NEWSLETTER No 26 EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND IN NEW ZEALAND UNUSUAL TIMES May 2020 While most of us have been spending more Polish Embassy in Wellington has faced its In this issue: time at home, we encourage all of you to take biggest consular challenge in history. Since the POLISH RESPONSE TO COVID -19 2 this opportunity and explore Poland using nu- introduction of various border restrictions POLISH BUSINESS PLATFORM 2 merous valuable online resources - see some around the world, including New Zealand and 80 YEARS AFTER KATYŃ 3 links in this issue. the Pacific Islands, we have assisted with the 1945 IN POLISH HISTORY 3 Great prizes are offered in the competition "My repatriation - either by commercial flights or REFLECTIONS ON VE DAY 3 most interesting online meeting with Poland" with the help of our colleagues from the Euro- WW2 MUSEUM VISITS NZ 4 for the younger audience. Have a look at the pean Union countries - hundreds of Polish na- MONTE CASSINO REMEMBERED 4 last page. tionals. Even though we were not able to commemo- We would also like to extend our thanks to all JOIN „L IFE AFTER PAHIATUA ” 4 rate many of the beautiful as well as sombre of those New Zealand -based wonderful Polish WAITANGI DAY 2020 5 anniversaries, we have acknowledged them. people - including Polish Associations mem- AMBASSADOR IN TONGA 5 You will find more details on the next pages. bers, Honorary Consuls, a Polish doctor and MAY 2020 ANNIVERSARIES 6 Some of the events, such as Katyń Massacre many others - who supported us and their POLONIA 4 NEIGHBOURS 6 commemorations have been postponed while countrymen in this unusual time. PADEREWSKI ’S NZ STORY AWARD 7 our annual reception celebrating Poland’s 3 Following the New Zealand approach, we have JOHN PAUL 2’ S LEGACY 7 May Constitutions had to be cancelled. united against Covid -19. Thank you! POLAND AT YOUR HOME 8 In the mid -March to mid -April period, the COMPETITION ! 8 #SOLIDARITY PL The Polish government's response to the Covid - thousands of litres of Trisept Complex disinfect- 19 crisis yielded positive results overall. This is ant were dispatched from Warsaw. Recently due to several factors. The Polish authorities Poland sent a transport of protective masks and decided to react swiftly and introduce tough disinfectants to Albania, Bosnia and Herze- measures. The plan to prepare the country for govina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia the Covid -19 crisis was adopted by the govern- and Serbia. ment even before the first case appeared. More In March and April, the Chancellery of the about it on the next page. Polish Prime Minister and LOT Polish Airlines Poland is contributing in supporting other coun- ran the #LotDoDomu (LOT flies back home) tries, regions and cities, stretching out a helping operation. It was one of the largest operations in hand. Poland has sent a dedicated team of 15 the history of the Polish diplomatic and consular Polish doctors and paramedics, certified by the services and the LOT company. It brought back WHO, to a field hospital in Brescia, Lombardy, home more than 55,000 Poles on board of one of the most affected areas in Italy. 8 doctors Polish planes. We also helped more than 2,000 have flown to Kyrgyzstan to participate in the other travelers come back home, among them medical mission of the Polish Center for Inter- nationals of the EU, US, Japan, Canada, Aus- national Aid. Also, a team of doctors from the tralia, Ukraine, Great Britain, Turkey, and South Military Medical Institute in Warsaw was sent Korea. Also, under the UCPM system, Poland to Chicago to aid their American colleagues. ran an evacuation flight with 30 Polish and 110 Another group of medics headed for Slovenia. EU countries citizens on board from Marrakesh As a gesture of friendship and solidarity, in to Warsaw via Berlin. Poland offered citizens of April we sent transport carrying medical sup- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania ferries and dedi- plies to Italy and Spain. Together with the state - cated trains as well as convoys of 800 vehicles owned Polfa Tarchomin S.A. company, tens of to ensure their safe journey home. NEWSLETTER No 26 POLAND’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19 Unlike most Western European coun- down. Nurseries and preschools tries, which saw the exponential spread throughout the country have been given of the Covid -19 virus in its first stage, the green light to resume operations. Poland has so far experienced a linear Poland has also reopened outdoor progression of the epidemic. As of May sports areas and allowed football mat- POLAND ’S RATINGS AFFIRMED ; O UTLOOK 26, the country had 22,074 diagnosed ches to be played behind closed doors. STABLE International ratings agency S&P Global has af- cases, with 10,020 people recovered