Latest news with #traditionalValues
Sky News
01-06-2025
- General
- Sky News
Trump-inspired candidate narrowly ahead in Poland's presidential election, second exit poll shows
Conservative historian Karol Nawrocki, who draws inspiration from Donald Trump, is set to narrowly win Poland's presidential election, according to a late exit poll. An Ipsos poll said Mr Nawrocki has secured 50.7% of votes while his opponent, the Liberal pro-EU candidate Rafal Trzaskowski, has 49.3%. The late exit poll was released just hours after a previous one called the result the other way round. The first - also by Ipsos - said Mr Nawrocki was on track to receive 49.7% of the votes, with his rival on 50.3%. Both polls have margins of error of two percentage points. The electoral commission has said it hopes the final results will be announced on Monday morning or in the afternoon. After the first poll, both men declared victory. Mr Trzaskowski, 53, has promised to ease abortion restrictions, introduce civil partnerships for LGBT couples and promote constructive ties with European partners. Appearing at an election evening event in Warsaw, he waved as a crowd chanted his name. "We won," Mr Trzaskowski told supporters, before vowing to be a president for all Poles, including those who did not vote for him. But Mr Nawrocki, 42, said he believed the vote would turn in his favour. "We must win tonight," he said. He had positioned himself as a defender of traditional Polish values, aligning himself with US conservatives, including Mr Trump, and showing scepticism towards the EU. This vote shows how democratic decisions can come down to slight margins Adam Parsons Europe correspondent @adamparsons The Polish election is not short of interest. The turnout may well be the highest ever for a presidential election and it's been followed keenly around the world. The political views of the candidates are - and apologies for the terrible pun - poles apart. One is desperate for closer ties with Europe, greater reforms domestically and keen to extend the hand of friendship to Ukraine. The other is determined to rein in the Polish prime minister's programme of change, grow closer ties with America and stop Ukraine joining the EU. And there is very little between them. Two exit polls predicted a result too close to call. It's also a good demonstration of how big democratic decisions can come down to slight margins. In a country with more than 28 million voters, this election could be decided by a difference of fewer than 100,000. A final result won't come until Monday - possible into the afternoon. Normally, by that point, we know who's going to win and one candidate has already claimed victory. So far, we don't know the outcome, and both candidates have claimed victory. This one will be tight. The vote has been closely watched in neighbouring Ukraine as well as in Russia, the European Union and the United States - and the final outcome will decide whether Poland pivots towards more liberal norms or takes a more nationalist path. Poland's new president will have significant influence over whether the country's centrist government can fulfil its agenda, given the presidential power to veto laws. This runoff follows a tightly-contested first round of voting in May, which saw Mr Trzaskowski win just over 31% and Mr Nawrocki nearly 30%, eliminating 11 other candidates.
Zawya
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
African Leaders meet in Uganda to Push Back Against Foreign Influence on Family
Top political leaders, parliamentarians and faith-based actors from across Africa and beyond have this week convened at State House, Entebbe for the Third African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family and Sovereignty, issuing a strong call for an African Charter that defends traditional values, strengthens national sovereignty and resists external ideological pressure. The high-level meeting, hosted by State House and the Parliament of Uganda in partnership with several African and global organisations, was opened by President Yoweri Museveni and Uganda's First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Janet Kataaha Museveni on Friday, 09 May 2025. In the meeting, Janet Museveni warned of growing global influences that threaten to erode African cultural identity and family structures under the guise of aid and development. 'Too often, aid is not offered freely, it now comes with conditions that threaten to redefine our societies according to foreign standards, thereby eroding the values we hold sacred and undermining our right to govern ourselves,' she said. Mrs. Museveni, speaking with the conviction of a wife, mother, and grandmother, emphasised the urgency of reclaiming the continent's educational, cultural and spiritual foundations from foreign interests. 'Africa stands today at a crossroads. We face unprecedented global pressures that challenge not just our economies but our beliefs and institutions that hold our nations together, especially the family,' she said. AUDIO: Mrs. Museveni She cited ongoing reforms in Uganda's education sector aimed at instilling patriotism, moral grounding and reverence for family and God, noting that these initiatives are fully government-funded to avoid external ideological strings. She also highlighted Uganda's commitment to the 2020 Geneva Consensus Declaration, which affirms national sovereignty in policy decisions on life, family and gender. President Yoweri Museveni, addressing the gathering, voiced strong support for the cause, warning against what he called 'disorientation' being pushed on African societies. 'Now, for some of the people to want to spread this disorientation to the whole world is really criminal. But it will not work. It will fail,' he said. President Museveni also dismissed comprehensive sexual education for children as 'madness,' arguing that African traditions offer appropriate, age-based moral instruction. He warned that Uganda may withdraw from the Samoa Agreement if it is found to contain ideologically coercive clauses under the label of reproductive rights. 'I appeal to you, now that you are here, all of you, and our lawyers are here, study that Samoa document. If it really contains all those things you are talking about, the reproductive rights, what have you, then we shall have to pull out from that nonsense, and tell the European Union that we cannot be part of that criminality. Because comprehensive sexual education, in the Bible, it says there is time for everything,' he said. AUDIO: President Museveni Speaker Anita Among reaffirmed Uganda's commitment to protecting family values, citing the country's recent anti-homosexuality legislation as an example of standing firm under international pressure. She equally warned of increasing threats to African family structures from both local and foreign forces. 'The struggle towards preservation of family is not without challenges. The forces against the foundational values of family have agents both locally and internationally. They will try to divide us so as to defeat us,' she said. Among hailed Parliament's resolve during the passage of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, saying Uganda resisted blackmail and sanctions to defend traditional values. 'The combination of blackmail, sanctions and manipulations did not deter our spirit. We legislated in the best interests of our families and society' she said. AUDIO: Speaker Anita Among Among praised the President, the first lady and Members of Parliament for their courage and role in protecting Uganda's cultural foundations. Other notable voices at the conference included Mohamed Ghayate, Deputy Speaker of Morocco, who reaffirmed his country's commitment to an African renaissance grounded in sovereignty and shared cultural heritage. 'Sovereignty is the living expression of the will of our peoples to freely define their destiny, protect their resources, and preserve their culture,' he said, pledging Morocco's support for a continental charter. Henk Jan van Schothorst of Christian Council International, a Dutch-based advocacy group, praised Africa as the 'last man standing' in the global battle for family values. 'You are threatened by the policies of the West, especially from the part of the world where I come from. But I want to encourage you to stay strong — not only for your children but also for ours,' he said. The conference, organized by the Inter-parliamentary Network on Family Values, Family Watch Africa, African Bar Association, and the Foundation for African Heritage, marked the continuation of a growing African-led initiative to frame a Charter of Values and Sovereignty. As deliberations continue, participants called for the outcomes of the gathering to be mainstreamed through African legislatures, the African Union, and the Organization of African First Ladies. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
