http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35303912
I have said elsewhere that I am not particularly impressed with domestic policy of the new Law and Justice (PiS) Government and much of what they done seems frankly stupid to me - some of their Ministers are truely missing a screw. So as the BBC article notes they have passed a law (they have a majority in the Polish Parliament/Sejm) that allows them to appoint judges to the Constitutional Court, they appointed five new judges. Why do you need to do this when you have a majority in the Parliament? If the Court rules against you change the law. Mistake 1.
One matter that the BBC piece does not mention is last months fiasco surrounding the Counter Intelligence Center of Excellence - a NATO affiliated organisation based in Poland (see http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...nighttime-raid). They broke into the offices at 1.30am to remove one of their own Officers and later said "Polish employees lost access to classified materials and we had to change them." Fine and undoubtedly there are security risks within the Republik but why do you have to break into these offices at 1.30am? It would be far less conspicuous to invite the guy to lunch and take his security pass. This is typical of the whole overkill attitude that the new Government approaches all perceived problems with. Mistake 2.
The whole press thing stinks in my view, though I agree much of the Polish press is 'pink' I do not believe that silencing criticism is wise or healthy. We all make mistakes and having open discussion and criticism can help to improve policy as well allow a safe vent for opponent to 'blow off steam'. Mistake 3.
The totally barmy bit is the new Minister for Defence Antoni Macierewicz, a guy who is so hung up on the conspiracy theories surrounding the Smolensk air crash of 2010 (and other conspiracy theories including Jews) that he believes this should be the "first priority" and "most solemn duty" of the Polish armed forces to investigate. This is dangerous lunacy, the past is the past and whether or not the Muscovites were behind the Smolensk crash, and it is possible that they were, you cannot change the past but can shape the future. It's a bit like the Ukrainian MoD spending all it's time investigating the mistakes of Ilovaisk and not bothering to look ahead. Set up a panel if you wish - they already published a 'white book' investigation some time ago - but you have to look to the future and think about the problems of today and tomorrow. This guy is so caught up in conspiracy theories relating to past events that he is dangerous to the future.
Overall a pretty lamentable start to the new Government and we can only hope that some tact and subtlety and more forward thinking grows as they become more accustomed to managing the many and real problems they face including now an EU investigation.
I have said elsewhere that I am not particularly impressed with domestic policy of the new Law and Justice (PiS) Government and much of what they done seems frankly stupid to me - some of their Ministers are truely missing a screw. So as the BBC article notes they have passed a law (they have a majority in the Polish Parliament/Sejm) that allows them to appoint judges to the Constitutional Court, they appointed five new judges. Why do you need to do this when you have a majority in the Parliament? If the Court rules against you change the law. Mistake 1.
One matter that the BBC piece does not mention is last months fiasco surrounding the Counter Intelligence Center of Excellence - a NATO affiliated organisation based in Poland (see http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl...nighttime-raid). They broke into the offices at 1.30am to remove one of their own Officers and later said "Polish employees lost access to classified materials and we had to change them." Fine and undoubtedly there are security risks within the Republik but why do you have to break into these offices at 1.30am? It would be far less conspicuous to invite the guy to lunch and take his security pass. This is typical of the whole overkill attitude that the new Government approaches all perceived problems with. Mistake 2.
The whole press thing stinks in my view, though I agree much of the Polish press is 'pink' I do not believe that silencing criticism is wise or healthy. We all make mistakes and having open discussion and criticism can help to improve policy as well allow a safe vent for opponent to 'blow off steam'. Mistake 3.
The totally barmy bit is the new Minister for Defence Antoni Macierewicz, a guy who is so hung up on the conspiracy theories surrounding the Smolensk air crash of 2010 (and other conspiracy theories including Jews) that he believes this should be the "first priority" and "most solemn duty" of the Polish armed forces to investigate. This is dangerous lunacy, the past is the past and whether or not the Muscovites were behind the Smolensk crash, and it is possible that they were, you cannot change the past but can shape the future. It's a bit like the Ukrainian MoD spending all it's time investigating the mistakes of Ilovaisk and not bothering to look ahead. Set up a panel if you wish - they already published a 'white book' investigation some time ago - but you have to look to the future and think about the problems of today and tomorrow. This guy is so caught up in conspiracy theories relating to past events that he is dangerous to the future.
Overall a pretty lamentable start to the new Government and we can only hope that some tact and subtlety and more forward thinking grows as they become more accustomed to managing the many and real problems they face including now an EU investigation.
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