Olivier Bault | Visegrád Post

Polish Medical Council resigns over government’s “laxity” in response to pandemic

Olivier Bault January 20, 2022

Poland – Last Friday, part of the Polish right, including some in PiS’ ranks, applauded the resignation of 13 of the Medical Council’s 17 members who had been advising Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic since November…

Politics

“Polish Order” economic programme brings disorder and could cost PiS dearly

Olivier Bault January 15, 2022

Poland – Being a sort of Polish-style New Deal, the “Polish Order” (Polski Ład) programme includes a tax reform component that, with its entry into force on 1 January, has become a cause for confusion and discontent. Many imperfections and errors require…

Politics

Conflict of jurisdiction between Brussels and the EU’s East getting nasty (Part 3)

Olivier Bault January 12, 2022

Hungarian Constitutional Court says national authorities must make up for EU inaction on immigration — Part 1: Warsaw demands EU treaties be complied with and refuses to pay fines imposed by the ECJ Part 2: EU case law vs national constitution: rulings…

Politics

Conflict of jurisdiction between Brussels and the EU’s East getting nasty (Part 1)

Olivier Bault January 5, 2022

Warsaw demands EU treaties be complied with and refuses to pay fines imposed by the ECJ A series of three articles by Olivier Bault dealing with the current conflicts between the European Commission, the ECJ and the member states opposing judicial activism…

Politics

Conflict of jurisdiction between Brussels and the EU’s East getting nasty (Part 2)

Olivier Bault December 31, 2021

EU case law vs national constitution – Rulings and counter-rulings by ECJ and Romanian Constitutional Court -- Read Part 1: Warsaw demands EU treaties be complied with and refuses to pay fines imposed by the ECJ -- As major beneficiaries of EU…

Politics

Poland and V4 acting against absurdities of EU climate policy

Olivier Bault December 23, 2021

Poland – Meeting on 16 December to discuss, among other things, soaring energy prices, the EU-27 were unable to agree on two issues that are crucial to Europe’s future: the CO2 emissions trading system (ETS) and the energy “taxonomy”, that is, the…

Politics

Conservative summit in Warsaw with Marine Le Pen getting closer to Polish leaders

Olivier Bault December 7, 2021

Poland - “Kaczyński’s Germanophobia and his extreme unwillingness to build a strong European Union have led to Putin’s fascist friends now being welcomed as heroes in Warsaw. Another step towards dismantling the European Community from within. And another step towards Polexit.” This is…

Politics

After the ECJ, Polish Constitutional Tribunal stands up to European Court of Human Rights

Olivier Bault November 29, 2021

Poland – On 24 November, the Polish Constitutional Tribunal struck again. This time, its target is not the European Court of Justice, on whose jurisdiction it set limits with its rulings of 14 July and 7 October, but the European Court of…

Politics

PiS divided even on lighter version of vaccine segregation

Olivier Bault November 20, 2021

Poland – For several months now, the Polish Minister of Health has been trying to get a law passed that would allow employers to check their employees’ Covid-19 vaccination status. The employers’ union Lewiatan requested this on the…

Politics

Poland stands firm against groups of “migrants” brought in from Belarus

Olivier Bault November 16, 2021

Poland/Belarus – Tensions continue to rise on Poland’s eastern border. On Saturday, accompanying a group of about 100 migrants to whom they had apparently supplied tear gas, Belarusian soldiers ripped out a portion of border wire while blinding Polish soldiers with searchlights…

Society

Poland unfairly attacked by abortion supporters after pregnant woman dies

Olivier Bault November 10, 2021

Those wanting more liberal abortion laws were back on the streets in many cities of Poland on Saturday, 6 November. The biggest demonstration took place in Warsaw in front of the Constitutional Tribunal, which ruled a year ago that the clause in…

Interviews

Jacek Saryusz-Wolski: “Poland must withdraw from Next Generation EU and block climate package as response to Commission’s blackmail”

Olivier Bault November 6, 2021

Interview with Polish MEP Jacek Saryusz-Wolski. Jacek Saryusz-Wolski was once a leading figure in the Civic Platform (PO) and one of the main negotiators of Poland’s accession to the European Union. Disgusted by the way his liberal colleagues sought to push through…