Andrzej Duda officially sworn in as a new Polish President

Yesterday, Andrzej Duda became a new Polish President. He beat President Bronislaw Komorowski who couldn't convince Poles to give him a chance to lead the country in a second term. Duda was backed by the opposition conservative Law and Justice party while Komorowski had the support of the ruling Civic Platform party.

On the personal note, having an attractive wife Agata and cute daughter Kinga appealed to Poles as well since we all like photogenic families and in today's elections the image is priceless.

Even though the President has limited powers, Duda promised a lot of changes including lowering the retirement age and increasing tax free income levels. The most important presidential powers are overseeing Polish arm forces and ability to veto legislations.

President Duda is 43 and his term is 5 years so he has plenty of time to prove himself. So, like in the old Polish saying, pożyjemy zobaczymy (time will show).

The official website of the President of the Republic of Poland.

President Andrzej Duda with wife Agata.         

Kinga, daughter of the President and his parents.

71st anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising against the German occupation

The Warsaw Uprising began on August 1st, 1944 and this year Poles celebrate 71st anniversary of this heroic 63-day fight of World War II by the Polish Home Army against the German occupation. 

The Warsaw Rising is considered to be the single largest military effort undertaken by a resistance group in Europe. The Polish resistance Home Army decided to start the rising to free the capital from under the Nazi occupation at a time when the Soviet Red Army was approaching Warsaw from the east on its way to Berlin. However, on Stalin's orders the Soviet offensive was stopped and Warsaw was left to bleed to death. Before the Soviets finally captured the city in January 1945, the Nazis had demolished most of the buildings and infrastructure.

There are hundreds of pictures documenting this tragic event: Warsaw Uprising Photos