U.S. visa: Everywhere you want to be
The businessman, however, remains silently seated in his chair, as a minister assures the astonished U.S. delegation that, "we are all friends here." This scenario is no doubt a piece of slanderous fiction, but several serious and knowledgeable people say that they would hardly be surprised if it did turn out to be true.
Kulczyk, no doubt, is intelligent enough to be subtler in his influence-peddling. And of his influence there can be no doubt. Wiesław Kaczmarek, a distinguished Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) politician and former treasury minister, says that if the dismissal of his successor, Piotr Czyżewski, was brought about by the country's richest businessman, "it wouldn't be the first time."
Still, the Bush administration's Special Security Advisor Condolezza Rice's voice was loaded with condescension as she explained to this country's politicians that they cannot expect the U.S. government to help secure Iraq reconstruction contracts for Polish firms. Speaking on the occasion of President Aleksander Kwaśniewski's U.S. visit, Rice explained that, "in the USA, public procurement is a wholly transparent process and the administration has no way of meddling with it." Hilarious as her words may have sounded to any of the old Enron executives, or their former chum Vice President Dick Cheney, Kwaśniewski had to swallow this bitter pill, just one of several served to him by the administration during his brief visit.
Another came when President Bush made it clear that the visa requirements for Poles would not be waived, even before meeting with his Polish counterpart. Bush cited the Congress' authority to set visa policy as the reason for his refusal to discuss the matter, while Rice, "appealed for patience from our friends and partners," saying that rules were rules, and had to be upheld.
There was indeed a lot of talk about friendship and alliance, justifying at times suspicions that the current government feels particularly comfortable in its relationship with the USA, well versed as it is in the "millennium-old friendship with the Soviet Union" school. However, the practical outcome of the visit does seem to be rather poor. Unless, that is, the promise of a gift of six used cargo planes to the Polish military is enough to get you excited. The gift, a senior general said, might have to be refused anyway, as it could prove to be too expensive to maintain the planes. Still, it would be rash to say that the visit produced no results - though the outcome was not in the field of foreign policy, but on the domestic front.
Tomasz Lis, the anchor of TVN's 'Fakty' news show, was suspended after the publication of a poll that suggested he could give Jolanta Kwaśniewska a run for her money, were presidential elections to take place during her husband's stay in the USA. The station demanded that Lis read out a disclaimer on his show stating that he would not stand. He agreed to do this on condition that the statement would be qualified by the phrase "as long as I remain in my current job." TVN owners rejected this proposal and suspended the station's most popular journalist.
The Washington connection to this story is stronger than one may think. Lis spent four years in the USA as public TV's correspondent and built up his reputation there before moving on to front the most respected news show in the country. That, it now appears, is enough to qualify for the job of a U.S. proconsul in Central and Eastern Europe, as some like to style this country's president.
Another recent star in the political firmament, Jan Rokita of the opposition Civic Platform (PO), said, "there was definitely room for Lis," in the party, though stressing that it already has a presidential candidate in its leader Donald Tusk, who is currently deputy speaker of parliament. Yet if the polls are to be believed, neither Tusk nor Rokita would be able to break into the top three. Spare a thought for poor old Lis, sandwiched as he is (in the polls, anyway) bet-ween Mrs. Kwaśniewska and Andrzej Lepper.
Kulczyk, no doubt, is intelligent enough to be subtler in his influence-peddling. And of his influence there can be no doubt. Wiesław Kaczmarek, a distinguished Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) politician and former treasury minister, says that if the dismissal of his successor, Piotr Czyżewski, was brought about by the country's richest businessman, "it wouldn't be the first time."
Still, the Bush administration's Special Security Advisor Condolezza Rice's voice was loaded with condescension as she explained to this country's politicians that they cannot expect the U.S. government to help secure Iraq reconstruction contracts for Polish firms. Speaking on the occasion of President Aleksander Kwaśniewski's U.S. visit, Rice explained that, "in the USA, public procurement is a wholly transparent process and the administration has no way of meddling with it." Hilarious as her words may have sounded to any of the old Enron executives, or their former chum Vice President Dick Cheney, Kwaśniewski had to swallow this bitter pill, just one of several served to him by the administration during his brief visit.
Another came when President Bush made it clear that the visa requirements for Poles would not be waived, even before meeting with his Polish counterpart. Bush cited the Congress' authority to set visa policy as the reason for his refusal to discuss the matter, while Rice, "appealed for patience from our friends and partners," saying that rules were rules, and had to be upheld.
There was indeed a lot of talk about friendship and alliance, justifying at times suspicions that the current government feels particularly comfortable in its relationship with the USA, well versed as it is in the "millennium-old friendship with the Soviet Union" school. However, the practical outcome of the visit does seem to be rather poor. Unless, that is, the promise of a gift of six used cargo planes to the Polish military is enough to get you excited. The gift, a senior general said, might have to be refused anyway, as it could prove to be too expensive to maintain the planes. Still, it would be rash to say that the visit produced no results - though the outcome was not in the field of foreign policy, but on the domestic front.
Tomasz Lis, the anchor of TVN's 'Fakty' news show, was suspended after the publication of a poll that suggested he could give Jolanta Kwaśniewska a run for her money, were presidential elections to take place during her husband's stay in the USA. The station demanded that Lis read out a disclaimer on his show stating that he would not stand. He agreed to do this on condition that the statement would be qualified by the phrase "as long as I remain in my current job." TVN owners rejected this proposal and suspended the station's most popular journalist.
The Washington connection to this story is stronger than one may think. Lis spent four years in the USA as public TV's correspondent and built up his reputation there before moving on to front the most respected news show in the country. That, it now appears, is enough to qualify for the job of a U.S. proconsul in Central and Eastern Europe, as some like to style this country's president.
Another recent star in the political firmament, Jan Rokita of the opposition Civic Platform (PO), said, "there was definitely room for Lis," in the party, though stressing that it already has a presidential candidate in its leader Donald Tusk, who is currently deputy speaker of parliament. Yet if the polls are to be believed, neither Tusk nor Rokita would be able to break into the top three. Spare a thought for poor old Lis, sandwiched as he is (in the polls, anyway) bet-ween Mrs. Kwaśniewska and Andrzej Lepper.
