Latest news with #GrzegorzBraun
The Guardian
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Poland's presidential candidates seek to broaden appeal on campaign trail after nail-biting first round vote
Morning opening: Changed priorities ahead Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Jakub Krupa Good morning from Poland, where the top two candidates in last night's presidential elections – centrist Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski and radical-right historian Karol Nawrocki – wasted no time this morning before hitting the campaign trail again ahead of the run-off in two weeks' time. The final results, published this morning, put Trzaskowski marginally ahead at 31.36%, with Nawrocki at 29.54%. Mayor of Warsaw and Civic Coalition (KO) candidate for the Polish presidential election, Rafal Trzaskowski (C) meets with local residents in Tarnobrzeg, Poland. Photograph: Piotr Polak/EPA With both of them now having to broaden their appeal to get to 50%+1 on 1 June, we will inevitably some changing priorities in their campaigns. There is plenty of votes to be won, but what makes it unusually tricky is that they could come from a very diverse – even diametrically opposed - group of candidates. Devising an electoral strategy to get votes off Sławomir Mentzen, the libertarian anti-establishment candidate, who came third at 14.8% and radical right Grzegorz Braun (6.34%), while also securing the support of left-of-centre voters who backed Adrian Zandberg (4.86%) and Magdalena Biejat (4.23%) or centrist supporters of Szymon Hołownia (4.99%) could prove to be quite a challenge. As Dr Ben Stanley told our Super Sunday blog last night, 'candidate electorates are not Lego blocks' as he warned 'those who are stacking them to project second round results are overlooking substantial heterogeneity.' I will also bring you some European reactions to the votes in Romania and Portugal, and all other key updates from across Europe. It's Monday, 19 May 2025, it's Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live. Good morning. Share
Int'l Business Times
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
WATCH: Far-Right Politician Rips Down, Burns EU Flag After Losing Immunity Over Antisemitic Disruptions
Far-right politician and Polish presidential candidate Grzegorz Braun wiped his shoes on the European Union flag before setting it on fire hours after European Parliament officially stripped him of parliamentary immunity. It's revenge! Grzegorz Braun sets EU flag on fire — just hours after losing his parliamentary immunityWiping his feet wasn't enough — Polish MP Grzegorz Braun took it even further. All of this happened on the same day the European Parliament officially stripped him of... — NEXTA (@nexta_tv) May 6, 2025 After removing the European Union's flag to stomp on it, Braun addressed reporters. "We will never in Poland exhibit signs against us of an enemy organization," he said, according to a translation by NEXTA. "This organization has led to the liquidation of Poland, such emblems are not surrounded by any protection of rights in Poland." 🇵🇱 🤯Grzegorz Braun TEARS DOWN EU FLAG and WIPES HIS SHOES WITH IT Far-right Polish MP Grzegorz Braun once again sparked outrage — this time by ripping down the European Union flagand wiping his shoes with it during an official parliamentary intervention at the Ministry of... — NEXTA (@nexta_tv) May 6, 2025 Braun has already been barred from parliament sessions through October after he disrupted a minute of silence for Holocaust victims earlier in the year. In December 2023, Braun used a fire extinguisher to put out menorah candles lit for Hanukkah. A member of the Confederation party, Braun has previously spread misinformation claiming there is a plot to make Poland a "Jewish state." Last month, Braun entered a hospital by showing his European Parliament badge. With roughly 30 men in tow, he proceeded to accost a doctor, threatening to place her under citizen's arrest for being a "serial murderer" as she prepared to perform a legal abortion. Polish Justice Minister Adam Bodnar condemned the incident, saying Braun's behavior "exceeds all ethical and perhaps also legal boundaries" and "the prosecutor's office must react quickly and firmly." Braun's recently lifted parliamentary immunity enables national judicial authorities to investigate and try elected parliament members in court. The initial request to remove Braun's immunity was filed by Poland last October. Braun is a presidential candidate in Poland's upcoming election, though with limited support. He was expelled from the openly antisemitic Confederation party — often compared to Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party — for moving forward with his candidacy despite the party already selecting Slawomir Mentzen as its candidate. Originally published on Latin Times © Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anti-Ukrainian presidential candidate in Poland removes Ukrainian flag from city hall
