After Poland Compares EU To Nazis, Brussels Launches "Unprecedented" Review Of Polish Media Laws
Relations between Poland the EU are deteriorating rapidly on the heels of President Andrzej Duda’s move to approve new laws that allow the conservative (and eurosceptic) Law and Justice (PiS) government to name the chiefs of public TV and radio, and select judges for Poland's constitutional court.
Over the weekend, we highlighted a letter from Polish minister Zbigniew Ziobro to EU commissioner Gunther Oettinger in which Ziobro dismissed criticism of the new laws as “silly.” He went on to suggest that perhaps the Germans should focus on their own domestic issues.
"Such words, said by a German politician, cause the worst of connotations among Poles. Also in me. I'm a grandson of a Polish officer, who during World War II fought in the underground National Army with 'German supervision',” Ziobro wrote, before saying he has come “to a sad conclusion that it is easier for you to talk about fictitious threats to media freedom in other countries than to condemn censorship in your homeland.” That’s an apparent reference to the coverup of the sexual assaults that occurred in Cologne on New Year’s Eve.
Finally, assuring that diplomacy between the two nations will remain impaired for the foreseeable future, the front page of the Polish Wprost weekly, one of the more popular media outlets in the country, showed the following picture of Merkel, and the EU Commission cronies Juncker, Oettinger and Schultz, with the title "They want to supervise Poland again." Which, as Reuters explains, means "occupy."
Now that the Nazi card has been played it's time for the EU to hit back. "Poland's legal maneuvers have prompted escalating warnings from the EC that it could intervene. The EC's vice president, Frans Timmermans, sent two letters asking Polish authorities for information," Deutsche Welle wrote on Tuesday noting that "the queries infuriated Poland's Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, who said Tuesday he was 'astonished' by Timmermans' request, slamming it as 'an attempt to exert pressure upon the democratically elected' parliament and government of a sovereign state."
"You had the possibility to receive from me the competent information regarding this issue ... using routine working contacts ... I deplore the fact that you decided not to do so. Thus, I first found out about your unjustified accusations and unfair conclusions from the media," Ziobro seethed.
Well if Ziobro was angry before, he's furious now because Brussels has taken it a step further. "The European Commission has opened an unprecedented inquiry into whether new Polish laws break EU democracy rules," BBC reports. Under the so-called "rule of law" mechanism the Commission can force a member state to change any measure that poses a "systemic threat" to fundamental EU values.
Polish PM Beata Szydlo is having none of it. "Democracy is alive and well in Poland," she told the Polish parliament on Wednesday.
"The Commission has no right to evaluate changles to Poland's public media law," Foreign minister Witold Waszczykowski told Reuters.
Here are the bullet points on the procedure courtesy of BBC:
- EU introduced mechanism in 2014 to protect fundamental values
- Activated by "systemic breakdown" affecting proper functioning of state's institutions and mechanisms
- Three-stage process: Commission assessment and opinion, recommendation of action with time limit and then potential resort to Article 7 of Lisbon Treaty
- Article 7 can mean suspension of state's voting rights in EU Council, where ministers from 28 states shape EU policy
And here's a bit more color:
The Polish prime minister told MPs she would defend Poland in a European Parliament debate next week and represent the whole of parliament and society.
Four channel directors at broadcaster TVP resigned earlier this month in protest at the government's media laws, which place public radio and TV under a new national media council. That change gives the treasury minister the right to hire and fire management.
Most Poles watch or listen to the public TVP channels and one minister has accused news channel TVP Info of broadcasting propaganda for years.
Shortly before the measures came into effect, another law was signed off requiring most rulings by Poland's 15-member Constitutional Court to have a two-thirds majority with at least 13 members present. The ruling party put forward five names to the court, which then appointed two as judges.
Thousands of Poles have protested against the changes in recent weeks in Warsaw, Poznan, Wroclaw and Krakow.
What's next you ask? Well, here's the EU Commission itself to explain:
A reply to the letter of First Vice-President Timmermans on the media law was received on 7 January and on 11 January on the Constitutional Tribunal reform. On the Constitutional Court reform, the Commission is cooperating with the Council of Europe Venice Commission, which is preparing an Opinion on the matter.
Under the Rule of Law Framework, the Commission enters into a structured and cooperative exchange with the Polish authorities in order to collect and examine all relevant information to assess whether there are clear indications of a systemic threat to the rule of law.
Following today's orientation debate, the College mandated First Vice-President Timmermans to send a letter to the Polish government in order to start the structured dialogue under the Rule of Law Framework. The College agreed to come back to the matter by mid-March, in close cooperation with the Venice Commission.
Ultimately the question is whether Poland's new laws represent an illegitimate an intolerable attempt to bring the media under state control or whether the inquiry is just another example of Berlin and Brussels attempting to impose their will by decree.
One thing is certain: this will do nothing to ease tensions in the bloc where the worsening migrant crisis and subsquent attempt to address it with a controversial quota system has already created quite a bit of animosity and suspicion towards the German government and the eurocrats tin Brussels.
