Poland will support the peace process in Israel, Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna told Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu at a meeting in Jerusalem on 15 June.

The Isreali PM said he would „hold out a hand” to anyone who wanted peace. He also spoke of Poland’s and Isreal’s shared experience in fighting for freedom and of further cooperation in the areas of trade, modern technology, cyber-security and science.

Netanyahu said the fact that about 120 Polish business people had travelled with the foreign minister to Israel was “the best proof of the possibilities for fruitful cooperation.” He stressed that on a visit to Poland he had been impressed by the country’s economic achievements and the improvements in the quality of life. “Poland can be proud,” he said.

Schetyna spoke of the 25th anniversary of the reconnection of Polish-Israeli diplomatic relations, which were broken off by the then communist authorities at the behest of Moscow after the Six-Day War of 1967. They were reconnected on 27 February 1990 by the first post-communist government, under Tadeusz Mazowiecki.

He also reminded listeners of the over 1,000-year joint Polish-Jewish history, “where we lived in one country and we built it together. A symbol of this is the opening in 2014 of the History of Polish Jews Museum in Warsaw,” he added.

The greatest challenges facing both Poland and Israel are “security questions in Europe and on its edges, in eastern Europe, north Africa and the Middle east,” Schetyna said.

Schetyna concluded by saying Poland would be a friend of Israel in the EU. He said he would seek to convince Berlin and Paris to join Warsaw in making the Weimar Triangle a party to Israel-Palestine peace talks. Schetyna said he believed his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier and French counterpart Laurent Fabius shared his opinion on the matter.

On Sunday Schetyna met Israeli president Reuven Rivlin and leader of the Knesset Yuli-Yoel Edelstein. Rivlin stressed at the meeting that only direct negotiations between Israel and Palestine would yield results, dismissing the need for any interventions by international organisations.

Netanyahu, who is also Israel’s diplomatic chief, earlier had referred to a report published on Sunday by the Israeli government on last year’s conflict in the Gaza Strip. He said it vindicated Israel’s military actions under international law.

Schetyna also visited the Palestinian territories, and in Ramallah – the official capital – met with head of the Palestinian government Rami Hamdallah.

The visit wrapped up with a visit to a Polish-Israeli Business Forum in Tel Aviv.

Following Wednesday’s announcement by Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz of the resignation of six ministers and deputy ministers as well as a string of other top politicians, we take a look at the possible answers to why they relinquished their posts.

The dismissals came as a whirlwind which swept through the ruling Civic Platform (PO) gathered momentum on Monday evening following the publication by businessman Zbigniew Stonoga of 13 files of the ongoing Prosecutor’s investigation into last year’s finance tape scandal.

By Tuesday morning, over 2,000 documents had been released into the public domain, including the transcripts of witness testimonies as well as their private data, as well as the full names of potential suspects in the case.

Major dismissals included those of Health Minister Bartosz Arłukowicz, Treasury Minister Włodzimierz Karpiński, Sports Minister Andrzej Biernat, as well as Parliamentary Speaker Radosław Sikorski and political aide to the PM, Jacek Rostowski.

Head of the secret services, Jacek Cichocki was also fired, with Kopacz on Wednesday saying that he had accepted the blame for not providing enough protection for the politicians from being bugged.

Other politicians to go are deputy ministers Stanisław Gawłowski as well as Tomasz Tomczykiewicz, who were in the environment and economy ministries respectively. Their names have so far not been linked to the ongoing scandal.

Meanwhile, Rafał Baniak was deputy minister at the treasury for eight years. Businessman Marek Falenta, one of the key suspects in the tape scandal, has claimed that Baniak tried to persuade him to sell a coal company, while pro-conservative broadcaster TV Republika reported last year that Baniak allegedly accepted bribes over the privatisation of chemical producers Ciech. Baniak has denied the allegations.

Health Minister Bartosz Arłukowicz

Arłukowicz became health minister in 2011, and despite introducing some legislation on the refunding of IVF as well as a package for the treatment of cancer patients, previously his name often cropped up in earlier speculation on cabinet reshuffles.

