Germany reinstated checks at all land borders on Monday as a response to illegal immigration and security issues On the bridge connecting the Polish city of Slubice and Frankfurt in Germany which face each other across the Oder river a long line of cars travelling from Poland to Germany could be seen waiting on Monday The border bridge is a regular route for people living in Poland who commute to work in Germany Bartosz Anusewicz was walking from Slubice to Frankfurt “I’ve heard that Germany has reinstated land border controls I’ll be driving back to our home in France with my family I came to the border to see what’s happening,” he said His family spends several months a year living between Poland and France When they heard the news about Germany reintroducing border checks “I chose to walk to the bridge because the traffic is almost paralyzed in Slubice I really hope that we can drive back to France without waiting for too long,” he said A local resident said that some of his friends live in Slubice but work at the Tesla factory in Berlin If they continue to commute by car every day they are likely to wait for long hours in the morning as the roads will certainly be congested German police officers could sometimes be seen getting out of their cars on the German side to check pedestrians they thought might be suspicious most pedestrians were able to walk directly into Germany without being checked Traffic jams were visible throughout Slubice At a gas station about two kilometers from the checkpoint a Polish woman who lives in the Netherlands and was on a road trip with a friend in Europe She had not paid attention to the news about Germany reinstating border checks but noticed the trip from Warsaw to Slubice was smooth until they reached the border Discovering that the road to Germany was even more jammed they decided to take a break at the gas station “We’ve been stuck here for two hours trying to drive to Germany and then to the Netherlands Traveling by car within the EU has always been easy We’ve been able to move freely within the borders of the EU which is really a surprise for me,” she said A high-speed border bridge between Swiecko and Frankfurt mainly serves container trucks and heavy goods vehicles traveling from Poland into Germany trucks and container vehicles formed a long slow-moving queue stretching from one end of the bridge to the other the traffic from Germany into Poland appeared relatively smooth a truck driver working for a Polish freight company frequently drives between Poland and Germany It’s rare to see congestion as bad as today Public data shows that road transport accounts for over 70 percent of freight between Poland and Germany Some experts believe that if border controls persist traffic congestion might directly impact the strong economic ties between the two countries Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk recently said that Germany’s decision to restore border checks is “unacceptable,” calling it a “de facto large-scale suspension” of the Schengen Agreement Sep 5, 2020 | Society The first ever joint Polish and German LGBT parade has taken place today The march set off from Heroes’ Square in the Polish town of Słubice before marching across the bridge over the Oder River that marks the border with Germany and then entering Frankfurt (Oder) on the other side The event was organised by Słubice Frankfurt PRIDE, a group that brings together people from both sides of the border. Their aim was to both draw attention to local issues  – such as the need for more LGBT-friendly spaces in the twin towns – as well as protest against the ongoing government-led anti-LGBT campaign in Poland Today’s parade was met with a small counter-demonstration by protesters who said they wanted to defend traditional Christian values. Police were present to make sure there were no clashes, after recent violence at some other LGBT marches in Poland — Magazyn LGBTQIA "Replika" (@magazynreplika) September 5, 2020 “This is our response to what is happening in other parts of Poland, where LGBT-free zones are being created,” Kacper Kubiak of the Institute of Equality, an LGBT rights organisation, told Gazeta Lubuska. A number of local authorities in Poland have declared themselves “free from LGBT ideology” But a reporter on the ground for Polish news site Onet put the figure at around half of that This still made it the largest LGBT event to have taken place in Słubice The organisers had beforehand called on participants to adhere to social-distancing requirements meaning staying 2 metres apart on the Polish side of the border and 1.5 metres in Germany They said that local authorities in both towns had cooperated in preparing the event Among those in attendance was local left-wing MP Anita Kucharska-Dziedzic “When the human rights of LGBT people are violated W #Słubice i #Frankfurt maszerujemy dzisiaj mówiąc o równości, tolerancji i szacunku. Kiedy naruszane są prawa człowieka osób #LGBT, wszyscy jesteśmy pomniejszani 🏳️‍🌈 pic.twitter.com/vf5ylYVukV — Anita Kucharska-Dziedzic – posłanka na Sejm RP (@AnitaKDZG) September 5, 2020 Among the banners held by the marchers was a controversial image of the Virgin Mary and Jesus with LGBT rainbows added to their halos It has become a