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Post by Bonobo on Nov 15, 2010 20:43:46 GMT 1
It seems Lithuanians don`t apply EU regulations in case of Polish minority.
Shame on them.
Polish-Lithuanian Relations Go Sour
Giuseppe Sedia | 25th October 2010
Disagreements over language and land lead to worsening relations
Polish European Deputy Boguslaw Sonik (PO) has urged the European Union to prepare a report on the conditions of the 250,000 Poles living in Lithuania, who represent the largest ethnic group in the country along with the Russian community. The latter represents 6.31 percent of the total population of the country, according to the latest census conducted by Vilnius.
Sonik, a former desk jockey of the Solidarność trade union in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship, is convinced that the Polish minority is facing linguistic discrimination in Lithuania, reflected in the refusal to use bilingual road signs in the outskirts of Vilnius, which are densely inhabited by Poles.
According to Sonik, Lithuanian authorities keep refusing to use standard Polish orthography in the transcriptions of the names of Polish residents in the Baltic country. This situation has also been denounced by the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania, a minority Christian-conservative party headed by Euro-Deputy Waldemar Tomaszewski ("Valdemar Tomaševski" according to Lithuanian orthography).
Moreover, the Polish community has also expressed its concern about the Lithuanian land policy following the post-Soviet country's "re-privatisation". The Polish minority has objected to bureaucratic delays in the reassignment of Lithuanian lands annexed by Poland in 1922 before the German invasion of both countries.
"Despite Lithuanian adhesion to the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities enacted by the Council of Europe, Lithuania keeps disrespecting the rights of the Polish minority," says Sonik, pointing out that the 25,000 Lithuanians living in Poland are protected by minority benefits including the optional use of Lithuanian as the teaching language in several primary schools in the Podlaskie Voivodeship.
Although both countries ratified the convention in 2000 before their accession to the EU, Lithuania did not sign the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, a treaty ratified by 24 states aiming to safeguard regional and minority languages in Europe. Poland has recently ratified the charter, including Lithuanian amongst the 15 minority languages protected by Warsaw.
"If Poles don't want to integrate themselves into Lithuanian life and culture, they are free to return to their native country," declared Justinas Kanosas, member of the Seimas, the Lithuanian unicameral parliament and number two on the Committee on Foreign Relations in the Dalia Gribauskaite presidential cabinet formed in 2009.
Polish media have reported that bilateral relations between the countries have worsened since the retirement of the first president of independent Lithuania, Algirdas Brazauskas. In 1994, both states signed a Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation, boosting bilateral relations between the two countries that had fought together against the Teutonic Knights, before forming a commonwealth state ratified in 1569 by the Union of Lublin.
Polish irritation towards Lithuania has risen progressively since the takeover of a Lithuanian refinery by Polish petroleum company PKN Orlen in Mažeikiai. The facility, acquired from the dissolved Russian giant Yukol in 2006, was immediately the victim of a fire during the sales negotiation, causing damages of 50 million USD partially refunded by insurance companies. Furthermore, the refinery's activities have often been paralysed by the strikes of Lithuanian workers demanding salary increases.
Though Poland has threatened to halt the building of an electricity network linking the countries, scheduled for 2015, presumably both countries are not willing to improve their bilateral relations. After joining forces to enter the EU, Warsaw and Vilinius became progressively indifferent towards each other. Since then, both countries have turned their attentions to Russian gas, suffering from a high level of energy dependency on Moscow.
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Post by Bonobo on Dec 22, 2010 22:45:45 GMT 1
Komorowski urges Lithuania to respect Polish minority rights
15.12.2010 15:31
President Komorowski has admonished the Lithuanian government to reconsider its policies towards its Polish ethnic minority.
Speaking with Polsat TV News yesterday evening, Poland’s head of state said that “the long-standing promises of different governments and Lithuanian presidents have not been realised regarding essential matters for the Polish minority in Lithuania.”
For many years, Lithuania’s Polish community – which numbers in the region of 250,000 – has been petitioning for the right to use non-Lithuanianised names in official documents. Likewise, there have been protests against a recent law that specified that Polish schools must adopt Lithuanian as the language of instruction in at least three subjects.
Komorowski added that the question also related to an alleged prejudice against Poles in matters of compensation over reprivatised property, namely in the Vilnius region where land is most expensive.
The Polish leader also recalled the regrettable situation this Spring, when his predecessor Lech Kaczynski flew to Vilnius for a “friendly visit”, only to discover that on that very day, the Lithuanian parliament passed a bill throwing out the Polish bid to for the use of non-Lithuanised names.
