November of memory: Poland remembers those who ... - Krakow Post

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8 The Krakow Post B U S I N E S S NOVEMBER 1-NOVEMBER 7, 2007 Polish treasury pulls out of sale of insurer PZU to Eureko agence france-presse The Polish treasury said Friday it had “withdrawn” from an eight-year-old contract with Netherlands-based insurer Eureko, under which the group had bought 30 percent of Polish insurer PZU. The treasury said in a statement that Eureko had breached the contract by asking foreign arbitrators to try to settle a dispute related to the deal, rather than turning to the Polish courts first. The statement said the “withdrawal” could be followed by the outright cancellation of the contract. Treasury spokesman Pawel Kozyra declined to elaborate, or explain why the decision had been made just over week before Poland’s conservative Law and Justice party leaves office after losing last Sunday’s snap election to the pro-business Civic Platform. Michal Nastula, head of Eureko Poland, said that the contract “remained in place.” “There is no actual or legal basis for the treasury to pull out,” Nastula was quoted as saying by Poland’s PAP news agency. Eureko has been locked in a long-running legal dispute with the Polish government over the privatization of PZU. Eureko bought 30 percent of PZU in 1999 for 3.1 bln zloty, which was then worth 694.5 mln euro. Its stake has now risen to 33 percent minus one share. It said that as part of the deal it was entitled to buy a further 21 percent, which would have given it a controlling stake in the Polish group. But the Polish treasury, which controls 55 percent of PZU, contested Eureko’s claims. In 2005, an international arbitration court in London ruled in favour of Eureko, saying the Polish treasury had not upheld its side of the privatization deal. “The arbitration process was launched under an international accord,” said Nastula. “Eureko will not abandon the arbitration process. In the coming weeks we plan to move to its next stage,” related to potential compensation payments, he said. “We don’t understand the (treasury’s) statement. From our point of view, the best way to settle our differences is to reach a compromise. We are still hopeful that such a solution will be possible,” he said. PZU made 3.28 bln zloty (886 mln euro) in net profit last year, and 1.12 bln zloty in the first half of 2007. The Charter will not threaten reclaimed land in Poland Justyna Krzywicka Staff JOURNALIST Property ownership will not be under threat should Poland accept the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. Mark Gray the spokesman for the European Commission stated on Friday Article 51 of the Charter “clearly states that the Charter only binds Member States in those situations, which are regulated by the EU.” According to the Polish Press Agency (PAP), Gray assured that restitution of property in the new Member States remains outside the EU jurisdiction. This reassurance comes as a response to the statement made by Foreign Minister Anna Fotyga, who on Wednesday stated if Poland was to accept the Charter it would threaten those living on land reclaimed after World War II. Fotyga heavily criticized the Civic Platform (PO) for being pro Charter. PO wants to revoke the decision of the current government, who with the British government, signed the restrictive application of the Charter protocol. The EC spokesman told PAP that EU law does not concern itself with property rights, as it is a matter for each member state. Further the Charter is not retrospective and cannot deal with matters that occurred just after WWII. Article 51(1) states that the provisions of “this Charter are addressed to institutions and bodies of the EU with due regard for the principle of subsidiary and to the Member States only when they are implementing EU law.” And subsection 2 of the Act assures that “this Charter does not establish any new power or task for the Community or the EU, or modify powers and tasks defined by the Treaties.” A spokesman for the European Council will assure on Thursday the Charter will not impede on any reclaimed land matters in Poland. Accepted in December 2000 the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU contains human rights provisions “solemnly proclaimed” by the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission. A version of the Charter was proposed by the European Constitution in October 2004 that was rejected by France and The Netherlands. It was intended to enable the EU to accede the European Convention on Human Rights. This would allow the European Court of Justice to make rulings based on the Charter The Charter gains legally binding force along with the Reform Treaty of Lisbon on the 12th of December in Strasburg. Retirement packages slowly killing ZUS Justyna Krzywicka Staff JOURNALIST Poland has the highest number of retirees in all of the EU. Within the last seven years over 360,000 people have entered the retirement age in Poland. Poland