Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Monday shared pictures from a ceremony held in Poland to honour his father and legendary poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan. 
 
Bachchan shared pictures from a church in Poland where a special prayer was held in honour of the celebrated literary figure."At one of the oldest churches in Europe, in Poland, a prayer for Babuji .. so touched and such an emotional moment .. his soul must be at peace and love...Thank you Bishop and the people of Poland .. such an honour," Bachchan tweeted.&nbsp;

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T 3581 - At one of the oldest Churches in Europe , in Poland a prayer for Babuji .. so touched and such an emotional moment .. his soul must be at peace and love .. 
Thank you Bishop and the people of Poland .. such an honour <a href="https://t.co/dkcjUpEEN0">pic.twitter.com/dkcjUpEEN0</a>
— Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) <a href="https://twitter.com/SrBachchan/status/1206323153728876549?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Earlier on Sunday, Bachchan had shared pictures from his ceremonial welcome at the airport and shared that the country will be honouring his father.

On the work front, the legendary actor would next be seen in Ayan Mukerji's '<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/alia-bhatt-ranbir-kapoor-launch-brahmastra-logo-at-kumbh-mela-ayan-mukerji-debuts-on-instagram-201199">Brahmastra</a>'&nbsp;and Emraan Hashmi starrer '<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/amitabh-bachchan-and-emraan-hashmi-starrer-chehre-gets-new-release-date-260941">Chehre</a>'

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Monday shared pictures from a ceremony held in Poland to honour his father and legendary poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Bachchan shared pictures from a church in Poland where a special prayer was held in honour of the celebrated literary figure.

Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan on Monday shared pictures from a ceremony held in Poland to honour his father and legendary poet Harivansh Rai Bachchan. Bachchan shared pictures from a church in Poland where a special prayer was held in honour of the celebrated literary figure."At one of the oldest churches in Europe, in Poland, a prayer for Babuji .. so touched and such an emotional moment .. his soul must be at peace and love...Thank you Bishop and the people of Poland .. such an honour," Bachchan tweeted. T 3581 - At one of the oldest Churches in Europe , in Poland a prayer for Babuji .. so touched and such an emotional moment .. his soul must be at peace and love .. Thank you Bishop and the people of Poland .. such an honour pic.twitter.com/dkcjUpEEN0 — Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) December 15, 2019 × Earlier on Sunday, Bachchan had shared pictures from his ceremonial welcome at the airport and shared that the country will be honouring his father. On the work front, the legendary actor would next be seen in Ayan Mukerji's 'Brahmastra' and Emraan Hashmi starrer 'Chehre'

Amitabh Bachchan attends prayer held in honour of his father	Harivansh Rai Bachchan in Poland

European Union leaders agreed on Friday (December 13) to a 2050 climate neutrality target for the bloc, after hours of haggling with eastern European states demanding funds to support a transition away from fossil fuels and the continued use of nuclear power.

Speaking after discussions that Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called 'very difficult,' German Chancellor Angela Merkel acknowledged that Poland would need another six months to fully sign up.

The decision came just a day after the bloc's new executive unveiled a 100-billion-euro plan for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century, declaring it the EU's "man on the moon moment".

The two-day summit is the first since Germany's Ursula von der Leyen took office as the new head of the European Commission, and a failure to agree on the climate neutrality deal, her biggest initiative, would have been an early setback for the new leadership.

Commenting on the British election, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said that the results, according to exit polls, meant Brexit would now materialise and that time was short to seal a new relationship deal between the EU and Britain.

European Union leaders agreed on Friday (December 13) to a 2050 climate neutrality target for the bloc, after hours of haggling with eastern European states demanding funds to support a transition away from fossil fuels and the continued use of nuclear power.

European Union leaders agreed on Friday (December 13) to a 2050 climate neutrality target for the bloc, after hours of haggling with eastern European states demanding funds to support a transition away from fossil fuels and the continued use of nuclear power. Speaking after discussions that Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki called 'very difficult,' German Chancellor Angela Merkel acknowledged that Poland would need another six months to fully sign up. The decision came just a day after the bloc's new executive unveiled a 100-billion-euro plan for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century, declaring it the EU's "man on the moon moment". The two-day summit is the first since Germany's Ursula von der Leyen took office as the new head of the European Commission, and a failure to agree on the climate neutrality deal, her biggest initiative, would have been an early setback for the new leadership. Commenting on the British election, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said that the results, according to exit polls, meant Brexit would now materialise and that time was short to seal a new relationship deal between the EU and Britain.

EU agrees on 2050 climate neutrality without Poland

Poland's main opposition group, the centre-right Civic Platform (PO), picked a party veteran known for building consensus on Saturday as its contender to unseat nationalist ally Andrzej Duda in a presidential election next year.

A former parliament speaker, Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska, 62, is trailing Duda, 47, in opinion polls by a double-digit margin, but her party hopes she will be able to mobilise undecided voters at a time of deepening political polarisation in Poland.

"It is not easy to be in the centre in populist times," said Grzegorz Schetyna, the leader of Civic Platform, ahead of the party vote.

Poland's political landscape has shifted since the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) government came to power in 2015 after campaigning on a platform of generous welfare spending and nationalist rhetoric infused with Catholic piety.

While campaigning for several elections since then, including a parliamentary vote in October and a local election last year, the opposition has struggled to formulate a strong message to wrest support away from the PiS.

Political analysts say Kidawa-Blonska's advantage is that she appeals to centrist and conservative voters, and could also win over those who have not made a decision on who to back.

"She won't convince core PiS supporters, but she has a chance to convince the undecided," said Agnieszka Kwiatkowska, a sociologist at SWPS university.

Duda would win 46.2% of the vote, with Kidawa-Blonska trailing on 23.3%, according to a late-November poll by IBRiS for Polish daily Dziennik Gazeta Prawna and private radio RMF FM.

According to other polls, Wladyslaw Kosyniak-Kamysz from the agrarian Polish People's Party (PSL) and independent Szymon Holownia, a Catholic journalist and TV presenter, would get single-digit support.

Two other parties, The Left and the right-wing Confederation group, have yet to announce their candidates.

Poland's main opposition group, the centre-right Civic Platform (PO), picked a party veteran known for building consensus on Saturday as its contender to unseat nationalist ally Andrzej Duda in a presidential election next year.

Poland's main opposition group, the centre-right Civic Platform (PO), picked a party veteran known for building consensus on Saturday as its contender to unseat nationalist ally Andrzej Duda in a presidential election next year. A former parliament speaker, Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska, 62, is trailing Duda, 47, in opinion polls by a double-digit margin, but her party hopes she will be able to mobilise undecided voters at a time of deepening political polarisation in Poland. "It is not easy to be in the centre in populist times," said Grzegorz Schetyna, the leader of Civic Platform, ahead of the party vote. Poland's political landscape has shifted since the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) government came to power in 2015 after campaigning on a platform of generous welfare spending and nationalist rhetoric infused with Catholic piety. While campaigning for several elections since then, including a parliamentary vote in October and a local election last year, the opposition has struggled to formulate a strong message to wrest support away from the PiS. Political analysts say Kidawa-Blonska's advantage is that she appeals to centrist and conservative voters, and could also win over those who have not made a decision on who to back. "She won't convince core PiS supporters, but she has a chance to convince the undecided," said Agnieszka Kwiatkowska, a sociologist at SWPS university. Duda would win 46.2% of the vote, with Kidawa-Blonska trailing on 23.3%, according to a late-November poll by IBRiS for Polish daily Dziennik Gazeta Prawna and private radio RMF FM. According to other polls, Wladyslaw Kosyniak-Kamysz from the agrarian Polish People's Party (PSL) and independent Szymon Holownia, a Catholic journalist and TV presenter, would get single-digit support. Two other parties, The Left and the right-wing Confederation group, have yet to announce their candidates.

Poland's main opposition picks moderate veteran for presidential vote

According to a police spokesman, a&nbsp;three-storey building in the resort&nbsp;of Szczyrk collapsed on Wednesday&nbsp;after a gas explosion, killing four people in Southern Poland.

The bodies of three adults and a child have been found in the rubble so far.

The spokesman added that&nbsp;up to eight people were in the premises, with firemen struggling to find other victims.

Up to 100 firemen and 50 police officers are on the scene, Polish state broadcaster TVP reported.

(With inputs from Reuters, further details awaited)

According to a police spokesman, a three-storey building in the resort of Szczyrk collapsed on Wednesday after a gas explosion, killing four people in Southern Poland.

According to a police spokesman, a three-storey building in the resort of Szczyrk collapsed on Wednesday after a gas explosion, killing four people in Southern Poland. The bodies of three adults and a child have been found in the rubble so far. The spokesman added that up to eight people were in the premises, with firemen struggling to find other victims. Up to 100 firemen and 50 police officers are on the scene, Polish state broadcaster TVP reported. (With inputs from Reuters, further details awaited)

Four including child dead in gas explosion at Polish ski resort

Eight people were killed when a three-story building in the southern <a href="https://www.wionews.com/.../four-including-child-dead-in-gas-explosion-at- polish-ski-resort-266339">Polish ski resort of Szczyrk collapsed</a> on Wednesday following a gas explosion, local authorities said on Thursday.

The bodies of four children and four adults, most likely from two families, have been found in the rubble, authorities said.

Roughly 200 people, including firefighters and police, took part in the rescue efforts. The search operation would be scaled down on Thursday, officials said, with heavy machinery brought in to sift through the rubble. It was not expected that more victims would be found.

"It is a very difficult operation. I don't remember such a high number of casualties in a gas explosion," Jacek Kleszczewski, a regional firefighters' chief, said.

A local gas utility said the explosion was likely caused by a hole drilled into an installation.

Eight people were killed when a three-story building in the southern Polish ski resort of Szczyrk collapsed on Wednesday following a gas explosion, local authorities said on Thursday.

Eight people were killed when a three-story building in the southern Polish ski resort of Szczyrk collapsed on Wednesday following a gas explosion, local authorities said on Thursday. The bodies of four children and four adults, most likely from two families, have been found in the rubble, authorities said. Roughly 200 people, including firefighters and police, took part in the rescue efforts. The search operation would be scaled down on Thursday, officials said, with heavy machinery brought in to sift through the rubble. It was not expected that more victims would be found. "It is a very difficult operation. I don't remember such a high number of casualties in a gas explosion," Jacek Kleszczewski, a regional firefighters' chief, said. A local gas utility said the explosion was likely caused by a hole drilled into an installation.

Eight found dead in Polish ski resort gas explosion

Poland's PGNiG state-owned natural gas company announced on Friday it would not extend a major contract with Russian gas giant Gazprom when it ends in 2022, thanks to its successful diversification of energy sources.

PGNiG said it had notified Gazprom about its "intent to terminate" a long-term so-called Yamal contract from 1996 on "December 31, 2022", according to a company press release.

Two-thirds of the gas consumed in Poland, about 10 billion cubic meters, is currently delivered by Russia under the Yamal contract.&nbsp;

An EU and NATO member, Poland has long wanted to wean itself off Russian gas, notably by having opened an LNG terminal on its Baltic coast capable of receiving LNG shipments from the US and the Middle East.

Polish companies have also acquired several gas fields in the North Sea and Warsaw has signed an agreement with Denmark on the construction of a pipeline under the Baltic Sea to ensure deliveries.

A former Soviet satellite state, Poland maintains that reliance on Russian energy supplies makes it vulnerable to political pressure from Moscow. Warsaw has also accused Gazprom of price gouging.

Along with the US, Ukraine and the Baltic states, Poland has lashed out against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that runs under the Baltic Sea and is set to double shipments of Russian natural gas to Germany, the EU's biggest economy.

They warn that Moscow could seize on Europe's increased reliance on Russian gas to exert political pressure.

Poland's PGNiG state-owned natural gas company announced on Friday it would not extend a major contract with Russian gas giant Gazprom when it ends in 2022, thanks to its successful diversification of energy sources.