common sight at LGBT parades in Poland The design is an adaptation of Poland’s holiest Catholic icon, the Black Madonna of Częstochowa. Earlier this year, three LGBT activists accused of being responsible for creating the image were indicted for the crime of offending religious feelings As the parade passed through the streets of Słubice some protesters expressed their opposition Among the banners visible was one declaring “No to gender ideology” and another saying “Leave our children alone” one protester declared that “most rapes are committed by homosexuals” and “homosexuals want to legalise paedophilia” The newspaper also reports that the mayor of Frankfurt (Oder) and the deputy mayor Słubice said they accepted the LGBT marchers’ demands which include measures to end discrimination and a joint action plan to recognise and educate on different gender identities and sexual orientations “I’m here to tell you we’re not neutral,” said Frankfurt’s mayor To which the Pride marchers have their own response… pic.twitter.com/hXMfl555Ml — Openly 🏳️‍🌈 (@Openly) September 5, 2020 Poland has recently witnessed a growing number of LGBT parades many in smaller towns that were hosting them for the first time During this year’s coronavirus lockdown they resumed last weekend with an Equality Parade in Kraków (although it was a “stationary march” in the city’s market square rather than passing through the streets) “We will never let ourselves be crammed into the closet again,” one of the organisers told the crowd in Kraków We won’t wait forever for you to start treating us like people.” A new, more radical and provocative form of LGBT activism has recently emerged in Poland in turn meeting with a forceful response from the authorities At the same time as Słubice’s event was taking place today the southwestern city of Katowice was also holding its fourth ever Equality Parade It was met by a much smaller nationalist counter-demonstration “No apologies, no shame”: the rise of Poland’s guerrilla LGBT activists   Main image credit: magazynreplika/Twitterexce Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications , , Karol Nawrocki even suggested that the state security services were involved in creating the scandal , , The 1,200 square metre national symbol was unfurled on the beach in Międzyzdroje , , The proportion of Poles saying the US has a positive influence on the world has also fallen to its lowest recorded level Apr 30, 2025 | , , , That response will include “large Polish and NATO exercises in Poland” Apr 29, 2025 | , , , Those employed in Poland work on average the third-longest hours in the European Union Apr 28, 2025 | , , , , Westinghouse and Bechtel were first chosen in 2022 as partners on the 192 billion zloty ($51 billion) project please consider helping us to continue and expand it [email protected] Copyright © 2025 Notes From Poland | Design jurko studio | Code by 2sides.pl Senior Research Fellow at the Global Europe Centre ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Weronika Strzyżyńska is currently studying journalism at Goldsmiths as a Scott Trust Bursary recipient She  has written on issues immigration and Brexit for New Statesman and Prospect Agnieszka Wądołowska is managing editor of Notes from Poland She has previously worked for Gazeta.pl and Tokfm.pl and contributed to Gazeta Wyborcza ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland and assistant professor of history at the Pedagogical University of Krakow The Independent and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Stanley Bill is the founder and editor-at-large of Notes from Poland.He is also Senior Lecturer in Polish Studies and Director of the Polish Studies Programme at the University of Cambridge Stanley has spent more than ten years living in Poland He founded Notes from Poland in 2014 as a blog dedicated to personal impressions cultural analysis and political commentary He is committed to the promotion of deeper knowledge and understanding of Poland He is the Chair of the Board of the Notes from Poland Foundation ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Professor of European Studies at Oxford University ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Professor at the Institute of History of the Jagiellonian University ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Executive Director of Taube Family Foundation ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Associate Professor at the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Science ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR “Frankfurt Oder/Slubice – no borders.” Slubice is the Polish town across the fast-flowing Oder river that marks the beginning of German Federal Republic a bridge connects these two European nations A single-file line of cars waits patiently to enter from Poland some carrying machine guns and adorned in high-viz vests wave cars through or pull over the ones they deem suspicious “It’s daily business here that people don’t meet the entry requirements for Germany and perhaps even for the Schengen area and then have to be subjected to further police measures,” Tom Knie a youthful-looking police officer says in between checks referring to the passport-free travel zone within the