History / What do Poles owe to Hungarians? [231]

Merkel was reelected as chancellor 2 years after the decision, and the party that was decisively against her refugee policies got 10% of the votes.


Referendums are rarely practical, even in non-emergencies. A simple yes/no question hardly ever reflects the reality of the sitution. Something you seem either unable or unwilling to acknowledge.

History / What do Poles owe to Hungarians? [231]


More like the result of Merkel's policies reflecting the wishes of most Germans to some degree and an appreciation how she had steered Germany through multiple crisis by this point ( and would do so again during the pandemic). It of course also helped that the refugee crisis was well over by 2017.


The NSDAP never received a majority in any fair and free election.

Please get this thread back to Hungarians, some of you are debating a different country

UK, Ireland / Is it good for Poland as Sinn Fein will win today in Northen Ireland [263]


It is not since the UK is about to break an international treaty.

UK, Ireland / Is it good for Poland as Sinn Fein will win today in Northen Ireland [263]

We shall see. Maybe Johnson will see reason and not implement what he promised, but I see little grounds for optimism.

UK, Ireland / Is it good for Poland as Sinn Fein will win today in Northen Ireland [263]


Me too, since I just read that it is possible that this proposal might not get a majority in parliament. Hopefully enough MPs will see that a clear violation of international law and a possible trade war with EU are not in the UKs' interest.

Life / Poland's birthrate on the decline [480]


Very true. Women have to bear the physical risks and inconveniences of birth and pregnancy and there is often an expectation that they sacrifice their careers instead of men. Which means that they are often at risk of poverty in old age if their marriage terminates (which happens more and more).

I am a man thus I do not have to worry about those things, yet I don't want any children either for multiple other reasons. The progress we have made as a species means that people do not need large families anymore in order to provide for themselves in old age, and women can actively choose if and how many children they end up with. Which also makes the decision to have children more noble and meaningful, but there should not be any pressure on women to "breed".

History / POLISH AND RUSSIAN FRIENDSHIP WILL LAST FOREVER [513]


I would put it more respectfully, but Russia was indeed for most of its' history indeed hardly comparable to Austria for most of its' history. While Austria held the most prestigious crown in Europe (France and England desired the Imperial Crown, nobody desired to be King of Russia), the Russian King knelt to hordes from the East and desperately wanted to be treated as an equal by the Emperor. While Austria (along with others) defended Europe for centuries from the Ottomans, took the Poles and Swedes turns beating up Russia. Russia only started to step after Eugene of Savoy had broken the might of the Ottomans.

History / POLISH AND RUSSIAN FRIENDSHIP WILL LAST FOREVER [513]


In the 18th century, 900 years after the Emperor in Austria and when the rank of Emperor was losing most of its' prestige. You had Emperors of France, Austria and indeed Russia by that point, later followed by the Emperor of Germany.


Not like you did it all by yourself.


I am fairly certain that it wasn't just the Austrians who were defeated at Austerlitz. ;) Austrian Field Marshall Radetzky developed the plan to defeat Napoleon and Schwarzenberg led the Battle at Leipzig. And Wellington did not say: "Give me night, or give me Kutusov".

@Lyzko
Well said.

Genealogy / Silesian, old Polish heritage? [49]

Not to mention (often) no indoor plumbing, few if any electricity, no television, food shortages no antibiotica and other medicine we take for granted. Few if any public transportation outside the big cities. My grandfather lost 3 siblings in the 1930s to afflictions and diseases we can cure easily today.

News / NATO expansion in northern Europe - great news for Poland [136]

Very interesting. Suddenly the Baltic states are in a completely different situation. Russia is now unlikely to achieve quick air or sea superiority in case of an invasion, and they would have to hold back significant forces for the defense of St. Petersburg.

UK, Ireland / Boris Johnson - is the new British PM a popular figure in Poland? [150]

You mean like you destroyed the US when you arrived there.

News / Poland's PiS party members and crime [332]


Pacta sunt servanda. That is something even the old Romans knew. Those are especially true in industrial matters that require times of preparation for the producer.


Any government in any buisness relationship must obey the law like " a mere client". Unless it can be proven that Airbus bribed officials or there products do no meet promised requirements, then the Polish government has no leg to stand on.

News / Poland's PiS party members and crime [332]


Contracts with the defense industry are not negotiated and signed over night. The defense ministry orders extensive studies from its' military and inquires about their demands and gets usually several different offers from various competitors. This is the time and place to raise any security concerns.

Security concerns are however not a magical formula to get out of a signed contract unless it can be shown that the negotiation were fraudulant or the product does not live up to the demanded standards. Otherwise no private defense company would do buisness with your government because they could not afford this legal insecurity.

UK, Ireland / Boris Johnson - is the new British PM a popular figure in Poland? [150]


The man was sent to a private school whose tuiton fees are from what I've read higher than what your average Brit makes in a year.

