Voters face landmark election

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Polish News
and
Entertainment
Friday 2nd July 2010
Issue 26 (77)
Voters face landmark election
PM warns of ‘war’ if
Kaczynski wins
P
oles will vote on Sunday to choose
their next president following a
tight election campaign that set the
bereaved brother of the late president up
against the unassuming candidate of the
governing party.
As the hours ticked down to the end
of campaigning on Friday night, the
two candidates, Jaroslaw Kaczynski and
Bronislaw Komorowski, made whistle-stop
tours in an effort to drum up last minute
support amongst undecided voters.
Opinion polls showed that Mr
Kaczynski, the twin of former president
Lech Kaczynski, and leader of the Law and
Justice party, trailed his rival by around 10
percent, making Mr Komorowski favourite
to become Poland’s next head of state.
But the Law and Justice leader can take
heart from the fact that many opinion polls
for the first round of voting said that he
would be hammered by Mr Komorowski
but in the end he lost by just 5 percent.
The surviving Kaczynski will also
remember that five years ago his brother
went into the presidential election trailing
Donald Tusk, now prime minister, by 5
percent in the polls but emerged victorious.
Perhaps remembering that night, Mr
Tusk stepped into the contest, saying that
Jaroslaw Kaczynski would make an even
worse president than his brother, and that
NATIONAL
Nearly 26,000 polling stations in Poland and abroad and marked by national flags outside, will be open
from 06:00 - 20:00 CET this Sunday.
another Kaczynski victory would mean
“war” between president and government.
“Jaroslaw Kaczynski as a president would
be a worse version of Lech Kaczynski, and
even under Lech it was not easy,” said the
prime minister in an interview for Polityka
magazine.
“The confrontation visible between Lech
Kaczynski and the government would then
be greatly increased because of Jaroslaw’s
temper and determination. Now we face
either five years of peace or five years of war.
The choice will be made on July 4,” he added.
p.3 REGIONAL
Mr Tusk’s sharp words marked a
deviation from the cordial spirit that
prevailed throughout the campaign owing
to the tragic circumstances that forced the
vote.
Even during two televised debates
the candidates refrained from personal
attacks and kept conversation to political
differences.
While the lack of mud-slinging and
slander has been welcomed, it also
contributed to an election campaign that
many found uninspiring and lacklustre.
p.8 BUSINESS
p.9
Lifetime ban for drunk drivers
Presidential castration
Wedel bought up by Lotte Group
New laws that came into force this
week mean that drunk drivers may lose
their licences for good if caught. The
ruling gives the courts power to strip
the licence from any driver who causes
an accident, which results in death or
serious injury, while under the influence
of alcohol or drugs.
A row erupted this week over a sculpture
placed outside Zielona Gora’s new aqua
park. The sculpture, which shows a couple
performing gymnastics together, was commissioned to decorate the public facility, but
the president was unaware that the finished
version would contain certain large details
not visible on the original maquette.
Chocolate maker E. Wedel, a household
name in Poland, found itself with a new
owner after the American food giant Kraft
announced that it had sold the Polish brand
to Japan’s Lotte Group for an undisclosed
sum. The third largest chewing gum
manufacturer in the world and the biggest
in Asia, the Lotte Group has an estimated
annual revenue of USD 40 bln.
2
EDITORIAL
The New Poland Express I Friday 2nd July 2010 I www.nwe.pl
Contents
News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
Regional news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
What’s on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Sport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
From the editor
Quotes of the week
This week in history
“It is not the bank’s policy to keep the
exchange rate [of the zloty] at a certain level,
neither is it policy to keep it within certain
bounds.” Head of the Polish National Bank
Marek Belka, speaking on how it may have
to intervene to help the strong fluctuation
of the Zloty.
1924 - The Polish national team
competes in the Olympics for the first
time. Held in Paris, the team featured
75 competitors and won two medals - a
silver for team cycling and a bronze for
individual equestrian showjumping.
T
his time next week
Poland will have
a new president.
And tensions are running high. Despite weeks
of low-key electioneering
culminating in a final debate on Wednesday which proved as uneventful as the first, the people are restless.
Some are even angry.
One is Dziennik man Marcin Piasecki.
He says vacuous statements from both candidates -- “we need to promote economic
development”, “we must solve the problems of Poland’s power industry”, for example -- are as pointless as saying “we want
to be happy”. My local barman agrees: “We
all want these things, but how will they
achieve them?” he asks. Good man.
The problem they both highlight is that
despite the waffle neither candidate has put
forward any concrete solutions.
On one hand, that isn’t important. What
Poland’s president thinks is best for the economy or energy doesn’t matter a hoot since the
job has no legislative-making power.
On the other hand it matters a lot.
A win by Kaczynski could see five more
years of political impasse as he follows his
late brother’s policy of vetoing everything
the government puts forward. It could also
mean five more years of rough and tumble
over foreign policy and scotch hopes of Poland achieving the political clout it deserves.
But if Komorowski wins, his job will be
to keep quiet and do as PM Tusk says.
The choice before the public therefore
boils down to one thing -- a ‘yes’ man or
a ‘no’ man.
The ‘yes’ will ensure a smooth run
through to the next general election giving
the public a chance to see what PO can really do -- something they haven’t been able
to do to date; the ‘no’ threatens stalemate.
If you can’t decide based on policy, maybe
a look at the prospective future first ladies will
help. One is Komorowski’s wife, Anna, a mumsy, salt-of-the-earth type. The other is bachelor
Kaczynski’s cat, Alik, who’s actually a tom.
WIYP Sp. z o.o. • Ul. Paderewskiego 1 • 81-831 Sopot
tel. +48 58 555 9818 • tel/fax. +48 58 555 0831 • [email protected]
“If I win [the election], I’ll give up
leadership of the party. I’ll even resign
from the party’s membership.” Jaroslaw
Kaczynski talking to RMF Radio.
“He represented the great Polish tradition
- for our freedom and yours.” Archbishop
Jozef Zycinski speaking at the Mass before
the burial of Corporal Pawel Stypula,
killed in Afghanistan.
1947 - The
Sejm
declares
the
Auschwitz-Birkenau, Majdanek, Stutthof
and Lambinowice death camp sites,
monuments of Polish and other Nations’
martyrdom.
1993 - VAT is introduced in Poland.
Replacing ‘Turnover Tax’, Polish VAT
legislation has been amended more than
50 times - the most significant amendment
occurring when Poland joined the EU in
2004.
Have Your Say
The NPE weekend QUIZ
Re: Mazowsze Regional - Concrete
monstrosity
Even an incomplete concrete hulk is better
looking than a complete Daniel Libeskind
building. In Toronto, Libeskind’s monstrously
brutal museum was dubbed “The Worst
Building of the Decade” and made the list of
the world’s Top Ten Ugliest Buildings. .......
Is it any surprise that Libeskind’s wife hired
another architect to design the Libeskind
home in Manhattan? Of course not. Why
would she want a world-renowned clown to
design their home. And why would Warsaw
want an ugly Libeskind building either?
DAVID - New York USA
With a high
number of responses to last
week’s
competition, we’ve
decided to give
you
another
chance to get
your hands on
a double invitation for the Gdansk bay
cruise on July 11 at the Baltic Sail 2010.
I think the idea of luxury apartments in
the center of Warsaw is ahead of its time.
But the design is magnificent. I hope they
get this sorted out.
Angelo - Warsaw, Poland
Send comments and letters to
[email protected]
Publisher: WIYP Sp. z o.o.
