POLAND: Severe Flood & more – 19th Sep 2024

Witam from BA! This is the Rorshok Poland Update from the 19th of September twenty twenty-four. A quick summary of what's going down in Poland.

On Saturday, the 14th, the government declared a state of natural disaster after the country faced the biggest flood since nineteen ninety-seven. The heavy rainfall caused the Oder River to overflow. Opole, Nysa, and Kłodzko cities suffered the most. The flood covered the first floor of houses, damaged furniture, and drove people and cars through the streets. The incidents killed four people and injured dozens.

The government closed almost 420 schools until further notice, and it transformed public buildings into shelters for victims to sleep in. Moreover, the authorities warned people not to drink tap water because dirty water and some bacteria may already have infected it. Consequently, people started panic buying, with supermarkets suffering severe water and food shortages.

After a meeting with his ministers, Prime Minister Tusk announced that the government will issue 260 million dollars worth of emergency funds for the victims. Each affected individual can claim up to 9,000 złotych, which is 2,500 dollars, whereas people whose houses or businesses were damaged can receive up to 190,000 zlotych or 150,000 dollars. Flood victims can apply for emergency funds at the nearest local government office.

Moreover, the EU said that they will issue some financial help to Poland. Also, some fundraising institutions raised a lot of money for flood victims during Tusk’s press conference.

Due to the flood, people had to abandon their homes and valuable belongings, and in the meantime, looters and thieves found this opportunity and started to raid the houses.

After the incidents, the Polish army sent thousands of soldiers equipped with night vision and thermal imaging to affected areas to patrol at night against looters.

Moreover, the Central Bureau of Combating Cybercrime has identified thirty-four fraudulent fundraising campaigns that aim to scam people.

In some positive updates, on Tuesday, the 17th, the government announced that they will increase the minimum wage next year. Currently, the minimum wage per hour in Poland is twenty-two złotych, which is six dollars. After an increase in January twenty twenty-five, the hourly wage will be thirty zlotych or almost eight dollars. With this change, Poland's minimum wage will surpass that of eighteen U.S. states. Also, according to data from the country’s statistics office, Poland’s minimum monthly wage was only 455 dollars in twenty fifteen. Now, it will be 1,215 dollars per month.

Switching to foreign affairs. On Saturday, the 14th, American presidential candidate Kamala Harris and her party published a political campaign video to attract votes from the Polish diaspora in the upcoming US presidential election.

e horizon to invade Poland in: 1240

The video was released on television and online media in Pennsylvania, where Polish communities make up more than 5 percent of the electorate, as well as other American states with significant Polish communities. According to the World Population Review, there are approximately 9 to 10 million Americans of Polish descent living in the United States, which makes the Polish diaspora valuable in the eyes of politicians.

In more news about the US, on Thursday, the 12th, Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, arrived in Warsaw and met with top Polish leaders. In his talk with President Duda, Blinken praised Poland for spending more than four percent of its GDP on the army to deter Russia. Two other officials discussed the details of Poland’s first nuclear plant, which will be ready in twenty thirty-three with American cooperation. During another meeting with Radosław Sikorski, the Polish foreign minister, Blinken said the US is helping Poland to fight against Russia’s hybrid attack, meaning the immigrant pressures on the border and assassination attempts of Polish top leaders

Speaking of military affairs, on Friday, the 13th, during his visit to Kyiv, Ukraine, Sikorski, the Polish Foreign Minister, announced that Poland will send their MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, showing support after the latest attacks by Russia. Sikorski mentioned that Poland has already sent 400 tanks, fifty howitzers, and air defense systems to Ukraine. Previously, the Polish government wanted to dispose of its MiG-29 fighter jets and modernize the airforce with newly bought Western fighter jets such as the F-35.

Next, tension rises between Poland and Germany. On Monday, the 16th, the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected Tusk’s demand for lifting controls at the border with Poland. Last week, Germany decided to impose border controls on its neighbors to stop the flow of illegal immigrants. Normally, within EU countries there is freedom of movement and no border controls.

Last week, we reported that Tusk said Germany’s decision was unacceptable and called for dialogue between EU countries to strengthen the EU’s external borders.

On that note about the EU, on Saturday, the 14th, the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy announced that Poland will receive another twelve billion dollars of financial help from the EU’s National Recovery Plan this year to invest in twenty twenty-five.

The EU unfroze seven billion dollars in twenty twenty-three that were part of Poland’s fund in the EU because the new liberal government made changes and brought the rule of law to the country as the EU required. The EU now will unlock twelve billion more. The total amount that Poland will receive is seventy billion dollars, but it won’t be given all at once. The Ministry announced that the government will spend this new fund on the modernization and construction of railway lines, on subsidies for small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises, hospitals, and the executive will use the money to support single-family and multi-family houses.

For out last story about the EU, the European Commission appointed Piotr Serafin, Poland’s candidate for commissioner, as budget commissioner. Serafin will be responsible for the EU budget, public administration, and tackling financial fraud.

And to close this edition, the government announced on Tuesday, the 17th a plan to increase fees for food waste in food businesses. The fee was only fifty groszy or two US cents per kilogram of wasted food. When the government finishes the plan, the fee will increase to forty groszy or ten cents. There will also be more inspections of businesses to make sure they observe the law. The new legislation will make businesses donate the extra food to non-governmental organizations involved in the redistribution of food to poor and homeless people.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

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