim that the Soviet Union only attacked Poland in order to pre-empt a German/Polish plot against the USSR. Were this so, then why was Stalin so surprised two years later when Hitler attacked?

Guns, Guns, Guns

2009-06-28T08:20:00.000-07:00

If you ever have that double-take moment when you stop and check whether you truly saw/understood something correctly; then this will undoubtedly be reminiscent of such an occasion. I logged on to BBC News today and read a headline entitled 'US pastor tells flock to bring handguns to church'. Ok, I thought, this looks like some kind of amnesty/social reach-out thing. I was a little bemused to read the title 'US pastor opens church to guns'. The pastor was not trying to combat street crime, but defending the rights of people to carry guns. He fears, along with some of his flock, that the Obama administration will clamp-down on gun laws and the pastor is trying to advertise the fact that not all gun owners are homicidal maniacs and that as Mr Pagano told the congregation, "... there are legal, civil, intelligent and law-abiding citizens who also own guns,"

Being an ex-soldier and having spend half my life playing with guns, I appreciate the old adage (/NRA slogan) that 'it's not guns that kill people; it's people' but I also think Eddie Izzard was right when he commented
” but I think the gun helps, you know? I think it helps. I just think just standing there going, "Bang!" That's not going to kill too many people, is it? You'd have to be really dodgy on the heart to have that…”

I truly don't understand the US's fascination with guns in the modern 21st century world. I appreciate that back in the wild-west , having a gun was a real important issue. However, those days are long gone. The pastor claimed "If it were not for a deep-seated belief in the right to bear arms, this country would not be here today," errr how excatly???
Gun ownership was important in the revolutionary period, as it allowed for the raising of a well trained militia, however at this time the whole world was packing. The US was not anything special.

Also many Americans promote bearing weapons as their constitutional right. Granted the 2nd Amendment does claim that : A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. However, the same is true of the UK: That the subjects which are Protestants may have arms for their defence suitable to their conditions and as allowed by law; Granted, the English law was a bit selective in terms of the religious credentials of those it granted the right to bear arms to. However, while the US law grants the people the right, the English law granted subjects said right. The term the people can of course be understood in two ways: 1) all individuals within a society or 2) the free members of the society as a whole. Given the reference to organised militias, it can be postulated that the meaning was in fact the later. Further to this, the punctuation suggests that the two are in fact connected as they are not separated by and but rather a comma. The English law, on the other hand, uses subject which does not have such a duality. It can only be understood in the individual sense. There is also no conditionality to the law such as in the US version (ok maybe the bit about protestants). Yet, modern Britons do not go around quoting 17th century laws. When the Hungerford or Dumblane massacres happened; gun control was tightened and the people rested peacefully in the knowledge that maniacs could not use the constitution to justify homicidal tenancies. Alas the same can not be said of the USA, where umpteen massacres have resulted in very little legislative action.

If anyone can give an answer to the quandary, then I'd be delighted to here it.

English 1689 Bill of Rights
(Incorporated in to and part of current UK law)

Equivalent to US 1st Amendment:
That the freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament;

Equivalent to US 2nd Amendment:
That the subjects which are Protestants may have arms for their defence suitable to their conditions and as allowed by law;

Source: http://www.constitution.org/eng/eng_bor.htm accessed 28/6/09

Patriots are coming!!!!

2009-05-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

The deployment of a Patriot missile unit by the US is perhaps long overdue, but will undoubtly further enrage Russia. When I say well overdue I mean that Poland risk a lot in suporting the US in the 2003 Iraq War, and so far has had little to show for it. The initial expectation was for rich pickings in terms of oil and engineering contracts. Alas Cheney managed to scoop most of those. The other wish was for a no visa policy for Polish citizens in the US. This was also a no show.

The deployment of the Patriots will be the first concrete measure that the US has done towards its stead-fast ally. In terms of practicality the missiles are a god-send, as the Polish air-defence system currently consists of obsolete 1970s equipment. These missiles will take Polish security into the 21st Century. However, there is also the problem of Russian and the antagonistic nature of such a deployment. However, given last years Georgian debacle, well perhaps antagonism is a risk worth paying, as to ignore the very real risk or worse still appease it would be a disaster of Herculaneum propotions.

