Polish opposition kicks off election campaign with 'Polexit' warning

 

FILE PHOTO: Grzegorz Schetyna of Civic Platform walks prior to media conference at the Parliament in Warsaw, Poland January 12, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

 

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's biggest opposition front launched its campaign for next month's European Parliament election on Saturday by warning that the ruling eurosceptic PiS party could eventually lead the country out of the EU.

 

Poles overwhelming support remaining in the bloc, and the Law and Justice party (PiS) has never called for Poland to leave. But opposition leaders say the party's fierce anti-EU rhetoric and a series of disputes with Brussels bring "Polexit" a step nearer.

 

Seeking to appeal to voters' pro-European sentiment, leaders of the opposition European Coalition (KE) said May's European election poses a stark choice about the nation's future.

 

"There's a great choice ahead: either strong, rich, democratic Poland in a strong Europe, or what we see today -- party state, on its way to leave the EU," said Grzegorz Schetyna, head of the centrist Civic Platform (PO), which is part of the multi-party KE grouping.

 

"We're facing elections to the European Parliament that are the most important elections since 1989. Now even more is at stake," he told a KE convention on Saturday, referring to the election 30 years ago that marked the return of democracy.

 

If Poland was to hold a referendum similar to Britain's Brexit ballot, 88 percent of Poles would vote against leaving the bloc, according to an opinion poll published this month by IBSP.

 

A voter survey by the IBRiS pollsters gave PiS support of 39 percent in the European elections, ahead of the KE on 36.5 percent.

 

The ruling party, which has governed Poland since 2015, has retained solid support among voters despite a series of corruption scandals and opposition criticism that its legal and media reforms are a thinly veiled power grab.

 

Much of the party's appeal among lower-income Poles is linked to targeted welfare spending, political analysts say.

 

At Saturday's campaign launch, Schetyna promised pay rises for teachers and extra financial support for young workers.

 

He pledged to spend billions on an anti-cancer program, to reinstate funding for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment among tens of thousands of infertile couples, and improve air quality by stopping the use of coal for household heating.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-04-07

Poland is the biggest net recipient of EU aid - Bloomberg

 

Of course they would vote to stay in.

The EU is stifled by excessive bureaucracy and a lack of intelligence from their central bank. Don't expect the public to keep jumping for joy as the anaemic european economy continues to deteriorate

poland & its people love their national freedom away from the junker, merkel, macron junta.poland is a catholic country with a strong despise about muslim immigration like hungary, slovakia, czech republic, slovenja, croatia, austria.

 

wbr

roobaa01

26 minutes ago, roobaa01 said:

poland & its people love their national freedom away from the junker, merkel, macron junta.poland is a catholic country with a strong despise about muslim immigration like hungary, slovakia, czech republic, slovenja, croatia, austria.

 

wbr

roobaa01

But they do love those subsidies. As does Hungary.

at least they can look at the Brits to see what not to do..

1 hour ago, from the home of CC said:

at least they can look at the Brits to see what not to do..

at least they can look at the Brits to see how not to let your PM and MP's get their way and try and prevent the peoples referendum result.

 

This will not be the first country that will want to leave the EU, eventually. It is just a matter of when, not if.

1 hour ago, bristolboy said:

But they do love those subsidies. As does Hungary.

it shows only the eu stupity of thinking that subsidies can buy national sovereignty, 5555 eu is goin to burst. the eastern bloc is sly enough not to let muslim welfare recepients infest their social system like in germany, france, belgium, sweden etc...

 

wbr

roobaa01

Look forward to the 350m zloty "currently redundant" bus making a reappearance to fool another country full of flat caps????

57 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

at least they can look at the Brits to see how not to let your PM and MP's get their way and try and prevent the peoples referendum result.

weren't these people voted in by a democratic election?

3 hours ago, roobaa01 said:

poland & its people love their national freedom away from the junker, merkel, macron junta.poland is a catholic country with a strong despise about muslim immigration like hungary, slovakia, czech republic, slovenja, croatia, austria.

 

wbr

roobaa01

 

57 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

at least they can look at the Brits to see how not to let your PM and MP's get their way and try and prevent the peoples referendum result.

 

This will not be the first country that will want to leave the EU, eventually. It is just a matter of when, not if.

Ahem! Have you read the OP?

"If Poland was to hold a referendum similar to Britain's Brexit ballot, 88 percent of Poles would vote against leaving the bloc, according to an opinion poll published this month by IBSP."