European Union These are now the new realities on all of Germany’s land borders Berlin ordered the “temporary reintroduction of border control” at Germany’s borders with Belgium The move extends the controls already in place at the borders with Poland the Czech Republic and Switzerland that have been in operation since October The reason for the reintroduction of these checks lies largely in German domestic issues but each compounding pressure on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his governing coalition the most severe of which is coming from Germany’s burgeoning and increasingly confident far right But they also mark the end of an era of Germany’s liberal migration policy – Wilkommenskultur or “welcome culture” – initiated by Scholz’s predecessor Angela Merkel in 2015 and raise questions over the viability of the entire Schengen zone As if a reminder of the importance the surging Alternative for Germany (AfD) party places in securing Germany’s border pinned to the lamp posts along the road into Frankfurt/Oder are their campaign posters swoops over a bin which contains a traffic light – the symbol of the coalition government here known as the “traffic light coalition” – and more insidiously A spate of terror attacks ahead of key state elections in right-wing leaning regions thrust the issue of migration front and center of the recent votes a 25-year-old Afghan man killed a police officer in Manheim and weeks later a 26-year-old Syrian man killed three people in knife attacks in Solingen Both incidents were capitalized on by the AfD One of the party’s most controversial figures, Bjoern Hoecke, called on X for an “end to this misguided path of forced multiculturalism.” In early September the AfD became the first far-right party since the Nazi era to win outright a state election The AfD has long campaigned on a ticket that is largely anti-immigration has said in the past that Germany had become “a country without borders where anyone can come in and we do nothing about it.” has found a way to gnaw at Scholz’s support and has ultimately forced the chancellor to act Speaking in the Bundestag ahead of the border restrictions Scholz said “we’re doing this although it will be difficult with our neighbors… I think we have to get through this It is now necessary for us to endure this dispute.” a researcher at the German Institute of International and Security Affairs told CNN that caving to the calls from right-wing populists is not going to win elections He said “mainstream parties cannot ignore that there is a public sentiment that migration has to be brought more under control but to really start adopting positions that the AfD was taking on There is potential for more misery to be heaped on Scholz and his government this weekend as Brandenburg also goes to the polls to elect its regional leaders Current forecasts put the AfD on course for 28.4% of the vote The outcome could easily spell more trouble for Scholz and a further weakening of his coalition and increase the calls for new federal elections sooner than next September The calls for more checks on Germany’s borders also mark a step-change at the heart of the European Union from Merkel’s policies and ever popular former German chancellor Merkel opened Germany’s borders to migrants fleeing their homes – at the time largely Syrians because of the country’s civil war Migration data from the German government shows that 13.7 million non-German migrants entered from 2015-2023 In the same period before 2015 that number was just 5.8 million The moves by Merkel became known as Wilkommenskulturand and set Germany apart on the world stage in liberal migration policy the founding chairman of the European Stability Initiative think tank told CNN that “Germany has been a pillar of the European and global refugee system” but now he sees the current German government “sleepwalking into a trap.” He said the promise to control irregular migration at the border won’t be possible but instead “will raise expectations that will lead to demands to really build fences is “faced with the demand to regularize and control movement [and] the government accepts the legitimacy of the demand [by the far-right] but then doesn’t have a policy that will work.” the prospect of the change in German policy raises another specter “If you promise to control an emotional issue like migration and what you propose doesn’t work not only are you not going to achieve your objective you’re setting yourself up for a failure that will be exploited by those prepared to go much The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2024 Cable News Network KTVZ NewsChannel 21 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. Menu.page-19838427{--colorD:#d9c2fe;--colorJ:#d9c2fe;--gradientTransparentJ:#d9c2fe00;--colorDC:#d9c2fe;--colorDA:#d9c2fe;--colorDF:#d9c2fe;--colorJD:#d9c2fe;--colorDJ:#d9c2fe;--colorJF:#d9c2fe;--colorJG:#d9c2fe;--colorDDC:#d9c2fe;--colorDTransparent:#d9c2fe;--colorJTransparent:#d9c2fe}EntertainmentWikipedia Monument in Słubice Poland Celebrates First Anniversary'I’m ready to drop to my knees before Wikipedia.' to have been there on that rainy October evening in Słubice when they unveiled the world’s first-and-only monument in tribute to Wikipedia