Editor-in-Chief: Ed Wight
([email protected])
Chief Writer:
Steve Sibbald
Research Manager:
Anna Hojan
Staff Writer: Matt Day
Nationwide & Sports:
Graham Crawford
([email protected])
Business: Tom Anessi
Travel: Alex Webber
([email protected])
It’s an opportunity to see the city
through different eyes as you sail
on the Joanna Saturna along the
Motlawa river in the great sailing
ships parade.
So, if you fancy getting onboard,
just tell us, what is the city of Gdansk’s
motto?
Well done to last week’s winner
Stephen Andrews. For a chance to
win this week, send your answers to:
[email protected]
Events: Klaudia Mampe
([email protected]),
Vaughan Elliott, Łukasz Jankowski
Graphic Designer: Tomáš Haman
([email protected])
Sales Director: Malgorzata Drzaszcz
([email protected])
3
NEWS
Russians accused
of more thefts
T
he widow of a victim of the Smolensk disaster has alleged that
thieves robbed the body of her hus-
band.
Dorota Skrzypek, who was married to
Slawomir Skrzypek, the head of the Polish national bank, has claimed that her
husband’s Tourneau Swiss watch and
gold cufflinks, which he was wearing
when the plane crashed in western Russia killing all on board, disappeared after
the accident.
The Skrzypek family noted the items
were missing when the Moscow Forensic
Bureau presented them with a list of the
banker’s personal belongings. After two
months had passed and the watch and cufflinks remained missing, they contacted
the prosecutor’s office.
“We are aware of Mrs Skrzypek’s
claims and we have passed them on to
the military prosecutor’s office which
is handling the investigation,” said Mateusz Martyniuk from the General Prosecutor’s Office.
“We will also be asking Russian investigators for an explanation,” he added.
The Skrzypek family want the Russian
authorities to check to see if the items have
been overlooked, misplaced or stolen.
Fears that the banker’s possessions
may have been whisked away by heartless
thieves have been heightened by the arrest
by Russia’s military authorities of four servicemen for stealing and using the credit
cards of another victim. The four, allegedly, ran up bills of PLN 6,000 on cards
belonging to Andrzej Przewoznik as they
went on a drink and gambling spree.
But allegations that Alexandra NatalliaSwiat, another victim of the disaster, was
robbed of her credit card proved unfounded when the card was found in a collection
of personal belongings retrieved from the
crash site.
The theft allegations could strain relations between Poland and Russia over
Moscow’s handling of the crash and the
subsequent investigation. Although intergovernment relations have remained cordial there has been growing rumblings of
discontent in Poland.
Along with the incidents and allegations
of theft, there has been mounting frustration over the slow pace of the investigation,
and repeated allegations from some quarters that Moscow has mounted a cover up
in order to hide the possibility that Russia
may have had a hand in the plane crash.
The New Poland Express I Friday 2nd July 2010 I www.nwe.pl
Lifetime ban for drunk drivers
N
ew laws that came into force this
week mean that drunk drivers
may lose their licences for good if
caught.
The ruling gives the courts power to strip
the licence from any driver who causes an
accident, which results in death or serious
injury, while under the influence of alcohol
or drugs.
Drivers who flee from the scene of an
accident while drunk may also be hit by
the life-long ban.
However, the laws are not cast-iron and
the courts will have the right to reduce
penalties in certain circumstances.
“The changes are very general and are
not defined by any specific examples,”
explains judge Danuta Tannenberg of the
District Court in Pruszkow.
“Factors such as how much the other
party contributed to the accident and
alcohol levels can be taken into account.
For example, there are cases where the
offender is so intoxicated that they are
not able to coordinate their movements
or control their vehicle and there are
also cases where a driver is over the
limit, but their alcohol intake has no
bearing on the accident. In the second
case, the courts may reduce the levels of
punishment.”
But while the new laws are a step in the
right direction, Marek Konkolewski of
the Bureau of Traffic Police states that the
problem will not disappear overnight. “I
am a realist. Changing the law is not an
antidote to the whole problem.”
Around 190,000 drunk drivers are
caught every year in Poland and in 2009
a total of 3,007 accidents were caused by
those over the limit, resulting in the death
of 333 people. But figures are dropping last year saw 15 percent less reported cases
than in 2008.
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4
NEWS
The New Poland Express I Friday 2nd July 2010 I www.nwe.pl
Teenage girl shot dead by lover in Italy
A
Polish teenage girl has been shot
dead in Italy in what is thought to
be a crime of passion.
The 16-year-old girl, Michaela, was
gunned down at close range in a garage
near the town of San Ferdinando di Puglia
where she lived with her parents.
Police arrested an Italian man, known
only as Vito C. owing to reporting
restrictions, on suspicion of her murder.
The 33-year-old man, reported to
be her lover, had allegedly picked her
up from her work earlier in the day
and driven her to the garage, which
was 12 kilometres from her home.
Police retrieved a 7.65-caliber firearm,
registered in the name of the suspect’s
father, from the scene.
The Italian media has speculated that
unrequited love and a desire to possess may
have led the suspect to shoot the young girl
dead.
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A
Polish GROM unit helped save the
lives of two Afghan police officers
who had been kidnapped and were
being held hostage by members of the Taliban.
By collaborating with other units,
the Grupa Reagowania OperacyjnoManewrowego (or ‘Operational Mobile
Reaction Group’), which is deployed
in special operations such as counterterrorism, was able to locate the two
officers and lead them to safety.
The hostages, both in their early 20s, had
spent 15 days tied up and chained to walls
in a number of hidden locations. As well
as being beaten by their captors, they were
told that they would soon be killed.
“Were it not for our soldiers, the officers
would not be here with us today,” says Sebastian
Kostecki, head of press reports in Ghazni.
“When they resisted, they were both
brutally beaten. To make it harder to
track them, every few days the Taliban
transported them to another place.”
The two men, flown to safety in an Mi-17
helicopter, were so overcome with emotion, they
both broke down in tears. They are currently
in an Afghan security forces institution being
examined by doctors and giving evidence.
Poland’s future involvement in Afghanistan
is, at present, unclear and has been the subject
of much debate. Bomb disposal Corporal Pawel
Stypula was killed recently, making him the
nineteenth Polish soldier to lose his life there.
Michaela’s parents had originally
moved to Italy six years ago in search
of work, and the girl soon followed
in their wake after living with her
grandparents.
Described as bright and possessing a
natural affinity for languages, Michaela
apparently had no problems at school and
was, according to her grandmother, the
“apple of her parents’ eyes”.
But now, for her heartbroken
grandmother all she has left are memories
of her beloved granddaughter.
“She lived with me for many years.
Every thing I did, I did it for her,” said
Irena. “When she was born, I jumped
for joy, and it was I who gave her
name.
“I hope I’ll be able to open her coffin
[at her funeral]. I want to put a book of
poems about a granddaughter and her
grandmother inside,” she added.
n
he
w
Hero soldiers
save hostages
While the criminal investigation
into
the
shooting
continues,
Michaela’s family back in Poland are
struggling to come to terms with the
tragedy, and have little doubt over
Vito C.’s guilt.
“The man did us a terrible wrong. Do
not forgive him,” said Irena, Michaela’s
62-year-old grandmother who lives
in the small town of Lasocice in
Wielkopolska.
“The last time I saw her was for
Christmas. She told me then about
Vito. The phone often rang when she
was here and she talked in Italian
so I didn’t understand much,” she
continued. “I don’t think she knew
that he was 33 years old, and I think
that he was more in love with her than
her with him. She may have been more
impressed with his car and its big
engine.”
5
NEWS
IN BRIEF
Border control
Politicians in Germany are calling for a
reintroduction of border controls in order to try
and cut down on car theft.
According to figures from the Interior Ministry,
2009 saw an increase in car theft by 9 percent
compared to the previous year and in federal
areas adjacent to Poland (such as Brandenburg
and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern) that figure was
as high as 30 percent.