Lithuanians have countered that certain Polish diacritic signs do not exist in the Lithuanian language, and that it is not a question of blatant discrimination.
Shared History
Poland’s relations with Lithuania are long and complex. The so-called Commonwealth of the Two Nations was a major force on the European stage for many centuries. That entity was wiped from the map in the late 18th century.
With new forms of nationalism emerging in the 19th century, the old ties became splintered.
Between the two world wars, claims for land in the reborn states of Poland and Lithuania were resolved by force, with the Poles taking the upper hand. This left an embittered legacy that flared up in partisan conflicts during the Second World War. Stalin’s subsequent regime prompted the mass exodus of thousands of Poles to within the redrawn Polish borders.
Many of Poland’s prominent noble families hail from Lithuania, including that of pre-war leader Jozef Pilsudski, as well as the forebears of today’s president, Bronislaw Komorowski.
Earlier this year, Komorowski gained favourable comments in the Lithuanian press, when it was discovered that he was enjoying a modest holiday at a pension in Nida.
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Post by Bonobo on Mar 12, 2011 20:48:41 GMT 1
The Polish minority party in Lithuania has increased its number of seats in the Vilnius city council after local elections held there this weekend, as well as winning an outright majority in the Salcininkai district in the south-east of the country.
In Vilnius, the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania managed to win 15.24 percent of the ballot in coalition with the Union of Russians, gaining 11 out of the 54 seats available in the capital’s council.
Having won 56 out of the 150 electoral wards in Vilnius, the Electoral Action of Poles is now hoping for a mayoral appointment in the city.
Waldemar Tomaszewski, head of the party and an MEP from the European Conservatives and Reformists grouping, told the PAP news agency that the elections “are a succes”
The Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania also won in regional elections, gaining 64.72 percent of the ballot in the Vilnius region, gaining 19 out of 27 seats in local government.
The party’s largest victory was noted in the district of Salcininkai (Polish: Soleczniki), where it has ruled for the past 16 years. Tomaszewski’s group won 70.29 percent of the vote, gaining 22 out of 25 seats available.
In other regions, the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania managed to gain seats in the Svencionys (Swieciany), Sirvintos (Szyrwinty), as well as the Visaginas (Wisaginia) districts.
The complete results from the Lithuanian local elections are to be announced by the country’s electoral commission in the coming days.s.
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Post by Bonobo on Mar 20, 2011 15:03:48 GMT 1
The Lithuanian parliament has passed a bill on education which obliges Polish schools to use the Lithuanian language as the language of instruction for some subjects.
According to the new bill, schools which are attended by minorities will have to provide classes on history and geography of Lithuania and on “patriotic education” only in Lithuanian, not in native languages.
Starting from 2013, students of minority schools will have to pass the same final exams in the Lithuanian language as students of Lithuanian schools. Besides, minority schools in small towns and villages will be closed down, which means that out of 120 Polish schools in Vilnius and its neigbourhood only 60 will be left.
The bill, which was proposed by MP Valentinas Stundys, head of the education parliamentary committee was drafted as a compromise. According to a more radical draft bill, 40 percent of subjects at minority schools were to be taught in Lithuanian.
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Post by valpomike on Mar 20, 2011 19:03:02 GMT 1
The Polish can do it, whatever they make them do. We are the greatest.
Mike
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Post by Bonobo on May 12, 2011 20:41:55 GMT 1
Bad news for Lithuanian Poles.
EU tribunal overrules Polish name contest in Lithuania
12.05.2011 14:08
The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg has ruled that Lithuania has the right to impose Lithuanian spellings of Polish surnames on its territory.
The European Court of Justice made a ruling on the matter following a motion forwarded by Pawel Wardyn, a lawyer from Poland, and his Lithuanian wife of Polish descent, Malgozata Runevicz-Vardyn, whose application to change her name using Polish orthography was rejected by the civil registry in Vilnius.
The married couple described the move as discriminatory, although Lithuanian authorities upheld the decision, arguing that as a sovereign state it holds a constitutional right to how surnames should be written in that country.
The court’s justification on Wednesday furthermore stated that rules on spelling and orthography do not limit freedoms which are conferred by Article 21 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which stipulates the “right to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States.”
The case ruled that as a Lithuanian citizen, the lawyer’s wife, namely Malgozata Runevic (including Lithuanian diacritics), cannot ask for a change to Malgorzata Runiewicz (Polish orthography, diacritics omitted) under Lithuanian law. This also goes for the surname of her husband, as there is no letter ‘W’ in the Lithuanian alphabet.