Arłukowicz was previously a member of the Democratic Left Alliance, and in 2009 became the deputy leader of a parliamentary committee investigating the so-called ‘Gamblegate’ lobbying scandal, which was the most serious to hit the government after just two years in office and called into question how serious then-PM Tusk was in ending possible conflicts of interest between politicians and industry.

In the present tape scandal, even though no transcripts have been released of any conversation Arłukowicz may have held, his name does appear in related documents.

He is also known to be a regular client at the Sowa i Przyjaciele restaurant where the recordings were made.

Treasury Minister Włodzimierz Karpiński

Karpiński took the helm of the state coffers in 2013 after the dismissal of Mikołaj Budzanowski following revelations that the latter had no knowledge of a memorandum which Poland’s PGNiG had signed with Russia’s Gazprom agreeing to assess the costs of a possible new gas pipeline which could enter Poland via Ukraine.

Under his wing, the Treasury oversaw state-owned energy groups’ investments on new power sources, and following Russia’s attempts to influence Grupa Azoty, he initiated work on legislation which would put a stop to hostile takeover bids of strategic Polish companies. Karpiński also continued the consolidation of Polish Arms Group.

One of the government development programmes under Karpiński’s watch was lambasted by then-interior minister Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz and central banker Marek Belka.

Media speculated as far back as September 2014 that Karpiński was for the chop after he called up a former aide of PM Donald Tusk, Igor Ostachowicz, to become a board member of state-owned oil and gas producer PKN Orlen without Kopacz’s knowledge. Ultimately, Ostachowicz did not take up the position and Karpiński stayed on as minister.

Transcripts released by the Wprost weekly include Karpiński speaking to his deputy Zdzisław Gawlik and the CEO of PKN Orlen Jacek Krawiec, who scheme against a member of the junior coalition Polish People’s Party (PSL) linked to the treasury ministry, Jan Bury.

Sports Minister Andrzej Biernat

Andrzej Biernat is considered to be one of the closest colleagues of former justice minister Cezary Grabarczyk, who was resigned earlier this year. A clique led by Grabarczyk was reported to be in an internal conflict within the party against Foreign Minister Grzegorz Schetyna.

A day after the presidential election, which saw the ousting of Bronisław Komorowski – who had the backing of PO – Biernat emotionally spoke how it was Komorowski’s team which had lost the vote, not the party.

No transcripts involving Biernat have so far been published, although back in March, the Do Rzeczy weekly reported that one of the accused in planting the bugs had testified that Biernat had been recorded making jibes at leading Polish sports personalities.

Jacek Rostowski

A former finance minister and deputy PM, over the past four months Rostowski was chief advisor to Ewa Kopacz.

Rostowski was one of the key figures embroiled in the tape scandal, with the Wprost weekly publishing the transcripts of his conversations with the then-foreign minister Radosław Sikorski.

Conversations turned to the opposition party Law and Justice (PiS), as well as mocked Polish-American relations. They also spoke about the candidacy of Danuta Hubner to the European Parliament, deriding her “as an old commie”. Rostowski later apologised for the remark.

Radosław Sikorski

When the tape scandal erupted, Sikorski still held the post of foreign minister, after which he became speaker of the Sejm lower parliamentary house. Following the re-emergence of the scandal, he has since resigned from that post as well.

Sikorski was one of the largest political figures to be involved in the tape scandal.

Speaking frankly with Rostowski, Sikorski made derogatory remarks about Poles’ mentality and on the international stage, that the Polish-American alliance is “worthless”. “It’s bullshit,” he is reported as saying.

Former Polish Prime Minister and current head of the European Council, Donald Tusk, has said that the decision by Polish PM Ewa Kopacz is a “political shock”.

“This is obviously a political shock. It always involves some risk. Such an earthquake on the political scene involves decisions taken only by tough and strong leaders,” Tusk told Polish reporters in Brussels.

“The weak crumble against such decisions, and the strong only become stronger,” he added.

Tusk also said that he briefly spoke with Prime Minister Kopacz during the EU-CELAC summit in Brussels.
“I said, as indeed I have always stressed, that she is really a hard, strong and resilient politician,” Tusk, the co-founder of the ruling Civic Platform (PO) party said.

PO politicians are currently embroiled in the so-called finance-tape scandal, which has already seen the resignation from their posts of nine people including cabinet ministers and high-ranking party members.
Polish Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz is expected to announce her new nominations next week.