Cooperation between officials in Poland and
Germany aimed at lowering the number of thefts
has improved over recent years, but inhabitants
of towns close to the border are becoming
increasingly angry with the situation.
Baby left outside nightclub
A couple have been fined and had their baby
taken from them after leaving it outside a
nightclub while they went inside to party.
Slawomir and Jolanta Chumura were refused
entry with their 8-month old child so decided to
leave it next to the club so they could continue
drinking.
Bouncers alerted the police, who arrested them.
“The man was speaking gibberish and staggering
all over the place. The woman was in a much
better state,” said a police spokesman.
The couple were fined PLN 200 and the baby is
now in the care of the social services.
Jackson remembered... Zombie style
Thousands of Michael Jackson fans hit the
streets dressed as zombies last Saturday for a
‘Remembrance march’ in the nation’s capitol.
Donning ripped clothes, false blood and heavy
make-up, the crowds stumbled along chanting
“meat meat!” on the anniversary of the King of
Pop’s death.
But not everyone was impressed. “It all seems a bit
in bad taste,” said dad of two Mariusz Kowalski. “I
enjoyed his music as much as anyone, but this
sort of thing is terrifying for kids.”
Passwords leaked
Thousands of passwords have been leaked from
four of the top Polish email portals according to
Niebezpiecznik.pl.
The providers concerned were Onet, Inertia, WP
and O2. In total, 9330 passwords were leaked
although it is believed that the number that were
actually stolen by cyber criminals is relatively low.
Former ‘gang’ to be prosecuted
A gang of 29 people, including three police
officers and three former officers from the antiterrorist squad are to stand trial in Lodz for a series
of crimes including fraud and money laundering.
The group, led by 35-year old Przemyslaw G.
and 36-year old Slawomir F., is believed to have
demanded protection money from a number of
night club owners throughout the city, as well as
the neighbouring towns of Pabianice, Belchatow
and Wielun.
The New Poland Express I Friday 2nd July 2010 I www.nwe.pl
Monet thief sentenced
A
n art thief who stole a rare painting by Claude Monet after “falling
in love with it” has been sentenced
to three years behind bars.
41-year old Robert Z. pleaded guilty to
the theft at Poznan court, adding that while
he had no excuses for his actions, he hoped
that the court would “give him a chance”.
“I’m terribly ashamed of what I have
done. This incident should never have
happened,” he told the prosecutor.
He also confessed to the court that he
had thought long and hard about stealing
the picture, ‘Plage de Pourville’, for years
after having fallen in love with it.
The painting, which has been valued
at around USD 7 mln, was on display in
Poznan’s National Museum when it was
stolen almost ten years ago in September
2000.
Robert Z. became so infatuated with
the picture, he gained permission from
the museum authorities to take in his own
art set to paint a copy of another picture
on show in the same room. He then used
the opportunity to remove The Plage de
Pourville from its frame and swap it with a
copy of one he had commissioned which he
had hidden in his art equipment.
Once the deed was completed, he
stashed the painting in a cupboard in his
parent’s house in Olkusz without them
even knowing it, for a reported nine years.
Police were eventually able to track
down the thief and recover the painting
in January this year by tracing the man’s
finger prints at the scene of the crime.
He is now waiting to appeal his sentence.
Send comments
and letters to
[email protected]
6
REGIONAL NEWS
The New Poland Express I Friday 2nd July 2010 I www.nwe.pl
Nationwide with Graham Crawford:
Bringing you the best from across the regions.
If you have any news for Graham, send him an email at [email protected]
WITHOUT RHYmE OR REGION
F
ather Henryk
Jankowski is
not my favourite priest. The cleric
represents many of
the problems of the
Catholic Church: a
hero of the martial law period, closely connected with Solidarity, since 1989 he has
repeatedly courted controversy. Anti-Semitic statements, an accusation of molesting a young boy, driving around in luxury
limousines, dripping with jewellery, even
producing wine with his image on, he sym-
bolises the worldliness and arrogance of an
institution many Poles find it hard to identify with, despite their faith.
Now he’s done it again, featuring on the cover
of rock band Apteka’s new album, looking like a
vigilante pointing a pistol at an unseen intruder.
“This isn’t a photomontage, the photo was taken
by the Prelate’s assistant Mariusz Olchowik.
We also have the handwritten approval of the
Prelate to use his image,” Jedrzej Kodymowski,
the band’s front-man commented. Sources
close to the priest, though, say Fr. Jankowski
doesn’t remember posing for the photo, or
giving permission for it to be used.
It would be easy to condemn the priest
for being so crass, but the picture is three
years old and the priest is currently fighting
debilitating diabetes.
For once, I think I side with Fr. Ludwik
Kowalski, who is tending the sick prelate,
“It’s a sad indictment of our business life.”
Five or ten years ago Fr. Jankowski was
an unpleasant, over-inflated, prejudiced
example of a cleric in name only. Now he’s
just a dying, old man. I’d expect even a
rebellious, iconoclastic bunch of rock stars to
respect that and not use his notoriety to earn
a few more tainted zloty.
mALOpOLSkIE
with inciting theft of the historic sign. He has
denied the charge and put forward a version of
events which is being verified by prosecutors.
He faces up to ten years in prison.
The theft took place on December 18
2009. It was recovered some 70 hours later
in a village near Torun, cut into three parts
by the bungling burglars.
after arrested the man late Tuesday evening
at Krakow’s main station. The man was taken
to Zakopane for interrogation, as that was
where his last victims were, but police press
officer Dariusz Nowak explained to reporters,
“It’s still not clear who is going to lead the
investigation, because prosecutors from across
the country are reporting incidents.” The man
currently faces up to ten years in prison.
Auschwitz suspect remanded
A
Krakow court
this week remanded
Anders
Hoegstroem in custody until September
9 this year, while investigations into the
theft of the infamous
‘Arbeit macht frei’ sign from the entrance to
Auschwitz concentration camp continue.
Lawyers representing the Swede pointed out
that their client has been very cooperative and
should therefore be released. But judges concurred with prosecutors that there was too
high a risk of Hoegstrom fleeing the country.
Prosecutors have also applied to their
Swedish counterparts to interrogate three
further witnesses, rumoured to include the
millionaire Lars W., who is suspected of
being the instigator of the theft.
Hoegstroem has meanwhile been charged
Fake gyno held at last
T
he self-styled Count Myszkowski, who
claimed to be a gynaecologist and ‘cured’
scores of patients using a special therapy involving having sex with them (see NPE 8/59),
was finally arrested by police after a chase
lasting over four months. The man had run
to Spain, taking with him a 19-year-old patient that he had earlier seduced, but could
not be arrested as the girl was legally adult
and not being held against her will.
Police continued to track the man though,
occasionally losing the trail. Finally, at the end
of June, one of his previous victims alerted
officers who sprang into action and soon
Krakow isn’t kosher
O
rthodox Jews visiting Krakow, especially the old Jewish district of Kazimierz,
are in a quandary because the city has only
one kosher restaurant, a report in Gazeta
Krakow revealed this week. Guests arrive in
the city with cases stuffed full of food.
“I always bring food with me from the
States. It’s a problem, because I have to pay
for excess baggage at the airport and find a
hotel in Krakow that can provide me with
a fridge, and then find a way of heating
my meals,” Steven Cohn from New York
explained to reporters.
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Fried pork neck marinated in herbs, baked potatoes, spring salad and beer 0,3 l - 28.90z³
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7
REGIONAL NEWS
mAzOWIECkIE
President versus president?
