Poles with mortgage loans in Swiss francs may now give out a sigh of relief as the gains the zloty gains against the CHF.
Presented by Krystyna Kołosowska
“Rescue from Switzerland” headlines Gazeta Wyborcza on its front page reporting that after yesterday’s government intervention to reduce interest rates, the Swiss currency fell below 3 zloty, for the first time in weeks. For several hundred thousand Poles who have taken mortgage loans in Swiss francs, this means that their next installment will be substantially lower – by even 140 zloty. The reason for the falling value of the franc was the Swiss central bank's move to cut its interest rates for the fifth time in a row, this time to a record low level of 0.25%. "Within the scope of the coming few months the zloty should be gaining value against the euro, as well as the Swiss franc," says Maciej Reluga, chief economist with Bank Zachodni WBK in Gazeta Wyborcza.
“As transparent as Waldemar Pawlak” front pages Dziennik daily referring to recent press revelations accusing the minister of economy and deputy PM Waldemar Pawlak of nepotism. On Wednesday the daily claimed that the minister has been involved in dubious arrangement whereby many of Pawlak’s relatives and friends are in business relations with the Polish Voluntary Fire Brigade, an organisation that he is president of. “All my activities are transparent and the governing coalition is functioning well,” assured Pawlak after the meeting with PM Donald Tusk on Thursday. The daily also presents a list of allegations minister Pawlak confirmed and the one he denied during yesterday’s press conference in the Sejm when he addressed the accusations.
Is the lack of an official confirmation that Chancellor Merkel will be in Poland to commemorate the beginning of World War II this September anything to do with the recent Erika Steinbach dispute? wonders Rzeczpospolita. According to the paper, Berlin has not decided yet who will come to Poland for the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of World Waw II which could be a sign of worsening relations between Poland and Germany following the conflict over who will be the president of a memorial to German expellees in Berlin. Polish authorities are expecting Chancellor Angela Merkel to take part in the event but no official confirmation has yet come from Berlin that she will attend. “There is a regression (in Polish-German relations) but there is no catastrophe,” says Kai-Olaf Lang of the Berlin Foundation for Science and Policy in Rzeczpospolita. The paper also quotes Polish politicians who try to play down the dispute between Poland and Germany.
Polish newspapers also pay tribute to the late professor Zbigniew Religa who is to be laid to rest today at the Powązki Military Cemetery in Warsaw. The renowned heart surgeon died after losing his battle against cancer last Sunday at the age of 70. Religa, a pioneer in cardiac surgery, was also a Solidarity member, a senator and presidential candidate before becoming a health minister in the Law and Justice-led government. He was diagnosed with lung cancer while being a minister in 2007. Poland’s First Lady Maria Kaczyńska, patients as well as former health minister recall Zbigniew Religa in the already mentioned Dziennik daily. “This man saved my life. I treated him like a father and will bid farewell to him like to a father” says Stanisława Skarlińska, one of his patients in the daily.
“He is making millions but he doesn’t dress like one” writes Super Express tabloid presenting a picture of Poland’s only driver in Formula One races, 25-year-old Robert Kubica. According to the tabloid, Kubica admitted in an interview with BBC that he is the worst dressed F1 driver! On its sport pages the tabloid also writes about “The Polish Prince who broke the record” referring to an excellent performance of NBA player Marcin Gortat in the victorious game of his Orlando Magic team over Chicago Bulls on Wednesday.