Poland's PGNiG state-owned natural gas company announced on Friday it would not extend a major contract with Russian gas giant Gazprom when it ends in 2022, thanks to its successful diversification of energy sources. PGNiG said it had notified Gazprom about its "intent to terminate" a long-term so-called Yamal contract from 1996 on "December 31, 2022", according to a company press release. Two-thirds of the gas consumed in Poland, about 10 billion cubic meters, is currently delivered by Russia under the Yamal contract. An EU and NATO member, Poland has long wanted to wean itself off Russian gas, notably by having opened an LNG terminal on its Baltic coast capable of receiving LNG shipments from the US and the Middle East. Polish companies have also acquired several gas fields in the North Sea and Warsaw has signed an agreement with Denmark on the construction of a pipeline under the Baltic Sea to ensure deliveries. A former Soviet satellite state, Poland maintains that reliance on Russian energy supplies makes it vulnerable to political pressure from Moscow. Warsaw has also accused Gazprom of price gouging. Along with the US, Ukraine and the Baltic states, Poland has lashed out against the Nord Stream 2 pipeline that runs under the Baltic Sea and is set to double shipments of Russian natural gas to Germany, the EU's biggest economy. They warn that Moscow could seize on Europe's increased reliance on Russian gas to exert political pressure.

Poland to end major Russian gas contract by 2022

&nbsp;The Polish opposition secured the post of Senate speaker in a parliamentary vote on Tuesday seen as a test of its ability to retain control of the upper house after winning it in an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/polands-ruling-nationalists-win-majority-in-parliament-255794">October&nbsp;13 general election</a>.

The loss of the Senate was a blow to the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party because that could delay some of its legislative ambitions. These include further changes to the justice system, which have concerned the European Union.

Since the election, Polish media have reported that PiS had made overtures to opposition senators in an attempt to establish a working majority.

In Tuesday's vote for speaker, the opposition candidate, centrist Civic Platform's (PO) senator Tomasz Grodzki, a 61-year-old surgeon, won 51 votes, while the PiS' candidate Stanislaw Karczewski received 48 votes in the 100-member Senate. One lawmaker refrained from voting.

"This is a victory of democracy," Grodzki told the Senate.

During its first term in power PiS, accused by the EU of subverting the rule of law, gained a reputation for pushing through bills at breakneck speed, with hastily called late-night lower house sittings followed by quick approval from the Senate.

"Taking over the Senate means very severe strengthening of the opposition. For the PiS every vote lost in the Senate is an image loss," said Warsaw University sociologist Jacek Haman.

The Polish opposition secured the post of Senate speaker in a parliamentary vote on Tuesday seen as a test of its ability to retain control of the upper house after winning it in an October 13 general election.

The Polish opposition secured the post of Senate speaker in a parliamentary vote on Tuesday seen as a test of its ability to retain control of the upper house after winning it in an October 13 general election. The loss of the Senate was a blow to the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party because that could delay some of its legislative ambitions. These include further changes to the justice system, which have concerned the European Union. Since the election, Polish media have reported that PiS had made overtures to opposition senators in an attempt to establish a working majority. In Tuesday's vote for speaker, the opposition candidate, centrist Civic Platform's (PO) senator Tomasz Grodzki, a 61-year-old surgeon, won 51 votes, while the PiS' candidate Stanislaw Karczewski received 48 votes in the 100-member Senate. One lawmaker refrained from voting. "This is a victory of democracy," Grodzki told the Senate. During its first term in power PiS, accused by the EU of subverting the rule of law, gained a reputation for pushing through bills at breakneck speed, with hastily called late-night lower house sittings followed by quick approval from the Senate. "Taking over the Senate means very severe strengthening of the opposition. For the PiS every vote lost in the Senate is an image loss," said Warsaw University sociologist Jacek Haman.

Poland's opposition wins speaker seat in upper house of parliament

Tens of thousands of Poles took part in a far-right march in the capital Warsaw on Monday to mark Polish independence, an annual event that has become a focus of friction between nationalists and liberals.

Some chanted "God, honour, homeland!" and "No to the European Union!" and waved red-and-white Polish flags. Others lit red flares, blanketing sections of the parade with smoke.

"We have to return to our roots. Our world has abandoned God and Christianity," Robert Bakiewicz, head of a group organising the march, told participants in central Warsaw. "We will die as the nations of western Europe are dying."

A small group of hardline Italian far-right group Forza Nuova members also took part, waving flags.

Poland has become increasingly polarised since the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party came to power in 2015, calling for a revival of patriotic and Roman Catholic values in public life and a rejection of Western liberalism.

Critics say PiS, which won a second term last month with 44 per cent&nbsp;of the vote, has tacitly encouraged groups with roots in the fascist and anti-Semitic movements of the 1930s that organised the march, although the party denies this.

Last year, on the centenary of Polish independence, government officials and President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the PiS, agreed to hold a joint event with the annual march organisers, but walked at a distance, away from any overt displays of nationalism.

This year, PiS held its own, separate events.

"Our nation has a mission and it has to fulfil it," PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said on Sunday. "Our mission is to sustain everything that's a foundation of our Christian civilisation.

"We will walk this path, and if it's done in a thoughtful way, it will bring us to victory."

On November&nbsp;11, Poles commemorate the establishment in 1918 of the second Polish Republic, created after World War One from parts of what was then Russia, Germany and Austria.

Two years ago, the march was dotted with racist banners, some of them reading "Pure blood, clear mind" or "Europe will be white or uninhabited".

Before PiS came to power, scuffles between participants and police were not uncommon, but in recent years, more families with children have joined.

On Monday, some wore stickers saying "Stop 447", in a protest against a US&nbsp;law on the restitution of Jewish property seized during or after World War Two, an issue increasingly featuring in public debate in Poland.

The US&nbsp;Department of State is expected to provide a nonbinding report to Congress later this year on property restitution, under legislation known as the Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act, or Act 447.

Poland was home to one of the world's biggest Jewish communities before it was almost entirely wiped out by Nazi German occupiers who set up death camps such as Auschwitz on Polish soil.

Another far-right march, in the southwestern city of Wroclaw, was ended by city authorities due to racist remarks 25 minutes after it had begun.

"The march was dissolved (...) due to hate-speech (anti-Semitism) and the use of pyrotechnics," the vice-president of the Wroclaw City Council, Bartlomiej Ciazynski, wrote on Facebook, adding that several hundred people took part in the march.

According to Poland's state news agency PAP, the police used water cannons to disperse the participants of the march.

Tens of thousands of Poles took part in a far-right march in the capital Warsaw on Monday to mark Polish independence, an annual event that has become a focus of friction between nationalists and liberals.

Tens of thousands of Poles took part in a far-right march in the capital Warsaw on Monday to mark Polish independence, an annual event that has become a focus of friction between nationalists and liberals. Some chanted "God, honour, homeland!" and "No to the European Union!" and waved red-and-white Polish flags. Others lit red flares, blanketing sections of the parade with smoke. "We have to return to our roots. Our world has abandoned God and Christianity," Robert Bakiewicz, head of a group organising the march, told participants in central Warsaw. "We will die as the nations of western Europe are dying." A small group of hardline Italian far-right group Forza Nuova members also took part, waving flags. Poland has become increasingly polarised since the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party came to power in 2015, calling for a revival of patriotic and Roman Catholic values in public life and a rejection of Western liberalism. Critics say PiS, which won a second term last month with 44 per cent of the vote, has tacitly encouraged groups with roots in the fascist and anti-Semitic movements of the 1930s that organised the march, although the party denies this. Last year, on the centenary of Polish independence, government officials and President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the PiS, agreed to hold a joint event with the annual march organisers, but walked at a distance, away from any overt displays of nationalism. This year, PiS held its own, separate events. "Our nation has a mission and it has to fulfil it," PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said on Sunday. "Our mission is to sustain everything that's a foundation of our Christian civilisation. "We will walk this path, and if it's done in a thoughtful way, it will bring us to victory." On November 11, Poles commemorate the establishment in 1918 of the second Polish Republic, created after World War One from parts of what was then Russia, Germany and Austria. Two years ago, the march was dotted with racist banners, some of them reading "Pure blood, clear mind" or "Europe will be white or uninhabited". Before PiS came to power, scuffles between participants and police were not uncommon, but in recent years, more families with children have joined. On Monday, some wore stickers saying "Stop 447", in a protest against a US law on the restitution of Jewish property seized during or after World War Two, an issue increasingly featuring in public debate in Poland. The US Department of State is expected to provide a nonbinding report to Congress later this year on property restitution, under legislation known as the Justice for Uncompensated Survivors Today (JUST) Act, or Act 447. Poland was home to one of the world's biggest Jewish communities before it was almost entirely wiped out by Nazi German occupiers who set up death camps such as Auschwitz on Polish soil. Another far-right march, in the southwestern city of Wroclaw, was ended by city authorities due to racist remarks 25 minutes after it had begun. "The march was dissolved (...) due to hate-speech (anti-Semitism) and the use of pyrotechnics," the vice-president of the Wroclaw City Council, Bartlomiej Ciazynski, wrote on Facebook, adding that several hundred people took part in the march. According to Poland's state news agency PAP, the police used water cannons to disperse the participants of the march.

Polish far-right groups march on independence anniversary

French President Emmanuel Macron's critical remarks about NATO were "dangerous", Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in an interview published on Sunday evening by the Financial Times.

Macron told The Economist last week that NATO was experiencing "brain death", citing a lack of coordination and US&nbsp;unpredictability under President Donald Trump. The French leader also expressed doubt about the US-led alliance's security maxim that an attack on one ally would be treated as an attack on all.

NATO was "the most important alliance in the world when it comes to preserving freedom and peace" and Macron’s questioning of whether its members could still be counted on to defend each other was "dangerous", Morawiecki said, according to the FT.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

"I think President Macron’s doubts about (NATO’s commitment to mutual defence) can make other allies wonder if perhaps it is France that has concerns about sticking to it. I hope that we can still count on France fulfilling its obligations," Morawiecki was quoted as saying.

"France is spending below two&nbsp;per cent of GDP (on defence) . . . I think it’s worth asking why certain aspects of NATO do not look as we wish. And it’s not for the lack of US&nbsp;commitment to the alliance, but rather the lack of reciprocity on the part of some European allies," he said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

France has traditionally had an ambivalent role in NATO, taking no part in its strategic military planning from 1966 to 2009 despite being a founding member. Still, Macron's comments,&nbsp;a month before NATO's December&nbsp;4 summit in London,&nbsp;were unexpected.

French President Emmanuel Macron's critical remarks about NATO were "dangerous", Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in an interview published on Sunday evening by the Financial Times.

French President Emmanuel Macron's critical remarks about NATO were "dangerous", Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in an interview published on Sunday evening by the Financial Times. Macron told The Economist last week that NATO was experiencing "brain death", citing a lack of coordination and US unpredictability under President Donald Trump. The French leader also expressed doubt about the US-led alliance's security maxim that an attack on one ally would be treated as an attack on all. NATO was "the most important alliance in the world when it comes to preserving freedom and peace" and Macron’s questioning of whether its members could still be counted on to defend each other was "dangerous", Morawiecki said, according to the FT. "I think President Macron’s doubts about (NATO’s commitment to mutual defence) can make other allies wonder if perhaps it is France that has concerns about sticking to it. I hope that we can still count on France fulfilling its obligations," Morawiecki was quoted as saying. "France is spending below two per cent of GDP (on defence) . . . I think it’s worth asking why certain aspects of NATO do not look as we wish. And it’s not for the lack of US commitment to the alliance, but rather the lack of reciprocity on the part of some European allies," he said. France has traditionally had an ambivalent role in NATO, taking no part in its strategic military planning from 1966 to 2009 despite being a founding member. Still, Macron's comments, a month before NATO's December 4 summit in London, were unexpected.

Poland says France's Macron comments on NATO 'dangerous'

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-anti-doping-agency-to-investigate-athletes-coached-by-banned-salazar-report-259997">World Anti-doping Agency</a> (WADA) wants commercial sponsors to contribute financially to the fight against doping in sport as part of their corporate responsibility, the next WADA President said on Tuesday.

Witold Banka, Poland's Tourism and Sports Minister who will take over the WADA leadership from Craig Reedie on January&nbsp;1, said the organisation urgently needed to increase revenues and being a sponsor of sports events came with a responsibility.

"I am not the Christopher Columbus of anti-doping policy. It is not a new idea to engage big sponsors as part of their corporate social responsibility," Banka told an international anti-doping conference.

"That will be one of the biggest tasks: to convince the big companies to join the Olympic anti-doping solidarity fund," he added.

WADA has a budget of about $35 million&nbsp;annually while the overall spending on anti-doping around the world, including by national anti-doping agencies, does not exceed $260 million.

In comparison, broadcasters pay billions of dollars to secure rights of major sports such as the soccer World Cup and the Olympics.