W
arsaw’s President Hanna
Gronkiewicz-Waltz
has threatened presidential
candidate
Jaroslaw Kaczynski
with legal action over
statements made during the second presidential debate regarding
the eviction of the traders evicted from the
KDT bazaar last July (see NPE 29/32), which
he described as “totally illegal.”
“If Jaroslaw Kaczynski continues lying,
we’ll see him in court,” said Warsaw’s
president. “The city’s actions were
conducted in full compliance with the law.
Law and Justice (PiS) and its chairman are
standing on the side of people who illegally
occupied land in the centre of Warsaw
as ruled by every single court,” she told
reporters.
SLASkIE
Hands off our Spodek
S
laskie architects
are up in arms
at plans to renovate
the exterior of Katowice’s signature
building, the Spodek
[meaning saucer in
Polish].
Katowice
City Hall shocked the architectural community by announcing not only that the
building is to be covered in stainless steel
tiles, but that they’ve already awarded the
tender to a company to carry out the work.
“This is unimaginable arrogance by
officials. The Spodek is for residents of
this region as important as the Eiffel tower
is for Paris,” commented local architect
Andrzej Grzybowski.
“Messing about with the Spodek is a
scandal of unbelievable magnitude. The
blame for this lies with the president, because
without him no decision would have been
made. In my opinion he’s gone too far and
should resign,” blasted another architect,
Robert Konieczny. Katowice architects
are demanding the object be renovated
with care and respect for the original
technologies used in its construction.
Chimney disaster kills four
F
our men aged from 21 to 56 died in a
tragic accident while demolishing a
chimney at a nitrogen works in Chorzow.
The industrial chimney was being taken
apart brick by brick from the top down by
The New Poland Express I Friday 2nd July 2010 I www.nwe.pl
She also pointed out she considered
the PiS chairman’s remarks a slur on the
capital, as the city supports small traders.
“The traders from the Stadium have been
guaranteed good conditions for business in
another area. This is proof that we look after
small traders and do our utmost to provide
them with the right infrastructure.”
Mossad man in custody
T
his Friday the Warsaw Appeal Court is to
decide whether to remand in custody a purported Mossad agent implicated in the murder
of a senior Hamas official in Dubai, while on
Monday the city’s Regional Court will look into
a request for his extradition to Germany.
Brodsky, a middle-aged man with a
beard and glasses, was led into the court by
police, his face hidden from photographers
behind a hat. He is wanted in Germany for
making false declarations and assisting
the person who killed the Hamas leader in
acquiring fake documents.
The defence maintain that Brodsky is not
who the Germans maintain he is, and are
a team of specialist climbers from one of
the top companies involved in such works
in the country. It is suspected that the incident occurred when scaffolding inside the
130m high chimney collapsed.
Initially reports suggested two people
were dead and two missing, but the other
two bodies were soon found beneath rubble
at the bottom of the structure. The men are
believed to have been working at a height
of 75m when the accident took place.
appealing against both his being remanded
in custody and his eventual extradition.
Press officer for Warsaw prosecutors,
Monika Lewandowska stated though, “the
authenticity of the passport in the name of
Uri B. is beyond doubt.”
She went on to emphasize that, despite
reports in the Israeli press of Poland
finding itself in a “difficult position”, that
the Polish prosecutors were, “not taking
any political considerations into account.”
Don’t look down
T
wo young burglars were arrested in the
capital this week after becoming too scared
to climb down from the roof where they were
attempting to steal copper sheeting. Police were
alerted on Wednesday by a security guard who
spotted the two sitting on a neighbouring roof.
Fire officers were called to the scene and
the two men were first rescued, then handed
over to the police. Twenty-year-old Patryk S.
and his nineteen-year-old associate Janusz
Ch. have been charged with attempted
robbery and face up to five years in prison.
Climbing experts called to the scene were
astonished to find that the men who died,
despite all wearing their safety harnesses,
did not have them attached to the safety
lines that would have saved them. For now
it is speculated that it was a case of human
error, that they died as a result of ignoring
routine safety procedures. However,
experts are also investigating why the
scaffolding collapsed and whether there
was a mechanical failure involved.
8
REGIONAL NEWS
The New Poland Express I Friday 2nd July 2010 I www.nwe.pl
LUBUSkIE
pOmORSkIE
No christening for bastard
Presidential castration
Horrific paedophile case in Slupsk
A
A
row
erupted
this week over a
sculpture placed outside Zielona Gora’s
new aqua park, due
to the prudishness of
the city’s president,
Janusz Kubicki. The
sculpture, which shows a couple performing gymnastics together, was commissioned
to decorate the public facility, but the president was unaware that the finished version
would contain certain large details not visible on the original maquette.
Shocked at the male genitalia displayed
in the finished statue, the president
contacted the artist and ordered her to
castrate it. The sculptress duly obliged,
turning up at the swimming pool with an
angle grinder and setting about smoothing
out the lumps and bumps that had caused
such outrage. “It hurt to do it, because I
was destroying my own work, but I was
forced to do so,” Agnieszka Wolska told a
reporter from TVN24.
Left-wing president Kubicki explained,
“I’m not offended by nudity, but by
dishonesty.” In his opinion the finished
sculpture ought to have looked exactly as
it had in the model he approved. “I might
be left-wing, but I have some conservative
views. I’m against adoption by homosexual
couples, for example, and I’m entitled to
my opinion,” he continued.
The affair has left him open to a degree
of ridicule though, with even right-wing
politicians from the Law and Justice
party enjoying a joke at his expense,
renaming the aqua park ‘Eunuch Pool’
and suggesting that what the president had
done to the statue today, he’d want to do to
the opposition tomorrow.
Crazy crossing
A
stonished NPE reader Michael Davies
contacted Nationwide this week after
witnessing scores of vehicles crossing a
railway line at Brzozowiec, near Gorzow
Wielkopolska, despite the barriers being
down and red stop lights flashing. Mr Davies couldn’t believe his eyes, but was alert
enough to take a series of photos revealing
the insane risks taken by a host of drivers.
“The outbreak of madness took place
as the cars and lorries just couldn’t be
bothered to wait. The train was on its way
and then, even more insanely, the railway
barrier was raised to let the vehicles
through just as the train crossed the path
of the cars. It was a miracle that a terrible
disaster didn’t happen,” wrote Mr Davies.
A
forty-year-old
man has been
arrested in Slupsk
on charges of subjecting his own children, a 13-year-old
boy and 11-yearold girl, to extreme
physical and mental suffering, including
acts of paedophilia and incest.
“The man was taking amphetamines
and alcohol when he forced the children to
watch pornographic films and masturbated
in front of them. It’s hard to speak calmly
about, but the investigation has also revealed
that the children were both raped by the
father and forced to have sex together,” Jacek
Korycki, press officer for Slupsk Regional
Prosecutors, told reporters.
The case came to light at the beginning of
April this year, when the accused’s sister-in-law
went to police. She claimed the man had told her
about his sexual deviations while he was drunk.
The main evidence in the case comes
from the statements made by the children
involved, which psychologists describe as
highly credible. The mother of the children
has been living abroad for six years and has
not been in contact with them for some time.
The accused has given several versions of
events and admitted to some of the acts he
is charged with. He has been remanded in
custody, and if found guilty will face up to
fifteen years in prison.
dam and Sylwia from Duninowko,
near Slupsk, have been refused christening for their six-month-old son, Krzysztof, because he was born out of wedlock.
“The priest said the child was conceived as
a result of rape, because we haven’t had a
church wedding. We want to get married in
church, but we don’t want to do it any old
how. We’ll take holy sacrament as soon as
we can afford it,” Sylwia told Glos Pomorze.
Fr. Dariusz Jaslarz, press officer for
Koszalin cathedral defended the priest,
a Fr. Wyrzykowski, saying, “Christening
is not art for art’s sake. The parents have
to promise to bring the child up in the
Catholic faith. If they’re not married,
they’re living in sin.”
