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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 5 June 2019

Poland's democracy anniversary exposes political divisions

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Many of the government's
Poland marked Tuesday opponents, who include
the 30-year anniversary Tusk and former president
of partly-free elections Lech Walesa were cele-
that contributed to the fall brating the milestone with
of communism, with the a debate, a ceremonial
country still divided over its declaration and a cake in
legacy. Gdansk, the cradle of the
The country's liberal oppo- pro-democracy Solidarity
sition argues that the 1989 movement in the 1980s.
vote was a milestone event "We would not be celebrat-
in Poland's transition into a ing democracy today if
European democracy. In it had not been for those
that election, communist elections," Walesa said.
authorities made a por- "The people in power now
tion of parliamentary seats should also remember they
available to candidates would not be there if not for
from the Solidarity move- that victory."
ment that had opposed the Tusk encouraged a wide
regime during the 1980s. Poland's opposition politicians, including former presidents Bronislaw Komorowski, center, and union of opposition forces
Aleksander Kwasniewski along with European Council head Donald Tusk, flash Victory signs as
In the election, Poles voted they celebrate 30 years since parliamentary elections that ousted communists from power, in to defeat the ruling party in
heavily for Solidarity candi- Gdansk, Poland, Tuesday, June 4, 2019. the fall parliamentary elec-
dates over communists in a Associated Press tions. Last month's elections
clear sign that they wanted to the European Parlia-
a change of power. That that you can build a de- 2014. racy. ment gave victory to Law
vote accelerated the fall mocracy without violence But leaders from Poland's That argument holds little and Justice, because the
of communism in Poland or bloodshed," European right-wing Law and Justice sway with the government's opposition "wasn't united
later in 1989, and fueled Council leader Donald Tusk government stress that the opponents who argue that well enough or broadly
the wave of revolutions in said during ceremonies in 1989 elections were flawed under Law and Justice enough," Tusk said.
eastern Europe over the fol- his hometown of Gdansk. as they stemmed from a hard-earned changes are "You can always count on
lowing year or two. Tusk was a Solidarity activ- deal that allowed the com- now under threat, notably me," he said, which some
"Poland showed to Europe ist and served as Poland's munists to preserve some the country's relationship understood as a readiness
and to the whole world prime minister from 2007- influence under democ- with the European Union. to return to Polish politics.q

Tens of thousands rally to demand Czech premier resign

PRAGUE (AP) — Tens of funds in a separate case. fer ownership of his busi-
thousands rallied in the The protesters in downtown nesses to two trust funds in
Czech capital on Tuesday Wenceslas Square turned February 2017.
to demand the resignation against Babis in one of the The preliminary report
of embattled Prime Minister biggest anti-government leaked to multiple Czech
Andrej Babis amid accusa- protests since the 1989 Vel- media outlets in recent
tions he's in a conflict of in- vet Revolution, days after days concluded he still
terests over his former busi- a preliminary confidential formally controls the busi-
ness empire. EU report said Babis was still nesses and is in a position to
Babis, a populist billionaire, the beneficiary of his Agro- influence the EU subsidies
has already been under fert conglomerate of more they receive. "I would never
pressure after Czechs have than 200 companies. do anything like that," Babis
rallied in great numbers in "We demand the resigna- told lawmakers in the lower
Prague and elsewhere in tion of Andrej Babis," rally house of parliament during
recent weeks. They are pro- organizer Mikulas Minar a session on this issue earlier
testing the appointment of told the crowd. in the day. "I'm not a fool."
his new justice minister who "Resign, resign," and "We Babis called the EU find-
they say might compromise had enough," the protest- ings untrue and called the Protesters shout slogans downtown Prague, Czech Republic,
the legal system at a time ers chanted. report "an attack on the Tuesday, June 4, 2019, demanding the resignation of justice
minister, Marie Benesova and saying the new minister might
when prosecutors have to Babis, who denies wrong- Czech Republic, an attack compromise the legal system at a time when prosecutors have
decide whether to indict doing, called the report an on Czech interests, a de- to decide whether to indict Prime Minister Andrej Babis over al-
Babis over alleged fraud attack on his country. stabilization of the Czech leged fraud involving European Union funds.
involving European Union Babis was required to trans- Republic."q Associated Press