The crowd huddled under umbrellas and tents as dramatic music played An official untied the ribbons and pulled back the silvery drapes to reveal four little bronze butts clenched in their effort to help hold the weight of all the knowledge in the world This week marks the first anniversary of the $14,000 sculpture Reportedly Polish professor Krzysztof Wojciechowski felt such deep gratitude for the contributions of Wikipedia and its editors to shared knowledge that he suggested the monument to the town administration “I’m ready to drop to my knees before Wikipedia; that’s why I thought of a monument where I could do it,” he told the press It is a secret Jerzy Grabowski has kept to himself for the best part of 20 years and he appears relieved that his belated confession is to a journalist and not the police ‘I remember in order to have cones for our training sessions I had to steal them from road constructions,’ he admits ‘I hope no one will prosecute me for that as it happened so long ago a small town of some 18,000 on the banks of the Oder the river which forms 116 miles of the border between Poland and Germany The Hotel Kaliski is located in the heart of the town housing the smattering of tourists who occasionally pass through A normal Tuesday summer afternoon sees the fountain in the middle of Plac Przyjanzi – Friendship Square – packed full of kids ducking in and out of the water This is the town where Fabianski attended his primary school from the age of seven and where he proved to be a very popular student As you enter the building you’re immediately drawn to the school’s impressive trophy cabinet – something a young Fabianski will have caught glimpse of every day When he returns to his hometown he will often meet up with the school’s principal ‘You cannot find any scratch in Fabianski’s personality,’ she tells The Athletic but at the same time they definitely did not spoil him his mother worked and very likely still works at the customs office Fabianski was academically one of the brightest in his year He earned the prestigious white-and-red stripe on his certificates – the equivalent of an A* in England and something coveted by many students in Poland he was not a player with a lot of gel in his hair,’ Kaminska recalls ‘Nowadays I see guys from third and fourth grade He took part in almost every school ceremony and he was very good academically ‘Usually he got his certificates with a white-and-red stripe His English teacher in his last grade was Ms Jolanta Jadziewicz She was very demanding but at the same time she had a great relationship with her students.’ Grabowski had played with Fabianski’s father The pair formed a close friendship and many years later the young Fabianski enhanced his reputation as a promising junior goalkeeper under the tutelage of Grabowski so Fabianski was able to hone his skills in a range of sports Deemed too good to play football with his peers he trained with the older age groups and hardly put a foot wrong As word started to spread about this exciting young talent They were considered to be the best goalkeeping school in Poland and the 15-year-old Fabianski met highly-respected coach Andrzej Dawdidziuk Some considered Fabianski’s unassuming personality a sign of weakness but Dawdidziuk saw his potential and would prove integral to Fabianski’s development The youngster had loan spells at Mieszko Gniezno and Lubuszanin Drezdenko to help build his confidence before a move to Lech Poznan in 2004 In more recent years highly-rated Polish talents like Karol Linetty, Dawid Kownacki, Jan Bednarek and Tomasz Kedziora have all come through the youth ranks at Poznan – and then established themselves in Poland’s national team But during Fabianski’s solitary season at the club he failed to register a single league appearance There was no sense of panic from the club’s hierarchy when he joined arch rivals Legia Warsaw in 2005 At Legia, Fabianski competed with Artur Boruc – later of Celtic, Fiorentina, Southampton and Bournemouth – for a regular starting berth and eventually prevailed ‘Some people said that Lukasz was too calm to be a goalkeeper but I saw it as an advantage,’ says Legia goalkeeping coach Krzysztof Dowhan who has worked with three of Poland’s best recent goalkeepers in Fabianski ‘They say that a goalie must be a little bit crazy He ticked all the right boxes on the pitch and Lukasz didn’t join the first team immediately He was just training with them but he was playing very well in the reserves and then he got experience as Legia goalkeeper I remember on one of the training camps we had all three national team goalkeepers – Boruc At one point they were all at Legia at the same time.’ Growing up in Slubice from 1990 would have been particularly testing as the collapse of the Soviet Union led to a transitional period and high rates of unemployment The cities of Frankfurt an der Oder in Germany and Slubice in Poland are closely linked: it takes only 10 minutes to go by foot from one city centre to another ‘The border of Poland before World War II was somewhere around Babiniec,’ explains Grabowski; Babiniec is around 200 miles east of Slubice so a lot of Germans found themselves in Polish territory In April 1945 the bridge between Slubice and Frankfurt was blown up and Frankfurt was called a fortress The situation was not normal for a long time ‘Although officially the border was closed they had special passes to drive there by bus the border was wide open and Polish-German relationships were evolving The situation was gradually becoming normal very European; on the other side of the border – 60,000 So we have a great relationship now: we learn German and Germans try to learn Polish.’ Fabianski was 22 when he made his big move to Arsenal For the first time in his career he wasn’t close to friends and family Although he spent seven years in north London the occasionally haphazard nature of his time at the Emirates Stadium under Arsene Wenger proved to be the making of him He often found himself on the receiving end of criticism which did very little to help his confidence Grabowski recalls the Arsenal fans were less than welcoming: ‘They used to call him “Flappyhandski” when he conceded goals He followed me to my lessons and we played table tennis and basketball He had running to do on his training schedule He asked to do everything besides football.’ Fabianski started to grow in confidence at Swansea City he went from a fighter who had a puncher’s chance to a fighter who learned how to box Perhaps the most fulfilling moment of Fabianski’s career so far is the praise he received following his performances for the national team at Euro 2016. He deputised for the injured Szczesny and, when Poland reached the quarter-finals, they narrowly lost to eventual winners Portugal in a penalty shoot-out security was needed in order to cope with the number of supporters in attendance All of them were desperate to get an autograph or selfie with the hometown hero In 2018 Fabianski was awarded with the prestigious title of Honorary Citizen of Slubice he stated during his ceremony that he was surprised to be recognised as an exemplary citizen ‘When he was at Euro 2016 he sent me a funny picture of his son holding a card which was probably by his wife Anna,’ says his old Legia coach Dowhan ‘It said “Kibicuje swojemu tacie Lukaszowi” – “I cheer for my dad Lukasz” ‘Whenever I watched his Champions League and Premier League games I used to call him afterwards to say: “You could do this or that better” ‘When he started at Arsenal and made bad mistakes in the Champions League I am sure now he could make great use of his abilities at a top-six club.’ Having won the prestigious Hammer of the Year award last term Fabianski has become a fan favourite among supporters at the London Stadium He was an ever-present figure last season and produced one of the highest number of saves made by any goalkeeper in Europe As Fabianski prepares for his second season with West Ham his former coaches and close friends will continue to cheer him on from 730 miles away The humble young man they all first encountered has never changed Perhaps the best story of all is one told by Krzysztof Kaczmarczyk who attended the same primary school as Fabianski and I have a huge amount of respect for him for that,’ he says My friend and I talked about needing goalkeeping equipment for our club closed the fundraiser and paid much more than what was needed He was always helpful and we are grateful for that.’ Roshane Thomas is a staff writer who covers West Ham United for The Athletic. Previously, he worked for the Sunday Times and talkSPORT. Follow Roshane on Twitter @RoshaneSport Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Andrzej Kobuszewski wanders over a bridge from one side of his sleepy town to the other as if from a dreamy 19th century watercolor Clutching his beer bottle empties to his chest Andrzej says the dead fish just floated into town one day The authorities in the Polish town of Krosno Odrzanskie about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the German border apparently came in early one morning and cleared the masses of rotting fish away “They probably burned it,” Andrzej says The search for Poland’s dead fish is clearly not going to be as simple as we had expected 51 kilometers downstream through a landscape sprinkled with farm animals and Prussian churches forests and swampland to the Polish border town of Slubice where a bridge separates EU neighbors Poland and Germany On the Polish side of the border overlooking the river The radio says that parts of the river are already cleared of dead fish I ask the local pizza parlor what happened to all the dead fish “Is that a new restaurant?” she laughs On the Frankfurt-on-Oder side of the bridge German police sit in a baking hot police van but we don't know much about it,” one of them says when asked “You’d better ask the Polish side.” The search for the dead fish is getting nowhere I enter the first store across the bridge on the Polish side I mention something offhand about dead fish to the lady serving me but I know someone who will,” she says “He’ll be here in five minutes,” she says He shows me pictures on his phone of masses of fish on the city’s river banks But I can show you the effects up river if you like,” he adds before departing in search of a scooter and helmet with which to escort me into the depths of the Oder’s lush riverside undergrowth Mariusz on a scooter -- along increasingly narrow and decreasingly