The scandal has weakened the PO party, just months prior to a parliamentary election in autumn. According to recent polls, it would come in third after conservative Law and Justice (PiS) and a party run by rock musician Paweł Kukiz.

President-elect Andrzej Duda is planned to receive his first foreign guests next week, meeting Canadian PM Stephen Harper and anticipated Republican candidate for the US presidency, Jeb Bush.

According to Law and Justice PM Krzysztof Szczerski, Duda is “initially” slated meet Harper, who will be in Warsaw to meet incumbent Bronisław Komorowski as well as Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz on Tuesday 9 June.

Meanwhile, Republican politician and younger brother of President George W. Bush, Jeb Bush is to travel to Europe ahead of his official campaign announcement on 15 June. He will be visiting Poland, Estonia and Germany.

Bush is expected to be in Poland on Wednesday, and is billed to meet with Duda as well as former Foreign Minister and Parliamentary Speaker Radosław Sikorski.

Poland’s lottery, the Totalizator Sportowy, has informed that one person will take away over PLN 28 million after getting all six numbers in Saturday’s draw.

As noone had managed to strike off all six numbers since mid-May, the initial sum rolled over until last night’s PLN 30 million draw.

The lucky winner will take away PLN 28,085,312 gross, the sixth highest win ever in the Polish lottery.

The highest ever winnings were dished out in 2012 after someone in Gdynia received a cheque for over PLN 33 million, while in second place someone in the south-western town of Bolesławiec hauled in almost PLN 31 million.

The north-east multinational corps in Szczecin officially started operating in a new structure on Monday, as a response to the escalating crisis in Ukraine.

Instead of the previous 200 troops, the base will house 400.

In the coming months, the troops will be joined by soldiers from around 20 countries. Recruitment should be completed later this year.

“Ultimately, the number of military personnel will be doubled to 400 soldiers, along with key liaison officers of the air force, navy and special forces,” stated the head of the Staff Corps, General Lutz Niemann.

The new structure will allow for the implementation of the individual tasks within the main joint operations of NATO forces, as well as serve as the combined headquarters for combined smaller operations, Niemann explained.

The General added that the changes in the Corps were introduced in connection with the crisis in Ukraine. The decision was made to raise the readiness of combat units, so that the forces commanded by it can react very quickly, he said.

Soldiers from 15 countries are already stationed in Szczecin. More than 20 countries will ultimately be represented in the structure of the Corps.

The Kremlin sent a letter to EU ambassadors in Moscow late last week with a list of over 80 EU politicians who have been banned from entering the country.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte made the matter public on Friday, with the Belgian government protesting Moscow’s move, widely viewed as a reprisal for the EU’s move to blackball a number of Russians from entering the 28-nation bloc.

Out of 89 names on the list – a German version of which was published in full by Finnish public broadcaster Yle on Friday night – 18 are from Poland, with politicians from across the spectrum as well as military personnel, mostly top-brass.

Among Polish politicians incorporated on the list are Senate Speaker Bogdan Borusewicz, former foreign minister Anna Fotyga, as well as former head of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek and MEPs: Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, Paweł Kowal, Marek Migalski, Ryszard Czarnecki and Ryszard Legutko.
Blacklist nothing new?

The existence of the Kremlin’s blacklist was reported by Russian agency RIA Novosti last week.
The list is commonly agreed to be retaliation for sanctions slapped on Russia by the West after Moscow annexed Crimea and became involved in the Donbas conflict in eastern Ukraine last year.

RIA Novosti cites an anonymous Russian diplomatic source who said that the list was drawn up at the request of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, with the names put forward by Russian embassies in various countries of people “who undertake anti-Russian activities or are suspected of corruption”.

Russia has claimed that while the list has not been officially published, a copy can be found in every Russian embassy throughout Europe and people applying for a Russian visa may check whether they are not on the list.

The diplomatic source failed to say how many politicians were on the list, although said that there are some “in practically every European country”, going on to add that “the EU has been informed of this list”.

First Borusewicz, now Wellmann

The publication of the list comes days after Russian border guards denied entry to a German MP, Karl-Georg Wellmann, who was set to meet with high-ranking politicians in Moscow to discuss the situation in eastern Ukraine.

