The Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not be indifferent! Interview On April 19, 1943, Jews condemned to death in the Warsaw Ghetto rose up in an unprecedented heroic struggle against the German occupation. The commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the ghetto uprising is approaching. Joanna Maria Stolarek, director of the Warsaw office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation spoke with Zygmunt Stępiński, director of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw about the commemoration, the nature of remembrance, and the universal message that the uprising and its commemoration bring. Wersja polska. By Joanna Maria Stolarek and Zygmunt Stępiński
The rocky path to power for the Greens in 2023 Analysis 2023 promises to be a crucial electoral year in Europe as voters elect new national leaders in several major countries, including Turkey, Poland and Spain. This article explores the role of the European Green Party (EGP) members in these elections. By Tobias Gerhard Schminke
The end of energy resource imports from Russia? Commentary On February 24, Russia started the war in Ukraine. Nothing will be the same again. Russia's brutal attack made the ongoing conflict around energy resources all the more obvious. This article analyses what options Poland has to break its energy dependence on Russia. By Dr. Joanna Maćkowiak-Pandera and Dr. Aleksandra Gawlikowska-Fyk
Ukraine's refugees: "The EU took a good first step. Now they need the right protection" Interview Since the start of Russia's war against Ukraine on 24 February 2022, three and a half million people have fled the country. A conversation with Tineke Strik MEP on the triggering of the EU Temporary Protection Directive and what chances and challenges come with it. By Anna Schwarz
Gendered disinformation: 6 reasons why liberal democracies need to respond to this threat Policy brief Gendered disinformation is a form of identity-based disinformation that threatens human rights worldwide. It undermines the digital and political rights, as well as the safety and security, of its targets. Ellen Judson from Demos explains what gendered disinformation is, how it impacts individuals and societies, and the challenges in combating it, drawing on case studies from Poland and the UK. It assesses how the UK and EU are responding to gendered disinformation, and sets out a plan of action for governments, platforms, media and civil society. By Ellen Judson
Three reasons why the Polish government’s war on human freedoms is also your problem Commentary Modern-day authoritarians will boil you like a frog, whilst slowly turning up the heat. As a citizen of a democratic state, governed by the rule of law, you won’t suddenly wake up one day to find yourself in an authoritarian regime. It will creep up on you. Hiding behind empty slogans such as “regaining national sovereignty” and “national pride”. By Eliza Rutynowska
Chernobyl 35 years on –the “Polish puzzle” Commentary It was 28th April 1986, early morning in Poland. The radiation monitoring station in Mikołajki, Mazury area (north-eastern region of Poland) showed that the radioactivity in the air was 550,000 times higher than the day before. The radioactive cloud from Chernobyl had travelled to Poland. The story of the catastrophe began here. By Beata Cymerman
Poland’s CAP plan – Weak Evidence Base, Business as Usual Commentary The Polish Government plans for a new Common Agriculture Policy seeks a compromise between the supporters of the intensification of agricultural production in the name of the paradigm of economic competitiveness, and the voices demanding that it reflects newer, environmental realities. By Justyna Zwolińska
Four reasons why Poland’s war on abortion should scare you Commentary This is not just ‘Poland being Poland’. These actions are illegal, inhumane and could spread across Europe – and this is just the beginning. By Neil Datta
After the Crisis, Before the Crisis: The Rule of Law Headache that Won’t Go Away Commentary The Hungarian-Polish veto on the EU budget and the recovery fund was averted at the European Council last week, but threats to core European values were not. The EU’s rule of law crisis is nowhere near to being solved, and attacks on fundamental rights and democracy will intensify in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. By Márta Pardavi