Olympic sponsors will pay the International Olympic Committee more than one billion dollars for the 2017-2020 quadrennium to be associated with the Games while broadcasters will pay about $5 billion for Games rights for the same period.

Banka said WADA had to find new streams of revenue if it was to continue its fight to root out cheats.

WADA has been struggling with a vast <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/wadas-russian-investigation-enters-new-phase-219322">Russian doping scandal</a> for more than four years in a process that has required considerable funds.

Russia's track and field team was banned from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016 while the entire Russian Olympic team at the Pyeongchang winter Games competed as independents as a result of that scandal.

"We cannot keep raising contributions. We need to find some alternative solutions how we can increase the budget for anti-doping," said the 35-year-old Banka, a former European junior 400m champion.

"We have to convince the biggest partners that if you are a sponsor of sport you have to be a sponsor of clean sport."

The World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) wants commercial sponsors to contribute financially to the fight against doping in sport as part of their corporate responsibility, the next WADA President said on Tuesday.

The World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) wants commercial sponsors to contribute financially to the fight against doping in sport as part of their corporate responsibility, the next WADA President said on Tuesday. Witold Banka, Poland's Tourism and Sports Minister who will take over the WADA leadership from Craig Reedie on January 1, said the organisation urgently needed to increase revenues and being a sponsor of sports events came with a responsibility. "I am not the Christopher Columbus of anti-doping policy. It is not a new idea to engage big sponsors as part of their corporate social responsibility," Banka told an international anti-doping conference. "That will be one of the biggest tasks: to convince the big companies to join the Olympic anti-doping solidarity fund," he added. WADA has a budget of about $35 million annually while the overall spending on anti-doping around the world, including by national anti-doping agencies, does not exceed $260 million. In comparison, broadcasters pay billions of dollars to secure rights of major sports such as the soccer World Cup and the Olympics. Olympic sponsors will pay the International Olympic Committee more than one billion dollars for the 2017-2020 quadrennium to be associated with the Games while broadcasters will pay about $5 billion for Games rights for the same period. Banka said WADA had to find new streams of revenue if it was to continue its fight to root out cheats. WADA has been struggling with a vast Russian doping scandal for more than four years in a process that has required considerable funds. Russia's track and field team was banned from the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016 while the entire Russian Olympic team at the Pyeongchang winter Games competed as independents as a result of that scandal. "We cannot keep raising contributions. We need to find some alternative solutions how we can increase the budget for anti-doping," said the 35-year-old Banka, a former European junior 400m champion. "We have to convince the biggest partners that if you are a sponsor of sport you have to be a sponsor of clean sport."

WADA to ask commercial sponsors for money in anti-doping fight

Poland broke European Union law when it lowered the retirement age for judges in 2017 and introduced a different retirement age for women and men in the profession, the EU's top court ruled on Tuesday.

The ruling dealt a further blow to the nationalist Polish government in a long-standing battle with the European Commission, which says Warsaw is breaking the rule of law in the country by undermining the independence of courts.

The ruling eurosceptic Law and Justice party passed a law in 2017 that lowered the retirement age of judges in ordinary courts and public prosecutors and the age for early retirement of Supreme Court judges, to 60 years for women and 65 years for men, from 67 for both sexes.

It also gave the justice minister, a politician from the ruling party, the power to extend the period of active service of judges in the ordinary courts beyond the new retirement ages.

The Commission, the EU's executive arm whose role is to safeguard law across the 28-nation bloc, said Poland's measures were contrary to EU law, and it sued Poland in the European Court of Justice.

"(Poland)... failed to fulfil its obligations under EU law, first, by establishing a different retirement age for men and women who were judges or public prosecutors in Poland and, second, by lowering the retirement age of judges of the ordinary courts while conferring on the Minister for Justice the power to extend the period of active service of those judges," the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled.

In a statement, Poland's Foreign Ministry hit back saying the ruling was unjustified since Warsaw had made amendments to the reforms in 2018 in order to address EU concerns.

Under the amendments, the new compulsory retirement age for judges was made the same for men and women, slowing down the process of retiring current judges.

Critics say the aim of the reform was to allow the PiS to replace judges with political appointees to gain greater control over the judiciary. The PiS has said it wanted to improve the efficiency of the justice system and remove residue from Poland's Communist era.

Should Poland fail to align itself with the ECJ ruling, the European Commission could file another request to levy a fine against Warsaw in the months to come.

On Monday the PiS-controlled lower house of parliament nominated three new judges to the Constitutional Tribunal - two of them former party lawmakers aged 67, and the other one a former deputy finance minister, aged 71.

"In accordance with current European Commission policy, the complaint should have been withdrawn after the amendments to the act came into effect. The failure to withdraw the complaint is not justified," the Foreign Ministry statement said.

Poland broke European Union law when it lowered the retirement age for judges in 2017 and introduced a different retirement age for women and men in the profession, the EU's top court ruled on Tuesday.

Poland broke European Union law when it lowered the retirement age for judges in 2017 and introduced a different retirement age for women and men in the profession, the EU's top court ruled on Tuesday. The ruling dealt a further blow to the nationalist Polish government in a long-standing battle with the European Commission, which says Warsaw is breaking the rule of law in the country by undermining the independence of courts. The ruling eurosceptic Law and Justice party passed a law in 2017 that lowered the retirement age of judges in ordinary courts and public prosecutors and the age for early retirement of Supreme Court judges, to 60 years for women and 65 years for men, from 67 for both sexes. It also gave the justice minister, a politician from the ruling party, the power to extend the period of active service of judges in the ordinary courts beyond the new retirement ages. The Commission, the EU's executive arm whose role is to safeguard law across the 28-nation bloc, said Poland's measures were contrary to EU law, and it sued Poland in the European Court of Justice. "(Poland)... failed to fulfil its obligations under EU law, first, by establishing a different retirement age for men and women who were judges or public prosecutors in Poland and, second, by lowering the retirement age of judges of the ordinary courts while conferring on the Minister for Justice the power to extend the period of active service of those judges," the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled. In a statement, Poland's Foreign Ministry hit back saying the ruling was unjustified since Warsaw had made amendments to the reforms in 2018 in order to address EU concerns. Under the amendments, the new compulsory retirement age for judges was made the same for men and women, slowing down the process of retiring current judges. Critics say the aim of the reform was to allow the PiS to replace judges with political appointees to gain greater control over the judiciary. The PiS has said it wanted to improve the efficiency of the justice system and remove residue from Poland's Communist era. Should Poland fail to align itself with the ECJ ruling, the European Commission could file another request to levy a fine against Warsaw in the months to come. On Monday the PiS-controlled lower house of parliament nominated three new judges to the Constitutional Tribunal - two of them former party lawmakers aged 67, and the other one a former deputy finance minister, aged 71. "In accordance with current European Commission policy, the complaint should have been withdrawn after the amendments to the act came into effect. The failure to withdraw the complaint is not justified," the Foreign Ministry statement said.

European Union top court rules Poland broke rule of law with judicial reforms

European&nbsp;Union&nbsp;leaders&nbsp;will&nbsp;discuss&nbsp;a new&nbsp;budget&nbsp;plan on Friday that could allow the bloc to spend up to 1.1&nbsp;trillion&nbsp;euros&nbsp;in the 2021-2027 period, but deep divisions among governments could block a deal for months.

Under a proposal prepared by Finland, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, the next long-term&nbsp;budget&nbsp;should have a financial capacity between 1.03 per cent&nbsp;and 1.08 per cent&nbsp;of the bloc's gross national income (GNI), a measure of output.

That would allow the EU to spend between 1 and 1.1&nbsp;trillion&nbsp;euros for seven years with its first&nbsp;budget&nbsp;after the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boris-johnson-agrees-brexit-deal-but-must-now-win-over-parliament-256575">exit from the club of Britain</a>, one of the top contributors to EU coffers.

The document, seen by Reuters, is less ambitious than proposals put forward by the&nbsp;European&nbsp;Commission, the EU executive, which is seeking a&nbsp;budget&nbsp;worth 1.1 per cent&nbsp;of GNI. The EU parliament called for an even higher&nbsp;budget&nbsp;at 1.3 per cent&nbsp;of GNI.

But the Finnish proposal moves beyond a 1 per cent&nbsp;cap set by Germany, the bloc's largest economy.

Finland's midway solution has displeased most of the 27 EU states, EU officials said, anticipating long negotiations before a compromise can be reached.

Talks on&nbsp;budgets are traditionally among the most divisive in a bloc that in recent years has become increasingly prone to quarrels, as its states are deeply split over economic policies, financial reforms and how to handle migrants.

The Finnish proposal, which cuts spending on farmers and poorer regions, has managed to unite the divided EU&nbsp;leaders&nbsp;in its criticism.

"The text has caused nearly unanimous dissatisfaction," a diplomat involved in the talks said.

While the bloc has embarked on a range of new expensive policies, such as protecting its borders and increasing social security, states are reluctant to pay more.

Germany and other Nordic supporters of a smaller&nbsp;budget&nbsp;argue that because of&nbsp;Brexit, they would pay more into EU coffers even with a 1 per cent&nbsp;cap because they would need to compensate for the loss of Britain's transfers.

Eastern and southern states, who benefit from EU funds on poorer regions and agriculture, are keen to see a bigger&nbsp;budget, and are not happy with Finland's proposed cuts on these sectors.

Under the proposal, subsidies to poor regions would drop to less than 30 per cent&nbsp;of the&nbsp;budget&nbsp;from 34 per cent&nbsp;now, while aid to farmers would fall to slightly more than 30 per cent&nbsp;from over 35 per cent&nbsp;of the total.

To complicate matters, the new&nbsp;budget&nbsp;should also include rules that would suspend funding to member states with rule-of-law shortcomings, such as limits to media freedom or the independence of judges.

This is irking states like Poland and Hungary which Brussels has long accused of breaches in the rule of law after judiciary and media reforms adopted by their far-right governments.

Friday's meeting is seen as a starting point and is not supposed to find a compromise, but divisions are so deep that many officials fear a deal may not be reached by a self-imposed December deadline. A later deal would delay the launch of spending programmes.

The Finns remained confident, however, and insist their suggested spending range would eventually be backed by EU states. "The fact that almost everybody is against our text shows we have put forward a fair proposal," one diplomat said.

European Union leaders will discuss a new budget plan on Friday that could allow the bloc to spend up to 1.1 trillion euros in the 2021-2027 period, but deep divisions among governments could block a deal for months.

European Union leaders will discuss a new budget plan on Friday that could allow the bloc to spend up to 1.1 trillion euros in the 2021-2027 period, but deep divisions among governments could block a deal for months. Under a proposal prepared by Finland, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, the next long-term budget should have a financial capacity between 1.03 per cent and 1.08 per cent of the bloc's gross national income (GNI), a measure of output. That would allow the EU to spend between 1 and 1.1 trillion euros for seven years with its first budget after the exit from the club of Britain, one of the top contributors to EU coffers. The document, seen by Reuters, is less ambitious than proposals put forward by the European Commission, the EU executive, which is seeking a budget worth 1.1 per cent of GNI. The EU parliament called for an even higher budget at 1.3 per cent of GNI. But the Finnish proposal moves beyond a 1 per cent cap set by Germany, the bloc's largest economy. Finland's midway solution has displeased most of the 27 EU states, EU officials said, anticipating long negotiations before a compromise can be reached. Talks on budgets are traditionally among the most divisive in a bloc that in recent years has become increasingly prone to quarrels, as its states are deeply split over economic policies, financial reforms and how to handle migrants. The Finnish proposal, which cuts spending on farmers and poorer regions, has managed to unite the divided EU leaders in its criticism. "The text has caused nearly unanimous dissatisfaction," a diplomat involved in the talks said. While the bloc has embarked on a range of new expensive policies, such as protecting its borders and increasing social security, states are reluctant to pay more. Germany and other Nordic supporters of a smaller budget argue that because of Brexit, they would pay more into EU coffers even with a 1 per cent cap because they would need to compensate for the loss of Britain's transfers. Eastern and southern states, who benefit from EU funds on poorer regions and agriculture, are keen to see a bigger budget, and are not happy with Finland's proposed cuts on these sectors. Under the proposal, subsidies to poor regions would drop to less than 30 per cent of the budget from 34 per cent now, while aid to farmers would fall to slightly more than 30 per cent from over 35 per cent of the total. To complicate matters, the new budget should also include rules that would suspend funding to member states with rule-of-law shortcomings, such as limits to media freedom or the independence of judges. This is irking states like Poland and Hungary which Brussels has long accused of breaches in the rule of law after judiciary and media reforms adopted by their far-right governments. Friday's meeting is seen as a starting point and is not supposed to find a compromise, but divisions are so deep that many officials fear a deal may not be reached by a self-imposed December deadline. A later deal would delay the launch of spending programmes. The Finns remained confident, however, and insist their suggested spending range would eventually be backed by EU states. "The fact that almost everybody is against our text shows we have put forward a fair proposal," one diplomat said.