According to the Kommersant daily, Wellmann was to meet with Konstantin Kosachev, the head of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as presidential advisor Sergey Glazyev.
However, border guards did not let Wellmann in the country, saying that he had been barred from entering Russia until 2019.

The denial of entry comes after Russian authorities also stopped Polish Senate Speaker Bogdan Borusewicz at the border in March. He had been billed to attend the funeral of the murdered outspoken Kremlin critic, Boris Nemtsov.

Other people not granted entry to Russia for the funeral include the head of the Polish Institute of Foreign Affairs, Marcin Zaborski, as well as Latvian MEP Sandra Kalniete.

Earlier, German MEP Rebecca Harms had also been refused entry after wanting to intervene in the case of imprisoned Ukrainian pilot Nadiya Savchenko.

David Cameron will be in Warsaw for a few hours to meet Polish Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz and discuss EU reform plans.

Cameron will have breakfast with his Polish counterpart and will try to convince Ewa Kopacz to back his government in making changes to EU laws prior to a referendum on EU membership in the UK slated for 2017.

The British PM is on a whistle-stop tour of at least four countries in an attempt to find backers for his government’s plan.

He will later be meeting German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.

On Thursday, Cameron met French President Francois Hollande.

Ahead of the meeting in Warsaw, deputy Foreign Minister Rafał Trzaskowski said that changes to the treaty would be a very difficult.

„The European Union needs Great Britain, the discussion will not be easy,” he told the BBC.

„As far as treaty changes are concerned or the introduction of discriminatory measures, that would be a red line for Poland.”

He added: „If every country comes with a shopping list to change European Union policies, that will be the end of the European construction, it will simply implode.”

A new poll has found that rock star turned presidential candidate Paweł Kukiz is now the most trusted politician in Poland.

The poll by the Centre for Public Opinion Research (CBOS) indicates Kukiz has the trust of 58 percent of the electorate.

Outgoing head of state Bronisław Komorowski, who lost the 24 May presidential election to conservative opposition candidate Andrzej Duda, is now level-pegging with the latter at 54 percent.

In fourth place is Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz with 42 percent.

Komorowski had led the trust barometer for months, and in March this year had scored as high as 75 percent.

In the first round of the presidential election on 10 May, Andrzej Duda won a 34.76 percent share of the vote, ahead of Komorowski, who took 33.77 percent.

Paweł Kukiz managed an unexpected 20 percent, and shortly after the results, he declared that he intends to field candidates in this autumn’s general election and that he is starting a civic movement.

Meanwhile, according to the survey the least trusted politicians are two other less successful
presidential candidates, liberal Janusz Palikot and self-proclaimed libertarian Janusz Korwin-Mikke. The survey found that 56 percent of respondents distrusted both figures.

Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz said on Tuesday that the British government “cannot make any moves which would discriminate against Poles” after Downing Street announced that no EU migrants living in the UK would be able to vote in the country’s EU referendum.

Kopacz said that she made the comment during a brief conversation she had held with UK counterpart David Cameron at last week’s Eastern Partnership summit in Riga. The remark comes ahead of Cameron’s planned visit to Warsaw on Friday and after London’s announcement that only UK, Irish and Commonwealth citizens resident in the UK will be eligible to vote on whether the country stays in the EU or not.

“I [told Cameron] that Poles who work in Great Britain are also people who build [the country’s] GDP, are a dependable workforce and I would like them to be treated equally,” Kopacz said. Poland’s PM underlined that she supports a strengthening of Poland’s position in the EU and to become a leader in the CEE region “in order to set the tone for our friends and cooperate with them to allow them to make it easier to represent their own countries’ interests”. “I am not a supporter for any country to leave the EU at this moment,” Kopacz said.

“I am certain that the UK’s upcoming referendum is a domestic issue, but knowing David Cameron’s stance which he has continuously voiced at European Council meetings, it would be a shame for such an experienced politician to dissappear from the Council, just as it would be if the UK were suddenly to find itself outside the EU,” Kopacz underlined. Meanwhile, legislation determining the EU referendum is to be submitted British Parliament on Thursday. David Cameron’s Conservatives have promised to hold the in/out vote by the end of 2017.