Hardly "middle class" origins.

News / Ruling PiS party tried to cover up eco disaster in Odra River [88]

This might become a case for the police if something was illegally dumped into the Oder and öater covered up by the authorities.

News / Ruling PiS party tried to cover up eco disaster in Odra River [88]

On the bright side , PiS has accorsing to my knowledge not tried to blame Germany for this disaster. Probably because they can not deny in which direction the rivee is running.

News / Ruling PiS party tried to cover up eco disaster in Odra River [88]

Which river? The Rhine has historically low water due to the ongoing drought, but there is no pollution I am aware of.


Of course not. How would any kind of pollution from the German side magically teleport close to Wroclaw and then make its' way up to the sea?

News / Years of Poland in the EU - assessment of pros and cons [1139]

I think we can all agree that there is some difference between some individuals trying to cash in on their political relations and the ruling party trying to get control over the judiciary.

Which is why Germany has rules that prevent what PiS is currently trying. That there is further need to fight corruption (something all countries struggle with) is unrelated to this.

News / Years of Poland in the EU - assessment of pros and cons [1139]


The government can not appoint judges with a simple majority.

News / Years of Poland in the EU - assessment of pros and cons [1139]


No, it is a key issue. It means that a government can stack the judiciary with hardline judges who may even support their ambition to undermine the democracy.

Whereas in Germany the government has to negotiate with the opposition, the jduges are sufficiently vetted and not all judges owe their office and loyalty to a specific party.

News / Years of Poland in the EU - assessment of pros and cons [1139]


Untrue. When Poland joined the EU, it signed up to common rules including the rule of law. If the ECJ rules against PiS, it has to follow the decision.

This is not about Germany vs Poland but the EU against PiS.

Of course, it is also in Germanys' interest to safeguard its' neighbour and partner against sliding into authoritanism. We already have a huge problem with Hungary that not only has ramifications for its' people, but the EU as a whole.


Sanctions, phasing out its' fossil fuels sooner than is economically sensible, sending huge military and financial aid to its' opponents now counts as support?


As do we.


Personally, I'd be happy if instead of actively paying us back, your government could just let go of long resolved past grievances and drop its' use of anti-German propaganda for domestic reasons.

News / Years of Poland in the EU - assessment of pros and cons [1139]


Berlin is not asking for reparations for former German territories or stirring up past resentments.


The ECJ has so far backed Bruessels.


Taking in the 2nd largest group of Ukrainian refugees and being 3rd in overall support counts as "symbolical"?

News / Years of Poland in the EU - assessment of pros and cons [1139]


Who said they were like the Nazis? For that they would have to commit a genocide and attack their neighbours. PiS does however behave suspiciously like other governments that turned their countries into autocracies.


Who said it was? It does however cause needless bad blood between two neighbours without any benefit except some points in the polls for PiS. It is incredibly stupid to poison people with senseless resentment.


ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/

News / Years of Poland in the EU - assessment of pros and cons [1139]


By an independent, internationally respected institute. Do you have a better source?

Those aid deliveries are public knowledge. The list of supplied arms and other equipment are published. I don't see how the equipment sent from Germamy would count as "symbolical".


Nationalismus has negative conotations like it does in other languages, but its' meaning is not any different and people do not automatically connect it to the Nazis, just as people do not link Social Democrats to Nationalsocialism.


The EU Comissiom is the arbiter to which Poland agreed to when it joined the EU.


That issue has long been settled. Germany owes Poland reparations the same way France owes the former opponents of Napoleon war reparations.

News / Poland to officially demand $1.32 trillion WW2 reparations from Germany [457]


Which is hardly a valid argument, since the entire claim for reparations from Germany is not based on legal arguments (because the matter is legally settled) but supposedly moral ones.

News / Poland to officially demand $1.32 trillion WW2 reparations from Germany [457]

There are no "NATO obligations". Every country can choose how much it spends on defence.

News / Poland to officially demand $1.32 trillion WW2 reparations from Germany [457]

A lot of democratically elected parties and politicians turned out to be gangsters or worse.

News / Poland to officially demand $1.32 trillion WW2 reparations from Germany [457]

There are Wikipedia articles listing politicians from the USA alone who have been convictes for crimes... .

News / Poland to officially demand $1.32 trillion WW2 reparations from Germany [457]

Nobody in Germany is still talking about those claims. They have been dismissed as obsolete and legally invalid and that is it. Partly because our government understands that needlessy stoking resentment with an ally at a time of war is just stupid.

News / Poland to officially demand $1.32 trillion WW2 reparations from Germany [457]


Nonsense. Not only is the EU not Germany, it was PiS that picked up that gauntlet with a completely indefensible agenda that threatens the Polish rule of law. None of this is in Poland's interest. It would solely benefit PiS.