WEEKLY 3,00 zloty (with 7% VAT) Published by: Jargon Media Sp. z o.o. Index Number: 236683 ISSN: 1898-4762 NO. 31 WWW.KRAKOWPOST.COM DECEMBER 6-DECEMBER 12, 2007 Tusk refuses to sign EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights Poles released from Swedish camp Sixty Poles say a Gdansk labor recruiting agency lured them to Sweden with promises of jobs that didn’t exist – and they ended up crushing rocks 2 War launched over in vitro fertilization Health Minister Ewa Kopacz says that she will sponsor a plan to finance in vitro fertilization for Polish couples who are childless, usually as a result of infertility 3 Michnik named Tusk is afraid that if Poland signs the rights charter, which Kaczynski opposes, the president will use his influence to prevent the reform treaty from becoming law. Georgia monitor Kinga Rodkiewicz economic and social rights that EU residents with the charter. After the election, Kazynski let Tusk know STAFF JOURNALIST should enjoy. The rights are divided into six “I don’t notice, in contrast with some ob- he would fight charter ratification. Tusk decid- Former dissident-turned editor sections: Dignity, Freedoms, Equality, Solidar- servers – including Polish bishops – important ed to capitulate on that issue so he could obtain Adam Michnik has been made Prime Minister Donald Tusk has backed ity, Citizens’ Rights and Justice. dangers which were written into the charter,” ratification of the Reform Treaty – the first po- the EU’s mediator on press away from a campaign pledge to sign the The charter includes such traditional rights Tusk said. “In our view, The Charter of Basic litical defeat of his young prime ministership, freedom in Georgia 4 EU’s Charter of Basic Rights because he needs as the right to life, freedom of expression, Rights of the EU would be useful not only to observers say. President Lech Kaczynski’s support for a more equality before the law, and freedom from dis- our community (within Poland) but also to Po- The International Helsinki Federation for important goal – Poland’s passage of the EU crimination. It also includes rights stemming land as a part of the European community.” Human Rights, the European Commission and Reform Treaty. from recent technological developments, in- The Left and Democrats party said it also Germans to design Tusk is afraid that if Poland signs the rights cluding provisions dealing with data protection supported the charter. See TUSK on Page 13 charter, which Kaczynski opposes, the presi- and bioethics. national stadium dent will use his influence to prevent the reform Provisions in the charter that deal with treaty from becoming law. marriage and family are the ones that have A German company has won a Because most EU countries have ratified the energized Polish politicians. For example, the competition to design the treaty, EU leaders will sign it at their summit in charter recognizes ways to create a family other Lisbon on Dec. 13. Poland must ratify it before than marriage. And it does not refer to marriage National Stadium in Warsaw 7 it can hold the EU presidency position. as being between men and women, which op- Ratification of treaties requires a two-thirds ponents say is a tacit recognition of homosex- vote of Poland’s lower house. Tusk’s ruling co- ual marriage. Workers from Asia alition, consisting of his Civic Platform party Although most of the charter’s rights ap- and the Polish Peoples’ Party, has only a 10- ply to everyone, the document also recognizes seat majority in the 460-seat lower house. categories of people with special needs, in- will build in Poland Kaczynski’s Law and Justice party, the low- cluding children, the elderly and people with Poland has such a shortage of er house’s second-largest, has 166 seats. a disability. Many members of the conservative Law and Nicole Fontaine, president of the European workers that it is beginning to Justice party oppose provisions in the rights Parliament, said at the charter-signing ceremo- bring them in from Vietnam 9 treaty dealing with families, including lan- ny in Nice that the document would become guage that gives tacit approval to homosexual “the point of reference for all the Parliament marriages. acts which have a direct or indirect bearing on Although Tusk had campaigned in favor of the lives of citizens throughout the EU.” “Chechnya: The ratifying the rights treaty, he said in his 185- The Law and Justice party-led coalition that minute inaugural speech on Nov. 23 that he ruled Poland until the Civic Platform party’s Final Solution” wouldn’t ask parliament to consider it. victory on Oct. 23 announced Oct. 4 that it Poland thus becomes the second EU mem- wouldn’t accept the charter. That government An exhibit of 300 pictures with ber to opt out of the treaty. In making its deci- was led by Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the