Bananas and coke
O
fficers from the Central Office of Investigation (CBS) seized 50kg of cocaine hidden among a consignment of bananas from South America in Gdynia this
Wednesday. Officers entered the premises
of a company involved in importing soft
fruit in the city, came across a suspicious
shipment and called in customs officers to
assist them in the operation, as they have
the equipment necessary to x-ray large
loads.
The delivery arrived in Poland via
Belgium and Germany. Police estimate the
cocaine has a value in the region of PLN 8
mln and are currently trying to establish
where the narcotics were eventually
destined for, and who was to distribute it.
9
BUSINESS
The New Poland Express I Friday 2nd July 2010 I www.nwe.pl
BUSINESS IN BRIEF
Food prices lower than average
Poland’s food prices in 2009 were, on
average, 36 percent lower than those in
other countries in the EU.
The report, carried out for the Statistical
Office of the European Union by Eurostat,
looked at around 500 goods such as basic
food products, non-alcoholic drinks and
tobacco in 37 different nations.
Meat prices weighed in at roughly 56 percent
less than the EU average and dairy products
such as milk and cheese were a whopping
63 percent lower.
Increase in Chinese trade
The amount of Chinese investors has
“risen dramatically” this year says Economy
Minister Rafal Baniak.
“Chinese companies are looking for places in
Poland for research and development centres.
The investors are increasingly interested in
Poland because they consider the country a
gate to Europe and the EU,” he believes.
Exports to China have also increased over
recent years.
According to statistics from the Ministry,
exports shot up by 21 percent last year
(worth an estimated EUR 1 bln) compared
to 2008. The majority of exported goods
include car parts, copper and nitrogen.
IN NUmBERS
PLN
300 mln
The estimated financial loss in Warsaw and
the Mazovia region due to recent flooding.
3 .4
million
The number of 3D TV sets LG Electronica
Polska plans to release onto the market next
year.
PLN
2 bln
The amount in EU funding set aside to help
people over the age of 50 set up their own
business or simply find new work.
NBP OFFICIAL CURRENCY RATES 02/07/2010
Currency
Czech Koruna
Danish Krone
Estonian Kroon
Euro
Hong Kong Dollar
Hungarian Forint
Japanese Yen
Norwegian Krone
Pound Sterling
Russian Ruble
Swiss Franc
US Dollar
Symbol
1 CZK
1 DKK
1 EEK
1 EUR
1 HKD
100 HUF
100 JPY
1 NOK
1 GBP
1 RUB
1 CHF
1 USD
Mid-rate
0,1613
0,5564
0,2649
4,1448
0,4253
1,4543
3,7697
0,5140
5,0390
0,1065
3,1026
3,3152
Wedel bought up by Lotte Group
C
hocolate maker E. Wedel, a household name in Poland, found itself
with a new owner after the American food giant Kraft announced that it
had sold the Polish brand to Japan’s Lotte
Group for an undisclosed sum.
The third largest chewing gum
manufacturer in the world and the biggest
in Asia, the Lotte Group has an estimated
annual revenue of USD 40 bln.
“The sale, which is subject to customary
regulatory approvals, includes the E.
Wedel business, its related brands and
a manufacturing facility in Warsaw,”
said a statement published on the Kraft
website.
Lotte’s purchase of Wedel took the
confectionary sector by surprise because
Nestle had been regarded as the favourite
to snap up the Polish company.
Kraft acquired the 150-year-old
Polish brand through its purchase of
Cadbury, Wedel’s previous owner, but
has been forced to sell it owing to EU
anti-monopoly regulations. Fearing a
monopoly on the Polish confectionary
market the European Commission only
approved Kraft’s purchase of Cadbury
on condition that it sold Wedel and a
Romanian brand.
Wedel’s 1,000-strong workforce and
the manufacturing facility in Warsaw will
now transfer to the Lotte Group the Kraft
statement added.
But Kraft said that it would hold onto
Cadbury’s other facilities in Poland, two
manufacturing plants in Skarbimierz, and
is seeking permission from the European
Commission to retain another plant in
Bielany Wroclawskie.
Along with buying Wedel, Cadbury had
shifted a chunk of its manufacturing from
the UK to Poland, as it established itself
as one of the biggest players on the Polish
confectionary market.
While Wedel’s change of ownership will
cast a cloud of uncertainty over its future,
analysts have said that the brand’s market
position and the strength of the Polish
confectionary market should protect it.
Wedel has a dominant position in
the world of Polish chocolate, and the
confectionary sector in Poland has
significant room for growth.
At six kilograms per capita, chocolate
consumption in Poland is higher than
the regional average but still lags behind
the western European average, and at the
same time premium chocolate is becoming
increasingly popular amongst sweettoothed Polish consumers.
All this should tie in with Lotte’s stated
goal of increasing its global confectionary
sales by 20 percent.
Send comments
and letters to
[email protected]
Disappointment for Tauron
T
auron Polska Energia, the second
largest utility company in Poland,
made a much vaunted debut on the
Warsaw stock exchange only to meet with
disappointing results.
The company saw its share price fall
on its first day of trading by 2 percent
from PLN 5.11 to PLN 5.03, according to
Bloomberg, as investors reacted cautiously
to the company’s presence.
Tauron’s less than auspicious entry
onto the exchange followed its initial
public offering that raised PLN
4.21 bln for the state treasure. The
government sold its 52 percent stake in
the company as part of a privatisation
programme but while the sum was
considerable it failed to hit the
state’s expectations, which were high
following the successful sell-off of
insurance company PZU in May that
netted PLN 8.1 bln for the state.
The sluggish IPO, coupled with
the disappointing debut on the
exchange, ref lected the company’s
lack of appeal compared to previous
government sales, and concerns over
Tauron’s plans for a major investment
programme.
But this has failed to dent the
government’s eagerness to sell its energy
industry assets. As Tauron’s shares were
going under the hammer the treasury
called for bids in Enea, a power generator
valued at PLN 4 bln.
The state has an estimated PLN 25 bln
in energy assets and wants to sell them in
order to help it pay its bills and control the
budget deficit.
The Warsaw exchange hopes that the
presence of large, indigenous utility
companies will add depth to the market
and be seen by investors as a further
indication of the exchange’s maturity
10
ENTERTAINmENT
The New Poland Express I Friday 2nd July 2010 I www.nwe.pl
SOmETHING FOR THE WEEkEND: Travel musings from inyourpocket’s ‘Uncle’ Alex Webber
I
drink cider for breakfast and have a cat
called Churchill –
that’s as English as they
come, so seeing England tanked out of the
World Cup by ze wicked
Germans has come as a right kick in the
jaffas. Even so, what should have been a
gloomy week has ended on a high and
that’s largely thanks to a long-overdue
return trip to Oberza Pod Czerwonym
Wieprzem. Went there last night with Mr
and Mrs Drax, and the morning after I’m
still struggling to fit through my door.
Now the story to this place (let’s call
it Red Pig, its simplified English name),
is a good one; back in 2006 workers
uncovered a secret basement packed with
keepsakes, notebooks and menus, as well
as a host of other clues indicating this was
once the top-secret meeting point for all
the big hitters in the socialist world. Not
ones to let an opportunity slip, the Poles
decided to preserve this piece of history
and turn it into a restaurant. The story
is, of course, a load of rubbish, no more
than the product of a fertile imagination,
but don’t let that deter your visit; this
venue is great, and more than welcome
in a city surprisingly low on Ost-algia.
