Our most popular article from each month of a memorable year.
poland
Polish king’s suit of armour returned by Hungary after 18th century bureaucratic error
The childhood suit of armour belonged to 16th century Polish king Sigismund II Augustus.
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The god of war returns: PiS’s controversial judicial nominations
Piotr Trudnowski
After every election, Jarosław Kaczyński, tired of steering towards the centre ground in campaigns, returns to what he knows best: conflict.
Unique ant colony trapped in abandoned Polish nuclear bunker survived by eating its own dead
Scientists report on a unique colony of ants found in an abandoned nuclear weapons bunker in Poland.
Supreme Court rejects fourth Senate vote recount request from PiS
The two remaining protests, however, could still potentially swing the balance of power in the upper house of parliament.
Poland is experiencing record immigration, but the system is struggling to cope
Marta Jaroszewicz
Poland must improve its system of issuing foreigners with residence and work permits, says the Supreme Audit Office.
Trains, tripe and the secret police: Norman Davies’s first experiences of communist Poland
Norman Davies
The distinguished historian recalls his first visits to Poland as a student in the 1960s in an exclusive extract translated into English from his Polish autobiography.
Tusk announces he will not stand for Polish presidency, saying he has too much “baggage”
Tusk says that, after “deep reflection”, he has decided that he has too much “baggage” to stand in the 2020 presidential election.
Polish judicial reform “contrary to EU law”, finds top European court
The ECJ today ruled that judicial reforms introduced by the Polish government in 2017 violated EU law.
Dispute over decision to change name of street honouring WWII resistance leader executed by communists
A street in the small town of Żyrardów has attracted national attention after local authorities chose to change its name.
Priests “forcibly detained” 13-year-old boy and called police after he spat out a communion wafer
Priests in Bełchatów called police to their church because a 13-year-old boy spat out his communion wafer.
Poland’s ruling party nominates controversial figures as candidates for Constitutional Tribunal
PiS’s choices of three candidates to be judges on Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal are likely to provoke controversy.
Private opinion poll delivers a setback for Tusk’s presidential hopes
Tusk has reportedly commissioned a private poll to sound out his chances of victory in next year’s Polish presidential elections, but with disappointing results.
What does Law and Justice’s re-election mean for Poland-EU relations?
Aleks Szczerbiak
Poland’s ruling party hopes its decisive election victory will encourage the EU to put contentious issues such as “rule of law” compliance on the back-burner.