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Geopolitics

Coronavirus Covers: How Global Magazines Feature COVID-19

In Hong Kong on Jan. 28
In Hong Kong on Jan. 28
Michaela Kozminova

What Chinese authorities first treated as dozens of cases of unknown pneumonia in the Hubei province, has now become a global health emergency. In about three months, the respiratory novel coronavirus illness called COVID-19 has expanded to nearly all corners of the globe, so far leaving over 100,000 people infected and more than 4,000 dead.

After spreading into Japan and South Korea, the virus has now been confirmed in every European Union member country, with Italy becoming the first country to enforce a nation-wide lockdown as the death count tops 600.

Here's how coronavirus has looked on magazine covers around the world in recent weeks:

CHINA

Caixin


SOUTH KOREA

Magazine Donga


INDIA

The Week


ITALY

Internazionale

Panorama

Famiglia Cristiana


FRANCE

Marianne

Paris Match


GERMANY

Der Spiegel


CZECH REPUBLIC

Reflex

Respekt


POLAND

Polityka


FINLAND

Suomen Kuvalehti


AUSTRIA

Falter


BELGIUM

Knack


UK

The Economist

New Statesman


USA

The New Yorker

Newsweek


CANADA

Maclean's

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Economy

Lex Tusk? How Poland’s Controversial "Russian Influence" Law Will Subvert Democracy

The new “lex Tusk” includes language about companies and their management. But is this likely to be a fair investigation into breaking sanctions on Russia, or a political witch-hunt in the business sphere?

Photo of President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda

Polish President Andrzej Duda

Piotr Miaczynski, Leszek Kostrzewski

-Analysis-

WARSAW — Poland’s new Commission for investigating Russian influence, which President Andrzej Duda signed into law on Monday, will be able to summon representatives of any company for inquiry. It has sparked a major controversy in Polish politics, as political opponents of the government warn that the Commission has been given near absolute power to investigate and punish any citizen, business or organization.

And opposition politicians are expected to be high on the list of would-be suspects, starting with Donald Tusk, who is challenging the ruling PiS government to return to the presidency next fall. For that reason, it has been sardonically dubbed: Lex Tusk.

University of Warsaw law professor Michal Romanowski notes that the interests of any firm can be considered favorable to Russia. “These are instruments which the likes of Putin and Orban would not be ashamed of," Romanowski said.

The law on the Commission for examining Russian influences has "atomic" prerogatives sewn into it. Nine members of the Commission with the rank of secretary of state will be able to summon virtually anyone, with the powers of severe punishment.

Under the new law, these Commissioners will become arbiters of nearly absolute power, and will be able to use the resources of nearly any organ of the state, including the secret services, in order to demand access to every available document. They will be able to prosecute people for acts which were not prohibited at the time they were committed.

Their prerogatives are broader than that of the President or the Prime Minister, wider than those of any court. And there is virtually no oversight over their actions.

Nobody can feel safe. This includes companies, their management, lawyers, journalists, and trade unionists.

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