2 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

weren't these people voted in by a democratic election?

Yes on a manifesto for leaving the EU. Your point being.

3 minutes ago, candide said:

 

Ahem! Have you read the OP?

"If Poland was to hold a referendum similar to Britain's Brexit ballot, 88 percent of Poles would vote against leaving the bloc, according to an opinion poll published this month by IBSP."

Of course I read it and my reply was relevant on how not to have your MP's go about leaving the EU. In case you didn't read it yourself.

 

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's biggest opposition front launched its campaign for next month's European Parliament election on Saturday by warning that the ruling eurosceptic PiS party could eventually lead the country out of the EU.

 

Edited April 7, 20197 yr by Laughing Gravy

They will not be allowed to leave. Just ask the French, the Danes, the Irish, and now, the Brits.

4 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

Yes on a manifesto for leaving the EU. Your point being.

Just find it strange that folks voted these people in and didn't know what they stood for?

 

RE:  you saying: how not to let your PM and MP's get their way - so they were voted in and they shouldn't get 'their' way?

Sorry I'm not trying to be obtuse, just trying to gain some sort of understanding of what went wrong.

 

 

8 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

Just find it strange that folks voted these people in and didn't know what they stood for?

 

RE:  you saying: how not to let your PM and MP's get their way - so they were voted in and they shouldn't get 'their' way?

Sorry I'm not trying to be obtuse, just trying to gain some sort of understanding of what went wrong.

 

 

These MP's were voted in on a promise (manifesto) and they are not delivering it. Also that MP's in the UK as well as the House of Lords, have clearly shown they are self serving and really don't give a crap about there constituents. Hence the mess we are now in and where we are at, with leaving the EU.

 

Firstly, don't have a PM who doesn't believe in it along with the cabinet. Secondly, the EU are a protectionist club masquerading as a democracy and they will do everything they can, to keep countries tied to there bureaucratic boys club.

1 hour ago, Laughing Gravy said:

at least they can look at the Brits to see how not to let your PM and MP's get their way and try and prevent the peoples referendum result.

 

This will not be the first country that will want to leave the EU, eventually. It is just a matter of when, not if.

 

"The people's referendum" : is that the latest Brexiter twaddle?

 

 

5 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

"The people's referendum" : is that the latest Brexiter twaddle?

 

 

Actually it is the reamainiacs choice only they often put number two or would it be number three. You should know, your part of that club.

Edited April 7, 20197 yr by Laughing Gravy

5 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

These MP's were voted in on a promise (manifesto) and they are not delivering it. Also that MP's in the UK as well as the House of Lords, have clearly shown they are self serving and really don't give a crap about there constituents. Hence the mess we are now in and where we are at, with leaving the EU.

 

Firstly, don't have a PM who doesn't believe in it along with the cabinet. Secondly, the EU are a protectionist club masquerading as a democracy and they will do everything they can, to keep countries tied to there bureaucratic boys club.

 

It's amazing how many Brexiters appear to have absolutely no idea about the workings of the UK parliament, it's constitution and laws.

 

They all believe the likes of Boris, R-Mogg, etc. (Ask yourself why very rich people from very rich families want to "serve" in high political office?)

 

Not all constituents voted for their MP and his/her party; not all voted leave. But the MP is supposed to make balanced judgments on what's best for the country whilst representing ALL constituents, not just the ones who voted for them. 

 

Clinging on to this idea that some shoddy advisory referendum badly implemented by the very rich elite Cameron who arrogantly thought he could use it to quell splits in the Tory party, is some sort of sacrosanct decision that can never be reversed, discussed and must be obeyed is not British constitutional representative democracy.

5 minutes ago, Laughing Gravy said:

Actually it is the reamainiacs choice only they often put number two or would it be number three. You should know, your part of that club.

 

I'm not in any club. But as the current parliament and government have proved themselves inept, ineffective and incapable of acting like professionals and doing the job they're generously paid to do, it seems there's no alternative but to have another advisory referendum. 

Just now, Baerboxer said:

 

It's amazing how many Brexiters appear to have absolutely no idea about the workings of the UK parliament, it's constitution and laws.

 

They all believe the likes of Boris, R-Mogg, etc. (Ask yourself why very rich people from very rich families want to "serve" in high political office?)

 

Not all constituents voted for their MP and his/her party; not all voted leave. But the MP is supposed to make balanced judgments on what's best for the country whilst representing ALL constituents, not just the ones who voted for them. 