asphalted roads and then tracks He jumps off his scooter and beckons me into the jungle Mariusz works in Germany but has fished on the Polish side all his life “It will take 10-15 years to clean up the river as we move on from the poor decaying beaver Mariusz is genuinely angry and upset by what is happening “It’s grotesque,” he says “And our government is not telling us all of what happened Most of us think it was a Polish state-owned heavy industrial firm leaking toxic waste and that would be on the government.” Frogs continue to hop around the ponds that dot the swampland and a family of swans glides by Beavers and deer also depend on the waters of Poland’s second longest river and are in danger Poland is reluctant to acknowledge wrongdoing but many local people believe the deaths are the result of leakages from a state-owned firm probably in Poland Polish and German fishermen and tourists await answers Wikipedia is the online encyclopedia that can be seen as both one of the most impressive collections of human knowledge as well as the first resource for students' last minute research when an assignment is due the next the morning While the website runs on a non-profit model one town in Poland has gone above and beyond to show their gratitude by having a physical monument built The small town of Slubice $14,200/11,250 euros) for their tribute to Wikipedia the statue features four standing figures with their arms stretched up to support Wikipedia's globe logo made up of puzzle pieces and is laminated to take on a brass appearance the monument will placed in Slubice's central square The original idea for the statue was put forth by Krzysztof Wojciechowski who wanted to show his appreciation and awe for Wikipedia and its creators due to the site's size and services With over 1 million Polish language articles the Polish version of the site is Wikipedia's 12th largest and it remains very popular in the country The design was done by 30 year old Armenian artist Mihran Hakobjan The town's deputy mayor has commented that he feels the statue "a tribute to an entire community working selflessly for the benefit of others," reflected the ideals of Slubice adding that it will hopefully increase tourism Wikipedia is also seemingly pleased with the monument as a Polish representative for the site said they hope it would continue to raise awareness and contributions VIA The Telegraph SOURCE Collegium Polonicum Results for {phrase} ({results_count} of {results_count_total}) Displaying {results_count} results of {results_count_total} the Center for Interdisciplinary Labour Law Studies moved from the main building of the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) 300 metres further down the “Große Scharrnstraße” Several workstations are now housed in what resembles a coworking space with a sofa and a small library The space is only 500 metres away from a bridge crossing the Oder rendering the war in Ukraine much closer to home in a very literal sense The war’s implications for personal and professional relationships are also noticeable. Last year, Ivan Yatskevych from the Kiyv-Mohyla Academy visited our work set up has changed such that as soon as one comes to work Ivan and I have often had the opportunity to exchange ideas leading to me now working on a proposal for a joint project in which we will think and write about Ukrainian labour law which is currently displayed at the Viadrina portrays 40 young people who died as a result of the Russian attack on Ukraine before they were able to complete their studies At first it took me a while to understand why Ivan always talks about the “full-scale” Russian attack when he refers to the invasion two years ago. After all, hell already broke loose in 2014 when the Russian attack began some people have begun to realize this early on civil society on both sides of the Oder was trying to help spending weeks at the train station to support Ukrainian refugees Even more surreal was the situation one Monday last year we watched the weekly continuation of the ‘Querdenker‘ demonstration pass by – with loads of Russian flags Die Berliner Landestierschutzbeauftragte bei der Senatsverwaltung für Justiz und Verbraucherschutz sucht ab sofort Referent/in (m/w/d) als Regierungsrätin /-rat bzw die Erarbeitung juristischer Stellungnahmen und Gutachten zu Gesetzesvorhaben und konkreten Sachverhalten mit Bezug zum Tierschutz und angrenzenden Gebieten Aufklärungsarbeit gegenüber der Öffentlichkeit und die Mitarbeit an Veranstaltungen und Fortbildungen Die Landestierschutzbeauftragte ist beim Leitungsstab der Senatsverwaltung angesiedelt und berät das Land Berlin zu tierschutzrelevanten Fragen auf Landes- Vollständige Ausschreibung hier Weitere Informationen hier  Viadrina has long had meaningful contacts and exchange with numerous Ukrainian universities This likely has something to do with the fact that due to the close cooperation with Polish partners the Polish (realistic-critical) view of Russia is present This view is exemplary for the discourse on Russia in many Central and Eastern European countries this quickly concretizes into both personal and institutional realities On the other side of the Oder is the Collegium Polonicum which houses the European New School