(14 votes)
»
- Login or register to post comments
- Printer-friendly version
- Send to friend
- advertisements -
In Germany the State appoints all "State Media" heads and nobody without political connections can hope for a seat.
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96ffentlich-rechtlicher_Rundfunk#Deuts...
Not to mention that Germans are free to pay over 8 Billion Euros for their "State Media" per year in "Tax" that is not a tax but you still have to pay it.
Also, in Poland, public media was always against right wingers. It was pretty easy for the previous ruling party to give them some autonomy when they had similar opinions. If the situation was reversed previous centrist govt would probably also pressure media in some way, they just didn't need to. The main difference would be that EU would keep silent about it.
100% true, even if I don't give a shit about right wingers, they are just so stupid as left wingers and centers. All Kabuki.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=929631143743014&id=775...
"The ?#ThirdReich? is OFFICIALLY the LEGAL SOVEREIGN Government of?#Germany?"
This has been a legal conundrum since the 1990s but liberal segments in the German government have forced the issue and the German courts have officially announced that the current German state is technically an illegitimate government but one which is the legal and international representation of the German state. The current modern state of Germany is nothing more than a puppet state for the allies. Germany is even obligated to a contract which states that the Allies (USA, France, Russia, Britain) have firm control of German media until the year 2099, even worse, each new chancellor must sign the Kanzler-Akte and swear fealty to the United States putting US interests before the interests of the German citizens they are supposed to represent. The US also has control over German gold reserves."
Under the so-called "rule of law" mechanism the Commission can force a member state to change any measure that poses a "systemic threat" to fundamental EU values
Bye Bye sovereignty
Good luck enforcing it against a government that puts its nation's interests first and had at least 1 like minded ally.
The shot storm of public backlash against the autocrats will be epic.
"Under the so-called "rule of law" mechanism the Commission can force a member state to change any measure that poses a "systemic threat" to fundamental EU values."
You can have a democracy as long as you have our approval on policies first. Sounds an awful lot like the opposite of a democracy to me.
You're right. It isn't democracy, or anything else that's decent. It's just agents of The Great Red Dragon trying to cover their ass. Keep the sheep stupid. I dislike the word "Nazi" for the simply reason that it was a cover for agents of The Great Red Dragon. When they decided they were bigger than their sociopathic financiers and bombed their banksters in the City of London Corporation, that's when it was over. You don't bomb your banker.
& the stupid people love enslavement, sold for a color tv & phone
EU sounds like the 4th Reich to me....
What is the US then?
Truth hurts apparently
“So, uh, you guys are Eurotrash, huh? How’s that, uh, working out for you?” – Moe
Post "Cologne rapefugees" the EU should not speak about free press.
Nobody expects the Belgian Inquisition! [/SNL skit]
Monty Python, Buzzy.
Zio Nazis
another "well deserved" peace price...
But of course!
What else would you expect from the paid for Ministry of Information that includes the likes of Cass Sunstein and "Babs Spectre"?.. When they lose the propoganda war they lose their job(s) and perhaps their lives if the rest of us ever get angry enough!
ZIONISM! It's not just a job It's an Adventure!!!
Take it for what it's worth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJUjSgNWv2U
Go Poles!! Tell EU to go fuck themselves.
To quote Nigel Farage:
"Who are these people?"
Without kings, queens and "houses of" Europe flails. Europeans are conditoned to follow crowns and families.
Welp, if the immigration flows go unstopped, Europe can expect "House of Goatfvck", King Wackjob bin Nutjob bin Blowjob, and plenty of other fun characters like that in the near future.
Kind of re-enforces the claim.
TPP will give Corporations the power to tell Countries what they can and can't do. No middle man like the EU required.
Pick yer poison lads.
Bullshit, polish media is so reliable, that Pravda and CNBC looks like fountains of truth - no shit. Same for private media. Nothing will change anyway ...
If the Brussels was not afraid that something might change, they would have kept quiet.
Here's some change - "...the controversial appointment of Colonel Robert Bala to the post of acting chief of NATO’s CEK during a late-night entry by Polish Defence Ministry officials into the building in Warsaw on 18 December."
Slovaks and of Poles can stay. All others? Some others must go. NATO commander unilaterally replaced in the middle of the night with Polish Colonel. This story has been buried deeper than Obummer's bc. A Google search for "Poland seizes NATO surveillance site" does not return this story.
After successful government overthrows in Italy, Greece and Ukraine it should be just and easy blitz in Poland
Deleted duplicate post - why does this happen!!??
Deleted duplicate post
In the UK, appointments to the BBC Trust are made by Queen in Council, on the recommendation of UK government ministers. The Trust directly appoints the Director General of the BBC, who is responsible for its day to day operations.
This arrangement should be investigated by the EU as it is clearly much worse and gives the government far more control than the Polish model.