has the highest number of retirees in all of the EU. Within the last seven years over 360,000 people have entered the retirement age in Poland. The Social Security Office (ZUS) has had to add a further 1.2 mln pensions to its retirement payout budget within this period. According to the Gazeta Prawna it is estimated a further 199 bln zloty will be needed to pay retirement payments between the years 2008 and 2012. Experts predict, if amendments extending the retirement age in Poland are not implemented and additional retirement benefits are not reduced, ZUS will be threatened with bankruptcy. Currently the official retirement age in Poland is 60 for women and 65 for men. Early retirement packages mean that the actual average is much lower. The main problem lies with early retirement legislation. There is a wide range of provisions dating back to the early 80s. During the post marshal law years the government was being generous with offering extended retirement packages across various professions. Dancers for example were permitted to enter early retirement at the age of 40. Today most of these provisions are still in existence allowing for broad rights that impedes the system. According to Prof. Marek Gora who is working on retirement legislation reform, changes are mandatory, as Poland cannot afford to fund superannuation for people who are entering retirement while still at a productive age. If early retirement provisions are to continue, monthly social security payments will have to increase across the board. This will also apply to increases in taxation. This approach however will solve little as Poland’s average life expectancy continues to rise. Since 1990 the average life expectancy for males has increased by 5 years and 4 and a half years for women. Poles are leading healthier lifestyles and their general health has also improved. In the last year women taking advantage of early retirement were on average 56 years old, men 57.9 years old. The average age in the EU is 60.4 for women and 61.4 for men. In the UK and in Ireland those who enter retirement are 64 years old. Early retirement legislation in Poland means that Poland has the lowest percent of workers aged between 55 and 64 years in the EU at 28.1 percent. The average for the EU is 43.5 percent. Today nearly all women who have reached 55 years are eligible for early retirement. The Constitutional Tribunal ruling last Tuesday may mean that all men who have reached 60 years of age and have 35 years of productive work behind them may be able to enter early retirement. Experts are pushing for quick restructuring of the existing laws. The push wants to see an increase in the retirement age and a termination of any additional retirement benefits. Gora emphasizes that the general belief in Poland that early retirement opens up job opportunities for the young is a myth. Poland has the highest unemployment rate in Europe after Slovakia and a very large number of young retirees. New EU Member States are increasing their retirement ages systematically. All except Poland. The Czech Republic will see its retirement age raised to 63 years for both men and women. Slovakia is increasing the retirement age by 9 months each year until 2014. The Civic Platform (PO) has plans to increase the retirement age to 65 for both men and women by 2020 and to 67 by 2025. If such unpopular reform is to be introduced, it must be done quickly – before the electorate starts preparing for the next elections. Polish airports soon to float their shares The krakow post The state-owned airport group Panstwowe Porty Lotnicze (PPL) will be restructured as a limited company. The matter is to reach the Ministry of Transport as soon as it will be possible. Full commercialization is expected to take place within a year to a year and a half, the Gazeta Prawna reports. According to the executive director of PPL Pawel Latacz, the next plan will be to float the airports’ shares on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. It is estimated some 30 percent of the shares will be put to offer. A further 20 percent will be allocated to PPL’s workers after commercialization has taken place. According to the Gazeta Prawna, the majority of the shares will remain with the State Treasury. The new departure terminal in Warsaw’s Okecie is to be completed and opened by March 2008. This is the final deadline given if Poland is to abide by the Schengen Agreement procedures. It is expected PPL will also commence the development of Etiuda, the neighboring terminal for budget airlines around the same time. Brazilian restaurant in the Old Town ul. Sw. Tomasza 28 We invite you every day from 12:00 p.m. Reservations: Tel.: (0) 12 422-5323 www.ipanema.pl It is estimated some 9 mln passengers will have come through Okecie by the end of this year. PPL’s investment plans for the development of Polish airports within the next 4 years are approximated at 1.6 bln zloty. PPL is therefore looking to enter the stock exchange to find capital to