In Poland, the anticipated dispute between Conservative President Andrzej Duda and new liberal-Globalist Prime Minister Donald Tusk has kicked into high gear almost immediately after the beginning of Tusk’s new premiership.
The former EU chief began moving aggressively to seize control of state media controlled by the former PiS (‘Justice and Law’) Conservatives, in a mood lauded by US leftist media as a ‘revolution’ against the ‘lack of rule of law’ of the PiS – the same old tired slander against any form of Conservative government that opposed the European Union Globalist policies.
The conservatives quickly rallied against the media takeover, and now President Duda is showing that Tusk will have a hard time implementing his ‘progressive’ agenda.
Politico reported:
“Polish President Andrzej Duda said on Saturday he would veto the government’s amended 2024 spending bill and propose his own, in a challenge to new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
In a post on the social media platform X, Duda cited the bill’s funding of public media, and said blocking it was appropriate ‘in view of the flagrant violation of the constitution’.”
The move to seize control of the country’s publicly owned television, radio and news agency from loyalists to the Law and Justice (PiS) party led to a ‘call to arms’ by the populist and nationalists – after all, PiS party, while unable to form a majority, was still the most voted party.
which lost power following the October 15 parliamentary election. Duda was a PiS member and is still loyal to the party.
Poland’s Culture Minister Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz fired the heads of TVP public television, Polish Radio, and the Polish Press Agency (PAP) igniting the political showoff.
“’At the same time’, Duda wrote in a second post on X. ‘I would like to inform you that after Christmas, I will immediately submit my own project to the parliament, regarding, among other things, raises for teachers and other expenses planned in the budget-related act’.
Duda had come under fire from PiS politicians for not doing more to thwart the government’s effort to take control of public media — which in the past eight years had acted as the PiS party’s propaganda arm.
Tusk’s government came to power in December, putting an end to eight years of rule by PiS, in which Warsaw clashed with Brussels on the rule of law and press freedom.”
President Duda has veto power over legislation, and made clear he will act to thwart the new administration.
Tusk also appointed new heads for the main intelligence and security agencies, which had previously been accused of ‘supporting PiS and of spying on the party’s opponents’.
Bloomberg reported:
“Duda said his veto was triggered by a plan to spend 3 billion zloty ($762 million) from the 2024 budget on public broadcasters following changes, which he said amount to a “gross violation” of the Constitution. The government this week reshuffled managements at public media outlets that led to some channels going off air, sparking protests from former ruling party.
The veto will deepen the standoff over state television, which Tusk denounced as a mouthpiece of the Law & Justice party and vowed to quickly overhaul after the election. The premier described president’s veto as ‘shameful’.”
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