Both Warsaw and Vilnius have been at loggerheads over the right to use Polish orthography when spelling names in Lithuania, with parliamentarians in Lithuania passing a bill refusing such a right during a visit of former President Lech Kaczynski.
Lithuanians then countered arguments that certain Polish diacritic signs do not exist in the Lithuanian language, and that it is not a question of blatant discrimination.
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Post by Bonobo on Jun 19, 2011 12:03:03 GMT 1
Lithuanian education act is ‘discrimination’ say Polish minority
14.06.2011
Politicians representing the Polish minority in Lithuania have appealed to the Equal Rights Ombudsmen in Vilnius to repeal education legislation which they claim is discriminatory towards those from a Polish background in the Baltic state.
MPs from the Polish Election Action in Lithuania (AWPL), the political wing of the Association of Poles in Lithuania, argue that the legislation gives powers to local governments to close a school in districts where there exist two schools – one with classes in Lithuanian and the other in Polish – if one of them does not have a required minimum of pupils.
The amended Education Act stipulates closure of the Polish school in such cases.
The appeal to the ombudsman comes at a time of tension in relations between Poland and Lithuania, described last year by the Foreign Ministry in Warsaw as having “never been worse”.
MP Leonard Talmont, whose party represents the 250,000-strong Polish minority in the country, has asked the Lithuanian ombudsmen whether the new education act passed earlier this year does not infringe students’ rights in Polish language schools who wish to complete their education in their native language.
MP Talmont said he is certain the ombudsman will reject the appeal, in which case he says his centre-right party, which has three seats in the Seimas (parliament) representing Polish interests, will take the case to court.
The new Education Act also provides for increasing the number of subjects taught in Lithuanian in Polish schools’ curricula and unifying high school leaving exams in Lithuanian for all students within two academic years.
The move has triggered strong protest from the Polish community, especially from the Vilnius district where most live.
The Forum of Polish School Children’s Parents has gathered over 60,000 signatures under a petition demanding an annulment of the new regulations. The matter has discussed by the Lithuanian and Polish education ministers when they met in Brussels last month.
The Polish minority also claim they face linguistic discrimination in Lithuania, where local authorities refuse to use bilingual road signs in the outskirts of Vilnius, which are densely inhabited by Poles.
Polish minority MPs also demand to be able to use Polish spelling for surnames. For instance the MEP representing the Polish Election Action party in the European Parliament, Waldemar Tomaszewski, must use the Lithuanian Valdemar Toma¹evski on official forms.
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Post by Bonobo on Jun 20, 2011 14:28:12 GMT 1
‘Poles not loyal citizens’ says Lithuanian ambassador
20.06.2011
The Lithuanian ambassador in Warsaw has criticised Poles resident in the Baltic state for not being loyal to authorities in Vilnius.
“Lithuanians living in Poland, as opposed to Lithuanian Poles, are loyal citizens,” Ambassador Loreta Zakareviciene said in an interview for the Baltic News Service agency.
According to Zakareviciene, Lithuanians in Poland also have problems, but they do not protest against the state.
“I would very much like it to be the same in Lithuania with [the] Poles living there,” Ambassador Zakareviciene stated, adding that in her belief, Poles living in Lithuania do not behave as citizens of that country.
“[In Lithuania] there are Russians, Belarusians, Jews, and they are all ‘more Lithuanian’ than the [ethnic] Poles [residing there],” Ambassador Zakareviciene told the agency.
The comments come as recent protests against the alleged discrimination of Poles have gained momentum, with protests on Saturday being staged in Vilnius, Warsaw, Washington and Chicago.
Poles in Lithuania have been fighting for use of their own orthography when spelling their names, as well as bilingual street names. More recently, Poles in Lithuania have also been protesting against a new education bill, which they believe will threaten Polish schooling in Lithuania.
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Post by pjotr on Jun 20, 2011 17:08:12 GMT 1
Bo,
Is this anti-slav and anti-semitic tension or attitude only present in Lithuania, or also in the other two Baltic states, Estonia and Lativa? I am and was worried in the past about Polish minorities in Belarus, Lithuania and Ukraine, because I read about difficult and threatening situations and discrimination of the Polish minority in those countries. But Lithuania seems the most troublesome these days.
If the Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski won't set foot in Lithuania until progress has been made in Polish minority rights than there really must be something going on in that Baltic state in Polands North-Eastern border region.