Constitutional Crisis?

2009-04-16T22:34:00.000-07:00

I have been very lazy in my upkeep of this blog. Sorry!!! I looked at the date of my last entry and was shocked to see that it was November 08. A lot has undoubtedly happened since then and i am not going to even try and fill you in on the details. Surfice to say that spring is on its way and my mind is awakening from its slumber.

Politically speaking, Poland has had an interesting couple of weeks. The most notable thing being the squable over the Nato summit between the Prime Minister and President. The President apparently ignored the PM's official advice on Poland's stance in relation to the appointment of a new Secretary General for Nato. The ins and out are perhaps not important. More that the most recent episode is just another in a long line of debacles that the two are having. The main problem lies in the over lap of juristiction that the Polish constitution allows for. Strictly speaking the President has tyhe right to initiate and nogotiate foriegn policy. However, any sensible person could see that this must be done in close conjunction with domestic policy as the two are inseperable. The fact that the PM and President can;t work together is perhaps more indicative of them rather than the consitutution. However, that said the constitution allows for this situation to happen and so perhaps does need to be changed.

In my mind, i would serverly curtail the powers and responsibilities of the President as to have two oppposing heads of the country is just asking for trouble. I understand that the constitution was written in such a way as to create a system of checks and balances, however the PM is unswerable to Parliment, whereas at present the President is not answerable to anyone.

General Władysław Sikorski 's Exhumation

2008-11-26T02:58:00.000-08:00

To be honest I was a little surprised when I heard about the exhumation of Sikorski. As you may recall, he was the leader of the Polish Government-in-exile during WW2 and died in a plane crash off Gibralta in 1943. There have always been theories and counter-theories about his death. Some point to Stalin, while others point to Britain. What they all agree on however, is the fact that the plane carrying the Polish Prime Minister crashed in the Med.

Therefore I am unsure as to what is expected. If the plane was sabotaged, or had a bomb on it, then the body will unlikley show signs of this. I stand to be corrected, but feel this will turn out to be an expensive waste of time.

2008-09-24T23:53:00.000-07:00

The PM has resently said that Poland should be ready to meet all the criteria for accepting the Euro by 2011. I must admit that i was a little surprised by this as iexpected it a little latter. However, i am pleased as it will help Poland to further integrate with the rest of the EU. I just wish that the UK would do the same!!!

I am pro-EU and yet patriotic. This dicotomy often leaves me with a confused headache, yet if push came to shove, then i would always favioutr closer integration of the EU.

I'm still wondering

2008-09-24T03:13:00.000-07:00

I have been a way from the world of blogs for a long time. My summer has as usual been eventfull and i am now settled back at work ready to begin the madness that is a year as an English teacher in Poland. In terms of scandal and stories I don't really have much to offer you at present as i have also kept my nose out of Lodz and Poland's business. That said i will endevour to dig something up for you in the not to distant future.

Wacky Races

2008-05-24T03:01:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, Lodz has done what no other city (I know of) has dared to do. The BBC reports today that legal street races have begun along Lodz's ring-roads. The idea has sprung from the need to combat illegal races that often occur along the cities streets. Now anyone with a road legal car and a licence can compete in the night races where it is claimed that up to 10,000 people turn up to watch.

As I said previously, this is a bold and innovative step and I highly commend Lodz's city council and police authorities for what is inevitably a controversial initiative. - Good effort :)

Rydzyk and PiS - the twilight years!

2008-03-16T07:39:00.000-07:00

To many used to recent Polish politics, the close connection between church and party will not come as a surprise. However, recent developments have seriously questioned the understanding of Jesus’s teachings. It has become public knowledge that Father Tadeusz Rydzyk, the self styled leader of Radio Marya has laid out an ultimatum to PiS with regards to the currently debated Lisbon Treaty. F. Rydzyk has proclaimed that if PiS do not stop the treaty from being ratified by the Polish parliament, then he will withdraw his support from the party. This means in effect all the listeners to Radio Marya who amount to the majority of votes PiS hold. This would in effect cripple PiS in any future elections.