of Digital Studies a joint institution of Viadrina and Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań Even those who know little about the German-Polish history will realize how unusual such an institutional cooperation remains especially one that has existed for more than 30 years now The cooperation began shortly after the Viadrina was founded and from the outset it was seen as more than just a contractual alliance: from its very inception it has been operated and developed as a joint academic institution with joint management and joint degree programmes Legal experts can probably guess what bureaucratic and legal obstacles must be overcome again and again not to mention the historical and political ones the students who pushed for a joint bus route which was financed by the AStA until it became integrated into the network On the promenade stood a three metres high concrete wall studded with glass (on which people passing by wrote their thoughts with Post-Its) If you looked down from the bridge at a distance you could see that it was forming a simple and succinct SORRY It was an invitation to think differently about the border and to improve understanding of flight – not an easy topic especially in the German-Polish dialogue (when it is not about the flight of Ukrainians after the full-scale invasion) But Polish discourse could have helped us at least grasp the significance of the Russian attack on Crimea back in 2014 Universities in the US have become focal points of political conflict. Nationwide, students are demonstrating against the war in Gaza and calling for a halt to U.S. arms deliveries to Israel. ROBIN CELIKATES shows that these protests also concern fundamental questions of democratic coexistence and the necessity of independent educational institutions and critical scholarship In response to Russia’s facilitation of migrants to Finland’s eastern border, the government has now closed the border indefinitely and is proposing a draft bill that openly admits being in violation of its own Constitution, human rights obligation and EU law. MILKA SORMUNEN on why the proposed measures are not just unprecedented but also unlikely to provide an effective response to Russia’s conduct The immunity of public officials from foreign criminal jurisdiction is a much debated topic. TAL MIMRAN has attempted to outline a common ground on this issue focussing on the scope of immunity and its exceptions ALBERTO ALEMANNO analyzes the creation of a dedicated EU Body for Ethical Standards which carries the potential to mark a qualitative difference in the development of the EU ethics system as we know it In a widely acclaimed judgment, India recently saw its first climate ruling issued by the Supreme Court. This is a major advancement, according to ARPITHA KODVIVERI genuine climate protection requires a holistic approach that considers the climate crisis alongside other environmental crises Das klingt interessant? Dann schau hier auf unserer Website vorbei The arrest warrant against Jian G., an employee of AfD top candidate Maximilian Krah, has caused a political stir just a few weeks before the European elections. But can Maximilan Krah also be held criminally liable? MILAN KUHLI and JULIUS BAYÒN think it is possible Everyone is discussing Thuringia – but what about the judiciary’s resilience in Brandenburg? As a result of their analysis, ULRICH KARPENSTEIN and STEPHAN KIRSCHNICK see an urgent need for action in Brandenburg before September’s elections Before these elections in September, there are local elections in many states in June. In Hildburghausen, Thuringia, the well-known right-wing extremist Tommy Frenck has just been allowed to stand for election as a district administrator. ALI IGHREIZ and JOSCHKA SELINGER show how voters can challenge such elections – and why this is an act of mobilizing the democratic constitution Against the same background, KLAAS MÜLLER and VIVAN KUBE analyze how civil society can be protected from authoritarian local politics It is crucial that policies of democracy promotion are utilized in their depth and on the basis of the structural decisions of the Basic Law because the battle for sovereignty over the interpretation of democracy has already begun Before things continued this week on Monday, FELIX OLDENBURG and CARLOTTA MUSIOL gave an interim update after the fifth day of the trial to categorize the AfD as a suspected party before the OVG Münster In addition to the statements made by party functionaries and elected representatives the main topics were the concept of the nation (Volksbegriff) and regulatory discretion There is now agreement on better protection for the Federal Constitutional Court, but not yet on the details. JOHANNES FORCK argues for greater involvement of the Bundesrat as a minimally invasive and effective solution to minimise the risks of a blocking minority and legal challenges in the courts If you would like to receive the weekly editorial as an email, you can subscribe here We welcome your comments but you do so as our guest Please note that we will exercise our property rights to make sure that Verfassungsblog remains a safe and attractive place for everyone Your comment will not appear immediately but will be moderated by us That