There was no outdoor seating when
we bowled up, but that turned out to be
a blessing in disguise – the crossroads
of Zelazna aren’t exactly the Serengeti,
so the view of traffic lights and tramps
wasn’t exactly missed. Instead we found
ourselves seated inside, directed to our
table by a pert little commie dressed for
a May Day parade. Decorated with red
banners and paintings of communist
comrades this wood-heavy place
certainly looks the deal, but unlike
other gimmick restaurants Red Pig does
something very unorthodox – it proves
not just fun to look at, but truly enjoyable
to eat in.
The menu is a bit of a hoot (available
to purchase for twenty zlots, a lot less
if you’re an able-handed klepto), and
aside from detailing the fantasy history
lists items like Brezhnev Dumplings and
Activists Lard. I under-estimated the
portions, so by the time I had finished
my Work Leader’s Beetroot soup I was
already fiddling with the belt. Fidel’s
Cigars, a pair of sausages obliterated by
tomato sauce, were a great follow-up, and
my calorie count rounded off nicely by
some iced shots of vodka. Not gourmet
by any means, but not the hospital food
you find served in most tourist magnets;
go there.
Gdansk
04 .07 Sunday - Hans Jörg
Wiele Twarzy, ul. Lektykarska 3, www.myspace.
com/hansjorgplQConcert starts at 20:00.
Admission free.
Poznan
08 .07 Thursday - Powerhouse Sound
Pasaż Kultury, Stary Rynek, tel. (+48) 12 633 28
39, www.madeinchicago.pl
QConcert starts at 21:00. Admission free.
07 .07 Wednesday - NOFX
Palladium, ul. Złota 9, tel. (+48) 22 822 87 02
QConcert starts 19:00. Tickets 80zł. Available at
Empik (ul. Złota 59, B-3. Open 10:00 - 22:00, Sun
10:00 - 20:00) and www.eventim.pl.
Sopot
06 .07 Tuesday - Muchy
Papryka, ul. Grunwaldzka 11, tel. (+48) 12 633 28
39QConcert starts at 20:00. Tickets 20zł. Available
at Papryka office (Open 15:00 - 02:00, Thu, Fri, Sat
15:00 - 04:00).
Warsaw
05 .07 Monday - Coheed and Cambria
Stodoła, ul. Batorego 10, tel. (+48) 22 825 60 31
QConcert starts at 19:00. Tickets 115/100zł. Available
Stodoła’s box office (Open 09:00 - 21:00, Sat 09:00 14:00. Closed Sun, Mon) and www.eventim.pl.
Gdynia
03 .07 Saturday - 28 .08 Saturday - Active Summer
Śródmieście Beach.
Volleyball courts and beach soccer pitches with
two tournaments for each discipline. Q Admission
free.
In cooperation with In Your Pocket city guides
11
ENTERTAINmENT
The New Poland Express I Friday 2nd July 2010 I www.nwe.pl
Gdansk
Krakow
Warsaw
08 .07 Thursday - 11 .07 Sunday
Baltic Sail Gdańsk 2010
www.balticsail.pl
This is an international sailing event organised
by the countries neighbouring the Baltic and
features hundreds of ships and boats of all
sizes and descriptions. Year on year Baltic Sail
increases in size and 2010 is no exception.
Come along to see tall ships, Nord Cup regattas,
Neptun Shanties Festival and the sailors’ parade.
You should also visit the marina on the Motława,
opposite the Great Crane, to have the chance
of sailing on Gdańsk Bay with the most beautiful
yachts: Joanna Saturna, Baltic Beauty, Yunyi
Baltiets and Hansine. The cost of the cruise for
one person is 35/40zł and you can buy tickets on
the official website and before departure.
04 .07 Sunday - 18 .08 Wednesday
Summer Jazz Festival
tel. (+48) 12 633 28 39,
www.cracjazz.com
Organised for the first
time in 1996 by Witold
Wnuk to celebrate the
40th anniversary of
Piwnica pod Baranami,
it seems to get bigger and bigger each year.
At the beginning there were only 31 concerts
in Piwnica pod Baranami and now there are
concerts in the Rynek Główny as well as the
gardens of the Archeological Museum. This
year the stars include Bobby McFerrin, Jan
Ptaszyn Wróblewski, Markus Stockhausen and
many others.QFull schedule available at www.
cracjazz.pl. Tickets 20-130zł.
02 .07 Friday - 06 .07 Tuesday
The International Street Art Festival
tel. (+48) 22 450 67 10, www.sztukaulicy.pl
This will be the 13th time out for this splendid
festival which deals with all forms of street art.
After the fall of communism life in Poland literally
came out from homes onto the streets; new
pubs, restaurants and shops started to appear
and it could be said that the function of public
space changed, becoming more important
to every Varsovian’s life. There will be 6 days of
different forms of performances in the streets
and other outdoor spaces. Hopefully it will be
an alternative to traditional productions in the
form of theatre, music, dance, circus or film. This
year the main focus for events is the area around
the Palace of Culture and Science (PKiN), Pl.
Defilad 1 and Rynek Nowego Miasta. Artists will
fill the streets, parks and other public spaces of
Warsaw with festival art. It is all addressed mainly
to young people who shape the dynamic of
the city and the organisers want the streets to
become not only a place of meetings, business
transactions and entertainment, but also to
provide aesthetic experiences and culture. The
programme is packed and varied and we have
highlighted the following:
02.06 - 21:00 Oriente, Świętokrzyski Park,
ul. Świętokrzyska Come along for an action
packed performance. The Due Mondi theatre
from Italy tell a story of solidarity inspired by an
ancient Chinese legend.
02.06 - 22:00 Doppelgänger, PKiN This is an
allegory of biblical creation of Adam Kadmon and
Lilith by the Novego Fronta Theatre from Czech.
03.06, 04.06 - 22:00 Salto Mortale, Agrykola
A metaphorical play by the Strefa Ciszy Theatre
inspired by a story from WWII when the Red Army
abandoned hundreds of looted pianos and
other instruments near Szczecin railway station.
04.06 - 21:00Chick Stick, Świętokrzyski Park,
ul. Świętokrzyska Paly is a combination of
theatre and circus with a fire show, fireworks
plus lights and music.
04.06 - 22:00 Rabbi Maharali and Golem
Another interpretation of the legend of the
Prague Golem newly interpreted for the Asocjacja
2006 group by Maciej Rembarz.QAdmission free.
Full schedule available at www.sztukaulicy.pl.
08.07 Thursday
12:00-18:00 - Sailing ships arrival
Motława River
Wroclaw
09.07 Friday
Targ Rybny
10:00-20:00 - Sailing ship cruises on Gdańsk
Bay
12:00 - Nord Cup race begins on Górki
Zachodnie
10.07 Saturday
10:00 - Nord Cup Race, Górki Zachodnie
10:00-18:00 - Sea Festival
11:00-16:00 - Sailing picnic, Open-air stage, ul.
Długi Targ
10:00-18:00 - Sailing ship cruises
12:00 - Baltic Sail Special Race, Gdańsk Bay
19:30 - Sailors’ parade from ul. Wartka to ul.
Długi Targ
20:00 - Baltic Sail Special Race awards
ceremony
ul. Długi Targ
11.07 Sunday
10:00-18:00 - Sea Festival
10:00-18:00 - Sailing ship cruises
12:00 - Sailing ship parade on Motława river
14:00 - Rescue shows on Motława river
16:00 - Sailing ships departure
QAdmission free.
02 .07 Friday - Mark Knopfler
Centennial Hall, ul. Wystawowa 1, tel. (+48)
71 347 72 00
According to Rolling Stone the ex-leader and
only recognisable member of Dire Straits is the
27th greatest guitarist of all time. Officially Dire
Straits broke up in 1995, but Knofler’s concert
outfit is very similar. Here is some trivia as we
know all the cheesy songs. In 2006 he did an
M.A. at Leeds University, apparently he has a
dinosaur named after him - Masiakasaurus
knopfleri. This could be a wind up, where’s
the Chris Rea collaboration is what I want to
know.QConcert starts at 18:00. Tickets 165zł.
