At 11:00, the Senate will commence its three-day session, the last of this year. The agenda includes, among other items, a bill concerning the indexation of pensions and annuities, introducing a one-time modification to the currently binding indexation rules. This modification involves raising the lowest benefits to a) PLN 1100 for the lowest pension, disability pension for full work incapacity, survivor's pension, and social pension, and b) PLN 825 for the lowest pension for partial work incapacity, as well as applying the statutory indexation rate, while ensuring a minimum guaranteed benefit increase of PLN 70. A briefing by the Marshal of the Senate, Stanisław Karczewski, will be held at 13:30.

At 10:00, a ceremony will take place for the handover of the Bethlehem Peace Light to Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and the Council of Ministers by the Polish Scouting Association (ZHP). At 10:15, a government session will begin. The agenda includes, among other items, the assumptions of Poland's Foreign Policy for 2019. This document will serve as the basis for the annual exposé by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The government will also address a draft amendment to the Code of Civil Procedure, which Zbigniew Ziobro announced at a convention on Saturday.

At 13:00, the Prime Minister will present the Prime Minister's Awards for distinguished doctoral dissertations, scientific achievements forming the basis for granting a postdoctoral degree, scientific or artistic output, and scientific-technical achievements in 2018. At 14:30, Minister Krzysztof Szczerski will receive the Deputy American Secretary of State, John Sullivan, at the Presidential Palace.

- Yes, anything is possible [regarding early parliamentary elections]. We must also be prepared for this. We are taking this into consideration, although we know perfectly well that with early elections, PiS would admit that things are not as good as they assure their voters – stated Borys Budka in an interview with Konrad Piasecki on TVN24's "Rozmowa Piaseckiego".

- They [PiS politicians] know that this will really be Jarosław Kaczyński's decision. Some of them simply know that the order for a potential vote will come from above, and they will carry out those orders. However, they are undoubtedly taking this into account - stated Borys Budka in an interview with Konrad Piasecki on TVN24's "Rozmowa Piaseckiego".

- If such a motion were to be made, we would, of course, consider what to do. I am convinced that we would support such a motion, as every day shortening these governments would be a good day for Poland - the Civic Platform politician continued, when asked about supporting a potential motion for the dissolution of the Sejm. As he emphasized, the Civic Platform is prepared to go into battle with PiS, even tomorrow.

- There will be no penalties. It's good that Rafał Trzaskowski, like a mature politician, knows how to listen to the voice of the voters - stated Borys Budka in an interview with Konrad Piasecki on TVN24's "Rozmowa Piaseckiego". He added:

"Yesterday, Trzaskowski took responsibility for this mistake [regarding the discount]. He acknowledged that the voice of the people of Warsaw is the most important. I'm glad Trzaskowski is showing a different face of politics, but he's also challenging PiS. Because I'll remind you that it was PiS that guaranteed a 60% discount in the law. We want these discounts, which apply to local government land, to also apply to State Treasury land now."

- As you can see, Rafał Trzaskowski has prioritized dialogue with residents. Listening to their voices. I value politicians who can take a step back and say: okay. If the residents of Warsaw want such a decision, not only will the discounts be higher on the land owned by the local government of the Warsaw municipality, but additionally, we will seek changes to statutory regulations and we are saying 'we're watching' to PiS. Let Kaczyński now say whether he wants to treat all Warsaw residents the same, or if he wants equals and more equal ones - stated Borys Budka in an interview with Konrad Piasecki on TVN24's "Rozmowa Piaseckiego".

- We are dealing with something unprecedented here. A minister from Prime Minister Morawiecki's government, equipped with full plenipotentiary powers, travels across Poland and buys local officials. I encourage you to familiarize yourselves with the legal arguments. In our opinion, we dealt with blatant political corruption. I'm not even mentioning the betrayal of voters, the betrayal of values, the fact that Wojciech Kałuża has become such a symbol of being a sell-out; we are also pointing to three articles of the Penal Code – stated Borys Budka in an interview with Konrad Piasecki on TVN24's "Rozmowa Piaseckiego".

