More than 100,000 Poles demonstrated on Sunday in support of EU membership after a court ruling that parts of EU law are incompatible with the constitution raised concerns that Poland could eventually leave the bloc.
Politicians across Europe voiced dismay at the ruling by Poland's Constitutional Tribunal on Thursday, which they considered to be undercutting the legal pillar on which the 27-nation EU stands.
Organisers said the protests took place in more than 100 towns and cities across Poland and cities abroad, with between 80,000 and 100,000 people gathering in the capital Warsaw, waving Polish and EU flags and shouting, "We are staying".
Donald Tusk, a former head of the European Council and now leader of the main opposition party Civic Platform, said the ruling Law and Justice party's policies were jeopardising Poland's future in Europe.
"We know why they want to leave ... so that they can violate democratic rules with impunity," Mr Tusk said in front of Warsaw's Royal Castle, surrounded by thousands of protesters flanked by police vans with flashing lights.
Populist regimes at odds with liberal EU approach
Right-wing populist governments in Poland and Hungary have found themselves increasingly at odds with the European Commission over issues ranging from LGBTQ rights to migration policy.
"Just as Brexit suddenly became a fact, something no one expected, the same thing can happen here," said Janusz Kuczynski, 59, in Warsaw.
Welcoming the court ruling on Thursday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said each member state must be treated with respect and the EU should not be "a grouping of those who are equal and more equal".
The state-run TVP broadcaster, which critics say focuses heavily on presenting the government's point of view, ran a news ticker that read "protest against the Polish constitution" during its coverage of Sunday's events.
Speakers at the demonstrations included politicians from across the opposition, and artists and activists.
"This is our Europe and nobody is going to take us out of it," said Wanda Traczyk-Stawska, 94, a veteran of the 1944 Warsaw uprising against Nazi occupiers.
In numbers
- Number of children under five will fall from 681 million in 2017 to 401m in 2100
- Over-80s will rise from 141m in 2017 to 866m in 2100
- Nigeria will become the world’s second most populous country with 791m by 2100, behind India
- China will fall dramatically from a peak of 2.4 billion in 2024 to 732 million by 2100
- an average of 2.1 children per woman is required to sustain population growth
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MATCH INFO
Chelsea 4 (Mount 18',Werner 44', Hudson-Odoi 49', Havertz 85')
Morecambe 0
MATCH INFO
Uefa Nations League
League A, Group 4
Spain v England, 10.45pm (UAE)
Results
5pm: Wadi Nagab – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,200m; Winner: Al Falaq, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
5.30pm: Wadi Sidr – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: AF Majalis, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Fakhama, Fernando Jara, Mohamed Daggash
6.30pm: Wadi Shees – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mutaqadim, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 – Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Bahar Muscat, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Wadi Tayyibah – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Poster Paint, Patrick Cosgrave, Bhupat Seemar
THE DETAILS
Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Another way to earn air miles
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
