Debates of the European Parliament 1

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Debates of the European Parliament 1 12-11-2007 EN Debates of the European Parliament 1 MONDAY, 12 NOVEMBER 2007 IN THE CHAIR: MR POETTERING President (The sitting was opened at 5 p.m.) 1. Resumption of the session President. − I declare resumed the session adjourned on Thursday 25 October 2007. 2. Statements by the President President. − Ladies and gentlemen, it was with deep sadness that we heard of the tragic event in Finland, in which eight people – pupils and teachers – were killed. On behalf of the House, I should like to express our deepest sympathy to their families and the Finnish nation. The groups have requested me to make a statement regarding the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (Ottawa Convention). The 10th anniversary of the signing of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction is coming up in just a few weeks. On 3 and 4 December 1997, 122 states signed this historic treaty in Ottawa. Anti-personnel mines make no distinction between civilian and military victims. They are directed against people, with the aim of killing or maiming them. Effecting their prohibition by means of the Ottawa Convention is a victory for humanity. The Convention is also a success for internationally linked civil society. In a process that had never been seen before, a coalition of non-governmental organisations, together with committed governments and parliaments outside the usual diplomatic forums, managed to get an international treaty signed. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 to acknowledge this achievement. The European Parliament supported the campaign to outlaw landmines from the very beginning. After the signing of the Convention in Ottawa, the European Parliament campaigned using resolutions, hearings and opinions to ensure that it would be implemented effectively. Today it is clear that the international campaign has been extremely successful. More than three quarters of all states have ratified the Ottawa Convention. The use of anti-personnel mines has decreased drastically, as has the number of countries that produce landmines. Despite these successes, there are more than 69 countries that have not yet abolished landmines. It has become apparent that this goal cannot be reached everywhere unless additional financial assistance is provided. Europe has made an important contribution to implementation of the Ottawa Convention over recent years. From 1997 to 2004, the European Union invested more than a billion euros in the battle against landmines. The European Commission’s anti-mines strategy is numbered among the most successful elements in the development of European external relations. This is not only an expression of our humanitarian obligations, but also a worthwhile investment in sustainable development and human safety. The Council of the European Union is about to adopt a new joint action on landmines within the framework of the Common Foreign and Security Policy. We welcome the intention of working towards universal ratification of the Ottawa Convention and an effective Review Conference in 2009. We look forward to close cooperation with the Council and the Commission in implementing this joint action. I hope that we shall soon have an opportunity to discuss with the Council and the Commission their respective initiatives on the topic of landmines and how they are coordinating with each other. The final goal that we all have in common is a world without landmines; to achieve this, the European Union must have a coherent common policy. (Applause) 3. Approval of Minutes of previous sitting: see Minutes 2 EN Debates of the European Parliament 12-11-2007 4. Membership of Parliament: see Minutes 5. Membership of committees and delegations: see Minutes 6. Calendar of part-sessions: see Minutes 7. Signature of acts adopted under codecision: see Minutes 8. Corrigendum to a text adopted (Rule 204a): see Minutes 9. Documents received: see Minutes 10. Oral questions and written declarations (tabling): see Minutes 11. Lapsed written declarations: see Minutes 12. Texts of agreements forwarded by the Council: see Minutes 13. Action taken on Parliament's resolutions: see Minutes 14. Petitions: see Minutes 15. Order of business President. – The final draft of the agenda for this part-session, as laid down by the Conference of Presidents at its meeting of Thursday 8 November pursuant to Rules 130 and 131 of the Rules of Procedure, has been distributed to you. The following amendments have been requested to this draft agenda: Tuesday: The Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe has requested that a statement