Daniel Tilles
@danieltilles1.bsky.social
Award-losing editor of Notes from Poland; ex-academic historian; polski repatriant. Views my own, RTs not endorsements, etc.
One of the standout facts in this great data-driven piece by @tomcalver.bsky.social is that the Warsaw region has higher GDP per capita, adjusted for cost of living, than any part of the UK other than central London
October 12, 2025 at 1:52 PM
One of the standout facts in this great data-driven piece by @tomcalver.bsky.social is that the Warsaw region has higher GDP per capita, adjusted for cost of living, than any part of the UK other than central London
Reposted by Daniel Tilles
With growing military, economic and energy ties around the Baltic Sea, Poland's geopolitical focus is increasingly towards the north, unlike for most of its recent history, writes @danieltilles1.bsky.social.
How Poland is becoming a Baltic power
notesfrompoland.com
October 10, 2025 at 11:12 AM
With growing military, economic and energy ties around the Baltic Sea, Poland's geopolitical focus is increasingly towards the north, unlike for most of its recent history, writes @danieltilles1.bsky.social.
This is being claimed as a victory for Tusk and/or Nawrocki but in reality the European Commission said in 2023 that Poland was likely to benefit from the migration pact - rather than have to receive migrant quotas - because it has taken in so many Ukrainians:
notesfrompoland.com/2023/06/26/e...
notesfrompoland.com/2023/06/26/e...
Poland has secured an exemption from accepting relocated migrants under the EU's new migration pact, says the government.
"I said that there would be no relocation of migrants in Poland, and there won’t be!" celebrated Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
"I said that there would be no relocation of migrants in Poland, and there won’t be!" celebrated Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Poland says it will be exempted from EU migrant relocations
notesfrompoland.com
October 12, 2025 at 12:17 PM
This is being claimed as a victory for Tusk and/or Nawrocki but in reality the European Commission said in 2023 that Poland was likely to benefit from the migration pact - rather than have to receive migrant quotas - because it has taken in so many Ukrainians:
notesfrompoland.com/2023/06/26/e...
notesfrompoland.com/2023/06/26/e...
A lovely Polish saying I've just learned: jak szczur na otwarcie kanału.
Literal meaning: like a rat for the opening of a sewer.
Figurative meaning: being dressed in an ostentatious or overly formal way
Literal meaning: like a rat for the opening of a sewer.
Figurative meaning: being dressed in an ostentatious or overly formal way
October 7, 2025 at 5:13 PM
A lovely Polish saying I've just learned: jak szczur na otwarcie kanału.
Literal meaning: like a rat for the opening of a sewer.
Figurative meaning: being dressed in an ostentatious or overly formal way
Literal meaning: like a rat for the opening of a sewer.
Figurative meaning: being dressed in an ostentatious or overly formal way
Gazeta Polska's cover was awful but, as a believer in free speech and media freedom, I don't think courts should be ordering newspapers to make apologies for insulting politicians.
And I don't think politicians should be suing them to do so.
And I don't think politicians should be suing them to do so.
A court has ordered a right-wing newspaper to apologise for a cover featuring Prime Minister Donald Tusk that a judge found "clearly associated [him] with Hitler".
Its editor says the ruling is reminiscent of actions against the press in Belarus or Turkey.
Its editor says the ruling is reminiscent of actions against the press in Belarus or Turkey.
Conservative newspaper ordered by court to apologise for Tusk "Hitler" cover
notesfrompoland.com
February 20, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Gazeta Polska's cover was awful but, as a believer in free speech and media freedom, I don't think courts should be ordering newspapers to make apologies for insulting politicians.
And I don't think politicians should be suing them to do so.
And I don't think politicians should be suing them to do so.
I'm a strong supporter of Ukraine, but Zelensky shouldn't have answered this question in a way that risked making such support a partisan issue in Poland, where up until now both main parties have strongly backed Kyiv.
He could easily have answered by saying he does not want to comment...1/2
He could easily have answered by saying he does not want to comment...1/2
Opposition figures have accused Volodymyr Zelensky of "brazen interference" in Poland's presidential elections after he used a visit to Warsaw to present an award to the main ruling party's candidate and to aim apparent criticism at the main opposition candidate.
Polish opposition accuse Zelensky of "interfering" in presidential election in favour of government candidate
notesfrompoland.com
January 16, 2025 at 11:43 AM
I'm a strong supporter of Ukraine, but Zelensky shouldn't have answered this question in a way that risked making such support a partisan issue in Poland, where up until now both main parties have strongly backed Kyiv.
He could easily have answered by saying he does not want to comment...1/2
He could easily have answered by saying he does not want to comment...1/2
The former PiS government regularly clashed with Israel (much more than Tusk has done) and waged lawfare against domestic opponents.