European Union leaders discuss $1.2 trillion post-Brexit budget

Poland's nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) was on course to keep its ruling majority after a general election on Sunday, an exit poll showed, a victory likely to stoke concern about democratic standards in the largest former Soviet European Union state.

A second term for PiS will also bolster anti-immigration populists in the European Union are who keen to scale back the bloc's liberal agenda and who cheer Poland's chafing against Brussels over the rule of law.

The poll by Ipsos gave PiS 43.6% of the vote, with 27.4% of the ballots going to the centrist Civic Coalition, an umbrella group that includes the Civic Platform formerly led by European Union Council President Donald Tusk. A leftist bloc garnered 11.9% of votes in the poll.

"We have victory," PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, 70, told party members at the party's headquarters in central Warsaw, but he added the party had "deserved to win more".

Election officials are expected to start announcing partial results on Monday.

Opposition groups and Poland's EU partners have said that during its four years in power PiS has undermined the independence of the judiciary, forced public media to promote its agenda and taken other steps to quell dissent.

It has shifted Poland's foreign policy away from the European mainstream, becoming a leading proponent of calls to take some powers away from Brussels.

Throughout the campaign, PiS told voters that business and cultural elites in Poland should be replaced with people who espouse patriotic values, to ensure fair market competition and access to state institutions such as courts.

It has given few details about future policy plans, but Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro told reporters after voting ended on Sunday that PiS "had a real plan ... for courts to stop being the ball and chain of the Polish economy."

The party has cast the election as a choice between a society rooted in traditional Catholic values and a liberal order that promotes a chosen few and undermines family life.

Critics accused it of fomenting homophobia during the election campaign, with PiS officials calling lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights an invasive foreign influence that threatens Poland's national identity.

Under Poland's complex election rules, the PiS result from Sunday's exit poll would translate into 239 seats in the 460-member lower house of parliament, calculations by private broadcaster TVN showed. PiS has 240 seats in the outgoing legislature.

Divided society

PiS has drawn support from poorer Poles who feel they have missed out on prosperity since the collapse of communism in 1989. The party has mixed nationalist rhetoric with a vast welfare programme financed by an economic boom.

To build up support, it has depended on close links with Poland's dominant Catholic Church, with senior officials frequently attending religious ceremonies and events, and the party has espoused stronger religious values in public life.

"I see that they are building something, that they are doing something, that they have bought something back, it was all devastated, everything was sold, Poland had nothing, and I support PiS for that," said Teresa Sass, an 85-year-old pensioner in the northern city of Gdansk.

According to Ipsos, voter turnout surged to 61.1%, which, if confirmed, would be the highest in a parliamentary vote since a 1989 partially free election that ushered in the end of communist rule in Poland.

The rise follows mounting political polarisation in Poland, with many PiS opponents anxious about the future of democracy in the country once seen as an exemplar of democratic transition.

"When I talk with my mother, I practice the art of avoidance, I don't get into any ideological discussions with her," said Krzysztof Michalec, 56, as he waited in the sunshine to see Kaczynski cast his vote in Warsaw.

A former opposition activist during communism, Michalec voted for the Civic Platform.

The election will see the return of left-wing parties into parliament after they lost their seats four years ago because of fragmentation.

The Spring party of Robert Biedron, 43, Poland's first openly gay lawmaker, and Together of Adrian Zandberg campaigned as part of a bloc on a promise to end coal mining and sever the links between church and state.

"We did it, we enter parliament as a third-largest political force," Zandberg, 39, was quoted as saying by the state PAP news agency.

Poland's nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) was on course to keep its ruling majority after a general election on Sunday, an exit poll showed, a victory likely to stoke concern about democratic standards in the largest former Soviet European Union state.

Poland's nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) was on course to keep its ruling majority after a general election on Sunday, an exit poll showed, a victory likely to stoke concern about democratic standards in the largest former Soviet European Union state. A second term for PiS will also bolster anti-immigration populists in the European Union are who keen to scale back the bloc's liberal agenda and who cheer Poland's chafing against Brussels over the rule of law. The poll by Ipsos gave PiS 43.6% of the vote, with 27.4% of the ballots going to the centrist Civic Coalition, an umbrella group that includes the Civic Platform formerly led by European Union Council President Donald Tusk. A leftist bloc garnered 11.9% of votes in the poll. "We have victory," PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, 70, told party members at the party's headquarters in central Warsaw, but he added the party had "deserved to win more". Election officials are expected to start announcing partial results on Monday. Opposition groups and Poland's EU partners have said that during its four years in power PiS has undermined the independence of the judiciary, forced public media to promote its agenda and taken other steps to quell dissent. It has shifted Poland's foreign policy away from the European mainstream, becoming a leading proponent of calls to take some powers away from Brussels. Throughout the campaign, PiS told voters that business and cultural elites in Poland should be replaced with people who espouse patriotic values, to ensure fair market competition and access to state institutions such as courts. It has given few details about future policy plans, but Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro told reporters after voting ended on Sunday that PiS "had a real plan ... for courts to stop being the ball and chain of the Polish economy." The party has cast the election as a choice between a society rooted in traditional Catholic values and a liberal order that promotes a chosen few and undermines family life. Critics accused it of fomenting homophobia during the election campaign, with PiS officials calling lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights an invasive foreign influence that threatens Poland's national identity. Under Poland's complex election rules, the PiS result from Sunday's exit poll would translate into 239 seats in the 460-member lower house of parliament, calculations by private broadcaster TVN showed. PiS has 240 seats in the outgoing legislature. Divided society PiS has drawn support from poorer Poles who feel they have missed out on prosperity since the collapse of communism in 1989. The party has mixed nationalist rhetoric with a vast welfare programme financed by an economic boom. To build up support, it has depended on close links with Poland's dominant Catholic Church, with senior officials frequently attending religious ceremonies and events, and the party has espoused stronger religious values in public life. "I see that they are building something, that they are doing something, that they have bought something back, it was all devastated, everything was sold, Poland had nothing, and I support PiS for that," said Teresa Sass, an 85-year-old pensioner in the northern city of Gdansk. According to Ipsos, voter turnout surged to 61.1%, which, if confirmed, would be the highest in a parliamentary vote since a 1989 partially free election that ushered in the end of communist rule in Poland. The rise follows mounting political polarisation in Poland, with many PiS opponents anxious about the future of democracy in the country once seen as an exemplar of democratic transition. "When I talk with my mother, I practice the art of avoidance, I don't get into any ideological discussions with her," said Krzysztof Michalec, 56, as he waited in the sunshine to see Kaczynski cast his vote in Warsaw. A former opposition activist during communism, Michalec voted for the Civic Platform. The election will see the return of left-wing parties into parliament after they lost their seats four years ago because of fragmentation. The Spring party of Robert Biedron, 43, Poland's first openly gay lawmaker, and Together of Adrian Zandberg campaigned as part of a bloc on a promise to end coal mining and sever the links between church and state. "We did it, we enter parliament as a third-largest political force," Zandberg, 39, was quoted as saying by the state PAP news agency.

Poland's nationalists on course to stay in power for second term

Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party won a majority in Sunday's parliamentary election, securing a second four-year term to continue reforms that have put it on a collision course with Brussels.

PiS secured 45.2% of votes, according to results from 83% of constituencies published by the electoral committee on Monday. The biggest opposition grouping Civic Coalition (KO), which comprises centrist and liberal parties, came second with 26.1%.

The win for PiS is likely to stoke concern about democratic standards in the largest former communist state of European Union, where the government has been accused of politicising the judiciary, turning state media into a mouthpiece and polarising society.

A second term for PiS could also bolster anti-immigration populists in the EU are who keen to scale back the bloc's liberal agenda.

The party cast the election as a choice between a society rooted in traditional Catholic values and a liberal order that promotes a chosen few and undermines family life.

Critics accused it of fomenting homophobia during the election campaign, with PiS officials calling lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights an invasive foreign influence that threatens Poland's national identity.

"We saved Poland. ... It is time to complete decommunisation. It is time to stop the LGBT dictate!," Deputy Digitalisation Minister Andrzej Andruszkiewicz seen as close to far-right politicians wrote in a tweet.

The leftist alliance, The Left, got 12.1%, while the bloc of agrarian PSL and anti-system Kukiz'15 was at 8.8%. The far-right Confederation has probably also passed the threshold and managed to get into parliament, scoring 6.7% based on partial results.

"The most important thing is that we achieved our aim - from the very beginning our plan was to get the majority," Deputy Prime Minister Jacek Sasin told private broadcaster TVN24 on Monday.

According to Reuters calculations, PiS won 238 out of 460 seats in lower house, the Sejm, although this result is subject to change depending on the performance of other parties.

Poland's euro-denominated government bonds rallied on Monday after the results came out. The zloty started Monday trade at 4.3056 to euro, almost unchanged since late Sunday. Warsaw stock exchange started the day with a 0.4% slide.

Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party won a majority in Sunday's parliamentary election, securing a second four-year term to continue reforms that have put it on a collision course with Brussels.

Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party won a majority in Sunday's parliamentary election, securing a second four-year term to continue reforms that have put it on a collision course with Brussels. PiS secured 45.2% of votes, according to results from 83% of constituencies published by the electoral committee on Monday. The biggest opposition grouping Civic Coalition (KO), which comprises centrist and liberal parties, came second with 26.1%. The win for PiS is likely to stoke concern about democratic standards in the largest former communist state of European Union, where the government has been accused of politicising the judiciary, turning state media into a mouthpiece and polarising society. A second term for PiS could also bolster anti-immigration populists in the EU are who keen to scale back the bloc's liberal agenda. The party cast the election as a choice between a society rooted in traditional Catholic values and a liberal order that promotes a chosen few and undermines family life. Critics accused it of fomenting homophobia during the election campaign, with PiS officials calling lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights an invasive foreign influence that threatens Poland's national identity. "We saved Poland. ... It is time to complete decommunisation. It is time to stop the LGBT dictate!," Deputy Digitalisation Minister Andrzej Andruszkiewicz seen as close to far-right politicians wrote in a tweet. The leftist alliance, The Left, got 12.1%, while the bloc of agrarian PSL and anti-system Kukiz'15 was at 8.8%. The far-right Confederation has probably also passed the threshold and managed to get into parliament, scoring 6.7% based on partial results. "The most important thing is that we achieved our aim - from the very beginning our plan was to get the majority," Deputy Prime Minister Jacek Sasin told private broadcaster TVN24 on Monday. According to Reuters calculations, PiS won 238 out of 460 seats in lower house, the Sejm, although this result is subject to change depending on the performance of other parties. Poland's euro-denominated government bonds rallied on Monday after the results came out. The zloty started Monday trade at 4.3056 to euro, almost unchanged since late Sunday. Warsaw stock exchange started the day with a 0.4% slide.

Poland's ruling nationalists win majority in parliament

Poles began voting on Sunday in a polarising election which the governing populists look set to win on the back of welfare measures and attacks on LGBT rights, but their majority is at risk, giving opposition parties a narrow chance to snatch power.

The opposition received an unexpected last-minute boon when author Olga Tokarczuk, a known government critic who won the Nobel Prize for Literature on Thursday, urged Poles to choose wisely "between democracy and authoritarianism" in the ballot, calling it the "most important" since Poland shed communism in 1989.

In-office since 2015 and led by ex-premier Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party has sought to mobilise poorer rural voters by coupling family values with a popular new child allowance, tax breaks for low-income earners and hikes to pensions and the minimum wage.

Widely regarded as Poland's powerbroker, Kaczynski has also stoked deep social division by attacking sexual minorities and rejecting Western liberal values, all with the tacit blessing of Poland's influential Catholic Church which holds sway over rural voters.

Kaczynski is also among several leaders in the European Union favouring greater national sovereignty over the federalism championed by powerhouses France and Germany.