by the Council and the Commission on the shipping accidents in the Black Sea be placed on the agenda for Tuesday afternoon, after Mr Leinen’s report, with a corresponding extension of the afternoon sitting until 6.30 p.m. This would mean that questions to the Commission would not commence until 6.30 p.m. and would thus be half an hour shorter. Who would like to justify the motion? If there is nobody to speak for or against this motion, that is the end of the matter. (The motion lapsed) Wednesday: The Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance requests that a statement by the Council and the Commission on the situation in Georgia be included and dealt with in a joint debate with the report by Mr Obiols i Germà and Mr Tannock, and that the afternoon sitting therefore be extended to 6.30 p.m. and questions to the Council shortened by half an hour. They also request that the debate on Georgia be concluded with the tabling of motions for resolutions and that voting on the matter be carried out during the November part-session in Brussels. Who would like to justify the motion? Daniel Cohn-Bendit (Verts/ALE). – (DE) Mr President, there is not much for me to justify: it is obvious to all what is happening in Georgia, and it is clear that we should include Georgia when we are discussing neighbourhood policy. This should be laid down, so that the Council knows what is what. Then we should quietly proceed with preparing a resolution, for I believe it is important that the European Parliament 12-11-2007 EN Debates of the European Parliament 3 formulate a clear resolution on the events in Georgia. This should then be adopted in Brussels. That is the correct formal procedure and I hope that all Members will agree to it, so that we can proceed in this way. President. − That was the justification. Who is speaking in favour of the motion? Hannes Swoboda (PSE). – (DE) Mr President, we wish to support this for a very important reason. The Rose Revolution in Georgia brought many positive elements with it, especially after the Shevardnadze regime. Now there is a great danger that the undoubted successes will be destroyed if the opposition’s criticisms are not addressed. An initiative by the European Parliament could help President Saakashvili to get back on the right track; that is, to begin dialogue with the opposition. I should also like to ask you, Mr President, to maintain contact with the Speaker of Parliament, who is also very active there, and to try to convince her, too, to follow the path of dialogue. That is the point of this debate and also of the resolution, and I therefore support it wholeheartedly. (Parliament adopted the motion) Alfonso Andria (ALDE). – (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I must apologise. I asked to speak earlier and, despite the fact that I stood up and signalled several times, I was not given the opportunity to speak. I would just like to understand something. I intended, on behalf of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, to request a statement from the Council and Commission on the Black Sea disaster. Without hearing who was in favour and who was against, I am not sure what was decided. As I said, this was my intention, and I signalled this request. It was my intention to direct this request to the President: that there should be a statement by the Council and the Commission on the Black Sea disaster. I am simply asking for clarification on what Parliament has decided to do. President. − Mr Andria, please bear with me. I called very clearly for Members who wanted to justify the motion. There was no response. Nor were those responsible for managing the procedure in the room at that point. I looked around very carefully, and there was no contribution to be heard at all, either to justify or to support the motion, and so the House agreed that it was not necessary for anyone to speak against it if it was not justified. Those of us up here agreed, as did the plenary, that this motion thus lapsed and is no longer on the agenda. Therefore I ask that we now proceed as has just been decided. Alfonso Andria (ALDE). – (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to explain. I stood up and signalled, even verbally, but the President indicated that I should stop. I stood up several times. I would ask you to include this initiative on the agenda and to ensure that the Council and Commission issue a statement. In any case, at the start of the session, the President said that there was a request from the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe. I do not see why we cannot have a debate simply because a request was accidentally missed. I asked to speak, no one noticed, I even stood up.
