Democracy Digest: PiS Defends Pope to Galvanise Its Voters

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro was revealed to have had a gun on his person during a memorial event at the Belchatow coal mine in southern Poland and accompanying press conference. The image of the gun was captured on photographs and videos of the event, with the wind pushing away Ziobro's jacket to reveal the gun. Gun ownership is low in Poland and the revelation caused some controversy in the media. Ziobro confirmed he was carrying the gun, arguing he had no choice because he was returning from a shooting range and Polish law did not allow him to leave the weapon unattended in his car. "I recommend shooting," Ziobro said. "It is good for relaxation and, moreover, this sport teaches responsibility." It's a view shared in government circles. PiS Education Minister Przemyslaw Czarnek last year proposed changes to the education system that would amount to compulsory shooting lessons for teenagers enrolled in public schools.

Czech President Petr Pavel, second from the left, with his wife, Eva, and Slovak President Zuzana Èaputová, third from the left, with her partner, at monuments to founders of the first Czechoslovak Republic, T. G. Masaryk and M. R. Tefánik, at Danube embankment in Bratislava on March 13, 2023. PHOTO TASR - Martin Baumann Slovak planes for Ukraine; in the president we trust

Slovakia will send its Soviet-era jets to Ukraine as soon as negotiations with international partners come to an end. Following weeks of disagreement over the constitutionality of this step, interim PM Eduard Heger said it is his government that will decide on the transfer of MiG-29 jets. Everybody in the government agrees with this move, he added. The vote is yet to take place, though. Given that the country is run by an interim government...

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