Latest news with #PolishPresidency
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Karol Nawrocki: Polish historian with problematic past
Independent conservative Karol Nawrocki is an historian who has never held public office and is now running for the Polish presidency. That could help the 42-year-old candidate for the conservative nationalist Law and Justice party (PiS) in a country tired of political manoeuvring - and the motivation behind PiS head Jarosław Kaczyński's decision to push his nomination. Nawrocki meets all his mentor's criteria: young, tall, imposing, versed in foreign languages and a family man with two children. As head of the Institute of National Remembrance tasked with evaluating the country's complex recent past, he ordered Soviet memorials to be destroyed following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, exploiting the move in the media and incurring the wrath of the Kremlin. His upbringing in a working class area in Gdansk, his successful career in amateur boxing and his work as a nightclub bouncer while a student are pluses with many voters. Less so his alleged links to prostitution dating back to that time. Nawrocki represents the national-conservative and populist policies of the PiS, which ruled Poland from 2015 to 2023. He aims to maintain traditional Polish values and cautions against transferring powers to the EU. In all of this he enjoys the backing of US President Donald Trump, who granted him an audience in the White House in early May during the Polish presidential campaign. Negative press reports on evicting an elderly man from a flat for his own benefit and a recent revelation that he participated in a football riot in Gdansk in 2009 may dent his chances with some voters, but could also boost them among right-wing supporters.
Malay Mail
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
EU tightens grip on Putin's war machine with new sanctions as peace deadline looms
BRUSSELS, May 14 — The EU on Wednesday approved a fresh package of sanctions on Russia, clamping down on its 'shadow' oil fleet, as Europe threatens further punishment if Moscow does not agree to a Ukraine truce. The new measures against the Kremlin — the 17th round of sanctions from the EU since Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine — were in the pipeline before European leaders issued their latest ultimatum to Moscow over US-led peace efforts. Diplomats representing the EU's 27 member states approved the package at a meeting in Brussels, according to the Polish presidency of the bloc. The package — set to be formally adopted on Tuesday — includes blacklisting some 200 oil tankers used to circumvent curbs on Russian oil exports. Companies in countries including Vietnam, Serbia and Turkey accused of helping supply goods to the Russian military are also set to face restrictions. Dozens of Russian officials are to be added to the nearly 2,400 people and entities already facing visa bans and asset freezes. The package also brings sanctions on Russian individuals over cyberattacks, human rights abuses and sabotage in Europe. Officials admit that the latest round of sanctions against Moscow are relatively limited compared to previous packages as the EU finds it more difficult to agree targets. Further to these measures, EU leaders have threatened Russia with 'massive sanctions' if it doesn't agree to a 30-day ceasefire proposal backed by the United States. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned Russia on Tuesday that it would face additional European sanctions if there was no 'real progress' this week towards peace in Ukraine. Merz urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss a Ukraine ceasefire and peace with President Volodymyr Zelensky in Istanbul on Thursday. US President Donald Trump has said he could attend talks in Turkey if Putin and Zelensky sit down, but so far there has been no indication from the Kremlin that Putin will attend. — AFP