Turnout is key

Supported by outgoing EU Council President Donald Tusk -- Kaczynski's arch-rival -- the opposition Citizen's Coalition (KO) draws on urban voters upset by the PiS's divisive politics, judicial reforms threatening the rule of law, graft scandals and monopolisation of public media.

Condemning the anti-LGBT drive and close church ties, but sharing the PIS's welfare goals, the left is set to enter parliament after a four-year hiatus.

Surveys show two smaller groups could win seats, including the far-right.

Two separate opinion polls published Friday suggested the PiS's majority is at risk as it scored 40 to 41.7 per cent support compared to a combined 41.4 and 45 per cent for opposition parties.

"Turnout will decide whether the PiS governs alone, whether it must build a coalition, or even if it might lose its majority," Anna Materska-Sosnowska, a Warsaw University political scientist, told AFP. Turnout in the 2015 election was 50.92 per cent.

Teflon party

Kaczynski has capitalised on a populist backlash against liberal urban elites, similar to trends in Western Europe and the US.

His party's bid to build a welfare state is addressed to Poles who reaped little benefit from the explosive growth and unfettered free-market drive after communism fell.

Analysts suggest that generous social outlays have also made the PiS a "teflon party", cushioning its reputation amid a string of high-profile graft scandals involving senior members.

"They've (PiS) removed everyone who got mixed up in scandals... so they're credible," Janina, a 74-year-old Warsaw pensioner who declined to provide her surname, told AFP.

"My grandchildren get the 500+ (116 euro, $130 monthly) payment, I'm getting a higher pension," she said, confirming the PiS has her vote.

Others insist the social measures come at too high a price.

"The PiS gets votes by scaring people and then offering protection; in the 2015 election, migrants were the enemy, now it's gay people, it's unacceptable," said Monika, a 38-year-old Warsaw mother of two working in the automotive sector.&nbsp;

'Protect Poland'

The KO chose Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska, the even-tempered 62-year-old deputy parliamentary speaker, as its candidate for premier in a bid to counter the PiS.

"Chairman Kaczynski divides people... let's protect Poland against such division, against such hatred," she told supporters this week.

The KO has vowed to reverse PiS court reforms, which the EU says threaten judicial independence and the rule of law, but has otherwise offered voters little.

Experts warn that a strong PiS win will allow it to push through more judicial reforms likely to stoke conflict with the EU over the rule of law.

Most migrants

Critics attribute strong economic growth under the PiS to favourable external factors.

Joblessness in the country of 38 million people is at a record low of some five per cent in a tight labour market.

Although the PiS rejected EU migrant quotas, Poland became the world's top temporary labour destination in 2017, according to the OECD.

Around 1.2 million temporary workers, mostly Ukrainians, plugged a gap left by Poles seeking more lucrative jobs in the West after joining the EU in 2004.

Voting runs from 0500 to 1900 GMT on Sunday, with exit polls expected after balloting ends. Preliminary results are due on Monday.

Poles began voting on Sunday in a polarising election which the governing populists look set to win on the back of welfare measures and attacks on LGBT rights, but their majority is at risk, giving opposition parties a narrow chance to snatch power.

Poles began voting on Sunday in a polarising election which the governing populists look set to win on the back of welfare measures and attacks on LGBT rights, but their majority is at risk, giving opposition parties a narrow chance to snatch power. The opposition received an unexpected last-minute boon when author Olga Tokarczuk, a known government critic who won the Nobel Prize for Literature on Thursday, urged Poles to choose wisely "between democracy and authoritarianism" in the ballot, calling it the "most important" since Poland shed communism in 1989. In-office since 2015 and led by ex-premier Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party has sought to mobilise poorer rural voters by coupling family values with a popular new child allowance, tax breaks for low-income earners and hikes to pensions and the minimum wage. Widely regarded as Poland's powerbroker, Kaczynski has also stoked deep social division by attacking sexual minorities and rejecting Western liberal values, all with the tacit blessing of Poland's influential Catholic Church which holds sway over rural voters. Kaczynski is also among several leaders in the European Union favouring greater national sovereignty over the federalism championed by powerhouses France and Germany. Turnout is key Supported by outgoing EU Council President Donald Tusk -- Kaczynski's arch-rival -- the opposition Citizen's Coalition (KO) draws on urban voters upset by the PiS's divisive politics, judicial reforms threatening the rule of law, graft scandals and monopolisation of public media. Condemning the anti-LGBT drive and close church ties, but sharing the PIS's welfare goals, the left is set to enter parliament after a four-year hiatus. Surveys show two smaller groups could win seats, including the far-right. Two separate opinion polls published Friday suggested the PiS's majority is at risk as it scored 40 to 41.7 per cent support compared to a combined 41.4 and 45 per cent for opposition parties. "Turnout will decide whether the PiS governs alone, whether it must build a coalition, or even if it might lose its majority," Anna Materska-Sosnowska, a Warsaw University political scientist, told AFP. Turnout in the 2015 election was 50.92 per cent. Teflon party Kaczynski has capitalised on a populist backlash against liberal urban elites, similar to trends in Western Europe and the US. His party's bid to build a welfare state is addressed to Poles who reaped little benefit from the explosive growth and unfettered free-market drive after communism fell. Analysts suggest that generous social outlays have also made the PiS a "teflon party", cushioning its reputation amid a string of high-profile graft scandals involving senior members. "They've (PiS) removed everyone who got mixed up in scandals... so they're credible," Janina, a 74-year-old Warsaw pensioner who declined to provide her surname, told AFP. "My grandchildren get the 500+ (116 euro, $130 monthly) payment, I'm getting a higher pension," she said, confirming the PiS has her vote. Others insist the social measures come at too high a price. "The PiS gets votes by scaring people and then offering protection; in the 2015 election, migrants were the enemy, now it's gay people, it's unacceptable," said Monika, a 38-year-old Warsaw mother of two working in the automotive sector. 'Protect Poland' The KO chose Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska, the even-tempered 62-year-old deputy parliamentary speaker, as its candidate for premier in a bid to counter the PiS. "Chairman Kaczynski divides people... let's protect Poland against such division, against such hatred," she told supporters this week. The KO has vowed to reverse PiS court reforms, which the EU says threaten judicial independence and the rule of law, but has otherwise offered voters little. Experts warn that a strong PiS win will allow it to push through more judicial reforms likely to stoke conflict with the EU over the rule of law. Most migrants Critics attribute strong economic growth under the PiS to favourable external factors. Joblessness in the country of 38 million people is at a record low of some five per cent in a tight labour market. Although the PiS rejected EU migrant quotas, Poland became the world's top temporary labour destination in 2017, according to the OECD. Around 1.2 million temporary workers, mostly Ukrainians, plugged a gap left by Poles seeking more lucrative jobs in the West after joining the EU in 2004. Voting runs from 0500 to 1900 GMT on Sunday, with exit polls expected after balloting ends. Preliminary results are due on Monday.

Populists eye victory in deeply divided Poland as voting begins

Poland's governing right-wing party is poised to win a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lgbt-community-under-fire-ahead-of-elections-in-poland-254446">general election on Sunday</a>, buoyed by generous social spending and fiery nationalist rhetoric, but its majority is at risk, giving opposition parties a narrow chance to snatch power.

In office since 2015 and led by ex-premier Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the Law and Justice (PiS) party has sought to mobilise mainly poorer rural voters by coupling family values with populist promises to extend benefits and hike the minimum wage.

Kaczynski, widely regarded as Poland's de facto leader, has led a highly polarising campaign, attacking sexual minorities and rejecting Western liberal values, all with the tacit blessing of Poland's influential Catholic church which holds sway over rural voters. &nbsp;

The Civic Coalition (KO), supported by outgoing EU Council President Donald Tusk -- Kaczynski's arch-rival -- has rallied mainly urban voters upset by the PiS's divisive politics, judicial reforms threatening the rule of law and high-profile graft scandals.&nbsp;

Railing against the PiS's anti-LGBT views and its close ties to the church, but sharing its welfare goals, left-wing parties are poised to return to parliament after a four-year hiatus.&nbsp;

Surveys also suggest two smaller groups could win seats, including the far-right.&nbsp;

"The electorate is split down the middle, with around 45 per cent each for the PiS and the centrist and leftist opposition," Anna Materska-Sosnowska, a Warsaw University political scientist, told AFP.

"Turnout will decide whether the PiS will govern alone, whether it will have to build a coalition, or even if it might lose its majority," she added.

'Promises kept'

The PiS has capitalised on a growing populist backlash against liberal urban elites, similar to trends in Western Europe and the US.&nbsp;

Its generous social programmes have sought to appeal to Poles who felt they reaped little gain from Poland's explosive growth after it shed communism in 1989.&nbsp;

"Our great social program has led to the fact that the sphere of poverty, often extreme misery... has been abolished," Kaczynski, 70, told supporters at a Warsaw rally this week, calling it "our moral achievement."

"PiS has done a great deal of good for families, pensioners, for children... they've kept their promises," Malgorzata Kowalska, 66, a retired orphanage employee told AFP as she left a Warsaw church.

But a recent study shows that while extreme poverty dropped slightly in 2016-17 to just over four per cent it rebounded to 5.4 per cent in 2018 as inflation rose. &nbsp;

Joanna, a 40-year-old stay-at-home mother raising three girls receives 1,500 zloty (350 euro, $380) per month in child benefits, She says the cash-in-hand won't sway her.

"Regardless of how much they'll give, I'll never vote for the PiS," said the formerly self-employed psychology graduate, slamming the party's "contempt for Poles who don't fit the stereotype of traditional Catholics."

'Clean up politics'

Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska, the even-tempered 62-year-old deputy speaker of parliament chosen by the KO as its candidate for prime minister, has sought to provide a clear alternative to Kaczynski's polarising campaign.

"Let's clean up politics, free Poles from hatred, hypocrisy and political toxins," she told supporters in Warsaw this week.

The KO opposition has vowed to reverse controversial PiS judicial reforms which the EU says threaten judicial independence and the rule of law but has otherwise offered voters little.

According to Laurent Pech, a professor of European law at Middlesex University in the UK, threats to the rule of law in Poland are bound to "significantly worsen" should PiS return to power.

Kaczynski's plans for a "future 'reorganisation' of the courts are likely to mean a purge of the Polish judiciary under false pretences which will lead in turn to a renewed open conflict with the EU," he told AFP via email.

Most migrants

On the economic front, Poland has fared well with strong growth under the PiS, something critics attribute to favourable external factors.

Joblessness hit a 30-year record low of 5.1 per cent in September as employers struggled to find workers.&nbsp;

Despite the PiS's strident anti-migrant rhetoric in the campaign ahead of its stunning 2015 victory, Poland became the world's top temporary labour destination in 2017, surpassing even the US, according to the OECD.

Some 1.2 million temporary migrants arrived, mostly from Ukraine, to plug a massive labour gap created when Poles left for more lucrative work in the West after joining the EU in 2004.

Voting runs from 0500 to 1900 GMT on Sunday, with exit polls expected after the polls close and preliminary results due on Monday.

Poland's governing right-wing party is poised to win a general election on Sunday, buoyed by generous social spending and fiery nationalist rhetoric, but its majority is at risk, giving opposition parties a narrow chance to snatch power.

