In 2022, 58.15% of European Union citizens actively used social media. This means they had accounts on several platforms, uploaded photos, or exchanged messages with other users. Our country is slightly above the EU average. 60.61% of Poles actively use social media. We have surpassed countries like Italy (53.19%) and Croatia (60.14%). Austria is just ahead of us with a result of 61.47%. The highest percentage of people engaged in social media was recorded in Denmark, with a remarkable 84.73% of its population. Following closely on the podium are Hungary with 78.54% and Cyprus – 77.91%. At the other end of the ranking are France (44.46%) and Germany (47.73%). These are the countries where citizens are least active. Social media can be very addictive. It is important to practice digital hygiene. What does this mean? One should monitor time spent online, not replace various activities (e.g., planning the day in a calendar) with apps, and use phones, computers, or tablets in moderation. Equally important is time for rest and disconnecting from the virtual world. Unfortunately, social media is also rife with disinformation. It is predominantly used to spread harmful and manipulative content intended to influence the attitudes and thinking of recipients. Therefore, users should pay more attention to verifying information and critically approach what is posted online. One should not blindly trust what is found on social media or share unverified content. It is important to approach information found on the internet calmly – check, verify, and seek sources.

The upcoming week in politics is dominated by further Sejm (Polish Parliament) deliberations, with plans including the establishment of the first investigative committee, amendments to the Sejm's standing orders, and legislation on freezing energy prices for the coming year, including controversial provisions already dubbed "lex Kloska" by PiS.

The Monetary Policy Council (RPP) will hold its last meeting of the year, President Duda will visit Silesia, and the Constitutional Tribunal is scheduled to announce a ruling on a motion filed by Zbigniew Ziobro. In short, this concerns penalties imposed on Poland by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

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Błaszczak on the Wind Turbine Act. On Monday, near a wind farm in Grajewo, Mariusz Błaszczak will hold a press conference with local government representatives regarding the draft bill by Civic Coalition and Poland 2050, which, according to its organizers, envisages "dispossessing residents for wind turbine construction."

President in Silesia. On Monday, St. Barbara's Day, President Andrzej Duda will visit Jaworzno and Gliwice. The plan includes laying a wreath before the monument to St. Barbara, meeting with mine rescue workers who participated in last week's rescue operation, and attending a ceremony celebrating St. Barbara's Day and the 30th anniversary of Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa S.A.

RPP on Interest Rates. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Monetary Policy Council will hold a meeting, during which a decision on interest rates may be made. A traditional press conference by the President of the National Bank of Poland, Adam Glapiński, is also scheduled. This will be the last RPP meeting of the year.

Constitutional Tribunal Ruling on Ziobro's Motion. After last week's postponement, the announcement of the Constitutional Tribunal's ruling is scheduled for Tuesday. The ruling, on the motion of the Prosecutor General, concerns the compatibility with the Constitution of EU regulations based on which the Court of Justice of the EU imposed periodic financial penalties on Poland for ignoring rulings regarding the Turów mine and the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court.

Sejm on Energy Prices and Windmills. On Wednesday, the first day of the session, the Sejm will consider two draft bills, one governmental and one parliamentary, concerning the freezing of energy prices in 2024. The latter of these bills also contains provisions that PiS has already termed "lex Kloska."

Sejm on Amendments to Standing Orders. On Wednesday evening, the first reading will take place of the draft resolution proposed by the Sejm Presidium regarding amendments to the Sejm's standing orders. It is currently unknown what the proposal will contain, as it has not yet been published, but Marshal Szymon Hołownia has hinted at changes to the standing orders some time ago.

Sejm on Investigative Committee. The second reading of the draft resolution on the establishment of an investigative committee concerning the so-called "envelope elections" is scheduled for Thursday morning. Everything indicates that this will be the first investigative committee to be established by the Sejm of this term, as the current schedule does not include second readings for the two other draft resolutions. Furthermore, the election of the chairperson of the so-called "pedophilia committee" is also planned.

Photo: 300POLITYKA