Poland and Polish News

Country Profile
Poland,officially the Republic of Poland is a country in Central Europe
Capital                                    Warsaw
Currency                                 Zioty
Official Language                     Polish
Population                               40 Million (2011 Estimate)
Flag of Poland

  







History
First Partition of Poland
Partition of the Polish borderlands by Austria, Prussia, and Russia took place in 1772.By the first partition the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth lost about 211,000 km² (30% of its territory, amounting at that time to about 733,000 km²), with a population of over four to five million people (about a third of its population of 14 million before the partitions)
Second Partition of Poland
The Second Partition  was carried out by the Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia in 1793
Third Partition of Poland
The Third Partition of Poland by Austria, Prussia, and Russia took place in 1795 when they decided to put an end to the unrest by wiping Poland off of the map of Europe.The Third Partition of Poland ended the existence of an independent Polish state for the next 123 years.
Second Polish Republic,
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish History in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland, the Polish State was Created in 1918 in the aftermath of World War I . It continued to exist until 1939.
Invasion of Poland - Sep 01 ,1939 - Oct 06,1939
It refers to the invansion of Poland by Germany,the Soviet Union and a small Slovak contingent that marked the beginning ofWorld War II(1939-45) in Europe. 
People's Republic of Poland(1952-89)
The Soviet Union had much influence over internal affairs of Poland and therefore the People's Republic of Poland has been described as a satellite state of the Soviet Union.The Polish United Worker's Party became the dominant Political Party, officially making the country a Socialist State.
Third Republic of Poland(1989-present)
In 1989-1991, Poland engaged in a Democratic transition which put an end to the Polish People's Republic  and led to a democratic regime, called Polish Third Republic.The 'Round Table Talks' between the government and the Solidarity(full name Independent Self-governing Trade Union,a Polish Trade Union Federation)-led opposition led to semi-free elections in 1989.

By the end of August a Solidarity-led coalition government was formed and in December 1990 Lech Wałęsa was elected President of Poland and was the 2nd President of Poland during Dec 22,- Dec 20,1990-95

  

Politics and Government
Poland is a Parliamentary Representative Democratic Republic where the Prime Minister is the Head of the Govt and of a Multi-Party System and the President is the Head of State.
President of Poland
The President is elected by popular vote for a maximum of two 5-year terms.The President has the right to veto legislation, although veto may be overridden by the assembly by a three-fifths majority vote.
The President appoints the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers and confirmed by the Sejm (Polish Parliament)

Bronisław Maria Komorowski (is the Current and 5th President of Poland)exercised powers and duties of head of state following the death of President Lech Kaczynki in a Plane Crash on April 10,2010 and was sworn in as fulltime President on Aug 06, 2010 following victory in the 2010 Presidential Election held on June 20,2010 as he secured 53% Votes as candidate of Civic Platform Partydefeating Jaroslaw Kaczynski candidate of Law and Justice Party who got only 47% Votes
Prime Minister of Poland

Donald Franciszek Tusk(co-founder and chairman of the Civic Platform Party)is the current PM in office from Nov 16,2007 and  is currently the longest serving PM of the Third Republic of Poland as he won the Parliamentary Election held on Oct 08,2011 and became the first PM to be re-elected since the fall of Communism in Poland.


National Assembly or Parliament of the Republic Poland

 

The Polish Parliament is Bicameral -
The Lower Chamber(Sejm) has 460 members, elected for a four year term by Proportional Representation in Multi Seat Constituencies.
The Senate has 100 members elected for a four year term in 40 multi-seat Constituencies. When sitting in joint session, members of the Sejm and Senate form the National Assembly.







Poland's First Transsexual and Gay MPs - Tuesday Nov 8,2011

Anna Grodzka and Robert Biedron elected as part of progressive Palikot's Movement party have taken their seats in Poland's newly-elected parliament.
Anna Grodzka, who was born a man and Robert Biedron a leading gay rights activist and the first openly gay person to be elected to the Polish parliament belong to Palikot's Movement, a progressive party that became the third largest in parliament after elections that took place on October 9,2011.
Anna Grodzka is the 1st ever Transexual MP in European History and the 2nd Transgender  MP in European history, after the Italian Vladimir Luxuria 

Polish Parliamentary Elections - Oct 09,2011

A parliamentary election to both the Senate and the Sejm (lower house) was held  on Oct 9,2011 for  460 seats of the Sejm and 100 seats of the Senate. 

 

Poland re-elects PM Donald Tusk

PM Donald Tusk's Civic Platform (PO) won a plurality of seats and Tusk becomes the first Polish prime minister to be appointed for a second term since the fall of communalism.

Results of the Election in the Sejm are - 

Civic Platform Party won 207 seats

 

Law and Justice Party won 157 seats 

 

 

 

 

Palikot Movement won 40 seats 

 

  

 

 

 

Polish People's Party won 28 seats 

 

 

 

The Democratic Left Alliance  won 27 seats and

 

 

 

German Minority won 1 seat

In the Senate, Civic Platform won an absolute majority with 63 seats, while Law & Justice came away with 31. The only other party to achieve Senate representation was the Polish People's Party, which won 2 seats. Four independents were also elected.

                                   Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk celebrates the election results

 

 Poland -Ukraine to Host 2012 UEFA EURO Football Championship

 

The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2012 will be the 14th European Championship for National Football Teams organised by UEFA and will be hosted by Poland and Ukraine during June 08 - July 01,2012

The tournament features 16 nations, the last European Championship to do so (from Euro 2016 onward, there will be 24 finalists)

Euro 2012: Poland and Russia Fans clash- Tuesday June 12,2012

 

Thousands of Russia fans marched from the centre of Warsaw across the river Vistula towards the National Stadium to celebrate their national day ahead of both sides' second game at the European Championship, but what began as a passionate but orderly procession soon turned into a dangerous exchange between both groups and the authorities. At least 120 people were detained and 11 people, mostly Poles, needed medical treatment, according to Poland's home office.

 

Police were forced to intervene with baton-charges, water cannons and rounds of rubber bullets amid chaotic scenes which produced more than 100 arrests as violent clash between Polish and Russian supporter marred the buildup to the Tuesday night football match.