The boundries between church and politics clearly seem to have been croosed by this recent move. While I grant that such matters as abortion law have an ethical and therefore religious aspect, the Treaty of Lisbon has a purely political dimension and as such is not part of the Church’s remit. This interfering by F. Rydzyk seems to contradict one of Jesus’s teachings where Jesus states: “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.”

This statement by Jesus has become the cornerstone of European secularism and the separation of Church and State. F. Rydzyk seems to show either a profound ignorance of the bible (which would be strange coming form a monk) or perhaps a more sinister ability to pick and choose the bible’s teachings to fit his personal plans. Either way Poland needs to resist the ever present grip of F. Rydzyk and his ilk.

Serbia decides!!!

2008-03-13T02:50:00.000-07:00

We are now staring to see the real fallout form Kosovo’s declaration of independence last month. After failing to agree on a common front the Serbian Parliament has been dissolved and elections called for the 11th May by Serbian President Boris Tadic.

The main problem lies in their (Serbia’s) relationship with the EU, where most member states recognized the independence of Kosovo. Some political groups want to break off relations with the EU where as others see this as too drastic.

The new elections could mean that pro-EU groups gain power and we could see a new and refreshed Serbia. However, the opposite could of course happen and Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica may receive an endorsement of his stance regarding the issue.

Making money - Part 2

2008-03-11T04:47:00.000-07:00

I am just updating any readers on the events concering my speeding fine as i wrote about in Febuary. Well i did get a letter form the court, but the bizzare thing was that it did not inform me as to where i should actually pay my 100zł fine.

Convinced that a second letter containing the actuall bill and payment details would come i sat tight. After two weeks i had received nowt! Therefore being the honest citizen i am i went to the local police station. The guy on duty was as bafflled as me and said he didin't have a clue and that we should either wait orring a telephone number on the letter.

He actually spent more time complaining that the new spped cameras were causing him a lot of hassle as he had to chasse people up after they had broken the speed limit by a couple of k. This was seriously eating into his peoper police duties and staring to get on his wick!!

The story just gets more and more bizzare!!!

Wackey races

2008-03-04T03:39:00.000-08:00

I was surprised to see the following article on Top Gear's Website:

Lodz of fun
Crudely informed stereotype it may be, but we'd never have
flagged the Polish police force as a progressive bunch.
However, news
reaches us that police in Lodz, Poland's second city, plan to cordon off
sections of the town at night to allow street racers to compete without speed
limits.
It's all part of a bid to keep youths from organising illegal night
races, and police believe the measures will help to cut down accidents in the
city.
"We've come to an understanding with the organisers of the illegal
races," said Lech Ryszewski, head of the Lodz motoring club, which has been
working with the police force to get the night races up and running.
"The
motoring club has created a Street Legal section, which will organise the races
in closed-off streets, under the supervision of licensed organisers and judges.
In return, participants are obliged to make sure no one organises similar races
on city streets."
Understandably, some sections of the Polish media have
likened the measures to organising a piss-up in a brewery and not expecting
people to get drunk outside. But just imagine all those pimped-up Ladas and
Trabbies...

I think the idea is both great and terrible. Generally finding alternative ways for young men (mainly)to get excitement is great. But surley the streets have houses and the likes next to them. Can't a race track be found?

If anyone knows if this is going ahead then please let me know. Perhaps TG has got the wrong end of the stickshift.

That said, perhaps TG should update their info on Poland as Ladas and Trabbies are not too common these days!!

To be or not to be!

2008-02-19T05:33:00.000-08:00

To be what you may ask! To be a citizen of Poland.

I, as you can probably guess, am a British Citizen (one of the three possible types, which on a recent internet search I was intrigued to discover existed).

I have lived here (Poland) for three and a half years in that time I have resided legally thanks to my EU resident’s card.

Well generally this state of affairs is fine as I can exist quite happily like this. However, it restricts my voting (I think, but actually haven't checked thoroughly) and it has some odd little side effects..