"Ultimately the question is whether Poland's new laws represent an illegitimate an intolerable attempt to bring the media under state control or whether the inquiry is just another example of Berlin and Brussels attempting to impose their will by decree. "
c) both (?)
State media in Poland are propagadna tool from the beginning - problem for EU reps is that now it'll be eurosceptic propaganda, intead of direct EU bullhorn. Period.
The Gender Lobby got booted, and they don't like it. ;)
"Protect your women, not Polands democracy" .... bitchezzzzzzz
Illegal Freespeech in Germany today."Protect your women, not Polands democracy"
Banner held up by Poles at German v. Poland football match. Later, German undercoverish police forcibly removed the banner from the Poles and hauled some of the non-resisting Poles away.
Funny title - Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT), of the DeathStar Galactica, General Jean-Paul Paloméros. From here - Nato-welcomes-its-24th-centre-of-excellence CEK.
Note - It's really just Supreme Allied Commander Transgender. I made up the BattleStar Galactica bit.
Everything the EU does at this point just hastens its demise.
It hastens a final conflict where there's no room for compromise, no mutually livable compromise, and everyone's on one side or the other. Right now widespread indifference allows the EU to keep up their creeping totalitarianism. But the missteps pile up...
National sovereignty ist verbotten in the New World Order. Poland rejected the invasion of muslim "refugees". Smart move. They better watch what the EU banksters are trying to tie up in their homeland. This is the time to play the Russians against the EU and just be in the middle taking a profit.
Unlikely to happen
The current government does not like the Russians almost as much as they dislike the Germans.
Best case scenario is they form a Slavic nations alliance.
It has been attempted before and failed....at least 2 times. Once by Poland and once by someone else...maybe Tito..but only managed to organize Yugoslavia.
An alliance between Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia would be a good start. Could even add Hungary into the mix.
If they could resolve their differences with the Russians that could form a very powerful alliance. Problem is the both Poles and Russians would try to control it, so a structure that prevents dominance and power struggle would need to be devised.
Bring in Belarus and Ukraine and the alliance would cover huge contiguous territory with tremendous natural resources and relatively similar populations.
Stretch it down south to Bulgaria and Serbia the alliance controls passage from Asia to Europe.........which is why those fucking child molester Brits have fought against its formation last time it was tried.
Information provided by the media is usually fairly consistent, albeit frequently false. In the recent quarrel between Poland and the EU the whole situation looks extremely intransparent. The polish government has the profile of being very dedicated to Europe and the NATO and extremely russophobe. The present war of words and actions between Warsaw and Bruxelles does not fit into the picture. Why would Bruxelles seek to alienate Warsaw over such minor issues as the constitutional court and a media reform? We have EU member Bulgaria where the whole legal system is not compliant with EU standards. We have EU member Greece which is sinkhole for european taxes. We have EU candidates such as Ukraine, Albania and Montenegro which will absorb any funds leftover from the activities of Bulgaria, Greece etcetc.. Come on! Who is concerned about the free press and the constitutional court in Warsaw? The German constitutional court has been bullied in the past by politicians and the German press has ceased to be (really) free. Why making a fuzz about Poland? It just seems to be another situation which shows the application of double standards.
The EU's real role is to subjugate the rest of Europe on behalf of Germany, which itself is acting on behalf of the US.
because its not about 'democracy' or 'media' - it's about Poland sliping off German hands - they were 'almost there' - their puppets (Tusk) in full charge, 80% od printed media and radio audience controlled by German corpos, huge influence on economy. And suddently everything goes tits up. Puppets loose elections, newcomers say 'fuck you' to Germany and EU. So, the anger is there
Tell us more.
It sounds a lot like Greece on the Propaganda Front. As for the UK we can rely on the BBC,
ANYTHING THE BBC SAYS WE BELIEVE THE OPPOSITE.
You're thinking of the former Polish government.
The new one is Euro sceptical.
This move against the media also shows they are smart. They know the enemy within. You cannot have a propaganda machine in your own country working against you.
They will now have the propaganda machine working for them.
This terrifies those who thought had control.
Love you Poland!!!!
Ok. Has either the author or commentators noticed that Poland just turned completey fascist Nazi? The govt has taken over the courts and the media! Of course the EU should be worried.
Do you actually believe what garbage you are being fed by the media? If yes, you are on the wrong site.
So if Poland let's the EU pick the head of their state owned media then they will win your approval? How so? Someone just pointed out the UK government picks the head of the Beeb. They've been doing it since day one. Is this a matter of concern for you? Is the Btitish government fascist? Which is more Fascist for you? The British government or the Polish government? Thanks.
The EU is finally losing all pretense that they are a democrative group. In Europe you have to be left. Even the so-called conservative parties like the CDU are actually left. Way left of the Democratic party here in the U.S., for example. Any whoever dares to vote otherwise quickly get to know the sharp end of the propaganda stick... the mainstream European press. Brussels will crumble under the weight of their own stupidity.