Polonium
Canadian’s fight to bring sons home from Poland continues; ruling on May 29
A Polish court is expected to make a decision at the end of the month in the case of an Ontario man fighting to have his two sons returned to him.
Stephen Watkins gained custody of his sons, aged 8 and 10, after he split with his wife Edyta. She and the boys vanished in March 2009 only to emerge two years later in Poland, her native country. Continue reading
Poland’s Lech Walesa says members of today’s Solidarity deserve to be beaten
Poland’s former President Lech Walesa said Wednesday that members of Solidarity, the trade union he once led, deserve to be beaten for a disruptive protest they staged last week in Warsaw.
The comments by the outspoken Walesa underline the deep split that has occurred between him and the labor movement he led in the 1980s, one prompted by ideological and personal differences. In the 1980s Solidarity was the key dissident group that eventually helped topple communist rule, but has since evolved into a traditional labor union that supports a strong welfare state. Continue reading
Polish PM’s visit stirs emotions on Parliament Hill
It’s rare, indeed, to hear a foreign dignitary declare that his visit to Ottawa nearly made him cry.
Did David Cameron choke up at the thought of the close relations between Canada and Britain? Nope. Did Barack Obama get all teary about the volume of cross-border trade? Please.
But Donald Tusk pulled it off — and not one eyeball rolled. Continue reading
Economists give Poland a thumbs up
The European Commission’s latest economic forecast ranked Poland as the fastest developing EU member state in 2012, although it revised the country’s growth estimate downwards for 2013. But analysts appear much more optimistic than the EU executive and insist that the Polish economy will do even better next year.
The Commission’s Spring economic forecast, unveiled on 11 May (see background), brought substantial change to the previous estimate published in November 2011. Continue reading
Poland hasn’t changed intent to join euro -Tusk
Poland is still ready to join the euro, even though the euro zone’s reputation has been dented by a protracted debt crisis, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Monday during a visit to Canada.
By joining the European Union, Poland had already declared its readiness to be part of the euro zone, Tusk said at a joint news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Continue reading
Poland’s zloty headache
Greece’s growing political problems are having a knock-on effect on the Polish zloty as investors flee emerging markets, which in turn is causing political problems for Poland’s government.
The Polish zloty slumped by 2 per cent against the dollar and by 1.4 per cent against both the euro and the Swiss franc on Monday, continuing a slump that has seen the zloty fall from 4.08 to the euro in mid-March to 4.30. Continue reading
Canada and Poland set to expand energy relationship
Canada and Poland are promoting closer trade ties and co-operation in the energy and resource sectors during the first visit to Canada by a Polish prime minister in more than two decades.
A joint statement issued Monday outlined agreement on a tax convention and a committment to two-trade as a “platform” for the two countries to “explore further collaboration in the areas of energy policies and regulations, renewable and nuclear energy, carbon capture and storage, energy efficiency, and shale gas development.” Continue reading
Lenin’s name reappears at Walesa’s Polish shipyard
Lenin’s notorious name has returned to a public spot in Eastern Europe: the Gdansk shipyard where Lech Walesa led his anti-communist movement. Though just for a film set, the move has sparked emotions. Continue reading
Poland debates natural gas future
The fledgling shale natural gas business in Poland is in danger of becoming too politicized, a former Polish geologist said.
Warsaw estimates it has as much as 3.3 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, lower than the 187 trillion cubic feet estimated by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Continue reading
Harper to meet with Polish PM
Trade and natural resources are expected to top the agenda when Prime Minister Stephen Harper sits down with his Polish counterpart in Ottawa Monday.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is in Canada on a three-day working visit.
Harper and Tusk will have a tete-a-tete in the morning before attending a reception on Parliament Hill with members of Canada’s polish community. Continue reading
