On Poland’s current political scene, RZECZPOSPOLITA writes that the outcome of the presidential elections in two years time will be crucial for the shape of government up to the year 2015.

Press reviewed by Michal Kubicki.

Both the current president Lech Kaczynski and prime minister Donald Tusk know full well their personal success will translate into the success of their political formations in the parliamentary elections a year later. According to RZECZPOSPOLITA, a re-election of Lech Kaczyński is a precondition for a return to power of his brother’s Law and Justice conservative party. DZIENNIK claims that the on-going tension in relations between the president and prime minister is a sign of what the daily describes as a subterranean election campaign.

GAZETA WYBORCZA looks at a Canadian poll on how people around the world would vote in US elections and writes that despite obvious preference for Obama, Poland shows less support for him as compared to countries like France, where only seven percent of voters would choose Republican candidate John McCain. In Poland he would get 38 percent of the vote. Additionally, 52 percent of Poles feel that the prestige of the U.S. has decreased significantly during the last eight years of George Bush’s presidency.

The daily POLSKA writes that alcoholic beverages may soon be served on Polish trains. The Parliamentary Commission for a Friendly State, chaired by Civic Platform’s Janusz Palikot, has proposed to change the regulation to allow the sale of not only beer and wine but also beverages with over 18 percent alcohol such as vodka, cognac and whisky.

DZIENNIK reports that Polish children face significantly higher risk of illness and early fatalities than children in any other European Union country. The paper claims that this is due to poor health care, missing vaccinations and long lines to see specialists.  This information comes from the Polish Pediatric Society which published a report claiming that for every 100,000 Polish children, 75 die of poor health. That is twenty-five percent more than the EU average and 40 percent more than figures in Sweden. The daily writes that every fourth child in Poland, up to age 14, is at high risk for long-term health conditions such as allergies or eye diseases.

In its cultural column, DZIENNIK reviews Testimony, a film about Pope John Paul  II based on the memoirs of his secretary, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz..  It is not possible to evaluate the film solely in artistic terms. This is a very personal account of the Pope’s life. When all those who worked closely with him are no longer with us, it will be invaluable. DZIENNIK informs that the film is to be distributed in Italy, France, Germany, Spain and Britain.