Last weekend my wife and i were in MediaMarkt in Łódź and we wanted to but a new hoover. It was only 500zł, but we wanted to establish a credit history with Lukas (the partner bank of MM). Therefore we said we'd pay 150zł in cash and the rest in 5 installments. In five months time we would then get letters offering huge amounts of credit (at least that was the plan).

The problem was that Lucas doesn't like foreigners (my suspicion is that its French roots detected my Englishness and bulked at the idea). When I say doesn’t like, maybe I’m stretching the story, but the result is the same, they don't give credit to foreigners full stop.

In the end we had to buy it outright, which means no credit history. The funniest thing is that I have a 2 ½ year old car which was bought in Poland primarily on credit (that was an Italian bank though :) ).

Holylodz

2008-02-18T05:13:00.000-08:00

The city of LOdz, already a central part of the Polish film industry with the Film School, is set to increase its share os showbiz with the construction of a new film studio. David Lynch, as previously mentioned on this blog has somewhat fallen in love with Lodz and as well as gathering money for a cultral centre in the city is also planing to build a small film studio which should open in 2009.

This all comes at an important time for tthe Polish film industry as Katyn is up for an Oscar at the end of the month.

As mentioned in previous entries, I do not live in Lodz, but work there and commute daily. This meand that i actualy spend more of my time there than in the village where i live. Lodz, has a bad reputation with in POland, yet is increaseinly transorming it self. I can not wait to see the final result in around twenty years time.

Easy come easy go - making money the hard way!!

2008-02-16T08:51:00.000-08:00

It seems that winter has returned to Łódź with a renewed vigor. After a few weeks of relatively warm and dare I say it spring-time weather, we now have snow. ... But stop, before I kill off any potential readers of this recently sporadically updated blog, let me tell you a story. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin!

Last summer I was driving around happily minding my own business, enjoying the warm rays of the summer sum. Little did I know, that Satan in all his inventive and unquestionably evil genius had plotted to entrap me in a demonic plot. Yes, you guessed it, I went straight through a speed camera. This was not one of those large grey boxes clearly marked for all to see by a procession of flashing headlights from the oncoming traffic. No this was far more ingenious. It was one of the evil goblins cunningly disguised as a little grey bog on a tri-pod, connected by some umbilical cord like cable to a chariot of hell, otherwise known as an unmarked car.

Don’t get me wrong I am not against speed cameras or for that matter covert ones. In fact they are a very good idea and I think far more effective at reducing drivers’ speeds, than overt methods. I just would rather it wasn’t me that it happened too :-)

The problem with this occasion is that the covertness was so effective that I had absolutely no idea I had been caught. I then proceeded to go up north for the summer and it was not until early September that my local policeman cam a knocking (that is something that, after 3 & 1/2 years I still haven’t got used to ... the personal service that Polish police provide). The problem was that he had come round several times while i was away and that now over two months had passed. This means that under Polish law the case must go to court and can not just be settled by the fuzz, I mean local constabulary.

Ok, I thought fair enough. The police man wrote a very nice report, recommended me for the minimal fine, and said that I wouldn’t need to attend in person. The problem is it is now rapidly approaching the end of February and I still haven’t revived my fine. Bureaucracy is one thing, but I have had to go to the police station to get booked, the police man has had to come to my house twice, while I was there, and god knows how many times when I wasn’t, and all for the amazing sum of 100zł.

Now I am no economist, but even I can see that by the end of this all the Polish state is going to be in deficit.

So far it has been 8 months, and still no result.......

2007-12-12T03:41:00.000-08:00

I have spoken to various Polish soldiers about the subject of Iraq. The majority feel it is not their war. However, Poles remain. When questioned further many respond that Poland is fulfilling their NATO responsibilities, however this gets a bit cloudy when I point out France's refusual to be involved. Many feel that Poland has to some how proove its reliablity and faithfullnes to the US. The question is had this been don to the US's satsifaction? Britain has just announced a significant downscaling of its operations in Iraq. Will this spell the end for Poland too?

Tameing the Bear!

2007-12-12T03:35:00.000-08:00

Since the election i have heard mostly positive things about the new administration. What i think is most encouraging is PO's attitude to Germany and Russia. I am not alwasy a fan of either country, yet the PIS way of dealing with them was antagonistic at best. Hopefully we will see an ease in relations, especially with Russia and an opening up of the export market.