P.S.- *I read about the anti-Polish and anti-semitic far right Ukrainian Ultra-Nationalists in Western-Ukraine, where Lviv (The Polish city Lwow in Ukraine -in my opersonal view-) lies.
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Post by Bonobo on Jun 20, 2011 17:22:54 GMT 1
Bo, Is this anti-slav and anti-semitic tension or attitude only present in Lithuania, or also in the other two Baltic states, Estonia and Lativa? Estonians and Latvians don`t have a substantial Polish minority so the cases of anti-Russian sentiments are not so known in Poland. A few years ago there were scandals connected with Latvian SS veterans or removal of Red Army monument in Estonia, I think. I am and was worried in the past about Polish minorities in Belarus, Lithuania and Ukraine, because I read about difficult and threatening situations and discrimination of the Polish minority in those countries. But Lithuania seems the most troublesome these days. Yes, Poles who stayed in those countries after WW2, often against their will (in Lithuania, especially) , have a hard life if they want to remain Poles. If the Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski won't set foot in Lithuania until progress has been made in Polish minority rights than there really must be something going on in that Baltic state in Polands North-Eastern border region. He won`t press too much. Remember, Poland is ready to sacrifice the Polish minority in Eastern countries in order to have good relations with them. Why? A much more important goal is in view - not to allow Russia to take over in the East. |
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Post by Bonobo on Jul 8, 2011 19:41:22 GMT 1
Poland ‘regrets’ Lithuanian ambassador’s 'Polish disloyalty' statement
21.06.2011 12:57
Foreign Minister Rados³aw Sikorski (pictured) has expressed “regret” in response to a statement by Lithuanian Ambassador to Warsaw Loreta Zakareviciene, accusing ethnic Poles in Lithuania of disloyalty.
“I don’t know what is the bigger problem: the [ambassador’s] statement or that many Lithuanian politicians actually believe what she said,” Minister Sikorski told journalists in Brussels.
On Monday, Lithuanian ambassador in Warsaw Loreta Zakareviciene said, “Lithuanians living in Poland are loyal citizens - different to Poles in Lithuania.
“[In Lithuania] there are Russians, Belarusians, Jews, and they are all ‘more Lithuanian’ than the [ethnic] Poles [residing there],” Ambassador Zakareviciene told Baltic News Service agency.
The statement comes as relations between Poland and Lithuania remain tense, with the Polish government claiming that the rights of ethnic Poles in the Baltic state are being neglected by the Lithuanian government.
Complaints include the introduction of a new education bill threatening Polish language schooling.
Last year Poland’s Foreign Ministry described Polish-Lithuanian relations as “never being worse”.
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Post by pjotr on Jul 11, 2011 11:41:04 GMT 1
Bo, Is this anti-slav and anti-semitic tension or attitude only present in Lithuania, or also in the other two Baltic states, Estonia and Lativa? Estonians and Latvians don`t have a substantial Polish minority so the cases of anti-Russian sentiments are not so known in Poland. A few years ago there were scandals connected with Latvian SS veterans or removal of Red Army monument in Estonia, I think. I am and was worried in the past about Polish minorities in Belarus, Lithuania and Ukraine, because I read about difficult and threatening situations and discrimination of the Polish minority in those countries. But Lithuania seems the most troublesome these days. Yes, Poles who stayed in those countries after WW2, often against their will (in Lithuania, especially) , have a hard life if they want to remain Poles. If the Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski won't set foot in Lithuania until progress has been made in Polish minority rights than there really must be something going on in that Baltic state in Polands North-Eastern border region. He won`t press too much. Remember, Poland is ready to sacrifice the Polish minority in Eastern countries in order to have good relations with them. Why? A much more important goal is in view - not to allow Russia to take over in the East. Bo, Yes, the Geopolitical card of ' Realpolitik', in which strategic and tactical thinking, checks and ballances, counter veiling powers are more important than 'human interests' of ethnic and cultural (religious) minorities, even if they are your own. It's about financial-economical goals, your diplomatic and political place in the chess board and game of International politics. The world of influence zones, treaties, the intelligence world (economical, financial and economical spying), and Polands "old" spirit of the 'Polish-Lithunanian' Commonwealth. The Polish role of supporting Ukraine to become a member of the EU, NATO and other structures. Imagine that Ukraine switched sides from Russia to Central-Europe and became a member of the Visegrád Group ( www.visegradgroup.eu/ ) after a Pro-European and Pro-European President and prime-minister came to power again? Pieter |
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Post by pjotr on Jul 11, 2011 11:46:29 GMT 1
Bo,
I don't know wether the Lithuanians are stubborn, too Nationalistic, ridiculous or ignorant.
