Poland protests: Thousands march against Law and Justice party

[Martinus]

Poland protests: Thousands march against Law and Justice party

Tens of thousands of people marched in the Polish capital Warsaw, accusing the new government of trying to manipulate state institutions.
The Committee for the Defence of Democracy, which organised the protest, says President Andrzej Duda is breaking the law in his appointment of judges.
Mr Duda is an ally of the Law and Justice party, which won elections in October.
MPs have accused the party of carrying out a "creeping coup d'etat".

The protests are centred on a dispute about the powers of Poland's Constitutional Court, which can block legislation. The government says the court is biased because it is run mainly by judges appointed by the previous government.
The government ignored two of the court's rulings in December.
Around 50,000 people marched through the streets of Warsaw, with some chanting "Duda must go", according to AP.
Others carried banners calling on Jaroslaw Kaczynski - leader of the Law and Justice party - to leave Poland.
"Together we will stand as a non-partisan front to protect democracy and show our discontent regarding what is being done to institutions in a democratic state," the founder of the KOD movement, Mateusz Kijowski, told Radio Poland.
Opposition parties, including the Civic Platform and the Modern party, have also criticised the government, according to local media.

I was there, armed with an umbrella and a cup of soy latte. 

[11B4V]

How European

[Martinus]

Pour les amis Francophones:

50 000 manifestants à Varsovie pour « défendre la démocratie »

Quelque 50 000 manifestants, selon la mairie, ont marché samedi 12 décembre à Varsovie pour « défendre la démocratie », qu'ils pensent menacée par les conservateurs de Jaroslaw Kaczynski, au pouvoir depuis un mois. Le parti de Jaroslaw Kaczynski est accusé par l'opposition et par la plupart des constitutionnalistes de vouloir mettre la main sur le Tribunal constitutionnel, la plus haute instance juridique du pays.

M. Kaczynski n'occupe que le poste de président du parti Droit et Justice (PIS), mais tant le président Andrzej Duda que la première ministre, Beata Szydlo, reconnaissent volontiers qu'il est leur maître à penser.

« La majorité, ça ne veut pas dire dictature »

Tous les chefs des principaux partis d'opposition, de droite, du centre et de gauche ont participé au titre de « simples citoyens » à la manifestation organisée par le Comité de défense de la démocratie (KOD), un mouvement civique spontané. « La majorité, ça ne veut pas dire dictature », a lancé Mateusz Kijowski, qui est à l'origine du KOD.

Avec « liberté, égalité, démocratie » pour mot d'ordre, brandissant des drapeaux polonais et de l'Union européenne, les protestataires ont clamé leur attachement à la Constitution et à l'indépendance du Tribunal constitutionnel.

Estimant que le Tribunal est « politisé » et que ses membres, élus par le Parlement précédent, sont favorables à l'opposition centriste, le PIS et le chef de l'Etat tentent d'y introduire des juges favorables à leur politique, et ignorent les décisions de cette instance légale suprême.

http://www.lemonde.fr/europe/article/2015/12/12/50-000-manifestants-a-varsovie-pour-defendre-la-democratie_4830627_3214.html

[Martinus]

This actually brings back my faith in Poles - my compatriots are a bunch of morons on a day to day basis, but can be counted on in the time of need. I mean, getting 50,000 of middle class petit bourgois to go, on a very short notice, on a march in a cold December rain is quite a feat. That is why, I think, a Putin, Orban or Erdogan style "creeping coup" will not work here - we are too contrarian to agree on anything but that we hate another tin pot dictator.

[Tamas]

We had some similar protests (including a massive one against the new constitution). Look where that got us. Odds are these people will be working in Western Europe in a few years

[Martinus]

We had some similar protests (including a massive one against the new constitution). Look where that got us. Odds are these people will be working in Western Europe in a few years

Not really. There are too many of us.

[Razgovory]

I guess the irony of protesting "a creeping coup" by demanding an election be overturned is lost on them.

[Martinus]

I guess the irony of protesting "a creeping coup" by demanding an election be overturned is lost on them.

Just die, cretin.

[11B4V]

I guess the irony of protesting "a creeping coup" by demanding an election be overturned is lost on them.

Just die, cretin.

Hardly, he is more like an automatic Trebuchant.

[grumbler]

...Poles ... are a bunch of morons on a day to day basis...

Just die, cretin. 

Way to prove your point with specific evidence. 

[MadImmortalMan]

I guess I don't understand the problem.

accusing the new government of trying to manipulate state institutions.

Isn't that the government's job?

Then it's talking about the court blocking some legislation, which also sounds like they are doing their job. But just so I'm clear, the court is still run by PiSsers. Yes?

[Martinus]

Yes, you do not understand (admittedly the BBC article makes a bad job presenting it - they have this bizarre writing style when they are trying to stay "objective" at all cost).

The best analogy, in the US terms would be this:
- the Republican nominees have a majority in the SCOTUS;
- the Democrats control both the House and have the President;
- the House votes (in violation of the US constitution) to adopt a law allowing them to dismiss 5 SCOTUS judges and appoints new ones;
- the SCOTUS (still made up of the old judges) declares the law unconstitutional;
- the POTUS declares that he will not follow the SCOTUS ruling.

[Jaron]

Make love, not PiS

[Martinus]

Make love, not PiS

[The Brain]

I'm shocked that Poles protest against law and justice.