Only in America!!

2007-10-25T00:48:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest indicators of why diaspora voting should be eliminated comes from our American cousins. Of the 27,000 people registered to vote in the US, 67% of them would choose PiS. As I recently mentioned on Beatroot’s blog, I do not vote in Britain as I feel that to influence the lives of others while not being there is a misuse of the vote. The American’s results I think show that I have a point as they are voting without having experienced the last two years of fear mongering.

All Saints Chaos

2007-10-25T00:35:00.000-07:00

It’s a funny old world! It appears that the outgoing government have recently passed a law that not only does their own ministry which deals with the area of interest not fully agree with, but it could potential cripple the country. The law deals with trading hours for shops and heavily restricts trading on the 12 official public holidays. Unlike in the UK these days have great religious significance and even nominal Catholics adhere to these days. The one that may cause most problems is the upcoming All Saints Day. The Labour Ministry has noticed that the law covers petrol stations as well as the big shops, that most who voted for the law original thought it dealt with exclusively. This means that on Nov 1st, most petrol stations could be closed! Oh deer….. This is this busiest day of the year for Polish Motorists and may have potentially immeasurable implications. On the brighter side it could also save many lives, as this day accounts for the highest number of road accidents in a single day in Poland.

Where are the limits of law enforcement?

2007-10-19T02:41:00.000-07:00

The recent case of PO Deputy Beata Sawicka being arrested by the Central Anti-corruption Bureau (CBA) is the latest in a line of worrying developments for the state of civil-libities in Poland. I am hearing the stories in a somewhat sanitised way as my level of Polish means that I can not read or understand the news articles first-hand. However, as far as I understand things, this is a case of provocation. The term entrapment is a difficult one for many to fully deliniate as often law enforcement agencies have to play the role of criminals if they are to gather hard evidence. However, in this case it would appear that there was no previous history of corruption (I stand to be corrected, if you know of one) and so I fail to see what was the case put forward to the prosecutors’ office to authorise such an operation. I assume that the CBA did have to justify its actions, and it is not just free to target anyone. The lady in question does seem to have been extremely foolish, however, without the CBA’s instigation then I doubt any crime would have been committed. Therefore it is pure and simply entrapment. The CBA seems to be acting as a branch of PiS and not as a state institution dedicated to the defence of Polish people.

Sophie's Choice

2007-10-11T00:49:00.000-07:00

The question of whether blood is thicker than water Has risen its head In the Czech Republic. Two babies born on the same day look to have been mistakenly given to the wrong parents. And now after ten months of parenthood the parents are preparing to give up their children in return for their genetic offspring.

This rises several interesting questions:
1) Is a biological connection to people more important than social and cultural ties?
2) If the mistake had be realized after say five years would they still swap?
3) When does bonding and identity building occur in a baby and will the swap have serious ramifications for the growing ego?

The idea that for ten months you could care, love, protect and generally adore a baby and then be happy to give it up is I must admit slightly horrifying for me. However, I also see that the idea that your flesh and blood is being brought up by someone is equally disturbing.

In this situation I honestly don’t know what I would do. – Try and have both babies?? Obviously this would be unfair on the other couple. However, what else could the human heart desire?

WaterGate????

2007-10-09T03:52:00.000-07:00

Why is there a persistent re-use of the term water within US scandals. Nixon had Watergate, Clinton had Whitewater and now Bush junior has BlackWater . However, oddities aside, the Blackwater afair could singify a dramatic change of the rules in Iraq for Private Military Companies (PMCs). From 2003 until now they have been immune from Iraqi prosecution for any actions carried out in Iraq. This has basicily given them a carte blanche licence to kill. However, the US administration are being pressured to (and are seemingly thinking about) allowing the Iraqi legal system to deal with cases of excesive force.

This could spell the end for PMC's in the way we know them. As few people (even mercs) would want to end up in the hands of Iraqi police and the legal system. As the coallition relies heavily on PMCs this could have dramatic effects for the whole operation.