Poland's governing right-wing party is poised to win a general election on Sunday, buoyed by generous social spending and fiery nationalist rhetoric, but its majority is at risk, giving opposition parties a narrow chance to snatch power. In office since 2015 and led by ex-premier Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the Law and Justice (PiS) party has sought to mobilise mainly poorer rural voters by coupling family values with populist promises to extend benefits and hike the minimum wage. Kaczynski, widely regarded as Poland's de facto leader, has led a highly polarising campaign, attacking sexual minorities and rejecting Western liberal values, all with the tacit blessing of Poland's influential Catholic church which holds sway over rural voters. The Civic Coalition (KO), supported by outgoing EU Council President Donald Tusk -- Kaczynski's arch-rival -- has rallied mainly urban voters upset by the PiS's divisive politics, judicial reforms threatening the rule of law and high-profile graft scandals. Railing against the PiS's anti-LGBT views and its close ties to the church, but sharing its welfare goals, left-wing parties are poised to return to parliament after a four-year hiatus. Surveys also suggest two smaller groups could win seats, including the far-right. "The electorate is split down the middle, with around 45 per cent each for the PiS and the centrist and leftist opposition," Anna Materska-Sosnowska, a Warsaw University political scientist, told AFP. "Turnout will decide whether the PiS will govern alone, whether it will have to build a coalition, or even if it might lose its majority," she added. 'Promises kept' The PiS has capitalised on a growing populist backlash against liberal urban elites, similar to trends in Western Europe and the US. Its generous social programmes have sought to appeal to Poles who felt they reaped little gain from Poland's explosive growth after it shed communism in 1989. "Our great social program has led to the fact that the sphere of poverty, often extreme misery... has been abolished," Kaczynski, 70, told supporters at a Warsaw rally this week, calling it "our moral achievement." "PiS has done a great deal of good for families, pensioners, for children... they've kept their promises," Malgorzata Kowalska, 66, a retired orphanage employee told AFP as she left a Warsaw church. But a recent study shows that while extreme poverty dropped slightly in 2016-17 to just over four per cent it rebounded to 5.4 per cent in 2018 as inflation rose. Joanna, a 40-year-old stay-at-home mother raising three girls receives 1,500 zloty (350 euro, $380) per month in child benefits, She says the cash-in-hand won't sway her. "Regardless of how much they'll give, I'll never vote for the PiS," said the formerly self-employed psychology graduate, slamming the party's "contempt for Poles who don't fit the stereotype of traditional Catholics." 'Clean up politics' Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska, the even-tempered 62-year-old deputy speaker of parliament chosen by the KO as its candidate for prime minister, has sought to provide a clear alternative to Kaczynski's polarising campaign. "Let's clean up politics, free Poles from hatred, hypocrisy and political toxins," she told supporters in Warsaw this week. The KO opposition has vowed to reverse controversial PiS judicial reforms which the EU says threaten judicial independence and the rule of law but has otherwise offered voters little. According to Laurent Pech, a professor of European law at Middlesex University in the UK, threats to the rule of law in Poland are bound to "significantly worsen" should PiS return to power. Kaczynski's plans for a "future 'reorganisation' of the courts are likely to mean a purge of the Polish judiciary under false pretences which will lead in turn to a renewed open conflict with the EU," he told AFP via email. Most migrants On the economic front, Poland has fared well with strong growth under the PiS, something critics attribute to favourable external factors. Joblessness hit a 30-year record low of 5.1 per cent in September as employers struggled to find workers. Despite the PiS's strident anti-migrant rhetoric in the campaign ahead of its stunning 2015 victory, Poland became the world's top temporary labour destination in 2017, surpassing even the US, according to the OECD. Some 1.2 million temporary migrants arrived, mostly from Ukraine, to plug a massive labour gap created when Poles left for more lucrative work in the West after joining the EU in 2004. Voting runs from 0500 to 1900 GMT on Sunday, with exit polls expected after the polls close and preliminary results due on Monday.

Poland's populists set for victory but majority at risk

LGBT rights have become the single biggest cultural issue in Poland's election campaign ahead of Sunday's vote.

In the eyes of the ruling law and justice party, LGBT rights are a threat to traditional polish families and values.

First banned by the mayor of Lublin city for security reasons, the provincial city's second-ever pride parade took place in September.

Far-right groups and conservative campaigners staged violent counter-protests throughout the event.&nbsp;

It's a reaction that came as no surprise for one local official of the ultra-conservative law and justice party, which has been in power for four years and is favourite in the upcoming parliamentary elections.&nbsp;

Unlike most of its fellow European Union members, Poland does not recognise any form of homosexual union.

The highly influential Catholic Church and the governing right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party have launched blistering attacks on the LGBT community in the campaign preceding it.&nbsp;

Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski labelled the community a "rainbow plague".&nbsp;

Powerful PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, widely viewed as Poland's de facto powerbroker, thanked the cleric for his words and accused the LGBT community of posing a "threat" to the traditional family.

Kaczynski's position on gay rights is "unique in European mainstream politics" and "reminiscent of the standards of (President Vladimir) Putin's Russia," according to Piotr Pacewicz, editor-in-chief of OKO press, an acclaimed Polish website for investigative journalism and fact-checking.

'Set fire'

The anti-gay rhetoric being spread by Poland's arguably two most powerful institutions is creating a climate of fear that is taking a toll on the mental health of some members of the gay community.

A lesbian couple in their early thirties living in Lublin say they fear for their lives and those of their children.

"I'm afraid that we or our children will be attacked, I'm afraid of being humiliated in front of children, I'm afraid my car will be vandalised or that someone will set fire to our flat," one of the women said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"We would never dare to hold hands in public in Lublin," she added.

One of the women said that she is considering taking legal action in connection with workplace harassment over her sexual orientation.

The other says her ex-husband became sharply homophobic, controlling and abusive when she said she was leaving him for a woman.

'LGBT ideology'

Tomasz Pitucha, a PiS party member and Lublin city councillor in charge of family affairs, opposed the march and insisted that the gay community is itself to blame for triggering violent counter-protests by the far-right and others.

"Gay pride and other LGBT marches are provocations against society," the 50-year-old said.

"No one is hunting homosexuals, but if these people show up and march, it triggers a variety of reactions."&nbsp;

Earlier this year, PiS-allied Lublin authorities handed out awards to local officials for publicly opposing "LGBT ideology", which they said, "goes against the family, the nation and the Polish state".&nbsp;

Ten kilometres (six miles) from Lublin, the city of Swidnik in March became the first of some 30 municipalities in Poland to adopt resolutions declaring themselves to be "free of LGBT ideology".&nbsp;

Although the resolutions are not legally binding, they encourage elected officials to make sure that sex education, including information of sexual diversity, is kept out of schools.

"We oppose 'ideology LGBT' (LGBT rights), which is ever more prevalent in the international public arena," Andrzej Manka, a Swidnik local official said.

"We consider it harmful and oppose it being promoted by public institutions."

A safe place

Some members of Poland's LGBT community are optimistic about the future despite the avalanche of anti-gay rhetoric that has dominated the election cycle.

"It's the political class that forbids our love, but society is more open-minded," Tomasz Kitlinski, an openly gay university professor from Lublin who is running as a leftwing candidate in the election.

Fifty-seven per cent of Poles favours the legalisation of civil union for same-sex couples, according to a recent survey.

But the fact that the PiS is poised to win another four-year term is pushing some members of the LGBT community to consider leaving Poland.

"Lately, we've been wondering whether we have any chance to live a normal, safe life and raise our children in Poland," says one of the lesbians in the couple from Lublin.&nbsp;

"We'll see what the climate will be after the elections; we may need to find another place where we can be safe."

(With inputs from AFP)

LGBT rights have become the single biggest cultural issue in Poland's election campaign ahead of Sunday's vote. In the eyes of the ruling law and justice party, LGBT rights are a threat to traditional polish families and values.

LGBT rights have become the single biggest cultural issue in Poland's election campaign ahead of Sunday's vote. In the eyes of the ruling law and justice party, LGBT rights are a threat to traditional polish families and values. First banned by the mayor of Lublin city for security reasons, the provincial city's second-ever pride parade took place in September. Far-right groups and conservative campaigners staged violent counter-protests throughout the event. It's a reaction that came as no surprise for one local official of the ultra-conservative law and justice party, which has been in power for four years and is favourite in the upcoming parliamentary elections. Unlike most of its fellow European Union members, Poland does not recognise any form of homosexual union. The highly influential Catholic Church and the governing right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party have launched blistering attacks on the LGBT community in the campaign preceding it. Archbishop Marek Jedraszewski labelled the community a "rainbow plague". Powerful PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, widely viewed as Poland's de facto powerbroker, thanked the cleric for his words and accused the LGBT community of posing a "threat" to the traditional family. Kaczynski's position on gay rights is "unique in European mainstream politics" and "reminiscent of the standards of (President Vladimir) Putin's Russia," according to Piotr Pacewicz, editor-in-chief of OKO press, an acclaimed Polish website for investigative journalism and fact-checking. 'Set fire' The anti-gay rhetoric being spread by Poland's arguably two most powerful institutions is creating a climate of fear that is taking a toll on the mental health of some members of the gay community. A lesbian couple in their early thirties living in Lublin say they fear for their lives and those of their children. "I'm afraid that we or our children will be attacked, I'm afraid of being humiliated in front of children, I'm afraid my car will be vandalised or that someone will set fire to our flat," one of the women said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We would never dare to hold hands in public in Lublin," she added. One of the women said that she is considering taking legal action in connection with workplace harassment over her sexual orientation. The other says her ex-husband became sharply homophobic, controlling and abusive when she said she was leaving him for a woman. 'LGBT ideology' Tomasz Pitucha, a PiS party member and Lublin city councillor in charge of family affairs, opposed the march and insisted that the gay community is itself to blame for triggering violent counter-protests by the far-right and others. "Gay pride and other LGBT marches are provocations against society," the 50-year-old said. "No one is hunting homosexuals, but if these people show up and march, it triggers a variety of reactions." Earlier this year, PiS-allied Lublin authorities handed out awards to local officials for publicly opposing "LGBT ideology", which they said, "goes against the family, the nation and the Polish state". Ten kilometres (six miles) from Lublin, the city of Swidnik in March became the first of some 30 municipalities in Poland to adopt resolutions declaring themselves to be "free of LGBT ideology". Although the resolutions are not legally binding, they encourage elected officials to make sure that sex education, including information of sexual diversity, is kept out of schools. "We oppose 'ideology LGBT' (LGBT rights), which is ever more prevalent in the international public arena," Andrzej Manka, a Swidnik local official said. "We consider it harmful and oppose it being promoted by public institutions." A safe place Some members of Poland's LGBT community are optimistic about the future despite the avalanche of anti-gay rhetoric that has dominated the election cycle. "It's the political class that forbids our love, but society is more open-minded," Tomasz Kitlinski, an openly gay university professor from Lublin who is running as a leftwing candidate in the election. Fifty-seven per cent of Poles favours the legalisation of civil union for same-sex couples, according to a recent survey. But the fact that the PiS is poised to win another four-year term is pushing some members of the LGBT community to consider leaving Poland. "Lately, we've been wondering whether we have any chance to live a normal, safe life and raise our children in Poland," says one of the lesbians in the couple from Lublin. "We'll see what the climate will be after the elections; we may need to find another place where we can be safe." (With inputs from AFP)

LGBT community under fire ahead of elections in Poland

Poland has selected Jan Komasa's gripping religious drama 'Corpus Christi'&nbsp;as its entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2020 Academy Awards. 
 
According to a news agency, the story is based on true incidents, where a young man, who happens to be a criminal, starts portraying himself as a priest. The incident made people question religious belief and what it is to be a man. 
 
The movie which stars Bartosz Bielenia is produced by Aneta Hickinbotham and Leszek Bodzak. 'Corpus Christi'&nbsp;was internationally premiered at the Venice International Film Festival. 
 
There the film won the Edipo Re Award and the Europa Cinemas Label Award. Also, the film was screened at the Toronto festival and will hit theatres in Poland on October 11. 
 
Several times Poland has proved its metal on the Oscars, by making a place in the top 10 nominations. Poland once won Oscars for Pawel Pawlikowski`s&nbsp; 'Ida'&nbsp;in 2014. The nominations for the International Feature Film will be announced along with other categories on January 13, 2020. The 92nd Academy Awards will be held February 9, 2020.&nbsp;

Poland has selected Jan Komasa's gripping religious drama 'Corpus Christi' as its entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2020 Academy Awards.

Poland has selected Jan Komasa's gripping religious drama 'Corpus Christi' as its entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the 2020 Academy Awards. According to a news agency, the story is based on true incidents, where a young man, who happens to be a criminal, starts portraying himself as a priest. The incident made people question religious belief and what it is to be a man. The movie which stars Bartosz Bielenia is produced by Aneta Hickinbotham and Leszek Bodzak. 'Corpus Christi' was internationally premiered at the Venice International Film Festival. There the film won the Edipo Re Award and the Europa Cinemas Label Award. Also, the film was screened at the Toronto festival and will hit theatres in Poland on October 11. Several times Poland has proved its metal on the Oscars, by making a place in the top 10 nominations. Poland once won Oscars for Pawel Pawlikowski`s 'Ida' in 2014. The nominations for the International Feature Film will be announced along with other categories on January 13, 2020. The 92nd Academy Awards will be held February 9, 2020.

