Talking points

*Polish politics:
Only five parties would make it to parliament according to latest poll


*Polish unions fighting for privatization:
Unions threaten major firms over PGNiG gas supplies

Trade unionists are threatening to cut gas supplies to companies that are allegedly running up arrears with Polish Oil and Gas (PGNiG) in a major showdown in the run up to privatization.

*Gigantic, foreign firms: Are these the businesses Poland needs to be subsidizing?

This year, from among 27 large foreign investment projects realized in Poland - whose total value is nearly euro 806 million - as many as five involved the opening of service centers or research and development centers. This is the result of the law, which enables the investors to locate such centers in Polish Special Economic Zones. Among those who already completed such investments in the country are Atos Origin, Hewlett-Packard, Electrolux, Volvo (service centers), and Pliva (research-development center). This group will soon be joined by two giants; IBM and Philip Morris. "IBM is interested in creating in Poland a research-development center, which would employ 500 people, and Philip Morris would like to open an accounting center, where 450 people will find jobs," said Marcin Kaszuba, Deputy Agriculture Minister. According to the government's directive, the investors could receive subsidies of EUR 5,000 for every job created.

IBM - EUR 2.5 million, $3.1 million; PM - EUR 2.25 million, $2.8 million


*Please throw Lepper in jail!

Farmers' leader sentenced for slander

The maverick farmers' Self-Defense party leader Andrzej Lepper has been sentenced to 15 months in jail, suspended for 5 years for slandering five politicians. He will have to pay a 20,000 zloty or almost 7,000 dollar fine. Four years ago, Lepper, then deputy speaker of Parliament, claimed that three leading politicians from the Civic Platform and two politicians from the Democratic Left Alliance were on the payroll of gangsters and fraudulent businessmen. He also misinformed public opinion with revelations that the Afghan Taliban landed in a small village in eastern Poland.

He has said he is willing to take the case all the way to Brussels, and that this verdict is exactly what he expected from "this Stalinist court".


*TVN24 reports (link in Polish) that yet another Polish Embassy worker in Moscow has been beaten. He has been taken to the hospital. The Foreign Ministry confirms the information. This is the third worker in the Polish Embassy in Moscow to be beaten over the past few days.


*Should Kwasniewski be doing more to resolve the Belarus crisis?