Return of the wonderer

2007-10-01T10:32:00.000-07:00

I have had an extended summer break, but now i am back on-line and thinking of things to say to you. I am like many people in Poland and awaiting the elections, uncertain if they will change anything. To be honest i am not so bothered who wins as how they win. That is i hope for a majority government and an end to all this coallition bollocks. The sooner Poland gets rid of the Giertichs of this world the better for all of us.

Murder of the innocents

2007-07-03T12:29:00.001-07:00

Its amazing what a bit of motivation can do. With only 8% of the popular vote, many .people would resigne themselves to the sidelines and become a critic of, but not participant in the political process. But not our boy Giertich!! Given a mandate by PIS, nothing can stop him in his far reaching reforms. As if limiting the information avaliable to the next generatiion was not enough, he is now attacking the moral idependence of education, by using the cirriculum as a vehicle for his owm political and or religeous beliefs.

There can be only one!

2007-07-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

The small market town of Uniejów once again became transformed into a medieval battleground for the third annual knights competition. Since starting in July 2005, the festival has become a large regional attraction. Held in the grounds of the 14th Century Uniejów castle, the latest incarnation is an extremely professional affair.

Awell as the fights, there is an array of arts and crafts stalls as well as the usual sausage sizzle bar. Uniejów is fast becoming a tourist attraction, that will only be improve by the opening of a geo-thermally heated aqua-park next year along with a treatment centre.

I will undoubtedly go to the fourth and i recommend that all of you do likewise if you are in the vicinity.

Łódż Arising

2007-06-14T01:58:00.000-07:00

It is rare that the journalists at Poland Monthly venture much outside the safe environs of Warszawa, with industrial projects in Silesia and the like being perhaps the exception. However, I was pleased to see this months PM had an article about Łódź. What is more, it wasn’t purely economy or business related. It was on a grander scale; that is Culture and People!! I had heard through the Grape Vine about Atlas owner Andrzej Walczyk and film maker David Lynch’s ambitious project for Łódź. However, I had not read the details about it in an English language article (Polish still mainly being of the spoken/listening variety despite being her three years). The plans are defiantly ambitious and will revolutionize the center of Łódź. Not mentioned in the article is the rebuilding of Łódź Fabryczna (one of the two main stations in Łódź). The plan apparently is to build an underground station akin to Warszawa’s. In a city with 120+-year-old buildings and street foundations this will require a delicate hand. That said if completed, then it will immensely improve and somewhat dreary and dare I say it foreboding place.
What does this all mean for Łódź? Well, Łódź has a somewhat poor reputation. It is not up there in the top destinations in Poland. Krakow, the Tri-City, the capital and others outshine poor old Łódź. After seven years of coming to Poland as a tourist and visiting mainly the Tri-City and Warszawa, I moved to the Łódź region having never actually seen it (Strange but true!). After being here for three years I can honestly say I love the city and wouldn’t swap it for any other in Poland. Due to its poor reputation it doesn’t have the pretension and attitude of some of the others. That said, it has original architecture, dating back to the 19th Century. This is not the Regal grandeur of Krakow or the merchants haven of Gdansk, but the hard reality of an industrial epicentre. Combine this with a bountiful supply of universities colleges and academies and you have the makings for a cultural centre. Lynch has recognized something that has been hidden for a long time and I hope will finally be let out of the bag.

Ok, enough if the flag-waving, Let us just sit back and see what will happed. After the neglect of the post-industrial period, Łódź can only get better!!

Mixed up Priorities

2007-05-16T04:46:00.000-07:00

We seem to be being led astray somewhat by the PiS government with regards to the important issues in Poland. Everyday we are inundated with stories concerning the ever present drives of the government to de-communise Poland with now plans to removal street sings. However, have we not got more important things to be concerned about. According to many, the average pay in Poland is around 2,500 Zł. I hear this all the time and bulk at the though of this. It is a figure banded around all over the place but seems to be far off the mark by what is see all around me. The World Salaries website corroborates these figures and yet this just makes thinks worse for me. It says for example that gross pay for teachers is 2,811 zł. Yea right! In what world are these people living? The site says it gets its info from the Polish government, yet are we to assume that this is correct data. I know that there is an inbuilt problem with the representation of statistical data labelled as "average". Most average figures are taken from mean averages and thus skew the figures to give an over-inflated value of the statistics represented. I am sure that if a mode average or a median average taken we would see that the reality is far from this. I have two jobs and struggle to bring home much over 3,000 net. I am don't forget a foreigner and in some respects getting paid an inflated salary (which is greatfully taken) there for I can not see how the average person (may be typical person), can accumulate 2,500 zł.