Available at www.eventim.pl and Empik, Rynek
50, A-3 (Open 09:00 - 21:00, Sun 11:00 - 21:00).
In cooperation with In Your Pocket city guides
12 SpORT
The New Poland Express I Friday 2nd July 2010 I www.nwe.pl
Ekstraklasa - in, out, shake it all about
I
t’s a case of back to the future for the
Polish league’s top two clubs as they
both signed former players now in the
twilight of their careers. Wisla have brought
back Maciej Zurawski, the former Celtic
striker on a year’s contract, where he will
wear the unusual number 79. Seven was
his number in Glasgow, while he wore nine
during his glory years in Krakow, so on returning, he decided to join the two figures
up. “I’ve come full circle, because I’m returning to the club where I had the greatest success. I’m happy I’ll be able to help my
team-mates. I think I can bring my experience to bear and give others the impulse to
play better,” commented Zurawski.
Meanwhile, champions Lech Poznan
have signed their former apprentice Artur
Wichniarek from German side Arminia
Bielefeld. “The club came forward with a
concrete contract proposal last Thursday, I took
two or three days to think it over. I never forgot
that this is my home town and it was here I got
the chance to debut in the Ekstraklasa. It’ll be
great to play for the best supporters in Poland,”
said the man who earned the nickname King
Arthur, after his goal-scoring exploits in the
German 2nd division.
Two players on their way out of the
division, though, appear to be Kamil Glik
and Mateusz Cetnarski. Glik, the 22-yearold Piast Gliwice defender, is heading
to Palermo in Serie A. Walter Sabitini,
the Italian side’s sporting director, told
Przeglad Sportowy, “I think Glik can cut
it in Serie A. His youth is not a problem,
in fact it’s an advantage. I know Kamil is
very keen to play, he’s got a great physique
and he can develop excellently on Italian
pitches. I’m thinking of technical and
tactical abilities, which you can never have
too much of.” Palermo are looking to pay
about EUR 800,000 for the transfer, with
Glik in line to earn around EUR 200,000
per annum. The deal should be completed
early next week.
Cetnarski, meanwhile, will be heading
from GKS Belchatow to Barnsley in
England’s Championship. Barnsley are
offering a whopping GBP 2.5 mln for the
left-footed midfielder, who had suggested
he would leave Belchatow under the
Webster ruling, leaving the club with
nothing.
“I got some criticism from the fans
for that. I didn’t want to run away from
Belchatow. I expected them to take me
seriously, and all the time I was on a youth
contract. For a year there were no contract
negotiations, and I reckon I was due a
raise,” Cetnarski told reporters. Following
the Barnsley offer, though, club and player
have put their conflict to one side and the
deal will soon be completed.
Kubica poo-poos Mercedes gossip
D
uring, and immediately after, last
weekend’s Valencia GP the gossip
in the F1 paddock surrounded the
possibility of Kubica replacing seven-time
world champion Michael Schumacher at
Mercedes next year. The leading teams
– Ferrari, Williams and Red Bull have declared they won’t be changing their drivers,
meaning the available top talent is very limited. Hence Kubica is likely to be the centre
of a lot of gossip in the coming months.
Kubica himself is sanguine regarding his
prospects. “I still don’t know who I’ll be driving
for next year. I’m not one of those people who
plans everything three years in advance. To
tell the truth I don’t even think three weeks in
advance. When people started talking about
me moving team in March or April, I hadn’t
even given it a thought. Let’s see what the future
brings. I believe that there is a time for everyone
and everything. I’ll have to make a decision
soon and then everything will be clear.”
The place to spend
the summer
The best of tex-mex,
beer taps on tables
with live music
until late and
all the action of
World Cup 2010 live.
Warsaw
Tortilla Factory
ul. Wilcza 46
tel. 022 621-8622
www.warsawtortillafactory.pl
[email protected]
SpORTS BRIEFS
Polish Webb of hate
In an exclusive interview with Przeglad Sportowy
this week, English football referee Howard Webb
expressed his hope to be refereeing in Poland at Euro
2012 despite becoming something of a hate figure for
a decision he made at the last Euro championships.
Webb awarded a controversial penalty to Austria
which ultimately eliminated the Poles and had PM
Tusk spitting, “I wanted to kill him!” Reminded of this,
Webb replied diplomatically, “I heard about that. It
means your PM is very interested in football, that he
cares about the team. That’s good.”
Asked if he now considered the decision unjust, he
elaborated, “My interpretation of that event was as it
was. As far as the Poles are concerned, I don’t think it’s
me they hate, rather they hate the decision. I assure you
I have no problem with the Poles. I hope I’ll meet you in
two years at Euro 2012. Or even earlier. It’s not impossible
I may officiate at a friendly in Poland before then.”
Adamek gets Ali
At a plush ceremony last Friday evening in
Chicago, Tomasz Adamek received the prestigious
Muhammad Ali Award for achievements in boxing
from the hands of the famous boxer’s daughter
Jamilah. Adamek, who interrupted training for his
upcoming fight against Michael Grant to receive
the award, commented, “It’s always nice to get
awards. This one is very close to my heart, as Ali was
always my idol. I grew up watching his fights. I hope
one day I might get to meet him.” Adamek received
one of Ali’s boxing belts and returned the favour,
presenting an ornate leather Polish highlander’s
belt to be given to Ali. “My dad will be delighted.
He hasn’t got a belt like this in his collection,”
commented Jamilah.
13
CLASSIFIEDS
The New Poland Express I Friday 2nd July 2010 I www.nwe.pl
Classifieds:
place your free ads and community
news here. Email [email protected]
Classical choir for amateurs
Seeking guest or carriage house to rent
Flat for Rent in Warsaw - Anin
Doubtful you are good enough?
Give it a try!
Rehearsals in English every Tuesday
at 6.30 in Nowy Swiat.
Seeking guest or carriage house to rent for
possibly one year somewhere in Warsaw area.
Would like to pay month to month. Need not be
furnished. Contact Carole Zalucky 696-708-253.
Spacious & quiet flat of 132m2, 5 rooms (4 bedrooms)
ideal for family with children
- separate, fully furnished kitchen with dining space,
- large and bright living room,
- four bedrooms, two bathrooms,
- garage.
Monthly rent 3500 zl plus media
www.mieszkaniewaninie.pl
Contact: [email protected] or +33628928945
HOUSE TO LET - Sadyba
Apt . to let – Kabaty / Warsaw
House for rent
Great Location - good for Town Centre,
Schools, Airport etc. Lovely Modern House
with Garden and two private terraces.
Large Bright Living Room, Four Bedrooms, Three
Bathrooms, Utility Room which can also be used
as Office Space if required. Double Garage.
Furnished or Unfurnished as required.
Available this Month. Must be Seen !
PLN 9,500 call Jan 0603923733
89m - 3 bedrooms, dinning room with fully
equipped kitchenette, bathroom, toilet
with washing machine, balcony. Includes
cellar and underground parking space.
Guarded area, with playground for children.
Very close to Kabaty Metro Station and
Int. American School. Rent 3300 / mth
e-mail: [email protected], mobile: 508-275-443
Modern 3-storey, 6-bedroom detached house
with big garden in the center of Old Konstancin,
with elegant entrance hall, impressive living
room, separate dining room, kitchen with
pantry, air conditioned attic and a spa room
(sauna, Jacuzzi). The house is situated close to
picturesque park and spa. 17,000PLN
Contact; Teresa Jenkins 0601 91 97 49
Apt . to let - Warsaw City Centre
Powisle Apartment For Sale
Apartment for sale - Warsaw
Ul. Zurawia 24
Lovely 2 bedroom apartment in the heart of the
city
104m2
I am selling my 80m2 flat on ul. Szara.
