The Stefan Batory Foundation

Debates

Polish liberal democracy cycle

Whose Poland?, June 28, 2006

Participants: Henryk Domański, Dariusz Gawin, Mirosława Marody, Karol Modzelewski, Jacek Rostowski, Sławomir Sierakowski, Jerzy Szacki, Piotr Winczorek, Artur Wołek. Moderator: Aleksander Smolar.

Justice against law, June 7, 2006

Participants: Marian Filar, professor of law, head of Chair of Criminal Law and Criminal Politics in Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Janusz Kochanowski, Ombudsmen since 2006, professor at Warsaw University, School of Law, Wojciech Sadurski, Dean of Law Department in European Institute in Florence, Andrzej Siemaszko, chair of Criminal Law Codification Commission, director of Institute of Justice at Polish Ministry of Justice, Andrzej Zoll, professor of law in Jagiellonian University, Ombudsman in 2000-2006. Debate moderated by Aleksander Smolar, President of the Batory Foundation.

Constitution, law, justice, May, 16, 2006

Lecture by Marek Safjan, President of the Constitutional Tribunal.

Media and politics, April 13, 2006

Introduction to the debate – Aleksander Smolar, President of the Batory Foundation. Panelists: Kamil Durczok , TV journalist, Robert Krasowski, editor-in chief of Dziennik daily, Andrzej Rzepliński, Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Jarosław Sellin, secretary of state in Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, member of the National Broadcasting Council 1999-2005 and Jacek Żakowski, Polityka weekly. The debate was moderated by Krzysztof Skowroński, TV and radio journalist.

Polish Foreign Policy cycle

Continuity and change in Polish foreign policy, December 22, 2005

Participants: Stefan Meller, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Władysław Bartoszewski, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Bronisław Geremek, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Dariusz Rosati, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland, Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, former Secretary of the Committee for European Integration. Debate moderated by: Aleksander Smolar, President of the Batory Foundation.

The Meaning of May 9, 1945 and Polish Politics, May 4, 2005

Discussion with the participation of Jarosław Kaczyński, leader of Law and Justice Party, Adam Daniel Rotfeld, Minister of Forteigh Affairs, Bronisław Komorowski, MP of Civic Forum Party, moderated by Aleksander Smolar, Presidentof the Batory Foundation.

Cycle of lectures: About the Repair of Polish Republic

Citizens have a bad impression of the effectiveness of politics, the opinion about the professional and moral qualifications of the political class is quite low, though there are clearly extreme differences in popularity and the electoral chances of various parties. Polls indicate a high level of distrust, distance and alienation toward governing elites. This situation breeds serious threats – not only is the authority of politicians being questioned but the greater majority of citizens seem to doubt democratic procedures and institutions.

We asked important political figures to respond to questions about what the Republic of Poland is like today, how it may be repaired and what activities should be urgently undertaken.

Lecture by Lech Kaczyński, Law and Justice candidate for the office of President of the Republic of Poland, September 19, 2005
Lecture by Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz, Democratic Left Alliance candidate for the office of President of the Republic of Poland, September 12, 2005
Lecture by Donald Tusk, Civic Platform candidate for the office of President of the Republic of Poland, September 6, 2005
Lecture by Zbigniew Religa, senator, independent candidate for the office of President of the Republic of Poland, June 24, 2005
Lecture by Tadeusz Mazowiecki, former Prime Minster, leader of the Democratic Party, June 6, 2005
Lecture by Prime Minster Marek Belka, March 3, 2005
Lecture by Jarosław Kaczyński, Party Chairman, Law and Justice, February 14, 2005
Lecture by Marek Borowski, former Marshall of the Polish Parliament, Party Chairman, Social Democratic Party of Poland (SdPL), February 3, 2005
Lecture by Jan Rokita, Parliamentary Club Chairman, Civic Platform, January 10, 2005
Lecture by President Aleksander Kwaśniewski, December 13, 2004

Polish discriminations cycle

Place of women, May 16, 2005

Discussion with the participation of Henryk Domański, sociologist, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at the Polish Academy of Sciences, Kinga Dunin, sociologist, publicist, Anna Fornalczyk, businesswoman, former chief of Antimonopoly Office, Małgorzata Fuszara, lawyer, Department of Applied Social Sciences of the University of Warsaw, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, former President of the National Bank of Poland, politician, former Vice-President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, moderated by Aleksander Smolar, Presidentof the Batory Foundation.