means not all submitted comments will be published Comments under pseudonym are allowed but a valid email address is obligatory The use of more than one pseudonym is not allowed Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Verfassungsblog is a global forum of scholarly debate at the interface of academy and society We open up debates in public law – internationally The construction of a new factory and the expansion of the existing one the increase of the production capacity from 4 million to 5.2 million units annually and the creation of 60 new jobs - declares Samsung Electronics Poland Manufacturing after receiving a decision to support the investment This is one of the 713 decisions that were issued in 2021 under the Polish Investment Zone Deputy Minister Grzegorz Piechowiak and others wearing face masks go and visit the production halls of the factory in Wronki  It was with great satisfaction that I received the information that another company from South Korea decided to develop its business projects in Poland The decision to support the investment in Wronki is one of the seven hundred and thirteen that the entrepreneurs operating within the Polish Investment Zone have received throughout the record-breaking year of 2021 It also proves that our country remains one of the most attractive places in the world to do business - said Grzegorz Piechowiak the Deputy Minister of Development and Technology and the Government Plenipotentiary for Foreign Investment.   I am glad that Samsung Electronics Poland Manufacturing will carry out its next investment project in Wielkopolska It also proves that Kostrzyn-Słubice Special Economic Zone where the South Korean company has been investing for several years now provides entrepreneurs with optimal conditions to run and develop their business undertakings and offers attractive investment incentives - said Krzysztof Kielec President of Kostrzyn-Słubice Special Economic Zone Our investment concept is planned for many years It envisages not only the construction of a new production and storage hall and the expansion of the existing refrigerator factory but also the establishment of the so-called white goods cluster in the vicinity of the existing plant in Wronki where the factory's sub-suppliers will be located - announced Olgierd Bałtaki Director of Samsung Electronics Poland Manufacturing sp In the years 2022-2024 Samsung Electronics Poland Manufacturing intends to increase its production capacity in Wronki in the Kostrzyn-Słubice Special Economic Zone The new investment project envisages increasing the number of manufactured products by over 30% annually already this year the South-Korean company intends to build a new production and warehouse hall with a total area of 40 thousand square metres new auxiliary lines for refrigerator production The long-term goal of the project is to create a new factory which will produce domestic appliances: refrigerators and washing machines the South Korean company envisages an increase in production from the current 4 million units to 5.2 million units per year through expansion of the production space as well as investment in modern technologies The new branch is to be used for the production of both existing and completely new washing machine models the Korean investor plans to expand the existing refrigerator factory to make room for an additional third assembly line Construction work is expected to begin in mid-2022 and be completed in autumn 2023 The total capital expenditure to be incurred by the company in connection with the implementation of the multi-phase project which includes the construction of a new factory and the expansion of the existing one is expected to amount to a total of around PLN 900 million Samsung Electronics Poland Manufacturing sp received public aid in the amount of PLN 86 mln of which PLN 23.5 mln was obtained from a grant programme The remaining part is a CIT tax exemption for its activities in the Kostrzyn-Słubice Special Economic Zone Samsung Electronics Poland Manufacturing received a decision from the Kostrzyn-Słubice SEZ to support the investment the South Korean company also signed an agreement under the Programme to support investments of significant importance to the Polish economy for the years 2011-2030 The investor undertook to invest 673.2 million PLN (with a declaration of creating 60 new jobs) The undertaking consists in increasing the production capacity of the existing company which specialises in producing washing machines From the beginning of January until the end of December 2021 within the framework of the Polish Investment Zone as many as 713 decisions to support investments with a total value of 37.1 billion PLN were issued with a simultaneous declaration of the creation of 16,831 new workplaces The largest investments concern such industries as high-quality food production and automotive Foreign investments account for 28% of the total but their total value constitutes as much as 63% of all the money invested under the PIZ This also translates into 65% of all the new jobs declared now account for 72% of all investment under the PIZ and their total value accounts for 37% of all investment which also translates into a 35% share in the creation of new jobs