Poland selects religious drama 'Corpus Christi' for Oscars 2020

Deputy Foreign Minister of Poland Marcin Przydacz visited India in the first direct flight that will connect capitals of Poland and India i.e Warsaw and New Delhi directly after a gap of 25 years. He spoke to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal on how the direct flight will improve people to people connectivity, Bollywood and ongoing India-Pakistan tensions.&nbsp;

WION: How will the direct flight benefit the people of India and Poland?

Marcin Przydacz: There will be a greater impact on the relations between Poland and India, not only politically but also economically when it comes to tourism. Polish people are very interested in India, they have more and more money. This is not the first direct flight between Poland and Asia. There have been direct flights between China, Japan and Singapore. Very very important for tourist and also for businessmen.&nbsp;

WION:&nbsp;&nbsp;Is trade value between India-Poland&nbsp;far below its potential?

Marcin Przydacz: It is far below potential but not that bad. Our trade is $ 3 billion, so it is not that bad but we can do much more. We are interested also in what you can offer to Poland. We can discuss high tech, fin-tech, agriculture products and also cultural products. Bollywood is more and more popular in Poland. There were a couple of films that were done in Warsaw, our capital. That is also a possibility for further cooperation.

WION:&nbsp;India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited your country last month, how will it increase the political engagement?

Marcin Przydacz: That was a very important visit. The last visit of Indian foreign minister was 30 years ago. EAM visit was very important and has taken our relations at a higher level. He had a good talk with our deputy Prime minister and I really hope the result of this visit will take us to a higher level. We are working on a presidential visit. Our president will have a chance to visit very soon, that is why I am here for political dialogue at a higher level.&nbsp;

WION:&nbsp;Your take on the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions?

Marcin Przydacz: Well those tensions between India and Pakistan as a result of a change in status for the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir is a big concern for the whole international family. We as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council are also the concern of the situation. We are for a peaceful resolution, for dialogue and we like EU think, it will have to solve bilaterally, you have to discuss and find a way on how to solve the situation.

WION:&nbsp;You will visit Kolhapur in Maharashtra, a city that hosted many Polish refugees during World War 2 as Nazis attacked Poland.

Marcin Przydacz: Our friendly ties are deeply rooted in history and good foundation of ties are based on generosity by Indian society during World War 2, when your people invited our refugees who were forcibly taken to Siberia, Russia and were able to escape but they didn't have the chance to go back home, so they came to India and they were hosted here. In Gujarat and Maharashtra, there were camps for 5000 Polish people. Generosity by our society is still remembered in Poland. I don't know if it is remembered here in India and that is why we are opening a museum on how Indian society helped Polish refugees, many of them are 90 years old.

WION:&nbsp;How do you see US President calling off talks with Taliban and developments in Afghanistan?

Marcin Przydacz: Being a non-permanent member of UNSC we are concerned on the situation in Afghanistan. Our troops are there, we are in Afghanistan for the last couple of years and we would love to see Afghanistan as a peaceful and prosperous country because then its crucial for security and stability of the whole region starting from India but it has impact on the situation in Europe. 
&nbsp;

Deputy Foreign Minister of Poland Marcin Przydacz visited India in the first direct flight that will connect capitals of Poland and India i.e Warsaw and New Delhi directly after a gap of 25 years.

Deputy Foreign Minister of Poland Marcin Przydacz visited India in the first direct flight that will connect capitals of Poland and India i.e Warsaw and New Delhi directly after a gap of 25 years. He spoke to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal on how the direct flight will improve people to people connectivity, Bollywood and ongoing India-Pakistan tensions. WION: How will the direct flight benefit the people of India and Poland? Marcin Przydacz: There will be a greater impact on the relations between Poland and India, not only politically but also economically when it comes to tourism. Polish people are very interested in India, they have more and more money. This is not the first direct flight between Poland and Asia. There have been direct flights between China, Japan and Singapore. Very very important for tourist and also for businessmen. WION: Is trade value between India-Poland far below its potential? Marcin Przydacz: It is far below potential but not that bad. Our trade is $ 3 billion, so it is not that bad but we can do much more. We are interested also in what you can offer to Poland. We can discuss high tech, fin-tech, agriculture products and also cultural products. Bollywood is more and more popular in Poland. There were a couple of films that were done in Warsaw, our capital. That is also a possibility for further cooperation. WION: India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited your country last month, how will it increase the political engagement? Marcin Przydacz: That was a very important visit. The last visit of Indian foreign minister was 30 years ago. EAM visit was very important and has taken our relations at a higher level. He had a good talk with our deputy Prime minister and I really hope the result of this visit will take us to a higher level. We are working on a presidential visit. Our president will have a chance to visit very soon, that is why I am here for political dialogue at a higher level. WION: Your take on the ongoing India-Pakistan tensions? Marcin Przydacz: Well those tensions between India and Pakistan as a result of a change in status for the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir is a big concern for the whole international family. We as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council are also the concern of the situation. We are for a peaceful resolution, for dialogue and we like EU think, it will have to solve bilaterally, you have to discuss and find a way on how to solve the situation. WION: You will visit Kolhapur in Maharashtra, a city that hosted many Polish refugees during World War 2 as Nazis attacked Poland. Marcin Przydacz: Our friendly ties are deeply rooted in history and good foundation of ties are based on generosity by Indian society during World War 2, when your people invited our refugees who were forcibly taken to Siberia, Russia and were able to escape but they didn't have the chance to go back home, so they came to India and they were hosted here. In Gujarat and Maharashtra, there were camps for 5000 Polish people. Generosity by our society is still remembered in Poland. I don't know if it is remembered here in India and that is why we are opening a museum on how Indian society helped Polish refugees, many of them are 90 years old. WION: How do you see US President calling off talks with Taliban and developments in Afghanistan? Marcin Przydacz: Being a non-permanent member of UNSC we are concerned on the situation in Afghanistan. Our troops are there, we are in Afghanistan for the last couple of years and we would love to see Afghanistan as a peaceful and prosperous country because then its crucial for security and stability of the whole region starting from India but it has impact on the situation in Europe.

India, Pakistan have to solve Kashmir bilaterally: Polish Deputy Foreign Minister to WION

Poland pats tribute to 1st victims of World War 2

Poland Marks 80 years since World War 2 began

Poland is under siege from a "rainbow plague" of gay rights campaigners, the archbishop of Krakow, Marek Jedraszewski said on Thursday (August 1) comparing it to Poland's former Communist rulers.

Polish bishop likens LGBT rainbow flag to "communist plague"

Warsaw and Washington have agreed on six locations for new US troops to be stationed in Poland, the country's Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Friday, a day after Donald Trump cancelled a trip to the eastern European nation.

Trump called off his weekend trip due to a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hurricane-dorian-gains-strength-as-florida-braces-for-direct-hit-246598">hurricane bearing down on Florida</a>, with US&nbsp;Vice President Mike Pence to take his place at events in Poland to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the start of World War Two.

"We have agreed on six locations, we talked about a seventh location," Blaszczak said later at a joint news conference with US&nbsp;National Security Adviser John Bolton, who has come to Poland for the anniversary.

In June, Poland signed a deal to increase the American military presence on its soil to counter Russia's growing assertiveness since its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.

Poland has a border in the northeast with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, where Moscow has deployed advanced nuclear-capable Iskander missiles.

The military deal signed in June will increase the number of non-permanent US&nbsp;troops in Poland by 1,000. There are on average about 4,500 US&nbsp;troops in Poland on rotation as part of NATO forces.

"Poland has been an outstanding partner of the US&nbsp;and NATO, spending more than 2% of GDP on defence," Bolton told the conference. He added that Trump's visit will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

Apart from declarations about military cooperation, some analysts had expected Trump to comment on energy and technology cooperation, and possibly on easing US&nbsp;visa requirements for Poles.

An aide to Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Thursday that Trump may visit in the coming months.

"Probably some part of the declarations, which only the US&nbsp;president can make, will be delayed (...) and probably some of the declarations will wait for his visit to Warsaw," minister at Polish president's chancellery Krzysztof Szczerski told public radio.

He did not reply directly to questions about relaxing the visa regime, saying only that there are talks about Polish-US "cooperation".

Warsaw and Washington have agreed on six locations for new US troops to be stationed in Poland, the country's Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Friday, a day after Donald Trump cancelled a trip to the eastern European nation.

Warsaw and Washington have agreed on six locations for new US troops to be stationed in Poland, the country's Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Friday, a day after Donald Trump cancelled a trip to the eastern European nation. Trump called off his weekend trip due to a hurricane bearing down on Florida, with US Vice President Mike Pence to take his place at events in Poland to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the start of World War Two. "We have agreed on six locations, we talked about a seventh location," Blaszczak said later at a joint news conference with US National Security Adviser John Bolton, who has come to Poland for the anniversary. In June, Poland signed a deal to increase the American military presence on its soil to counter Russia's growing assertiveness since its 2014 annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. Poland has a border in the northeast with the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, where Moscow has deployed advanced nuclear-capable Iskander missiles. The military deal signed in June will increase the number of non-permanent US troops in Poland by 1,000. There are on average about 4,500 US troops in Poland on rotation as part of NATO forces. "Poland has been an outstanding partner of the US and NATO, spending more than 2% of GDP on defence," Bolton told the conference. He added that Trump's visit will be rescheduled as soon as possible. Apart from declarations about military cooperation, some analysts had expected Trump to comment on energy and technology cooperation, and possibly on easing US visa requirements for Poles. An aide to Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Thursday that Trump may visit in the coming months. "Probably some part of the declarations, which only the US president can make, will be delayed (...) and probably some of the declarations will wait for his visit to Warsaw," minister at Polish president's chancellery Krzysztof Szczerski told public radio. He did not reply directly to questions about relaxing the visa regime, saying only that there are talks about Polish-US "cooperation".

Warsaw, Washington agree on locations for new US troops in Poland: Defence minister

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jaishankar-briefs-russian-foreign-minister-lavrov-on-kashmir-discusses-upcoming-visit-of-pm-modi-to-russia-246240">External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar</a> met Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki here on Wednesday and discussed ways in which mutual cooperation could benefit both the countries.

"A good meeting on arrival in Warsaw. Thank PM @MorawieckiM for receiving me. Discussed ways in which our mutual cooperation could benefit both countries and contribute to global security," Jaishankar tweeted.

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A good meeting on arrival in Warsaw. Thank PM <a href="https://twitter.com/MorawieckiM?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MorawieckiM</a> for receiving me. Discussed ways in which our mutual cooperation could benefit both countries and contribute to global security. <a href="https://t.co/Eno1n9cjLa">pic.twitter.com/Eno1n9cjLa</a>
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1166825047278804992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 28, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Prior to this, he held a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow where a wide range of issues were discussed.

"A truly special and privileged strategic partnership. Discussed a wide range of issues in a very warm atmosphere with FM Lavrov. A meeting of minds on important questions of the day. Appreciated full understanding of India's core interests," Jaishankar had stated after the meeting.

They also reviewed preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Vladivostok next week.

Modi will be the chief guest at the 5th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok which will be held from September 4 to 6.

The EEF is an international forum held each year since 2015 in September. The forum seeks to encourage foreign investment in the Russian Far East that is famous for the world's largest mineral and energy reserves.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki here on Wednesday and discussed ways in which mutual cooperation could benefit both the countries.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki here on Wednesday and discussed ways in which mutual cooperation could benefit both the countries. "A good meeting on arrival in Warsaw. Thank PM @MorawieckiM for receiving me. Discussed ways in which our mutual cooperation could benefit both countries and contribute to global security," Jaishankar tweeted. A good meeting on arrival in Warsaw. Thank PM @MorawieckiM for receiving me. Discussed ways in which our mutual cooperation could benefit both countries and contribute to global security. pic.twitter.com/Eno1n9cjLa — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) August 28, 2019 × Prior to this, he held a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow where a wide range of issues were discussed. "A truly special and privileged strategic partnership. Discussed a wide range of issues in a very warm atmosphere with FM Lavrov. A meeting of minds on important questions of the day. Appreciated full understanding of India's core interests," Jaishankar had stated after the meeting. They also reviewed preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Vladivostok next week. Modi will be the chief guest at the 5th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok which will be held from September 4 to 6. The EEF is an international forum held each year since 2015 in September. The forum seeks to encourage foreign investment in the Russian Far East that is famous for the world's largest mineral and energy reserves.