Recommended publications
  • Download This Publication in PDF Format (3.66
    QK-AA-07-001-EN-C ISSN 1680-3809 THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN INVESTIGATES COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE INSTITUTIONS AND BODIES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN AND HIS PERSONNEL annual report 2006 www.ombudsman.europa.eu ISBN 978-92-9212-090-0 ,!7IJ2J2-bcajaa! EN annual report 2006 THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN EUROPEAN THE annual report 2006 © The European Ombudsman 2007 All rights reserved. Reproduction for educational and non-commercial purposes is permi ed provided that the source is acknowledged. All photographs, unless otherwise indicated, are copyright of the European Ombudsman. Front cover: © iStockphoto.com/urbancow The full text of the report is published on the internet at: h p://www.ombudsman.europa.eu Printed in Belgium PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER T HE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN P. N IKIFOROS DIAMANDOUROS Prof. Dr. Hans-Gert PÖTTERING MEP Strasbourg, 12 March 2007 President European Parliament Rue Wiertz 1047 Brussels BELGIQUE Mr President, In accordance with Article 195(1) of the Treaty establishing the European Community and Article 3(8) of the Decision of the European Parliament on the Regulations and General Conditions Governing the Performance of the Ombudsman’s Duties, I hereby present my Report for the year 2006. Yours sincerely, s P. Nikiforos Diamandouros The European Ombudsman 1, avenue du Président Robert Schuman – B.P. 403 – F-67001 STRASBOURG Cedex ☎ : +33 (0)3.88.17.23.13 – Fax : +33 (0)3.88.17.90.62 http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu – [email protected] ANNUAL REPORT 2006 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 15 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 21 2 COMPLAINTS AND INQUIRIES 35 2.1 THE LEGAL BASIS OF THE OMBUDSMAN’S WORK 35 2.2 THE MANDATE OF THE EUROPEAN OMBUDSMAN 35 2.2.1 Complaints and own-initiative inquiries ........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Cultural Heritage in Poland
    Santander Art and Culture Law Review 2/2017 (3): 319-342 DOI: 10.4467/2450050XSNR.17.017.8435 CULTURAL HERITAGE IN POLAND Olgierd Jakubowski* [email protected] National Institute for Museums and Public Collections ul. Goraszewska 7 02-910 Warsaw, Poland The Threat to Cultural Heritage from Crime in Poland: 2016 Cases Abstract: Various methods of risk assessment can be deployed when examining the phenomenon of crime against cultural herit- age. Annual data concerning instances of particular crimes involv- ing cultural assets as well as case studies allow us to understand the trends in the activities of the perpetrators and help to develop methods of prevention. This article presents selected data as well as cases of offences discovered or committed in Poland in 2016, based on the statistics provided by the police, Customs Service, and Border Guard. It also presents data on final convictions of per- petrators of such acts. As part of the annual cycle of analysis, the developments illustrate the trends and risks to monuments and cultural assets in a given year. This complementary presentation of information about the threat to cultural heritage is important for research and policy-making aimed at developing strategies for its protection. * Olgierd Jakubowski is Chief Expert at the National Institute for Museums and Public Collections in Warsaw, where he is responsible for export licensing and cooperation with police and customs. Olgierd is currently a member of the European Commission’s working groups on the export and import of cultural goods. In Poland, he is the coordinator of the Internal Market Information System module with regard to the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of an EU Member State.
    [Show full text]
  • Request for Defence of the Immunity of Witold Tomczak
    6.8.2009 EN Official Journal of the European Union C 184 E/111 Tuesday 19 February 2008 Request for defence of the immunity of Witold Tomczak P6_TA(2008)0048 European Parliament decision of 19 February 2008 on the request for defence of the immunity and privileges of Witold Tomczak (2007/2130(IMM)) (2009/C 184 E/20) The European Parliament, — having regard to the request by Witold Tomczak for defence of his immunity in connection with the criminal case conducted by the District Court in Ostrów Wielkopolski, Poland, made on 21 May 2007, announced in plenary sitting on 24 May 2007, — having heard Witold Tomczak on 4 October 2007 in accordance with Rule 7(3) of its Rules of Procedure, — having regard to Articles 8, 9 and 10 of the Protocol of 8 April 1965 on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Communities and Article 6(2) of the Act of 20 September 1976 concerning the election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage, — having regard to the judgments of 12 May 1964 and 10 July 1986 ( 1 ) of the Court of Justice of the European Communities, — having regard to Article 105 of the Polish Constitution, — having regard to Rules 6(3) and 7 of its Rules of Procedure, — having regard to the report of the Committee on Legal Affairs (A6-0008/2008), A. whereas Witold Tomczak was elected to the Sejm (the lower house of the Polish Parliament) on 21 September 1997 and on 23 September 2001; whereas after the signature of the Accession Treaty on 16 April 2003 he became an Observer; whereas he was a Member of the European Parliament from 1 May 2004 until 19 July 2004; whereas he was elected to the European Parliament on 13 June 2004 and his term of office in the Polish Parliament expired on 16 June 2004, B.
