Poland

The Visegrad Cooperation within the European Union is a regional organization of four Central European member states: the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia. The cooperation aims to jointly represent the economic, diplomatic, and political interests of these countries and coordinate their possible actions. All four member states joined the European Union on May 1, 2004. 

On August 9, Andrzej Duda signed the bill introducing the widow\'s pension. The widow\'s pension is intended to be a new way of combining a retirement pension and a survivor\'s pension. Previously, a widowed retiree could receive their own pension or 85% of their deceased spouse’s pension (the survivor\'s pension). The widow\'s pension allows beneficiaries to receive their own pension or survivor\'s pension along with an additional 15% of the other benefit.

Poland will mark twenty years as a member of the European Union in 2024. In recent years, eurosceptic sentiments undermining the benefits of European integration have gained ground in Poland and Europe. However, the facts contradict these claims: membership in the European Union benefits member states. This is also true for Poland, which will continue to benefit from remaining in the Community, even if it eventually becomes a net contributor.

On June 4 and 18, 1989, partially free elections for the Sejm and fully free elections for the reconstituted Senate were held in Poland. As a result of these elections, a democratic political system was established, and decisive economic reforms were initiated between 1989 and 1990, which included stabilization and free-market changes. Poland was the first socialist country to begin departing from the system imposed by force, which was flawed.

Who will be the next president of Poland, one of the largest European nations? The presidential election in Poland has not yet been scheduled but is expected to take place in May 2025. However, it is already making headlines across the country. The Polish president, who serves a 5-year term, has a largely representative role but is also responsible for signing and vetoing legislation and exercising legislative initiative.

Political Capital Institute from Budapest has been conducting a five-year research project on the foreign policy-related votes of members of the European Parliament (MEPs). The recent edition of the Parliament\'s 9th term (2019-2024) and the first plenary session of the 10th term (2024-2029) included also Polish MEPs.

On November 22, 2024, the Civic Coalition (Koalicja Obywatelska), the current ruling political party in Poland led by Donald Tusk, held its much-anticipated primaries to select a presidential candidate for the upcoming 2025 elections. All KO members took part in this internal vote, a test of the party\'s democratic procedures and its ability to unite behind a formidable candidate to retake the presidential palace from the incumbent PiS-backed Andrzej Duda.

Many people still do not seem to be aware of the Putin regime\'s perfidious hybrid warfare against liberal democracy and the rule of law in Europe. It is therefore all the more important to talk about it publicly in order to fight against it. The European Liberal Forum (ELF) organized a panel discussion entitled \"Russian Influence in European Democracy\" on November 18 in Sofia with the Project: Poland Foundation and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF).

Natural disasters have a remarkable ability to expose both the weaknesses of systems and the depths of human nature. The recent floods in Poland not only destroyed homes and infrastructure but also revealed something far more valuable: society\'s ability to mobilize and provide aid on an unprecedented scale. In a digital age dominated by social media and technology, solidarity has found new channels of expression.

What influence the Catholic Church has on the Irish national identity? What was growing up in Catholic Ireland like? And how has the self-image of the Irish transformed over the years?