The point of what I'm saying? Well, aren't there more useful things the government could be doing rather than designing ways to remove historical relics. I accept that i did not live here through communism and so may be can not appreciate the pain caused by it. However, shouldn't we be moving forward and not continuously be going backwards?

Is France leading the way?

2007-04-19T02:15:00.000-07:00

While looking over articles about the upcoming French election (of which I must admit I haven't paid much interest),I was surprised to read some of the party names:

Francois Bayrou (Union for French Democracy)
Olivier Besancenot (Communist Revolutionary League)
Jose Bove (Anti-Globalist)
Marie-George Buffet (Communist)
Arlette Laguiller (Workers' Struggle)
Jean-Marie Le Pen (National Front)
Frederic Nihous (Hunting, Fishing, Nature and Traditions)
Segolene Royal (Socialist)
Nicolas Sarkozy (Union for a Popular Movement)
Gerard Schivardi (The Mayors' Candidate)
Philippe de Villiers (Movement for France)
Dominique Voynet (Greens)

I know that the French haven't really got over the fact that the words English and Lingua-Franca often appear together, but to be honest they seem to be speaking a different language to the rest of Europe. Reviewing the list one gets the feeling that this is a 1950s election portfolio (albeit with the addition of the Greens) and not one for the 2007 Election.

Maybe I have been clouded by the sameness of the UK political scene and am just unused to seeing political parties with real opinions and issues to debate and fight for. However, the issues that are being fought for could tear France and Europe apart.

I don't know who I want to win; and not being French its not really any of my business, which is a fact that Blair seems to have forgotten as he voices support of one of the candidates Nicolas Sarkozy . Anyway, I am digressing here, the point is whether the French have it right, and British people have forgotten what the real issues are about or whether the French are stuck in a time warp. If we look at the Polish electoral scene then we see a similarly diverse spectrum of parties. However, we all know the resultant problems of sustaining a credible and workable government.

Then there is the question of voter apathy, would a more diverse choice encourage more voters. Turnout at the Polish 05 election would suggest not as there was definitively plenty of choice, but few choosers. In terms of issue politics, recent gains by the British National Party in Britain would suggest that even in Britian, we are seeing a return to diverse issue dominated political parties.

For now we will have to wait and see for Sunday's first round results to show if France can indeed unite behind a candidate, when the options are so different.

Lodz's Anti-Semetic Reign of Acceptance

2007-04-11T02:06:00.000-07:00

On the 14th March the Lodz City Hall hosted a Teenage protest concerning the amount of anti-semetic graffiti and general anti-semitism that exists in Lodz. Lodz (Poland's second largest city) is regarded as being the most anti-Semitic city in Poland. The City's mayor was even vocal about the issue. However, how much has changed? Everyday I go past vulgar graffiti, which one would think could be easily white-washed over. However, little seems to be done about it. It is left to scar the city. If the authorities truly wished to deal with the situation, surely a few cans of paint and a band of willing workers from the city's unemployed could be found. - But no, the graffiti stays. Is this a case of public abhorance, while privatly the city's management accept and condone the anti-semetism that prevails.

Has the EU failed a significant Foreign Policy test?