    [Show full text]
  • — Golgota Picnic in Poland an Account of the Events May-July 2014
    — Golgota Picnic in Poland An account of the events May-July 2014 — 1 — Golgota Picnic in Poland An account of the events May-July 2014 editors: Paweł Płoski & Dorota Semenowicz translation: Arthur Barys, Michał Biela, Emilia Dłużewska, Waldemar Łyś, Roksana Nowacka, Ewa Tomankiewicz — Contents 7 — INTRODUCTION 182 — AFTER THE CANCELLATION 185 — the outraged 14 — CALENDAR OF EVENTS 219 — bishops 237 — politicians 24 — BEFORE THE CANCELLATION 259 — the police 27 — the outraged 265 — the malta festival poznań 57 — bishops 337 — the art community 81 — politicians 129 — the police 445 — ANALYSIS 141 — the malta festival poznań 447 — Wojciech Brzozowski 157 — the art community In the shadow of the Penal code. “Golgota Picnic” debate from the 177 — CANCELLATION point of view of a lawyer 458 — Wiesław Godzic “Golgota Picnic” in the media – no hope for a compromise — Golgota Picnic in Poland. An account of the events — INTRODUCTION — INTRODUCTION On June 20, 2014, the Malta Festival Poznań cancelled the performance of the play Golgota Picnic, one of the leading events of the festival’s 24th edition. The play was scheduled to be performed on June 27 and 28 at the Zamek Cultural Centre. The author of the piece, Rodrigo García, was the curator of the festi- val’s Thematic Idiom Latin America: Mestizos. The decision to cancel the performance — the result of unprecedented attacks by Catholic groups, and the pow- erlessness of the state — sparked a media scandal, and quickly became a question of public interest. This happened because the issue of Golgota Picnic had became another in a series of events that had tested the limits of Polish democ- racy.
    [Show full text]
  • Official Journal C 293 E Volume 49 of the European Union 2 December 2006
    ISSN 1725-2423 Official Journal C 293 E Volume 49 of the European Union 2 December 2006 English edition Information and Notices Notice No Contents Page I (Information) EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 2006-2007 SESSION Sittings of 3 to 6 April 2006 Monday 3 April 2006 (2006/C 293 E/01) MINUTES PROCEEDINGS OF THE SITTING . 1 1. Resumption of session . 1 2. Approval of Minutes of previous sitting . 1 3. Statement by the President . 2 4. Calendar of part-sessions for 2007 . 2 5. Signature of acts adopted under codecision . 2 6. Documents received . 3 7. Order of business . 7 8. One-minute speeches on matters of political importance . 9 9. The refugee camps in Malta (debate) . 9 10. Guidelines for trans-European energy networks ***II (debate) . 9 11. Commission competition policy 2004 (debate) . 10 12. Openness of meetings of the Council when acting in its legislative capacity — Access to the institutions' documents — (debate) . 10 13. Supplying approved charities working to implement the European food aid programme for the most deprived citizens — Diabetes (written declarations) . 11 14. WTO Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong (debate) . 11 15. Agenda for next sitting . 11 16. Closure of sitting . 11 ATTENDANCE REGISTER . 12 EN (Continued) Notice No Contents (continued) Page Tuesday 4 April 2006 (2006/C 293 E/02) MINUTES PROCEEDINGS OF THE SITTING . 14 1. Opening of sitting . 14 2. Membership of political groups . 14 3. Debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (announcement of motions for resolutions tabled) . 14 4. The refugee camps in Malta (motions for resolutions tabled) .
