The press reviewed by Elżbieta Krajewska
“Poles enthusiastic for the Euro” headlines RZECZPOSPOLITA. The results of the daily’s newest poll show that numbers of supporters of the European currency in Poland have snowballed over the past five months. At the beginning of January 2009 65% of respondents were in favour of joining the Eurozone – in comparison to 54% in June 2008. 59% said that adoption of the Euro will have positive consequences for the country – in opposition to 36% last June. However, most Poles still think that the ultimate decision on the Euro should be taken in a national referendum – even though the number of its supporters has dropped from 79% in June to 70 in January. Commentators for the paper say that opinions have changed because of the world economic crisis – especially as many people have bank loans in other currencies and have experienced the dropping rates of the Polish zloty from a perspective of their own pockets – and because of Slovakia adopting the Euro as of January 1st.
DZIENNIK daily reports on European worries over gas supplies, as the conflict between Ukraine and Russia escalates. 20% of the natural gas used by the EU is delivered via a pipeline that passes through Ukraine. Poland receives 40% of its gas this way and is already feeling the drop in pressure – as are Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Ukraine may block the transit altogether, writes DZIENNIK, adding that the problem is serious enough for Brussels to be sending diplomats to Kiev to save the situation.
PULS BIZNESU business daily has some good news, writing that the Polish zloty should now recover some of the ground it lost in December and that the nearest future of the Polish currency looks optimistic. Meanwhile DZIENNIK POLSKI reports that Polish winter resorts are at this time enjoying an influx of Christmas tourists – Orthodox Christmas that is – mainly from Ukraine and Russia. Nonetheless, the winter capital of Zakopane is complaining that there are fewer visitors from the East than usual. Part of this is caused by the crisis in Ukraine as well as problems with Polish visas. The daily adds that the Polish consulate in Kiev was closed over December 19th to January 5th while “the Slovak consulate was working normally” writes DZIENNIK POLSKI.
Lastly, GAZETA WYBORCZA daily has the story of a library cat from Tychy named Kubuś, after 6 years evicted from his favourite shelf with books on philosophy. The director of the public library got rid of the cat when a reader complained (anonymously) that she would sue if she developed an allergy. The cat, taken in by one of the librarians, has now gone on hunger strike, while the remainder of the library goers want the cat back. They say that Kubuś changed their lives, brought in excursions of children, not to mention attracting new readers. A petition is now making the rounds against the director’s decision, writes the daily, adding by way of comment a quote from a poem by Wisława Szymborska “you can’t do this to a cat”!