2007-04-03T08:32:00.000-07:00

The recent abduction of 15 UK service personnel has somewhat foreboding implications for not just the Middle-East, but also the EU. Whether you are in favour of the War in Iraq or against; Iran's actions were from the outset obtuse. Iran and Britain are not at war and so no matter where the boats actually were, normal paradigms would suggest that a quick and efficient handover of personnel should have been arranged. This however was not the case and Iran has chosen to make a media and political spectacle out of it (as much for their own populace as for the British or wider world). Sir Malcolm Rifkind (former Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for Defence in the last Conservative government) made the following comments in the British Guardian Newspaper:

There was, however, one other approach that would have a good chance of succeeding. The members of the EU aspire to having a common foreign policy. What better issue could there be on which our French, German and Italian allies and partners could show solidarity with the UK and demonstrate the benefits of joint action?
The best means of pressure would have been the export credit guarantees that are given to assist trade between Iran and western Europe. These, together with banking and other financial facilities are the soft underbelly of the Iranians and their withdrawal could do significant damage to Iran's already weak economy.
Such measures have already been canvassed by the Americans in respect of Iran's nuclear defiance.

So has the EU missed the boat? Should they have taken the opportunity to show a united front and provide some real teeth to their joint "calling for the 'immediate and unconditional' "

And what does this mean for national defence policy. Is Britain therefore right to maintain its strategic nuclear capability and its stand-alone force projection ability. Furthermore, is Poland, which does not have either of these two abilities, therefore right in colluding with the US; as it may not be able to fully depend upon its European neighbours.

A Cristian Europe versus An Open Europe

2007-03-27T06:24:00.000-07:00

President Kaczynski - Christianity is the EU foundation

Poland's President Lech Kaczynski, in an article for the tabloid 'Fakt' that: 'The Union cannot build its future with no reference to the centuries old history of Europe and European roots. This is why it is so difficult for us to accept opposition to a reference to Christian values in the preamble to the future Constitutional Treaty.'

The Berlin Declaration is to be signed in the capital city of Germany, as part of events marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome and the birth of the EU.

The declaration is to play a key role in drafting the preamble to the bloc's new Constitutional Treaty.

President Kaczynski said that the Union must continue to expand.

"For Poland it is obvious that the European Union, if it wants to retain its dynamics and to count on a global scale – it must be an open union".

On behalf of the bloc's 27 member states, the Berlin Declaration will be signed tomorrow by the German Chancellor, the European Parliament and the European Commission leaders.

Poland's foreign minister Anna Fotyga is on leave and will not take part in the ceremony.

Above taken from www.poland.pl

Are the two points raised by the President of Poland not a little conflicting? If we make Cristianity a fundamental part of the Constitution, then to which countries are we supposed to expand. Is it a good message to send to Turkey, Bosnia and Albania, that yes you can come in, but please remember that we are Christian and we were here first!

Religion, is and has always been a private matter. Jesus himself made this crystal clear when remarking that what is ceasar, render unto ceasar and what is God's render under God.

This mix of politics and religion is the most frightening aspect of the current PiS government in Poland.

Vetting Witchhunt

2007-03-16T02:53:00.000-07:00

New Polish vetting law operative
2007-03-15, 15:06
New vetting law comes into force today obliging 700,000 Poles including journalists, lawyers and head teachers to declare whether they collaborated with the communist-era secret police.
The legislation was designed by President Lech Kaczynski and the ruling conservative the Law and Justice Party (PiS) government of his twin brother, Prime Minister Jaroslaw.
Its aim was to settle accounts with former communists. As a result, people from various professions including municipal government officials, university professors, legal professionals, journalists and corporate as well as bank chiefs born prior to August 1, 1972 are required to submit statements revealing any co- operation with communist-era secret police and intelligence services.
Those who fail to do so or have courts ruled against them risk being banned from their professions for up to a decade.
According to the critics of the project, the process of verifying hundreds of thousands of declarations is estimated to last until 2023. Declarations are to be submitted to the National Remembrance Institute which was created in 1998.

--- The above was taken from www.poland.pl/news

Is this another way of distracting the public from the main issues? Surley Poland has more important things to spend its money on. Not to mention the principle of rehabilitation. This laws colours everyone with the same brush. Even if you only dealt with the Intelligence services once twenty years ago, you must give details. And then what, you lose your job?

Right to life?

2007-03-15T10:52:00.000-07:00

If LPR's idea goes through, then this will mean that a woman's life is worth less than a feotus. - Great, this means if i value my wife, we can never have children!!!
Is this just another attampt by our glorious coalition to divert attention from real issues, such as taking 14 months to process an application for EU funds to upgrade computers in a small business?