Beauty and hair studios, restaurants, firmed Poland's "A-" long-term foreign-currency and 1,024 deaths. bars and cafes were allowed to reopen credit rating, with a stable outlook, de- The first infection was confirmed by to customers at the beginning of last spite the coronavirus pandemic. It cited Poland's “diversified economy, European Union member- the Polish authorities on March 4, whi- week. Polish elementary schools began ship and manageable levels of public and private le the country's first coronavirus fatali- reopening to young children recently as debt” as the rationale for the rating action. Meanwhile, ratings agency Fitch at the end of last ty was announced on March 12. Poland the country lifted more COVID -19 month affirmed Poland's "A-" credit rating with a has since declared a "state of epidemic" safety measures. Meanwhile, regular stable outlook, citing the country’s “strong mac- and temporarily closed its borders to classes at all levels of Polish schools roeconomic fundamentals, and a relatively sound non -residents in a move to curb the remain suspended. policy framework, coupled with EU member- ship.” spread of the illness. International sche- In order to mitigate the economic con- The Moody's ratings agency in mid-March kept duled flights and passenger rail connec- sequences of COVID -19, the Govern- Poland's rating unchanged at "A2" with a stable outlook. tions were suspended on March 15. ment introduced the „Anti -Crisis In another move to contain the spread Shield” bill introducing a range of eco- of the COVID -19 epidemic, the nomic measures aimed at limiting the government banned public gatherings scale of adverse market effects resul- and closed all pubs, clubs and restau- ting from the epidemic status. The re- rants. Health and government officials lief package includes, among others, urged Poles to stay home and practice changes in employment law (i.e. ena- social distancing. bling remote working, holiday regula- People have been ordered to wear ma- tions) and tax obligations, cash support sks or other face coverings when out in plans with the Financial Shield and public. Guaranteed Employee Benefit Fund, Some restrictions were relaxed last social security relief, support for self - month, and hotels and shopping employed, postponed deadlines, favou- malls were allowed to reopen in early rable rules for tourism sector, exten- May as the country moved to the next sions of residence visas and many mo- phase of easing its coronavirus lock- re. Registered unemployment rate in Poland POLISH BUSINESS DURING PANDEMIC in April 2020 amounted to 5,8% and was higher than in March 2020 (5,4%). Accor- Poland's Foreign Ministry has well as technology companies but ding to the flash estimate, GDP in volume launched the “Anti -Covid Offer by other industries are also welcome terms seasonally unadjusted was higher by Polish Business” web- to join by sending their business 1,9% YoY in the 1st quarter of 2020. site promoting Polish companies' offer to the Foreign Ministry. products and services on interna- See examples of products and solu- tional markets in the times of epi- tions offered by Polish entrepre- demic. neurs and researchers which can The platform currently features help better respond to the Corona- producers of food, medical equip- virus crisis and its impact: https:// ment, pharmaceuticals, personal www.gov.pl/web/diplomacy/anti - protection and hygiene products as covid -offer -by -polish -business 2 NEWSLETTER No 26 KATYŃ MASSACRE REMEMBERED “My father was highly educated and in those days in Poland, men with higher education became officers in the army. When the NKVD arrived at our Following the Soviet inva- families in New Zealand house, they knew everything about him. My father knew exactly what was happen- ing. He knew he would not be back. He took off his wedding ring, gave it to mum, sion of Poland on September who lost their loved ones in and said, ‘I give you your freedom back.” 17, 1939, about 250,000 the Katyń Massacre. In the „It was the last time she saw him. He saw how much Warsaw was bom- soldiers, including over 80th anniversary of those bed. She told me that he took out a very expensive fountain pen, a gift, and wrote down something. My mum promised my uncle that he would be her first child’s godfa- 10,000 officers, were taken tragic events in remote Rus- ther. That’s why my brother never had a baptism. She kept waiting for my uncle to captive. In the spring of sian locations, Turkiewicz, be the godfather; she kept the hope that he was living, that they would find him.” 1940, NKVD officers exe- Miotk, Jarka, Schwieters & „The Soviet soldiers bundled Stanisław’s family onto a truck bound for the city railway station, then onto a cattle train, to a kolkhoz in northern Kazakh- cuted about 22,000 Polish Popławski Families shared stan.