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4 weeks ago | 
europinion.uk | Konrad Szuminski
On the 18th of May, the first round of the Polish Presidential election delivered anything but a conclusion to the continuing political gridlock in Poland.
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2 months ago | 
europinion.uk | Konrad Szuminski
Since 1952, the United Kingdom has possessed a nuclear deterrent, and the current format of ‘Continuous at sea deterrence’ (CASD) has been in operation since April 1969. The strategy of ‘at sea deterrence’ consists of 4 submarines comprising a class. Whilst one is at sea, one is in maintenance and two are carrying out training and preparation, allowing for the UK to have a nuclear armed submarine in service at any given time.
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Dec 29, 2024 | 
europinion.uk | Konrad Szuminski
Since June 2023, I have covered Polish politics for Europinion, beginning with the June 4th protests. Since then, Donald Tusk has returned to the Polish premiership through a shaky coalition of Tusk’s Civic Coalition, the Third Way and the New Left.
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Dec 5, 2024 | 
europinion.uk | Konrad Szuminski
The sweeping victory of Donald Trump in the US election, taking all 7 swing states and the popular vote against US Vice-President Kamala Harris has startled the situation in Ukraine. In spite of the knife’s edge vote, reactions from around the world, particularly in Kyiv, have indicated concern and surprise. On top of this, the reaction of the two sides to the potential, and realised seismic shift in the US has seen escalation in the War.
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Sep 28, 2024 | 
europinion.uk | Konrad Szuminski
In 1981 Allan Lichtman, an American historian of some renown, got together with a Russian geologist (of all people) named Vladimir Keilis-Borok to create what has become the most reliable prediction system for US Presidential elections. The pair studied US election history from 1860 to 1980. The 13 keys are based on examining the strength of the incumbent administration’s record on issues like the economy and foreign policy to determine whether they will be securing another term.
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Aug 13, 2024 | 
europinion.uk | Konrad Szuminski
Clement Attlee’s post-war Labour government is rightly lauded for its radical zeal. Inheriting a Britain emotionally scarred by the horrors of the Second World War, economically ruined by record debt levels and with many still living in Victorian slums, Attlee set about implementing an egalitarian and redistributive programme to build a socialist ‘New Jerusalem’ from the ruins of war. Expectations were high, given his unexpected thumping majority at the 1945 election.
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Aug 12, 2024 | 
europinion.uk | Konrad Szuminski
Far-right protests have erupted across Britain following a fatal mass stabbing in Southport at a Taylor Swift themed dance class. Six-year-old Bebe King, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and nine-year-old Alice Dasilva Aguiar have died from their injuries, while five other children were left in a critical condition. Two heroic adults, yoga teacher Leanne Lucas and businessman John Hayes, were also left critical following their attempts to protect the children.
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Aug 10, 2024 | 
europinion.uk | Konrad Szuminski
Godzina W (Hour W) was the codename for 5pm, on the 1st of August 1944. 80 years ago, on that day, and on that hour, the Polish underground state (Armia Krajowa) sprung into action; the Warsaw Uprising had begun. In my view, the Uprising was the definitive rebirth of Poland in the 21st century. In the first line of the Polish national anthem, Mazurek Dąbrowskiego, we sing “Poland is not yet lost, when we are living”.
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Jul 22, 2024 | 
europinion.uk | Konrad Szuminski
Following the assassination attempt on Former US President Donald Trump, who was speaking at a open-air rally in Butler (Pennsylvania) on July 13th, when as much as 8 rounds were fired towards him, serious questions have been asked of the Secret Service. Whilst conspiracy theorists will have a field day, the investigation into what happened will be of the utmost severity. After all, talk of secret service protection came into scrutiny much before the attempt on the Former President.
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Mar 4, 2024 | 
europinion.uk | Konrad Szuminski
Not since Teddy Roosevelt, Former President of the United States (1901-1909) and cousin to a future President (FDR), has there been a more eminent independent candidate than Robert F Kennedy Jr. His uncle, President John F Kennedy, is one of the most cherished Presidents in US history, not only as a vehicle of change at the beginning of the chaotic 1960s, but as a leader who was gunned down and mourned by an entire nation.