Foreign minister Jaishankar holds meeting with Poland Prime Minister, discusses mutual cooperation

Poland has assured India its support to deal with cross border terror issue during the visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to the country. EAM Jaishankar met his Polish counterpart Prof.

Poland has assured India its support to deal with cross border terror issue during the visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to the country. EAM Jaishankar met his Polish counterpart Prof. Jacek Czaputowicz on Thursday. The India Poland Foreign Minister in a joint statement said, "FM Prof. Czaputowicz expressed the commitment of Poland to support global efforts to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, particularly cross-border terrorism." During the half-an-hour face-to-face talks, Jaishankar appreciated Polish Presidency in United Nations Security Council. Poland as the UNSC chair had told Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi when he called him to brief on Kashmir that Warsaw is in favour of a dialogue between Pakistan and India to sort out differences. "We exchanged views on a number of regional and global matters, especially in the context of Poland’s Security Council membership," Jaishanker said after press statements alongside the Polish foreign minister. This is the first visit by Indian foreign minister to Poland since 1987. Visiting Indian minister expressed New Delhi's desire to engage with Poland under the Visegrad format, something he had talked about during his visit to Hungary earlier this week. Visegrád is a group of four central and eastern European nations — Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. "We value Poland as a large and important country in Europe, as a key member of the European Union and as a pillar of the Visegrad-4. It is currently a member of the UN Security Council which is in itself a recognition of its stature", Jaishanker said. Polish national carrier LOT will be starting direct flights from Warsaw to New Delhi from September 12 and Deputy Polish Prime Minister Piotr Gliński himself would be leading the Polish delegation on the inaugural flight. During the visit, Jaishankar called on the Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Deputy Polish PM Piotr Gliński. Jaishankar was on a three-nation visit this week to Hungary, Russia and Poland.

Poland assures India support in dealing with cross border terrorism

Pakistan has now approached the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) over Jammu & Kashmir. Meanwhile, Poland has made it clear that Delhi and Islamabad should find a solution “bilaterally”.

Pakistan's desperation grows, Poland backs bilateral solution on J&K

Shah Mehmood Qureshi speaks to Polish Foreign Minister and tries to get their support on Kashmir.

WION Dispatch: Siddhant Sibbal on Poland's take on Kashmir Issue

Pakistan goes to UNSC on Jammu & Kashmir and Poland has made it clear that Delhi and Islamabad should solve this issue bilaterally. To know more watch the video

Adam Burakowski, Poland's envoy to India speaks to Wion

Indian Army Chief Bipin Rawat has once again warned Pakistan and expressed confidence that the forces are ever vigilant and always prepared to deal with any situation.

J&K gears up for Independence Day celebrations

Poland's&nbsp;parliament&nbsp;speaker, Marek Kuchcinski, said on Thursday he would resign after it was revealed that he used government aircraft for&nbsp;private&nbsp;trips by family members.

With elections set for October, the&nbsp;scandal&nbsp;has embarrassed the ruling right-wing nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which has said it is cleaning up an alleged legacy of graft and communist influence tolerated by previous governments.

"I plan to submit my resignation tomorrow," Kuchcinski told a news conference, three days after he apologized for using government Gulfstream jet for 23&nbsp;flights&nbsp;with his family.

Political analysts said that until Thursday the PiS had adopted a wait and see approach, hoping the&nbsp;scandal&nbsp;would die off&nbsp;amidst the summer holiday lull.

But after the Polish media published further details of the&nbsp;flights&nbsp;and pointed to discrepancies in explanations by Kuchcinski and the government, the potential damage became too serious to gloss over. 
A poll published by Super Express tabloid on Thursday showed that almost two-third of Poles wanted Kuchcinski to resign.

A survey taken by IBRiS pollster before the&nbsp;scandal&nbsp;broke gave PiS 41.7per cent if elections were held now, with the main opposition bloc, the centrist Civic Platform, at 25 per cent and a group of leftist parties at 10.2per cent.

Poland's parliament speaker, Marek Kuchcinski, said on Thursday he would resign after it was revealed that he used government aircraft for private trips by family members.

Poland's parliament speaker, Marek Kuchcinski, said on Thursday he would resign after it was revealed that he used government aircraft for private trips by family members. With elections set for October, the scandal has embarrassed the ruling right-wing nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party, which has said it is cleaning up an alleged legacy of graft and communist influence tolerated by previous governments. "I plan to submit my resignation tomorrow," Kuchcinski told a news conference, three days after he apologized for using government Gulfstream jet for 23 flights with his family. Political analysts said that until Thursday the PiS had adopted a wait and see approach, hoping the scandal would die off amidst the summer holiday lull. But after the Polish media published further details of the flights and pointed to discrepancies in explanations by Kuchcinski and the government, the potential damage became too serious to gloss over. A poll published by Super Express tabloid on Thursday showed that almost two-third of Poles wanted Kuchcinski to resign. A survey taken by IBRiS pollster before the scandal broke gave PiS 41.7per cent if elections were held now, with the main opposition bloc, the centrist Civic Platform, at 25 per cent and a group of leftist parties at 10.2per cent.

Poland's parliament speaker resigns amid private flights scandal

Polish teenager Franciszek Filipowski has just signed on for his first job at a vegetarian restaurant in Warsaw and thanks to a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/poland-scraps-income-tax-for-young-workers-239679">new government measure</a>, he will not be paying taxes.

"The current party in power has scrapped taxes for those under the age of 26," the 19-year-old told AFP.&nbsp;

"That way, they appear sympathetic towards young voters," he said, suggesting it could be a calculated political move ahead of a general election in October.

The tax break, which came into effect on August 1, could benefit around two million youths in the country of 38 million people, as it only applies to employees, not young entrepreneurs, according to Deputy Finance Minister Leszek Skiba.

He told AFP he hopes the legislation will encourage young people to quickly join the labour market, which is increasingly lacking in workers.&nbsp;

The under-26 workforce will now receive fatter paychecks since their employers no longer have to hold back 18 per cent of the salary to hand over to tax authorities.&nbsp;

'Magic wand'

The government is also hoping the measure will discourage young people from emigrating in search of higher wages.

"It's impossible to predict everything... but we think that any young people who are debating whether to stay or go work abroad will see that the gap between their net salary here and abroad is diminishing and that will motivate them to stay in Poland," Skiba said.&nbsp;

In addition, "some of those who are already in Western Europe -- in Germany, Britain, France or Ireland -- will see a reason to consider a return home," he said.&nbsp;

Skiba said the state could see around 2.5 billion zloty (580 million euros, $650 million) less in revenue, half of which would have gone to government coffers and half to local authorities.&nbsp;

'Populism'

Another young man interviewed by AFP, 23-year-old Jan Piotrowski, said he is sceptical regarding the whole initiative.&nbsp;

"The idea was floated just before the EU elections, so there's an element of populism," said Piotrowski, who had previously worked in commerce and at a bank and is now looking for a job in the logistics sector.&nbsp;

"I don't expect to receive a windfall. More something along the lines of an extra 100 to 200 zloty (23-46 euros, $26-52)" per month, he said.&nbsp;

There are no statistics for the average monthly wage specifically for young people, only for the working population as a whole, where it is a net 3,700 zloty (860 euros).&nbsp;

But to provide an idea of how marginal the increase in a young person's take-home pay might be: a burger costs around 25 zloty.

Piotrowski said he has been "considering moving abroad for work over the last couple years" and such a small amount extra will not sway him.&nbsp;

"I don't like the current government's policies and I don't expect them to change. A lot of my friends have the same view," he told AFP.

"Polish salaries won't skyrocket. Housing is expensive, the price of food is going up as well, slowly but surely,"

Some economists are also not convinced by the government plan.&nbsp;

"Eliminating this tax won't make much of a difference for the economy," said Andrzej Sadowski, president of the Adam Smith Centre, a Polish think-tank espousing free market views.

"For an employer, it's not the 18 per cent tax on income that's expensive, it's the social security charges of just over 40 per cent," he told AFP.&nbsp;

Employees pay about 24 per cent of their gross salary in social security contributions in Poland and employers around 18 per cent.

Like Sweden

Still, he believes that it is employers who will benefit the most from the programme.

"Now when they hire a young person, they'll be able to offer a salary on which they won't have to pay 18 per cent in taxes," he said.&nbsp;

Sadowski does not discount an electoral motivation for the legislation, saying that "in Poland, like in France, the government often gives voters gifts ahead of the election."

"In this particular case, the measure favouring youths is meant to offset the negative effect of higher social security charges for small businesses," which are to come into effect in January, he said.&nbsp;

Supporters of the new tax break see a precedent in Sweden, where in 2007 the centre-right government slashed employer charges in half for people under 26 years of age to ease their access to the job market.

The following centre-left administration scrapped the move in 2016, saying it was ineffective.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Polish teenager Franciszek Filipowski has just signed on for his first job at a vegetarian restaurant in Warsaw and thanks to a new government measure, he will not be paying taxes.

Polish teenager Franciszek Filipowski has just signed on for his first job at a vegetarian restaurant in Warsaw and thanks to a new government measure, he will not be paying taxes. "The current party in power has scrapped taxes for those under the age of 26," the 19-year-old told AFP. "That way, they appear sympathetic towards young voters," he said, suggesting it could be a calculated political move ahead of a general election in October. The tax break, which came into effect on August 1, could benefit around two million youths in the country of 38 million people, as it only applies to employees, not young entrepreneurs, according to Deputy Finance Minister Leszek Skiba. He told AFP he hopes the legislation will encourage young people to quickly join the labour market, which is increasingly lacking in workers. The under-26 workforce will now receive fatter paychecks since their employers no longer have to hold back 18 per cent of the salary to hand over to tax authorities. 'Magic wand' The government is also hoping the measure will discourage young people from emigrating in search of higher wages. "It's impossible to predict everything... but we think that any young people who are debating whether to stay or go work abroad will see that the gap between their net salary here and abroad is diminishing and that will motivate them to stay in Poland," Skiba said. In addition, "some of those who are already in Western Europe -- in Germany, Britain, France or Ireland -- will see a reason to consider a return home," he said. Skiba said the state could see around 2.5 billion zloty (580 million euros, $650 million) less in revenue, half of which would have gone to government coffers and half to local authorities. 'Populism' Another young man interviewed by AFP, 23-year-old Jan Piotrowski, said he is sceptical regarding the whole initiative. "The idea was floated just before the EU elections, so there's an element of populism," said Piotrowski, who had previously worked in commerce and at a bank and is now looking for a job in the logistics sector. "I don't expect to receive a windfall. More something along the lines of an extra 100 to 200 zloty (23-46 euros, $26-52)" per month, he said. There are no statistics for the average monthly wage specifically for young people, only for the working population as a whole, where it is a net 3,700 zloty (860 euros). But to provide an idea of how marginal the increase in a young person's take-home pay might be: a burger costs around 25 zloty. Piotrowski said he has been "considering moving abroad for work over the last couple years" and such a small amount extra will not sway him. "I don't like the current government's policies and I don't expect them to change. A lot of my friends have the same view," he told AFP. "Polish salaries won't skyrocket. Housing is expensive, the price of food is going up as well, slowly but surely," Some economists are also not convinced by the government plan. "Eliminating this tax won't make much of a difference for the economy," said Andrzej Sadowski, president of the Adam Smith Centre, a Polish think-tank espousing free market views. "For an employer, it's not the 18 per cent tax on income that's expensive, it's the social security charges of just over 40 per cent," he told AFP. Employees pay about 24 per cent of their gross salary in social security contributions in Poland and employers around 18 per cent. Like Sweden Still, he believes that it is employers who will benefit the most from the programme. "Now when they hire a young person, they'll be able to offer a salary on which they won't have to pay 18 per cent in taxes," he said. Sadowski does not discount an electoral motivation for the legislation, saying that "in Poland, like in France, the government often gives voters gifts ahead of the election." "In this particular case, the measure favouring youths is meant to offset the negative effect of higher social security charges for small businesses," which are to come into effect in January, he said. Supporters of the new tax break see a precedent in Sweden, where in 2007 the centre-right government slashed employer charges in half for people under 26 years of age to ease their access to the job market. The following centre-left administration scrapped the move in 2016, saying it was ineffective.

Poland scraps taxes for young adults to curb emigration

Poland has introduced a new law in the country to keep a check on the rising brain drain. Watch video to know more.

Brain drain claimed 1.7 million youths

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