develop its airports further. The state of Poland’s central airport hub is in crisis mode. Its expansion was further stalled two weeks ago when PPL terminated the contract with the construction company. No final decision has been undertaken as to whether Okecie will indeed be Poland’s central airport or whether a new site is needed. This has delayed any further construction work and development. A second runway would cater for 25 mln passengers, appeasing the influx until the year 2025. This, according to Latacz, is a band-aid solution and instead plans need to be drafted for a duo-airport solution such as Okecie-Modlin or plans incorporating other regional airports. Proposals are being drafted for an airport in Swidnik near Lublin. Further suggested areas are Koszalin, Babie Doly near Gdynia and Kamien Slaski near Opole. To serve the south of Poland, an airport near Kielce is also in the cards, as a satellite airport for Krakow. Get your message across today! Advertise in The Krakow Post! Contact: Andrzej Kowalski, Marketing Manager +48 (0) 798-683-160 PLL_LOT
NOVEMBER 1-NOVEMBER 7, 2007 K R A K O W The Krakow Post 9 Krakow Book Fair comes to an end Poet Marcin Swietlicki. Alicja Natkaniec STAFF JOURNALIST The 11th annual Krakow Book Fair closed its doors on Sunday after four days of frenzied trading, talks and networking attended by thousands of dedicated book lovers and industry connoisseurs. This informative forum for booksellers, publishers, librarians, book production services and above all – lovers of literature, is one of the biggest of its kind in Poland. The Krakow Book Fair is held annually in a huge exhibition hall on Krakow’s ul. Centralna. As every year, the event attracted thousands of people and brought together under one roof about 500 exhibitors from all across Poland and hundreds of celebrated guests. The program included a vast array of exhibitions, meetings with writers and professional seminars. It offered access to the newest books but also business contacts, cultural meetings and discussions about trends in the global publishing industry. The Krakow Book Fair presents emerging, independent and established authors, from Poland and abroad. This year the leading “star” of the fair was Jonathan Carroll an American writer who achieved fame in Poland with his renowned book “The Land of Laughs.” He was in Krakow to present his latest book titled “Ghost in Love.” Among the Polish writers signing their works and meeting with the public were Wojciech Cejrowski, Katarzyna Grochola, Roma Ligocka, Malgorzata Musierowicz, Slawomir Mrozek, Marcin Swietlicki, Olga Tokarczuk and Janusz L. Wisniewski, to name but a few. Members of the public took the opportunity to discuss contemporary movements in poetry and prose with established and emerging writers present at the fair. Publishers presented newly available publications along with announcing upcoming titles to be released in time for winter reading. On offer amongst the many treats from publishers was Umberto Eco’s latest work “Storia della bruttezza” (“The History of Ugliness”), which is currently premiering in 16 countries. Among the “greatest hits” there was also a book by former Polish president and historical leader of “Solidarity” Lech Walesa “Moja III RP” (“My 3rd Republic of Poland”). Other unique offerings included a new printing of a set of essays and reports by Ryszard Kapuscinski, the new edition of famous historical books by Pawel Jasienica and an interview with one of Poland’s famous philosophers – Leszek Kolakowski. Visitors could also buy essays previously unpublished in Poland by French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, books by José Carlos Somoza, Carlos Fuentes, Etgar Keret, Caroline Graham, Doris Lessing and many more. The highlight of the fair was the presentation of the prestigious Jan Dlugosz Prize awarded annually to Polish authors who excel in the academic field of humanities. This year’s winner was the esteemed historian Prof. Jerzy Strzelczyk, in recognition of his recent work titled “Zapomniane narody Europy” (“The Forgotten Nations of Europe”). Over the last decade, the Krakow Book Fair has grown to become one of the most important and prestigious cultural events promoting the printed word. It has established a prominent position amongst literary and publishing communities and continues to draw increasing interest from bookshops and publishing houses alike. In years past it has played host to an impressive array of important authors including Stanislaw Lem, Slawomir Mrozek, Jerzy Pilch, Andrzej Sapkowski, Andrzej Stasiuk, and Norman Davies, as well as representatives of culture, politics, science, art and the media. They include politicians like Wladyslaw Bartoszewski, composer Krzysztof Penderecki and renowned Polish actors – Jerzy Stuhr, Grazyna Szapolowska and Anna Dymna. November of memory: Poland remembers those who passed From MEMORY on Page 1 a strong belief that the dead eat the food that is left out for them. The food is supposed to be consumed in the morning. In the early church, Christians would celebrate the anniversary of a martyr’s death for Christ by serving an all-night vigil, followed by the Eucharist over their tomb or place of martyrdom. In the 4th Century the Christians began to transfer their relics and celebrate the feast days of specific martyrs in common. The origin of the Festival of All Saints as celebrated in the West is related to Pope Boniface IV, who consecrated the Pantheon at Rome to the Blessed Virgin and all the martyrs in 609 or 610. This feast, dedicated to Saint Mary and the martyrs, has been celebrated in Rome ever since. Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholics celebrate All Saints’ Sunday, which is a commemoration of all saints collectively on the first Sunday after Pentecost (which is the 50th day after Easter Sunday). In countries with a Catholic tradition, Nov. 1 is a holiday. Catholics from non-European countries have distinctive customs related to this feast. In Mexico and the Philippines, All Saints’ Day has a very joyful character. In Mexico there are numerous masquerades, while in the Philippines the graveyards are thronged with families. People put up tents and feast in a picnic-like atmosphere. They also offer prayers, lay flowers and light candles on the graves. In Mexico, as well in Portugal and Spain, offerings are made on this day. In Spain there is yet another custom. The play “Don Juan Tenorio” is traditionally performed. English-speaking countries celebrate the Festival of All Saints by singing the hymn “For All The Saints” by William Walshaw How. The Feast of All Souls, commemorating the faithful departed, is celebrated in the Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Church and also among the Protestants. In the U.S., people celebrate Halloween on the night of Oct. 31. In the streets numerous parades are held, which sometimes continue until the morning light. Children disguise themselves in costumes and wander door-to-door, yelling: “Trick or treat!” to receive the usual gifts of candies. The most prominent Halloween symbol is a carved pumpkin, lit by a candle inside. All Souls’ Day is also known as the Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed, Defuncts’ Day (in Mexico and Belgium) or Day of the Dead (in Italy). On Nov. 1-2, Polish graveyards are visited by many people. At the most famous Warsaw graveyard, Powazki, there is an annual collection for the renovation of the graves. Donations are collected by people representing Polish culture and art, well-known actors and singers. Powazki Cemetery was founded in 1790 and now covers 43 hectares. Fund drives for rescuing cemetery relics are also conducted at the Old Cemetery in Lodz and at Rakowicki Cemetery in Krakow On All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days the graveyards are the most visited places in Poland. Despite the amount of people gathered in one place, nothing disturbs the atmosphere of silence and reverie. AGH opens pavilion worth 7mln zloty Kinga Rodkiewicz STAFF JOURNALIST The University of Science and Technology (AGH) in Krakow – the biggest technical university in Poland – has a new pavilion worth 7 mln zloty. The new building belongs to the Department of Telecommunications and was opened on Oct. 24 thanks to the financial help of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. “Thanks to money from the ministry,” said Prof. Antoni Tajdus, the rector of the AGH, “we can see that our university becomes more beautiful. The new lecture halls and laboratories will improve conditions for both students and staff.” The number of students who have decided to study one of the five specializations available in the department is growing from year to year. More than 5,000 students are learning about such things as high-speed networking and services to the e-world. The dean of the faculty of electrical, automatic control, computer and electronic engineering (Department of Telecommunications is part of this group), Prof. Tomasz Sznuc, said during the opening ceremony that “this new pavilion will solve the problems with the lecture halls that we had before.” Students from throughout the AGH agree that the new facilities bode well for the future. Student Michal Soltyniak said: “The new pavilions are always built with high-tech laboratories, a great value since technology is changing at a fast rate. We will have welleducated students, and that will benefit our futures.” “Our building isn’t as modern as this new pavilion,” said Dominik Wojcik, a fifth-year student in mining and geoengineering. “However, our building has specific history and atmosphere thanks to the end-term examinations when all students are working by the sweat of their brows. The new pavilion will have to work to acquire such an extraordinary atmosphere.” AGH Pavilion. LUK Agency
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November of memory: Poland remembers those who ... - Krakow Post

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