Poland

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?

In recent years, the quality of law-making in Poland has significantly deteriorated. Practices such as ignoring procedures, bypassing public consultations, using the deputies’ initiative route for government projects, and last-minute insertions in the final stage of the legislative process have been a constant element of the political landscape.

In the face of the energy crisis, politicians\' neglect of the development and modernization of the Polish energy sector is becoming increasingly visible. Freezing electricity prices is a costly and short-term solution, resulting from neglect in this area. The Polish energy mix, overly dependent on coal, requires decisive modernization actions, which, however, because of current policies, are systematically delayed.

The tax system has a profound impact on a country\'s economic growth for two reasons. Firstly, in developed countries, taxes typically amount to the equivalent of one-third to even half of the GDP. Such a high level of taxation affects taxpayers’ economic activity. Secondly, for the state to collect taxes, it must maintain appropriate regulations defining the tax base and rates.

Over the last eight years, the Law and Justice (PiS) government in Poland redefined the boundaries of regulations governing the lifestyle of citizens, introducing a series of laws and regulations aimed at promoting desired or healthy habits and behaviors, while limiting access to products and services deemed harmful.