That didn't seem to bother Trump then, so why should it now?
That didn't seem to bother Trump then, so why should it now?
"Does the Tusk government really think that targeting Israel and waging lawfare against opponents at home will get his relationship with Trump off to a strong start?
America needs a strong Poland with a strong opposition — not a major ally mired in vendetta politics," writes the National Review.
America needs a strong Poland with a strong opposition — not a major ally mired in vendetta politics," writes the National Review.
Trump’s Poland Problem Just Got Bigger | National Review
The Polish government’s threat to arrest Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and efforts to destroy the opposition are signs that the European nation’s leadership will be a problem for the pr…
www.nationalreview.com
January 7, 2025 at 8:20 PM
The former PiS government regularly clashed with Israel (much more than Tusk has done) and waged lawfare against domestic opponents.
That didn't seem to bother Trump then, so why should it now?
That didn't seem to bother Trump then, so why should it now?
Among Poland's various aims during its EU presidency, by far the hardest will be teaching Europe to speak Polish in six months
January 2, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Among Poland's various aims during its EU presidency, by far the hardest will be teaching Europe to speak Polish in six months
Last December, after elections that removed PiS from power, the proportion of Poles who said they were satisfied with the functioning of democracy reached its highest ever level of 55%.
Now, after a year of Tusk's government, the figure has fallen back to the norm
Now, after a year of Tusk's government, the figure has fallen back to the norm
December 18, 2024 at 8:55 AM
Last December, after elections that removed PiS from power, the proportion of Poles who said they were satisfied with the functioning of democracy reached its highest ever level of 55%.
Now, after a year of Tusk's government, the figure has fallen back to the norm
Now, after a year of Tusk's government, the figure has fallen back to the norm
This is the Polish equivalent of DEFCON 2.
The nuclear option is to get Polish grandmothers to release their strategic butter reserves
The nuclear option is to get Polish grandmothers to release their strategic butter reserves
The Polish government is releasing 1,000 tonnes of butter from its strategic reserves in an effort to stabilise prices.
The rising cost of butter has become the subject of a political dispute, with the opposition blaming the government for the situation.
The rising cost of butter has become the subject of a political dispute, with the opposition blaming the government for the situation.
Polish government releases strategic butter reserves
The decision was made in response to rising prices, which have become a major political talking point.
notesfrompoland.com
December 17, 2024 at 2:34 PM
This is the Polish equivalent of DEFCON 2.
The nuclear option is to get Polish grandmothers to release their strategic butter reserves
The nuclear option is to get Polish grandmothers to release their strategic butter reserves
It's amazing how little attention this announcement has received.
The rhetoric of "migrant weaponisation" and the idea of ignoring asylum rights - as was promoted by parties like PiS three years ago - has now gone completely mainstream
The rhetoric of "migrant weaponisation" and the idea of ignoring asylum rights - as was promoted by parties like PiS three years ago - has now gone completely mainstream
The EU is allocating funds to countries neighbouring Russia and Belarus in order to strengthen their borders against the "weaponisation of migrants".
It also says that member states can introduce measures that “may entail serious interferences with fundamental rights such as the right to asylum”.
It also says that member states can introduce measures that “may entail serious interferences with fundamental rights such as the right to asylum”.
Poland gets €52m from EU to protect border from "weaponisation of migrants" by Russia and Belarus
The commission also says that member states can introduce measures that "may entail serious interferences with fundamental rights".
notesfrompoland.com
December 12, 2024 at 12:51 PM
It's amazing how little attention this announcement has received.
The rhetoric of "migrant weaponisation" and the idea of ignoring asylum rights - as was promoted by parties like PiS three years ago - has now gone completely mainstream
The rhetoric of "migrant weaponisation" and the idea of ignoring asylum rights - as was promoted by parties like PiS three years ago - has now gone completely mainstream
Święczkowski: nieopublikowane orzeczenia TK są nadal ważne, a premier, który ich nie publikuje, łamie prawo.
cc BeataSzydlo @pisorgpl.bsky.social
cc BeataSzydlo @pisorgpl.bsky.social
December 12, 2024 at 10:22 AM
Święczkowski: nieopublikowane orzeczenia TK są nadal ważne, a premier, który ich nie publikuje, łamie prawo.
cc BeataSzydlo @pisorgpl.bsky.social
cc BeataSzydlo @pisorgpl.bsky.social
Now that you're all leaving X, Kaczyński - who has famously had zero social media presence - has finally set up an account there
December 7, 2024 at 12:42 PM
Now that you're all leaving X, Kaczyński - who has famously had zero social media presence - has finally set up an account there