Polish police are investigating the removal of a Ukrainian flag from the city hall building in Biała Podlaska on Wednesday 30 April during a rally held by Grzegorz Braun, presidential candidate and member of the European Parliament. Source: Polish news portal RMF FM, as reported by European Pravda Details: The Lublin police reported on Thursday that officers from Biała Podlaska are investigating the incident that occurred during an election rally of presidential candidate Grzegorz Braun. "Officers have identified the man who removed the Ukrainian flag from the city hall building. Recordings related to the incident are being thoroughly analysed. All gathered materials will be handed over to the prosecutor's office," police stated, adding that the act may result in legal consequences. Footage from Braun's rally posted online shows a man climbing a ladder to the balcony of the city hall, unhooking the Ukrainian flag, and handing it to Braun. The man then placed a Polish flag instead. Braun shook his hand in gratitude. The crowd could be heard chanting "This is Poland" during the incident. Following this, Braun addressed the crowd. "I take all of you as witnesses that Mr Kacper, acting as my assistant appointed to carry out duties of a Polish MEP, acted upon my request and my clear instruction. Therefore, I take responsibility," Braun declared. He announced that the Ukrainian flag would be delivered to the nearest Ukrainian consulate. Background: Ukraine's Ambassador to Poland Vasyl Bodnar condemned the act at the campaign of the anti-Ukrainian presidential candidate in Biała Podlaska, where the Ukrainian flag was torn down, calling it a deliberate provocation aimed at harming relations between the two countries. In the summer of 2024, Braun also removed a Ukrainian flag from the Kościuszko Mound in Kraków, claiming it was displayed in the "wrong location". Braun is known for his pro-Russian views: he is frequently quoted by Russian media, was the only MP not to vote in favour of a Sejm resolution in early 2023 calling on the EU and NATO to support Ukraine in the war with Russia, and was linked to an anti-Ukrainian rally in Warsaw that no one attended. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'He kept saying I'm a murderer': Polish doctor targeted for legal abortion
A leading Polish doctor has told the BBC she fears for her patients' safety after being targeted by anti-abortion activists. Gizela Jagielska says she has received thousands of death threats in relation to her work administering legal abortions in a hospital in the town of Olesnica in southwestern Poland. The facility specialises in complicated pregnancies. On 17 April, a group of activists led by radical, far-right MEP Grzegorz Braun came to the hospital, prevented Dr Jagielska from leaving her office and attempted to carry out a citizen's arrest. Footage posted on social media also shows the activists praying. "[Braun] kept repeating that I am a murderer, and the police should arrest me as I am a dangerous person," said Dr Jagielska. "He grabbed me, pushed me and blocked me in the [office]." The gynaecologist says police were called, but officers failed to arrest the activists. As a member of the European Parliament, Braun has immunity from detention. A spokesman for Poland's interior ministry said police "took steps to ensure the safety of the hospital in Olesnica and the doctor who was verbally attacked by Grzegorz Braun". The Polish government has condemned Mr Braun's actions. Since the incident, the doctor has been inundated with abuse, and the hospital has been targeted by a bomb threat. "I had many, many mails, messages and posts about me in social media; pictures, for example, where I am covered in blood, with the statement 'murderer'," she told the BBC. "Some people wanted to gather in front of my house; my private address was there." Dr Jagielska says the police are investigating the threats, and offered to arrange close protection, which she turned down due to the nature of her work. But the police did provide "special numbers" to call in case of an emergency. "I'm really worried that anybody could come into the hospital - not for me, but for the patients that are having abortions. I think it's a dangerous situation for them also." The confrontation at Olesnica hospital was sparked by the case of a woman who had a legal, late-term abortion after her unborn