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Full Speed Ahead, in Reverse Gear 10 Years of Polish Female Meps In
    Full Speed ahead, in reverse gear 10 Years of Polish female MEPs in the European Parliament (2004-2014) in the context of women’s and LGBTQ rights Anna Dryjańska In 2004 Poland’s first European Parliament elections took place. Polish accession to the European Union, the election of female representatives, and existing European legislation raised high hopes for the possibility of legislative improvements for women and LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) people. How, then, did the first decade of Polish female representatives in the European Parliament look? Has the presence of Polish women influenced the agenda of the institution? Have there been any issues with legislation concerning equal rights, equal opportunities, and anti-discrimination? Before we answer these questions, let’s take a look at the bare facts. Between 2004 and 2014 (during the 6th and 7th terms of office of the European Parliament) twenty female Polish representatives sat in the parliament. During this time, the female share in the Polish delegation rose from 12.9% (in 2004), through 22% (in 2009) to 23.5% (in 2014). Małgorzata Handzlik (Civic Platform) served as an MEP for two consecutive terms, while Lidia de Geringer de Oedenberg (Democratic Left Alliance - Labour Union) is the only female Polish representative to serve continuously since 2004. 2004 The first Polish elections for the European Parliament were held on the 13th of June 2004. 54 representatives were elected: 47 male and 7 female. That meant that women constituted 12.9% of the Polish delegation. 2 out of 8 electoral committees that managed to cross the electoral threshold contained only male representatives.
    [Show full text]
  • Jan Borkowski∗ Andrzej Grzyb∗∗ the Role of Observers in the European Parliament in the Process of Institutionalisation of Poland’S Membership in the EU
    J.Borkowski, A.Grzyb, The Role of Observers in the European Parliament in the Process… Jan Borkowski∗ Andrzej Grzyb∗∗ The Role of Observers in the European Parliament in the Process of Institutionalisation of Poland’s Membership in the EU As the status of Poland in its relations with the European Union evolved over the period of recent 15 years, the process entailed gradual development of behaviours, mechanisms and procedures, as well as entire institutions, in order to be able to meet challenges related with effective membership in the EU.1 Following Poland’s accession to the EU these issues deserve an adequate evaluation as they became part of the European Union experience. It is in this context that relations of Poland with the European Parliament should be analysed, during a transitory period from an “applicant State” to “Member State” status. After completion of negotiation on the accession (which, with respect to the recent enlargement, took place on 13 December 2002 in Copenhagen) the applicant countries – including Poland – were subject to the informing and consultancy procedures, which, following the signing of the Treaty on Accession (TA) was replaced with the status of active observer in the EU decision-making process. The latter status, valid until the entry of TA into force, provided the government of Poland with limited possibilities to participate in the EU ∗ Dr. Jan Borkowski – Warsaw University Centre for Europe, Executive Editor of “Yearbook of Polish European Studies”. ∗∗ Andrzej Grzyb – Deputy to the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, vice-chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Sejm.
