Poland is poised for a parliamentary showdown today when lawmakers convene for the first time this year after the centrist opposition rebuffed calls to end a blockade over media rights and the 2017 budget vote. Moves by the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party to control the number of journalists in parliament and their right to record proceedings drove opposition lawmakers to start a sit-in in the main hall in mid-December. <br/><br/>Rejecting PiS appeals, the main opposition Civic Platform said yesterday it would stick to its sit-in if the PiS tried to relaunch parliament on Wednesday after the holiday recess, a stance that could escalate the issue. The crisis in the European Union member state began last month when PiS was forced to move its 2017 budget vote to an auxiliary chamber of parliament after opposition MPs blocked the podium in the plenary hall in a protest at the ruling party's move to control media access to lawmakers.