Prime Minister dismisses ACTA referendum call

“I will take the responsibility [for the legislation] on my own shoulders, and that should be convenient for Jaroslaw Kaczynski,” Tusk told journalists in the Polish parliament on Monday as protest mounted in Poland against the ACTA agreement.

Poland's ambassador in Japan, Joanna Rodowicz-Czechowska signed the international agreement in Tokyo yesterday, alongside the majority of EU member states, but the legislation has yet to be ratified by the Polish parliament.

Street demonstrations continued on Thursday, following nationwide marches on Wednesday.

There were seven arrests in Poznan, western Poland, on Thursday evening after stones were thrown at a protest outside the headquarters of Tusk's Civic Platform party. Approximately 5000 had gathered for the demonstration.

On Friday evening, a further demonstration is due to be held outside the Presidential Palace in Warsaw.

Meanwhile, speculation is circulating in the media that Minister of Culture Bogdan Zdrojewski may lose his post owing to the ACTA turmoil.

“If someone pays the price of losing their position over the ACTA crisis, it will certainly be Zdrojewski,” a source close to the government told the Rzeczpospolita daily.

Allegedly, the Ministry of Culture was repeatedly asked to lead consultations with internet-users while the legislation was being prepared. This did not occur.

Minister of Digitalization Michal Boni acknowledged to Polish Radio yesterday that thegovernment had been out of step with the upcoming generation.

“We are entering a new era of dispute related to a new '2.0 generation'. For young people, the most important sphere of freedom is on the internet and not as it was for my generation – an independent Poland,” he said.

There appeared to be a lull in the hacking of governmental web sites on Friday morning, but it is unclear whether there will be renewed attacks. (nh/pg)