Notes from Poland
@notesfrompoland.bsky.social
Independent and informed news and insight on Polish politics, culture, business and history. Support us: https://notesfrompoland.com/donations/support-us/
After last week's migration crisis in Ceuta, Poland has called for tougher EU measures, including an automatic ban on residence for anyone who enters illegally It pointed to its own experience of dealing with "weaponised" migration from Belarus, which prompted Poland to restrict the right to asylum
Poland calls for EU to deny residence to migrants who enter illegally
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Unexploded WWII ordnance was discovered under a major road in Warsaw today during construction work. The area was shut down while bomb disposal experts worked to remove the item, with residents warned to stay inside and away from their windows.
Unexploded WWII ordnance discovered under busy Warsaw street
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Russia has criticised the "sacrilegious" demolition of a Soviet monument in Poland, calling it a “flagrant violation” of a bilateral agreement. But Poland's Institute of National Remembrance says it was a "propaganda object" that had to be removed under a law on "decommunising" public spaces.
Russia condemns Poland's "sacrilegious" demolition of Soviet monument
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Poland’s WIG20 stock market index has hit its highest ever level, surpassing a record that had stood for almost 19 years. The WIG20 has been Europe’s best-performing major blue-chip index so far this year, gaining almost 25%.
Poland's WIG20 stock market index hits record high
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Mateusz Morawiecki has confirmed that his Development Plus group, which is splitting from the national-conservative opposition PiS party, will soon form a party of its own. He ruled out ever working with PM Donald Tusk, but left the door open to cooperating with Tusk's coalition partner, PSL.
Morawiecki confirms breakaway Polish opposition group will form new party
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Poland has appealed against a Belgian court's decision requiring it to pay €1.3bn to Pfizer for Covid vaccines it ordered but later refused to receive. It also renewed a request for the ruling's enforcement to be delayed until the appeal is heard.
Polska składa apelację od wyroku w sprawie szczepionek. W grze 5,5 miliarda złotych
Ministerstwo Zdrowia poinformowało o złożeniu apelacji od wyroku belgijskiego sądu, który nakazał Polsce odebrać 64 mln dawek szczepionki przeciw COVID-19 od koncernu Pfizer i jego partnerów oraz zapł...
rmf24.pl
Bartłomiej Kubkowski has become the first person to swim across the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Poland. He covered 160 kilometres in around 56 hours without sleep, and has so far raised over 715,000 zloty (€166,000) for children's cancer treatment.
Pole becomes first person to swim 160km Baltic Sea route between Sweden and Poland
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Canada’s Alimentation Couche-Tard is set to acquire Poland’s Żabka, Europe’s largest convenience store chain, in a deal worth around €7.5 billion. The takeover could see Żabka leave the Warsaw Stock Exchange just two years after its debut. notesfrompoland.com/2026/07/31/c...
Canadian company launches €7.5 billion bid for Polish convenience store chain Żabka
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The split in PiS is a blow to the party and its leader, Jarosław Kaczyński. But the potential emergence of a new centre-right party led by Mateusz Morawiecki could actually help the opposition win a majority at next year's elections, writes @danieltilles1.bsky.social
The split in Poland’s opposition could help them unseat Tusk’s government [Opinion]
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Early mayoral elections in Kraków, Poland’s second-largest city, will be held on 27 September, the government has announced. The vote follows the dismissal of former mayor Aleksander Miszalski, an ally of the government, in a rare recall referendum.
Tusk zarządził wybory prezydenta Krakowa. Znamy datę
Przedterminowe wybory prezydenta Krakowa odbędą się 27 września. Data została wskazana w rozporządzeniu, które w piątek podpisał Donald Tusk.
wiadomosci.gazeta.pl
Poland has banned primary school and kindergarten pupils from using smartphones during the school day. The law comes into force at the start of the new school year, but schools will have until the end of 2026 to adjust.
Poland bans use of smartphones by children in primary schools and kindergartens
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The object that crashed in the Lublin region on Thursday was a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile carrying a "significant amount" of explosive material. The missile was "potentially very dangerous,” Poland's defence ministry confirmed.
Russian missile that crashed in Poland carried "significant amount" of explosive material
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Poland is to deport a Colombian man who admitted performing a Nazi salute during a visit to the Auschwitz Museum. He has been banned from entering Poland and the Schengen area for five years.
Poland to deport foreigner who performed Nazi salute at Auschwitz Museum
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Poland has created a new post to promote its brand internationally. The marketing expert appointed to the post will coordinate efforts to boost tourism, promote Polish products and attract foreign investment.