chilling name of “Chechnya: sion, the British government heeded employer the president’s twin brother. The Final Solution” opens groups. Employers had said they feared that The Kaczynski government said it feared the charter would strengthen union rights, in- that charter provisions dealing with moral and Friday in Krakow City Hall 11 cluding the legal right to strike and secondary family issues would have legal consequences in picketing. Poland because they contradicted Polish law. As a consequence, Britons and Poles who As an example, Foreign Ministry spokes- feel their human rights have been violated will man Robert Szaniawski said: “We won’t be be able to take their cases before the European able to prevent possible interpretations of law Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. made by the European Court of Human Rights The presidents of the European Parliament, which could lead to changing the definition of the European Council and the European Com- the family and force Poland to accept homo- mission signed the charter in Nice, France, on sexual marriages.” Dec. 7, 2000. At the time, Tusk said neither his Civic Plat- The declaration, which is without legal form party nor his planned coalition partner, force, specifies a range of civil, political, the Polish People’s Party, had any problems 2 The Krakow Post POLAND DECEMBER 6-DECEMBER 12, 2007 R E G I O N A L N E W S President Seven injured in new Ukraine Polish workers released names former mine blast: official Seven miners were injured late last week in foreign minister an explosion in a Ukraine coal mine, where 101 miners were killed two weeks ago in the worst as chief aide accident of the country’s post-Soviet history, of- from Swedish labor camp ficials said. Four miners were being treated at a agence france-presse hospital for smoke inhalation and three others suf- fered injuries during the blast at the Zasyadko pit Poland’s former foreign minister Anna in eastern Ukraine, said Igor Krol, spokesman for Fotyga was appointed late last week in a the Ministry of Emergency Situations. public ceremony as chief advisor to Presi- In all, 63 miners were working in the pit some dent Lech Kaczynski whose twin brother 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) underground when lost the premiership last month. the blast tore through the shaft at 04:00. Rescue Fotyga was a loyal servant of the con- workers managed to locate the men, who were all servative, euroceptic Kaczynski brothers brought to the surface, Krol told AFP. whose Law and Justice party lost October’s An explosion on Nov. 18 killed 101 miners at snap election to the liberal Civic Platform Zasyadko, one of Ukraine’s three biggest mines. after two turbulent years in government. Ukraine’s coal mines are considered among the Her nomination could exacerbate ten- most dangerous in the world, with many poorly sions between the president and Poland’s financed and employing outdated Soviet-era new Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who has equipment. Most of the country’s mine disasters pledged to focus foreign policy on repairing are caused by methane gas. (AFP) ties with the country’s neighbors, frayed by the often combative Kaczynskis. Court orders freeloading Fotyga, 50, was a favorite target for op- lawmakers to buy bus tickets ponents of the ousted Law and Justice gov- ernment because of her unconditional sup- A court late last week ordered freeloading port of the twins’ hardline policies. Czech lawmakers accustomed to using private She also faced criticism from within transport for free to pay for their tickets like other Law and Justice, but has been shielded passengers. The perk was challenged by the dis- by the president. gruntled owner of one of the country’s biggest bus Fotyga late last week denied that her ap- companies, arguing that the current law meant he pointment marked the creation of “an alter- and other passengers were sponsoring lawmakers. native source for creating foreign policy,” The Prague court ruled in his favor, saying law- but said that the presidency is “an important makers should pay their fares up front and try and factor for such policy.” recoup their costs from the state. President Kaczynski has already blasted Two lawmakers deliberately drew attention to Tusk’s first diplomatic initiatives. the 17-year-old law offering across-the-board free On Tuesday, Tusk lifted Poland’s ob- transport to all lawmakers in April by travelling on jections to Russia beginning membership a Student Agency bus for free. negotiations with the Organization for The company then tried to recoup the 270 koru- Economic Cooperation and Development na (10 euro, $15) in fares. Czech lawmakers have (OECD). Described by Tusk as a “good will talked in the past of curbing their travel perks but A farmhouse in rural Sweden.