Polish president offers to mediate in parliamentary crisis

Opposition politicians and demonstrators in the Polish capital Warsaw protested in December 2016 at government plans to restrict journalists' access to parliament.

The Speaker of Poland’s upper house Stanisław Karczewski said on the 19 December 2016 that by 6 January 2017 he would put forward a new set of proposed changes for media access to the Polish parliament.

Poland’s President Andrzej Duda said on the 19 December 2016 that he had received a pledge from leaders of the governing Law and Justice Party that they would not introduce restrictions on media access in parliament.

• Primary Source

BBC News, 17.12.16: Poland protests: Crowds renew calls for press freedom http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-38352742

Politico, 17.12.16: Protesters block Polish parliament http://www.politico.eu/article/protesters-block-polish-parliament-warsaw-protest-media-jaroslaw-kaczynski/

ESO: Background information: Is Poland’s Law and Justice government losing momentum? http://www.europeansources.info/record/is-polands-law-and-justice-government-losing-momentum/

Spiegel Online International, 08.12.16: Angry Majority. Poland after a Year of Populist Rule http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/poland-and-the-eu-in-the-age-of-national-conservatism-a-1124850.html

Radio Poland, 17.12.16: MPs vow to occupy Polish parliament until Tuesday http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/285029,MPs-vow-to-occupy-Polish-parliament-until-Tuesday

The Guardian, 17.12.16: Poland crisis: Donald Tusk calls for respect of people and constitution https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/17/protesters-block-polands-parliament-as-political-crisis-escalates

EurActiv, 19.12.16: Tusk rallies against ‘undermining of democracy’ in Poland as protests continue http://www.euractiv.com/section/elections/news/tusk-invokes-dictatorship-in-his-native-poland-as-protests-continue/

EurActiv, 16.12.16: Poland moves to limit media access to parliament http://www.euractiv.com/section/central-europe/news/poland-moves-to-limit-media-access-to-parliament/

EUObserver, 19.12.16: Polish protesters intensify stand-off with government https://euobserver.com/beyond-brussels/136323

EUObserver, 19.12.16: Polish politicians try to defuse political crisis https://euobserver.com/political/136322

Euro|Topics: Debates, December 2016: Thousands of Poles demonstrate against PiS government http://www.eurotopics.net/en/171376/thousands-of-poles-demonstrate-against-pis-government

Politico, 19.12.16: Lech Wałęsa: Throw Poland out of the EU (Interview with Lech Wałęsa) http://www.politico.eu/article/lech-walesa-independence-hero-throw-poland-out-of-eu-interview/

Politico, 13.12.16: Poland divided on historic day http://www.politico.eu/article/poland-divided-on-historic-day-jaroslaw-kaczynski-mateusz-kijowski/

Radio Poland, 19.12.16: New media rules planned amid Polish political crisis http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/285276,New-media-rules-planned-amid-Polish-political-crisis

The Guardian, 18.12.16: Poland is 'on road to autocracy', says constitutional court president https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/18/poland-is-on-road-to-autocracy-says-high-court-president

Deutsche Welle, 19.12.16: [Opinion]: Poland's government at a crossroads http://dw.com/p/2UZ5E

The Guardian, 20.12.16: Poland scraps proposed media restrictions in wake of street protests https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/20/poland-scraps-proposed-media-restrictions-in-wake-of-street-protests

Politico, 20.12.16: Jarosław Kaczyński’s grip on power slips in Poland http://www.politico.eu/article/polish-governments-slippery-grip-on-power-warsaw-law-and-justice/

EurActiv, 20.12.16: Poland drops controversial media proposals after protests http://www.euractiv.com/section/justice-home-affairs/news/poland-drops-controversial-media-proposals-after-protests/

Radio Poland, 21.12.16: EU Council chief: democracy in Poland is not at risk http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/285559,EU-Council-chief-democracy-in-Poland-is-not-at-risk

Radio Poland, 21.12.16: Governing party addresses Polish parliamentary crisis http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/285591,Governing-party-addresses-Polish-parliamentary-crisis

Radio Poland, 22.12.16: Barricades around Polish parliament dismantled http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/285735,Barricades-around-Polish-parliament-dismantled

Radio Poland, 03.01.17: Parliament will convene in ancillary room, amid crisis: party spokeswoman http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/287232,Parliament-will-convene-in-ancillary-room-amid-crisis-party-spokeswoman

Radio Poland, 01.01.17: Duda calls for social ease in New Year's Eve address http://www.thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/287042,Duda-calls-for-social-ease-in-New-Years-Eve-address

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