Poland appoints new official to promote country's brand internationally
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An object crashed in a field about 100 km from Poland’s border with Ukraine overnight, after a major Russian attack Poland is investigating the incident; Ukrainian officials said the object was a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile.
Unidentified object crashes in Poland after Russian attack on Ukraine
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Opposition to Ukraine joining the EU has hit a record high of 40% in Poland, a CBOS poll shows. Only 50% of Poles now support Ukraine's accession, down from 90% shortly after Russia’s invasion.
Record number of Poles opposed to Ukraine’s EU membership
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A newly sworn-in Constitutional Tribunal judge says he will not take his seat until four colleagues appointed by parliament are allowed to take theirs. He said their appointments had been blocked "unlawfully", in the latest twist in a long-running dispute.
Newly sworn-in judge of Poland's constitutional court stages boycott over blocked colleagues
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Former Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki says 41 lawmakers aligned with him will form their own parliamentary caucus, deepening a split in conservative opposition Law and Justice party. The proposed group would become the third-largest bloc in Poland's Sejm.
Former Polish PM Morawiecki forms rival parliamentary caucus, deepening opposition split
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Poland's Constitutional Tribunal has ruled that a new regulation allowing foreign same-sex marriage certificates to be registered in Poland is unconstitutional. The government says it will not implement the ruling.
Polish court finds regulation allowing foreign same-sex marriage registration unconstitutional
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Residents say they will “fight until the end” after their village, founded in the 1930s by Nazi Germany, was designated as a protected monument. They say the move could make renovations more costly and take decisions out of their hands.
Residents oppose move to add Polish village to list of protected monuments
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Poland has formally entered the race to host one of seven next-generation computing centres planned under the EU’s AI gigafactory initiative. The government hopes the project will bring more than 10 billion zloty in investment.
Poland enters race to host EU-backed AI gigafactory
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Poland has formally asked the US to detain and extradite former justice minister Zbiegniew Ziobro, who faces multiple criminal charges. He denies wrongdoing and calls the case political revenge.
Poland asks US to extradite former minister Ziobro over criminal charges
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UNESCO has added Poland’s modernist port city of Gdynia to its World Heritage List, recognising its pioneering interwar architecture. The recognition comes as Gdynia marks 100 years since gaining city rights.
UNESCO adds Poland's modernist port city of Gdynia to World Heritage List
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The victim of the Islamist terror attack at Berlin Pride was a 65-year-old Polish citizen from Warsaw. The woman's daughter was among the 29 people injured, according to Polish foreign ministry spokesman Maciej Wewiór.
Polsat News: Ofiarą śmiertelną zamachu w Berlinie była Polka
65-letnia Polka z Warszawy była ofiarą śmiertelną zamachu podczas Parady Równości w Berlinie - ustalił dziennikarz Polsat News Tomasz Lejman. Informację tę potwierdzili też rzecznik MSZ Maciej Wewiór ...
polsatnews.pl
Polish President Karol Nawrocki has obstructed a planned windfall tax on fuel companies by sending it to the constitutional court, where it could stay for years. The tax was intended to help cover the cost of measures introduced to protect consumers from Iran war-linked fuel price surge.
Polish president obstructs windfall tax on fuel firms' excess profits, prompting government criticism
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Poland has identified the remains of a prominent figure from the underground resistance that fought against the imposition of communism by the Soviets after WWII. "Once again, we can say that the communist authorities did not win," said the Institute of National Remembrance, announcing the find.
Poland identifies remains of legendary anti-communist resistance fighter
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A new study finds that 75% of Poles favour cooperating with Ukraine against the threat of Russia rather than focusing on their dispute over WWII history However, 59% also support the decision to strip President Zelensky of Poland's highest honour for naming a unit after a group that massacred Poles
Three quarters of Poles support cooperation with Ukraine against Russia despite historical dispute
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Chaining up dogs and cats at home will be banned in Poland from next year, after President Nawrocki signed a law prohibiting the practice. He had vetoed an earlier version of the bill, arguing that it was badly drafted and too restrictive.
Poland bans chaining of dogs and cats
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Poland's busiest national park, in the Tatra mountains, has launched joint police and ranger patrols to clamp down on tourists breaking its strict rules, including by swimming in lakes and driving in restricted areas
Police and park rangers step up joint patrols in Poland’s Tatras after series of tourist offences
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Poland's right-wing opposition PiS party is set to split after a more moderate faction of over 30 MPs loyal to deputy leader and former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki refused to sign a loyalty pledge demanded by leader Jarosław Kaczyński, who said today that meant they had effectively resigned.
Polish opposition PiS party set to split, with over 30 MPs being expelled
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