Heated Sejm debate on energy security following pause in Russian supplies

A debate on this issue was tabled following last week's partial break in supplies of Russian gas to Poland, a side effect of measures taken by Russia against Belarus. In an effort to cut the opposition's time on TV, Deputy Economy Minister Jacek Piechota took two and a half hours to say that Poland's energy security is not threatened. Nevertheless, Self-Defense leader Andrzej Lepper did have enough time to compare Piechota's diatribe to Fidel Castro's speeches, while Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz from the Law and Justice (PiS) party said that, "A big Russian firm spat in our face and grabbed us by our throats". (Rzeczpospolita, Feb. 21-22, p. A1) T.J.