Tag: Poland

On the occasion of the summer session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), a delegation of civil society activists from Poland and the Open Dialogue Foundation (ODF) held a series of bilateral meetings with PACE Members and Permanent Representations to the Organisation.

On the occasion of the summer session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), a delegation of civil society activists from Poland and the Open Dialogue Foundation (ODF) held a series of bilateral meetings with PACE Members and Permanent Representations to the Organisation.

“Just as in 1980 there could not be freedom without solidarity, today there can not be freedom without the rule of law!” – former President Lech Wałęsa appeals to the European Commission regarding the reform of the Supreme Court in Poland, which will come into force on 3 July 2018.

On May 24, Gazeta Wyborcza published a column entitled “Good change counted in ziobrys” on the application of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to the court to dismiss the board of the Open Dialogue Foundation and the last similar case regarding the organization Citizens of the Republic of Poland.

In the dispute with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since August 2017, the Open Dialogue Foundation once again defended its position: The Regional Court for the capital city of Warsaw decided to dismiss the Minister of Foreign Affairs’s complaint against the previous decision of the court.

The celebration of the Polish-Ukrainian Solidarity Day will take place on on the Piłsudski Square in Warsaw on 20 May 2018, at 4:00 pm. The initiators of the event are Warsaw social activists, including Bartosz Kramek and Joanna Cuper from the Open Dialogue Foundation.

Since the end of 2015, we have seen disturbing trends in the actions of the Polish government and the parliamentary majority formed by the populist-nationalist party, Law and Justice (PiS), which harm the activities of human rights defenders and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Poland.

On 7 December 2017, the court dismissed the motion, personally signed by Witold Waszczykowski, for appointment of a compulsory administrator for the Open Dialogue Foundation. Still, his successor, Minister Jacek Czaputowicz is following in the footsteps of his predecessor.

During the last PACE Winter session, on 26 January 2018, twenty-nine members signed a motion for resolution to call for the strengthening of efforts aimed at promoting and protecting the rule of law and the respect of civil liberties in Poland, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova.

On the occasion of the winter session of the PACE, the Open Dialogue Foundation organised a 4-day mission to Strasbourg. The Polish delegation was headed by Lyudmyla Kozlovska, President of the ODF, Anna Prus from The Poland-wide Women’s Strike and Robert Hojda – creator of the Przystań “OKO”.

In the Council of Europe headquarters, the Open Dialogue Foundation organized a debate devoted to the situation of the rule of law and civil society in Poland. The event was attended by Belgian parliamentarian Petra De Sutter who, after the debate, shared her thoughts and reflections on her website.

In the light of the recent developments in Poland, one of the most urgent problems is the attack on civil society by governmental administration bodies. Non-governmental organisations, critical of the state authorities have been subjected to unprecedented pressure.

ODF, in partnership with PACE Members P. De Sutter and F. Schwabe is pleased to invite you to attend the event “Government against the rule of law, civil society and independent media in Poland” on Tuesday, January 23, from 13.00 to 14.00, at the premises of the Council of Europe, Room 11 – Palais.

The right-wing internet focused on the fate of the hunter of the Russian influence in Poland, a victim of ‘Putin’s trolls’. Among emotional posts, it is easy to lose track of facts. And those are not very convenient for the hunter.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has received the court’s decision dismissing the motion to suspend the management board and appoint a compulsory administrator for the Open Dialogue Foundation; the Ministry is planning to file a complaint in the matter” Gazeta Prawna writes.