    [Show full text]
  • — Golgota Picnic in Poland an Account of the Events May-July 2014
    — Golgota Picnic in Poland An account of the events May-July 2014 — 1 — Golgota Picnic in Poland An account of the events May-July 2014 editors: Paweł Płoski & Dorota Semenowicz translation: Arthur Barys, Michał Biela, Emilia Dłużewska, Waldemar Łyś, Roksana Nowacka, Ewa Tomankiewicz — Contents 7 — INTRODUCTION 182 — AFTER THE CANCELLATION 185 — the outraged 14 — CALENDAR OF EVENTS 219 — bishops 237 — politicians 24 — BEFORE THE CANCELLATION 259 — the police 27 — the outraged 265 — the malta festival poznań 57 — bishops 337 — the art community 81 — politicians 129 — the police 445 — ANALYSIS 141 — the malta festival poznań 447 — Wojciech Brzozowski 157 — the art community In the shadow of the Penal code. “Golgota Picnic” debate from the 177 — CANCELLATION point of view of a lawyer 458 — Wiesław Godzic “Golgota Picnic” in the media – no hope for a compromise — Golgota Picnic in Poland. An account of the events — INTRODUCTION — INTRODUCTION On June 20, 2014, the Malta Festival Poznań cancelled the performance of the play Golgota Picnic, one of the leading events of the festival’s 24th edition. The play was scheduled to be performed on June 27 and 28 at the Zamek Cultural Centre. The author of the piece, Rodrigo García, was the curator of the festi- val’s Thematic Idiom Latin America: Mestizos. The decision to cancel the performance — the result of unprecedented attacks by Catholic groups, and the pow- erlessness of the state — sparked a media scandal, and quickly became a question of public interest. This happened because the issue of Golgota Picnic had became another in a series of events that had tested the limits of Polish democ- racy.
    [Show full text]
  • Normy Prawne I Ordynacja Wyborcza W Wyborach Do Parlamentu Europejskiego W Polsce W 2004 R
    Tomasz A. Tupalski Normy prawne i ordynacja wyborcza w wyborach do Parlamentu Europejskiego w Polsce w 2004 r. Colloquium nr 1, 87-120 2012 COLLOQUIUM WYDZIAŁU NAUK HUMANISTYCZNYCH I SPOŁECZNYCH KWARTALNIK I/2012 Tomasz A. Tupalski WSUS w Poznaniu NORMY PRAWNE I ORDYNACJA WYBORCZA W WYBORACH DO PARLAMENTU EUROPEJSKIEGO W POLSCE W 2004 R. STRESZCZENIE Wybory posłów do Parlamentu Europejskiego na terytorium Rzeczypospolitej Pol- skiej po raz pierwszy odbyły się w roku 2004. Należy zgodzić się z opinią, iż te wybory to „historyczny moment, dlatego że po raz pierwszy Polska wybierała swoich deputowanych do Parlamentu Europejskiego. Po raz pierwszy możemy rozpocząć ten wielki etap, nie tylko obecności w rodzinie europejskiej, który zaczęliśmy 1 maja, ale także współodpowiedzialno- ści za europejską wspólnotę”1. Wybory zostały przeprowadzone na podstawie ustawy z dnia 23 stycznia 2004 r. – Ordynacja wyborcza do Parlamentu Europejskiego2. Literatura poświęcona tej tematyce to publikacje naukowe z tematyki: systemy wy- borcze i partyjne oraz ich funkcjonowanie, jak również publikacje dotyczące trybu uchwalenia ustawy oraz omówienie jej głównych założeń oraz akty prawne i ordynacje rozporządzenia dotyczące trybu wyborów do Parlamentu Europejskiego oraz informacje Państwowej Komisji Wyborczej w sprawie Wyborów do Parlamentu Europejskiego. Mam nadzieję, że mój artykuł, przybliży kwestie ordynacji wyborczej i przeprowadzenia wyborów do Parlamentu Europejskiego w 2004 r. oraz trybu wyborczego i mechanizmów wyborczych w dalszych wyborach do Parlamentu
    [Show full text]
  • Whither Euroscepticism? the Uses of European Integration by Polish Conservative and Radical Parties Dorota Dakowska
    Whither Euroscepticism? The Uses of European Integration by Polish Conservative and Radical Parties Dorota Dakowska To cite this version: Dorota Dakowska. Whither Euroscepticism? The Uses of European Integration by Polish Conservative and Radical Parties. Perspectives on European Politics and Society, Taylor & Francis (Routledge): SSH Titles, 2010, 11 (3), pp.254-272. 10.1080/15705854.2010.503032. halshs-01184147 HAL Id: halshs-01184147 https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-01184147 Submitted on 13 Aug 2015 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Dorota Dakowska, « Whither Euroscepticism? The Uses of European Integration by Polish Conservative and Radical Parties », Perspectives on European Politics and Society, September 2010, vol. 11, n°3, p. 254-272. Dorota Dakowska Whither Euroscepticism? The Uses of European Integration by Polish Conservative and Radical parties1 The impact of European integration on party politics has elicited a growing research interest. A sociological approach, focused on power relations and the redistribution of political resources by actors referring to ‘Europe’ has recently opened new research perspectives. This article considers to what extent the use of the reference to European integration has enabled conservative and radical Polish political parties on the right – such as the Law and Justice (PiS) and the League of Polish Families (LPR) – to modulate their position in relationship with other parties.