2nd floor, no lift. Flat to be modernised.
Block is renovated. Perfect location in
the park. 999,000pln or best offer..
tel 880 288 888
Contact:
[email protected] tel. 693041085
Central Warsaw near Royal Route.
Built in 1912. 1st floor of four.
Modernised with original features retained.
Just under 100 m2.
Price 1.94M PLN.
Photographs available on request.
Telephone: 0725 857 475
Summerhouse at Mazurian Lake
Downtown Studio+Sunny Balcony
Apartment to let - Warsaw
Fed up with weekends in Warsaw?
Need hide-away from the big town?
Charming summerhouse 2 hrs from
Warsaw to rent. Ideal for families w/kids
and pets. Full season rent possible.
To rent from July 2010: Charming studio with
living room, kitchenette, bathroom, and
sunny balcony. Fully furnished, renovated,
wooden floor, 24 sqm. Washing Machine,
DSL + WiFi, Phone. 3 mins from Metro
“Ratusz” in quiet street w/ Parking.
Apartment to let downton wasrsaw
200 metres from metro centrum.
Contact Richard Berkeley at [email protected]
2
Contact:
[email protected]
Contact: [email protected]
Polish or English
Private Spanish Lessons
Canadian fluently bilingual able to
clarify and solve linguistic problems
for those seriously interested.
Contact: [email protected]
Spanish teacher (NATIVE SPEAKER) with
experience in private tuition. I would be happy
to teach you spanish and improve your level with
intensive and funny lessons.
Contact Elena, 722 15 58 10,
[email protected]
Warsaw downtown area.
Price 50 zl/60 min.
Please call monika luther - davies for full
details and photos 0048 601 81 81 70.
Place your
classified ad
here
14
COmmUNITY NEWS
The New Poland Express I Friday 2nd July 2010 I www.nwe.pl
Community Groups:
place free listings for
your community groups here. Email [email protected]
Role Playing Game in Warsaw
Poland Tartan Army
The Lion’s Den
International English-speaking group in Warsaw,
mostly foreign professionals, play tabletop
Dungeons & Dragons fortnightly. No experience
necessary but fluent English proficiency is
required. Have a good time. Play some games.
Meet new friends. Open your imagination. More
info: Facebook group: http://tiny.cc/zaffa or
CreativeCowboy[at]yahoo[dot]com
A new Poland Tartan Army Facebook group
has been created. If you are a fan of Scottish
football and our national team please
join the group by visiting Facebook and
conducting a search for Poland Tartan Army.
If anyone, who is not a part of Facebook,
is interested in this idea then please email
[email protected] to register your interest.
HASH HOUSE HARRIERS
International Women’s Group
We are a Polish and Expat social group who organise a
walk/run in a forest, park or around the city, followed by
a few beers (or whatever takes your fancy!). We meet at
the Marriott hotel on alternate Saturdays at 2pm. “Hash
House Harriers” is an international group, which was
originally established in Malaysia 70 years ago.
All are welcome. For details, call Martin at 502-052-958.
Email [email protected] or www.warsawhash.pl
Meetings are held twice a month on the first
Monday (at rotating locations between 10:30
and 12:30) and the third Monday of the month at
Restauracja Tapa y Toro located in the Zlote Trasy
Shopping Mall (ul. Zlota 59) from 10:00 - 11:00.
For more information see www.iwgwarsaw.com or
contact us at [email protected]
Hol van de Leeuw history
Since the World
Cup 2006, which
was played in Germany, the Dutch
community in Warsaw has created
its own fan zone
during soccer tournaments featuring the national
team. The events are a joint cooperation between
The Dutch Embassy, The Polish-Dutch Chamber of
Commerce, The Dutch cultural club Punt.NL and
The Dutch Association in Poland. To unite the individual matches to one event, the name ‘Hol van de
Leeuw’ (the lion’s den) has been invented.
International Rotary Club
Gospel Baptist Church
International Rotary Club - Warszawa Wilanow is
the only English speaking Rotary Club in Warsaw.
Visiting Rotarians are warmly welcomed
to join the weekly meetings held at the
Polonia Palace Hotel, Al. Jerozolimskie 45.
Tuesday’s at 12:00, except the last Tuesday
of each month when the meeting is at 19:00.
For more information: +48 601 897 731
Services are held in Polish and English
languages: Sun. 11:00, Thurs. 19:00. For more
information contact: Pastor Paul Sock, mob.
0500-270-990, e-mail: [email protected]
GAA in Warsaw
Expat meetings
Cumann Warszawa.Poland’s first and only GAA
club is up and running and is looking for players
of all levels, all nationalities and both sexes. We
offer weekly training, competitive games and
regular social events as well as fresh oranges at
half time.
Contact Eoin at 0518-425-587 or
[email protected]
Meeting English speakers in Warsaw just got a
whole load easier. We don’t teach you Salsa,
we make you pay for your own drinks, but
we do promise to give you the premier multicultural event of the week at Warsaw’s very own
Professional Wednesday Meetup.
Toastmasters club
Poznan International Church
Toastmasters club (Polska) invites all to its weekly
meetings. Toastmasters is the international
organization for learning the art of public
speaking and enhancing leadership skills.
Meetings every Wednesday at 19.00 at the Palace
of Culture 12th floor (premises of Collegium
Civitas) - entrance from ul. Marszałkowska side.
For more details visit www.toastmasters.org.pl or
call Etan at 696-292-451
Every Sunday at 10:00
Contact details: www.international.pl. It’s simple at P.I.C..
Come and experience God through current music and
relevant teaching. Grow in your relationship with God
and others by making friends and joining a small group.
Serve God and people by being generous with the gifts
God has given you. Go and make a difference in the
world by sharing the love of Christ.
Contact - [email protected] or 691535566
The Lion is the proud symbol of the Dutch national
team, printed on the shirts of the players and on a
lot of fan stuff. The national ‘soccer anthem’ starts
with the phrase ‘come on Holland, come on… don’t
let the lion down…’
All over Poland hundreds of Dutch people, dressed
in the national colour orange, wearing crazy outfits
and making lot of noise, are gathering in pubs.
Atmosphere, fun and sports emotion are the key
ingredients. Dutch TV on big screens, fan songs
and a sea of orange. Dutch of all ages, kinds and
sorts have made the Hol van de Leeuw their home
base to cheer their national team.
Charity
Since its first edition in 2006 the Hol van de Leeuw
has been raising funds for charity through its
events. Via a poule (predict the match result and
win a prize) and the sales of sponsored orange
gadgets (hats, shirts, scarfs) money has been raised
for charity purposes in Poland.
You don’t have to be Dutch to visit the Hol van
de Leeuw. If you like to watch football in a nice
atmosphere feel welcome to join us! Please visit
the website: http://www.holvandeleeuw.pl for more
information and the locations in Warsaw, Poznan,
Cracow and Gdansk.
Hol van de Leeuw Warsaw
Pub Lolek in park Pole Mokotowskie (ulica Rokitnicka
20)
Hol van de Leeuw Poznan
Celtic & Irish pub, ul. Murna 3
Hol van de Leeuw Krakow
Café El Sol, ul. Stefano Batorego 1
Hol van de Leeuw Tri-city
Klub Atelier, Al. Mamuszki 2, Sopot
By Peter Horsten (41), a Dutch software company
owner based in Gdansk. Follow Peter on Twitter @
PetersOpinion