“I’m against raging transparency. Ivan Krastev, an eminent political scientist, has demonstrated that transparency can kill democracy” – claimed Andrzej Zybertowicz, advisor to President Andrzej Duda, on RMF FM radio station in January 2019. Even though Andrzej Zybertowicz explained that it was his personal opinion, there is no denying that in 2019, for the first…
Two weeks ago we talked to Katarzyną Batko-Tołuć, the board member of the Citizens Network Watchdog Poland about the project sprawdzamyjakjest.pl. that has recently been launched. Gerere Foundation, experts in gamification, helped them design the tool. Jacek Siadkowski – president of the Gerere Foundation talked about the creation process of the new tool and how…
In times of disinformation and political marketing, citizens need someone to watch their hands. It can be difficult and time-consuming to check how an authority, especially one at a local level, functions. Citizens Network Watchdog Polska, the winner of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation’s “Sector 3.0” award, wants to help us carry out this task.Technology can…
In 2018, we carried out our regular activities related to the improvement of transparency – we submitted requests for public information, wrote texts and appeared in court. We promoted knowledge about transparency and tried to reach new target groups. We used the rights vested in public benefit organisations, entitling us to free broadcasting time. We…
The Provincial Administrative Court in Warsaw ruled that the source code of the Random Case Allocation System in common courts does not constitute public information. According to the court, overseeing the functioning of tools used by the administration is not the role of the society but of professional bodies. The introduction of computer random allocation…
The Citizens Network Watchdog Poland was established by a group of local actvists on October 28th, 2003. The court registered the organization on November 27, 2003. In 2018 we celebrated our 2018 anniversary. We also prepared a report from our activities and their results over 15 years. From the report you will learn: On our…
Within the past 15 years, we have participated in about 650 court cases. Some we initiated ourselves, some we supported, and some we joined. We have selected a number of examples, focusing on cases that have changed Poland. And how have we impacted Poland? We have changed it into a country where citizens have a…
In 2018, a book by prof. Rafał Matyja, conservative political scientist, entitled “Emergency Exit”, brought a new outlook on the events in the political life. The author of the book recommends generational change in political life and rejection of the main divisions connected with two strong parties – Civil Platform and Law and Justice. However,…
38 Polish NGOs called upon prof. Jacek Czaputowicz, Polish Minister of Public Affairs and Zbigniew Boniek, the President of Polish Football Association (PZPN) to undertake urgent actions leading to releasing persons arrested or convicted for political reasons by the Russian Federation. Organizations present alarming facts and figures: Lists of the Memorial Human Rights Defence Centre…
What can be done when voters cannot identify with any of the candidates in the elections? Is there a threat that the next elections in Poland will be manipulated? Is it worth doing local debates for small groups of participants? These and other questions were asked during a three-hour debate in Lubartów (Est of Poland,…
Being concerned with the future of our country and influenced by the Rafał Matyja’s book entitled “Emergency Exit”, we decided to listen how the youth see Poland. Matyja writes on the need of the generational change and improving governance and transparency, as the current political elites are unable to stop harmful destruction of state. While…
Interventions On June 12, 2017, a law came into force in Poland, according to which institutions should correspond with each other exclusively by electronic means. We have noticed, as an association, that the public institutions with whom we correspond often reflexively respond with a traditional letter. It’s the power of habit, which costs taxpayers a…
A group of 16 organization requested Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki to withdraw from proceeding the law on transparency of public life. Each of us sees different dangers brought by this law. They derive from the fact that the law was made without prior discussion, reflection and assumptions. On the way some amendments recommended by citizens…
By conducting legal considerations about whether something is or is not public information, we lose the essence of transparency. This is neither necessary from the point of view of the law applied in Poland nor in accordance with the standards set by the European Court of Human Rights. Polish laws on the right to information…
Where is Poland today? The most important challenges for 2018: local government elections and the change of the law on access to public information, and in the years to come – elections to the parliament as well as presidential elections. These make natural opportunities to take actions directed to politicians. Elections to local governments –…