 

Clinging on to this idea that some shoddy advisory referendum badly implemented by the very rich elite Cameron who arrogantly thought he could use it to quell splits in the Tory party, is some sort of sacrosanct decision that can never be reversed, discussed and must be obeyed is not British constitutional representative democracy.

There you go again with your "Rumpole of the Bailey' sermon. The amount of times you spout advisory referendum in your posts has gone beyond boring. 

Article 50 was triggered so why don't you accept it or learn to get over it like most adults.

 

Or is it a justifiable way in a remainers mind, that they can't accept the biggest turn out in referendum ever and didn't like the result.

I remember years back the U.K. being presented a bill from the EU for a couple of billion dollars or so. I seem to remember that a lot of people were upset about it at the time, was it the impetus for brexit?

6 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

it seems there's no alternative but to have another advisory referendum

Why not have a legal General Election so the people can vote for a manifesto as we have already had the result. The majority want to leave the EU. We just need MP's to do what was voted upon, As they are not the people should get a chance to support or show these MP's the door.

 

What happens when you lose the second referendum. More advisory rubbish again. Admit it you didn't like the result so you want another go at it, to get the result you like.

2 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

I remember years back the U.K. being presented a bill from the EU for a couple of billion dollars or so. I seem to remember that a lot of people were upset about it at the time, was it the impetus for brexit?

No not at all IMHO. We joined an ECE with 6 others for trading. We were lied to in going into that. Then another 20 plus members joined (more to follow) along with many treaties which ties the country to Brussels rule. plus the loss of many industries.

 

Ruled by Brussels and the entangled bureaucracy that goes with it has made many Brits disillusioned, and want to be free from the Brussels shackles. That's before you talk about immigration, enforced laws and protectionism from trade.

21 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

I'm not in any club. But as the current parliament and government have proved themselves inept, ineffective and incapable of acting like professionals and doing the job they're generously paid to do, it seems there's no alternative but to have another advisory referendum. 

It was never an advisory referendum. "The will of the people will be acted on" was the logic.

 

There was never any response saying " no, no, it is only advisory".

 

The result was a total surprise to everybody and there was no plan in place to deal with it.

Edited April 7, 20197 yr by rott

17 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

I'm not in any club. But as the current parliament and government have proved themselves inept, ineffective and incapable of acting like professionals and doing the job they're generously paid to do, it seems there's no alternative but to have another advisory referendum. 

Is this a mirror image of the EU and member state Governance. Remind us how Macron has handled the dissatisfaction of the yellow vests, how the EU has handled immigration and the growing threat of extreme political parties, problems with the Euro which only seems to benefit one country, Italy in recession, Germany on the verge of recession, high unemployment, protests last month against the planned EU copyright reform which critics argue will limit freedom of expression, why, in the early Seventies, when Britain joined what became the EU, the bloc made up 40 per cent of the global economy, once Britain leaves, that share falls to 15 per cent, despite the EU now having far more member states. etc. etc..

Why would I want to have another referendum to join this club?

Good for them..I say this as someone who thinks that organised religion is a load of <deleted>..however..one must ask the question..HOW MANY TERRORIST ATTACKS BY ISLAMIC LOONYS HAVE TAKEN PLACE ON POLISH SOIL????

poland & its people love their national freedom away from the junker, merkel, macron junta.poland is a catholic country with a strong despise about muslim immigration like hungary, slovakia, czech republic, slovenja, croatia, austria.
 
wbr
roobaa01

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

1 hour ago, candide said:

 

Ahem! Have you read the OP?

"If Poland was to hold a referendum similar to Britain's Brexit ballot, 88 percent of Poles would vote against leaving the bloc, according to an opinion poll published this month by IBSP."

Polls for Poles. I would believe the Poles. ????

4 hours ago, Topdoc said:

The EU is stifled by excessive bureaucracy and a lack of intelligence from their central bank. Don't expect the public to keep jumping for joy as the anaemic european economy continues to deteriorate

Keep pumping out the rhetoric. Do you subscribe to the Telegraph or the Mail?

 

Rooster

 

 

1 hour ago, from the home of CC said:

weren't these people voted in by a democratic election?

And if we've any sense or backbone we'll be voting them out at the first available opportunity we get. 

 

Then we'll see how many of 'em can get £80K a year plus expenses in the real world and then go on to do a 'Neil Kinnock' and pocket £150K a year as a glorified senior civil servant in the EU.

 

I'll be voting for anyone apart from a Tory or Labour candidate or any existing MP in future elections.