THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary-December 23, 2016- Topic 2
The European Union on Wednesday gave
Warsaw a dressing down over concerns about the erosion of the rule of law in
Poland. And with good reason. The conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS)
headed by Jaroslaw Kaczynski,
which runs the government, has repeatedly tinkered with and undermined the
institutions of democracy in the country, progressively tightening its grip
over them. The EU’s patience is running out, and it could eventually strip
Poland of voting rights in the European Council, an unprecedented action. This
is a reflection of grave concerns over the developments in Poland, especially
the actions the PiS has taken since it came to power in October 2015 to control
the Constitutional Tribunal, Poland’s highest court. In July, the EU made
recommendations aimed at protecting the independence of the judiciary. These
have been largely ignored. Examples of PiS action that have impacted judicial
functioning include publishing judgments selectively (without which they do not
have legal standing) and passing legislation to temporarily appoint the head of
the Constitutional Tribunal. On Monday, Andrzej Rzeplinski, the outgoing
president of the court, alleged that the government was out to destroy the
tribunal. While concerns are focussed around judicial independence, they are by
no means limited to this.
Among the government’s moves are the
replacement of heads of public bodies with its loyalists, a ban on abortions
(which was rolled back following widespread protests), a campaign to control
NGOs, and curbs on media freedom. About 100 journalists from state media
organisations have been fired, and the government, until Tuesday, was proposing
to ban most journalists from entering the lower house of Parliament in 2017.
This resulted in an opposition sit-in in the main hall of Parliament, while
thousands protested outside, preventing the passage of the 2017 Budget. This
led to the government passing the Budget in an anteroom, a move that has,
understandably, not gone down well with the opposition. The EU has given Poland
two months for a course correction. PiS was elected on a populist platform a
little over a year ago, ousting the centre-right Civic Platform (PO). The party
was aided by the relatively benign economic conditions when it came to power,
but the economy is slowing down even as chaos and unrest continue. The
government, thus far unmoved by the interests of civil society and democracy,
may be forced to tread a bit more carefully.
Vocabulary
Strip: a long, narrow piece of cloth, paper, plastic, or some
other material.
Example: A strip of linen
Synonyms: (narrow) piece, bit, band, belt, ribbon, slip, shred
Ignore: refuse to take notice of or acknowledge; disregard
intentionally.
Example: He ignored her outraged question
Synonyms: disregard, take no notice of, pay no attention to, pay
no heed to
Impacted: come into forcible contact with another object.
Example: The shell impacted twenty yards away
Synonyms: crash into, smash into, collide with, hit, strike, ram, smack
into
Erosion: the process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or
other natural agents.
Example: The problem of soil erosion
Tinkered: attempt to repair or improve something in a casual or
desultory way, often to no useful effect.
Example: He spent hours tinkering with the car
Synonyms: fiddle with, adjust, fix, try to mend, play about
with, fool with, futz with
Patience: the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or
suffering without getting angry or upset.
Example: You can find bargains if you have the patience to sift through the dross
Synonyms: forbearance, tolerance, restraint, self-restraint, stoicism, calmness
Eventually: in the end, especially after a
long delay, dispute, or series of problems.
Example: Eventually, after midnight, I arrived at the hotel
Synonyms: in the end, in due course, by and by, in time, after
some time
Preventing: keep something from happening
or arising.
Example: Action must be taken to prevent further accidents
Synonyms: stop, put a stop to, avert, nip in the bud, fend
off, stave off
Anteroom: an antechamber, typically serving as a waiting room.
Example: Beethoven claimed to Goethe that he had rapped Rudolph over the knuckles
for keeping him waiting in an anteroom , and doubtless the composition lessons
became increasingly irksome.
Synonyms: antechamber, vestibule, lobby, foyer, outer room, narthex
Benign: gentle; kindly.
Example: Her face was calm and benign
Synonyms: kindly, kind, warmhearted, good-natured, friendly, warm