Polish PM abolishes anti-discrimination council
PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge
04.05.2016 10:00
Prime Minister Beata Szydło has abolished Poland's Council for the Prevention of Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance, it emerged on Tuesday night.
Prime Minister Beata Szydło (C) in the lower house of parliament on Monday, with Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz (L), Speaker of the lower house of parliament Marek Kuchciński (2L), chairman of Law and Justice (PiS) Jarosław Kaczyński and PiS MP Joanna Lichocka. Photo: PAP/Leszek Szymański
The council was abolished by a Law and Justice government decree on 27 April.
The body had been established in 2011 under the tenure of Prime Minister Donald Tusk (current president of the European Council), of the centrist Civic Platform party.
Among other factors, the council was tasked with ensuring coordination between government institutions and local government bodies, as well with other groups involved in preventing racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
The council also monitored and analyzed spheres where such discrimination was occurring.
The decree to abolish the council comes into force on 1 June. It is not clear at present whether the prime minister intends to establish a body that carries out similar work.
In March, Poland's human rights Ombudsman outlined that in recent months there has been an upsurge in hate speech and violence against foreigners.
Besides the Ombudsman, the Ministry of Sport and Tourism objected to the abolition, but they were overruled.
Deputy Minister of Sport Ryszard Szuster had argued that the council “is currently the only body providing coordination of governmental institutions, local government bodies and other entities in preventing and combating discrimination and intolerance." (nh)
Source: dziennik.pl