    [Show full text]
  • This Is Not a Joke: Maurizio Cattelan's Site Specific Practice
    THIS IS NOT A JOKE: MAURIZIO CATTELAN’S SITE SPECIFIC PRACTICE A Thesis Submitted to The Temple University Graduate Board ________________________________________________________________________ in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF ARTS by Sasha Bianca Goldman May, 2014 ii ABSTRACT Little attention has been given to studying the important nuances and contributions of individual works by the artist Maurizio Cattelan. Since beginning his career as an “art world outsider,” the artist has consistently resisted categorization of his work, be it stylistic, nationalistic or ideological. This has made an approach based on examining his social and political context in relation to individual works rather difficult. Instead, the scholarship surrounding his art has most frequently been in the form of a survey, using his earlier conceptual pieces to contextualize later installations and sculptures, an approach that limits a fuller understanding of Cattelan’s art. Rather than reading specific works in the context of their individual exhibition history, critics place them in the trajectory of Cattelan’s overall practice. Furthermore, much of the existing scholarship has relied on the artist’s own discussions of his oeuvre, providing a superficial understanding of both his work and words. Thus, Cattelan has been generally understood and labeled the art-world “joker,” and his artwork is seen as a series of “one- liners,” limiting the reading of his work. I propose, instead, an in-depth study of specific sculptures, which will lead to a richer understanding of the artist’s overall practice within a historical and contextual period. In my opinion, Cattelan’s work has been overlooked in relation to notions of site specificity.
    [Show full text]
  • Approval of the Commission (Amendment of the Rules Of
    C 294 E/82 EN Official Journal of the European Union 3.12.2009 Tuesday 8 July 2008 B. whereas Witold Tomczak is charged with causing damage valued at up to 39 669 PLN (approximately 11 500 EUR) to a sculpture titled ‘The Ninth Hour’ — depicting Pope John Paul II crushed by a stone — in the Zachęta Gallery in Warsaw on 21 December 2000 in breach of Article 288(1) of the Polish Penal Code ( 1), C. whereas the District Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw has collected evidence against Witold Tomczak, but the latter has refused to answer questions regarding the event at the Zachęta Gallery, D. whereas Witold Tomczak claims that by his action towards the sculpture he sought to defend his and other people's religious feelings, as well as to protect the dignity of the Pope; whereas he contests the amount of the damage he allegedly caused and in any case considers that his behaviour was aimed at protecting a higher value — that of the Pope's honour in the eyes of Polish Catholics, E. whereas, on the basis of the information obtained, Witold Tomczak is not protected by parliamentary immunity in respect of any of the allegations which have been drawn to the attention of the President of the European Parliament, 1. Decides to waive the immunity of Witold Tomczak; 2. Instructs its President to forward this decision, and the report of the committee responsible, immediately to the appropriate authority of the Republic of Poland. ( 1 ) The provisions of that Article being: ‘Whosoever destroys, damages or makes useless another person's property shall be sentenced to a term of prison ranging from three months to five years.’ (Polish original: ‘Kto cudzą rzecz niszczy, uszkadza lub czyni niezdatną do użytku, podlega karze pozbawienia wolności od 3 miesięcy do lat 5.’).
    [Show full text]