First it is not nice for the Poles being treated like that, but in the same time I think it is not smart to provocate and bash such a powerful EU-member state. Ofcourse Polish Lithuanians living so closely towards Poland will not integrate or assimilate that easily.
If Lithuania continues to discriminate the Poles the Polish minority will probably immigrate to Poland or to Western-Europe.
Cheers,
Pieter
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Post by Bonobo on Aug 29, 2011 18:54:26 GMT 1
Vandals strike against Lithuania
27th August 2011
Poland’s relations with neighbouring Lithuania has become less than neighbourly following outbreaks of nationalist vandalism that left monuments and street signs defaced in Polish border towns.
Vandals spray painted a symbol connected to the Polish far right on a monument in the town of Punsk, a town with a significant Lithuanian-Pole population, and covered Lithuanian street names and town names with the red and white Polish national colours. Owing to the high percentage of Lithuanians in the area signs are bilingual in accordance with the Polish constitution.
Polish-Lithuanian relations have become strained over the past year, with both sides complaining about the treatment of their respective minorities in each country, and Andrius Kubilius, Lithuania’s prime minister, was quick to condemn the vandalism.
“What we saw in television reports from Punsk (municipality) is an incitement to national enmity, and a very grave one,” he told Lithuanian national radio.
“I feel it is my personal duty to categorically condemn any incitement to national enmity here in Lithuania and I believe that Polish authorities will do the same,” he added.
Radek Sikorski, Poland’s foreign minister, added his voice of criticism to the incident. Using his twitter site he described the vandalism as “scandalous” and said the forces of law and order were hunting for the perpetrators.
His colleague at the ministry of justice, Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, also condemned the crimes.
“This behaviour cannot be tolerated,” he said. “Minorities living in Poland have the legal right to bilingual signs. It is sad that this incident occurred. I hope the investigation by the public prosecutors will soon catch the perpetrators of this shameful act.”
But the minister, reflecting the fraught relations between the two EU neighbours added that he hoped Lithuania would allow street signs in areas of Lithuania with a strong Polish presence to become bilingual.
In July a Lithuanian court ordered that illegally placed bilingual street signs in the capital Vilnius be replaced with Lithuanian-only signs. Adding to the linguistic disorder has been Polish criticism of Lithuania’s refusal to allow the Polish spelling of family names.
The awkward relations between the two have cast something of a shadow over Poland’s chairmanship of the EU presidency, which began in July. Warsaw sees itself - and wants to promote itself - as a leader of the EU’s ex-Soviet-bloc states so to have a frosty relationship with a fellow state that once suffered under the communist yoke undermines the Polish position.
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Post by Bonobo on Feb 1, 2017 19:02:51 GMT 1
The polls show that Polish minority in Lithuania perceives Russians as allies against Lithuanian nationalism - 64% are pro Russian. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, so to say.  www.tvn24.pl/wiadomosci-ze-swiata,2/litwa-ponad-60-proc-polakow-darzy-sympatia-prezydenta-rosji,707517.html |
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Post by Bonobo on Feb 9, 2017 11:35:38 GMT 1
Bo, I don't know wether the Lithuanians are stubborn, too Nationalistic, ridiculous or ignorant. First it is not nice for the Poles being treated like that, but in the same time I think it is not smart to provocate and bash such a powerful EU-member state. Ofcourse Polish Lithuanians living so closely towards Poland will not integrate or assimilate that easily. If Lithuania continues to discriminate the Poles the Polish minority will probably immigrate to Poland or to Western-Europe. Cheers, Pieter You are right. FIrsty, it isn`t nice because during population transfers after WW2 Lithuanians did their best to prevent local Poles from moving to Poland, and I don`t only mean the Lithuanian communist government at the time but primarily local councils. They forced Poles to stay and today they don`t want to acknowledge their rights. Secondly, it isn`t too smart because Lithuanians have been creating an unhealthy atmosphere about themselves in Poland. If Russia starts serious provocations or even full attack against Lithuania, many Poles may feel reluctant to help. I already said that I am going to hide my sons all over Krakow so that they are not conscripted for the war in Lithuania. On a serious note, Lithuanians have a gigantic Polish complex and have visible problems with getting rid of it. I can understand it but breaking minority rights is unacceptable. Lithuanian minority in Poland enjoys full rights, so this should work on the other side too.  |
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