Anti-communism

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According to an "Atlas of Hate" map created by activists, an area greater than the size of Hungary has effectively become an "LGBT-free zone" in the heart of Central Europe. Campaigners and international bodies including the European Parliament have condemned the resolutions, saying they are discriminatory and undermine LGBT rights.

Immediately following Macron's visit, Polish President Andrzej Duda signed a "muzzle" law that empowers the government to punish judges for acting independently.

Duda then added insult to injury by hosting the president of North Macedonia, a country that has its own dispute with France following Macron's decision to block its EU accession bid.

When the populist PiS first gained power in 2015, it was able to pass controversial justice reforms literally overnight. But the new balance of power means it will have to sweat a bit more to pursue a strategy widely condemned as an attack on judicial independence.

President Klaus Iohannis said, in his speech delivered at the Romanian National Opera of Timisoara, that denying the existence of an anti-communist revolution in Romania of 1989 represents "a shameful act of denying the huge human sacrifice." He brought to mind that, 30 years ago, in Timisoara, the communist regime was defeated for the first time and "the first sign of liberty was given." He in

Parliament adopted on Monday in a joint plenary solemn session a Declaration devoted to marking 30 years since the Revolution of December 1989, highlighting that the fight of the Romanian people against communism must further represent a source of moral and political inspiration to deal with the challenges of the world today.

President Klaus Iohannis stated on Monday that the state has "delayed for far too long" the discovery of the truth about the Revolution in 1989 and emphasized that justice must hold those guilty accountable. "After 1990, there were different initiatives through which the memory of those who gave their lives in December 1989 was honored.

Speaker's corner

The opposition held its breath until the last minute on Tuesday evening to see whether its candidate, Tomasz Grodzki, would get the speaker seat in the Senate.

Rights groups said any doubt that Poland's annual November 11 Independence March has become a platform for far-right extremists were dispelled by this year's event. The banners alone set the tone.

This year's event on Monday follows a general election in October that handed the ultranationalist Law and Justice party (PiS) a second term in power and saw 11 candidates from a far-right alliance win seats in parliament. Rights groups say the political climate has never been more friendly to far-right extremism.