baby was diagnosed with a severe foetal anomaly, which is fatal to the child shortly after birth. The termination was carried out by Dr Jagielska, who explained that the condition was initially misdiagnosed at another hospital, resulting in a late-term abortion. Poland has some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe which only permit the procedure in cases of rape, incest, or if the mother's life is threatened. Prime Minister Donald Tusk's coalition, which came to power in late 2023, promised to liberalise abortion laws, but internal disagreements have hampered his efforts. Rhetoric over a hot-button topic like abortion has become more heated in recent weeks amidst a crucial presidential election campaign in Poland. Grzegorz Braun, who instigated the attack against Dr Jagielska, is one of those standing for president, but is polling at just 2%. In a televised presidential election debate on Monday, he made several antisemitic remarks. Braun was expelled from the Polish parliament in 2023 for putting out candles during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah with a fire extinguisher. Earlier this year he was removed from the European Parliament for disrupting a Holocaust memorial ceremony. Two of the three frontrunners in the election race, Karol Nawrocki and Slawomir Mentzen, have both spoken out against abortion. Mentzen, from the far-right Confederation Party, caused controversy recently after he said abortion should be illegal in all cases, including rape, which he appeared to describe as "unpleasantness". Liberal candidate Rafal Trzaskowski, from Mr Tusk's coalition, has promised abortion reform. Last week, President Andrzej Duda waded into the debate, describing the controversial abortion case at Olesnica hospital as "barbaric" and "murder". Dr Jagielska said intimidation of medical staff who carry out abortions in Poland was common, and described Duda's statements as "inappropriate". "I perform abortions when they are wanted by women and within legal circumstances according to Polish law, so I don't feel like a murderer," she told the BBC. "I feel like an obstetrician who gives proper care for women." Polish MP who doused Hanukkah candles loses immunity
Russia Today
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Polish presidential candidate defaces LGBTQ exhibition (VIDEO)
Polish presidential candidate Grzegorz Braun has vandalized an LGBTQ exhibition the southern city of Opole by spray-painting slogans opposing 'gay propaganda.' according to local media. Braun, who is a member of the European Parliament, arrived at Opole's main square on Tuesday with black paint and sprayed 'Stop pervert propaganda' across panels depicting the activities of local LGBTQ groups, a video posted on social media showed. The exhibit was part of a campaign titled 'There's more of us! Provoke equality with us' and featured LGBTQ-themed content, including photos from Opole's pride marches along with personal accounts from regional gay residents. Europoseł @GrzegorzBraun_ zniszczył wystawę na opolskim rynku – zamazał plansze czarnym sprejem. ⤵️ Police officers at the scene documented the incident without intervening and informed Braun of the potential legal consequences of property damage. The organizers of the display from the local Teczowe Opole ('Rainbow Opole') association are reportedly considering legal action against the politician and may seek compensation for vandalism. Braun is known for his far-right views, opposing Poland's integration with the EU, feminism, and LGBTQ propaganda. The lawmaker also condemned Poland's alignment with the administration of former US President Joe Biden in sending aid to Ukraine. Last year, he criticized then-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's support for Kiev, stating: 'Blinken, go home as soon as possible. Get lost! We don't want you here. We don't want Polish people paying and dying for your wars.' Braun was recently barred from the European Parliament for six months after disrupting a minute of silence in January for the victims of the Holocaust, Polish media reported. The lawmaker reportedly shouted several times: 'Pray for the victims of the Jewish genocide in Gaza.' The president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, ordered Braun to be excluded from the session and escorted out of the chamber by guards. 'Madam President is punishing me for asking for prayers for the victims of the Jewish genocide against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip,' Braun said in a video. Braun is running in Poland's upcoming presidential election, scheduled for May 18. Recent opinion polls, however, suggest his support is less than 2%.