- Yes [I am still an independent]. No [I am not joining PiS]. Because I am content being independent, although I don't hide that I have my views. I have never changed them. I am always on the centre-right side - stated Patryk Jaki in an interview with Beata Lubecka on Radio Zet.

- I'm approaching my future very calmly. Because these are elections [to the European Parliament] that are taking place shortly before parliamentary elections, their outcome will be of great significance. Therefore, I would naturally like to help my camp continue the reforms and the work we have done in recent years - stated Patryk Jaki in an interview with Beata Lubecka on Radio Zet.

- This text [in "Gazeta Wyborcza" about early parliamentary elections] has nothing to do with reality. The fact that we have the budget in January is due to the last item on the Sejm's agenda, where there was a vote of no confidence and a vote of confidence, hence the decision of the Speaker and the Presidium - said Beata Mazurek in an interview with Paweł Lisicki on "Salon polityczny" on Radio Trójka.

- I will say one more thing. At the Presidium, we talked about this, we spoke among the Deputy Speakers, that such a scenario will absolutely not be implemented, and the Deputy Speakers from the opposition clubs know this perfectly well - added Mazurek. 

- Yes, I am pleased, because after all, it was our idea during the election campaign. No, contrary to what is being said, the idea of transforming perpetual usufruct into ownership is an idea from our camp, which we pushed through - stated Patryk Jaki in an interview with Beata Lubecka on Radio Zet.

- Here, paradoxically, it's not about the amount of the discount. It's about something else. It's about the fact that a few days before the elections, Rafał Trzaskowski and his group adopted something, something good for the residents, because there was an election campaign, and two days after the elections, they changed it completely - he continued.

- If it were up to me, I would even support a 100% discount. Because I believe that the more ownership, the stronger the state will be - added the Deputy Minister of Justice.

- No one's mouth is shut here. Krystyna Pawłowicz's decision is her decision, we knew nothing about this decision, but I absolutely want to say it loudly and clearly. We value Krystyna Pawłowicz's legal knowledge, we value her intellect, but perhaps there is also a lot of time until the parliamentary elections and she will change her mind - Beata Mazurek said in an interview with Paweł Lisicki on Polskie Radio Program 3's "Political Salon".

- Of course, I will not reveal the behind-the-scenes of the European Parliament election campaign; besides, work on that is also ahead of us, but we will meet with people, we will say that it has nothing to do with reality, that it is solely election propaganda by the opposition, Civic Platform and Schetyna, who are truly scaring Poles - said Beata Mazurek in an interview with Paweł Lisicki on Polish Radio's Trójka "Political Salon".

- The President's speech was a very good legal argument, please listen. Where he proved which articles of the Polish constitution are being violated by such irresponsible actions. The judicial community could have taken a moment to reflect on Poland and its emotional actions - said Piotr Gliński in an interview with Robert Mazurek on RMF FM's "Morning Interview".

- The idea of early elections has certain advantages. The first advantage is that we can defeat PiS sooner, which many Poles are waiting for. It can also increase the momentum of talks about cooperation - Katarzyna Lubnauer said in an interview with Piotr Witwicki on Polsat News's "Polityczne Graffiti".

In response to the statement that "if the elections are sooner, you'll be in trouble", she replied: - No. We are constantly having discussions. For weeks, I've been talking with PSL, SLD, and the Union of European Democrats. When asked what connects her with PSL, she said: - Interesting things. For example, those related to environmental protection.

- It's clear the government is doing everything to somehow conceal electricity price hikes. Either they will try to postpone them until after the snap elections, or they will employ various methods like: raising prices for entrepreneurs or local governments, but not for the individual Mr. Kowalski, who will then pay for it in the form of higher prices - stated Katarzyna Lubnauer in an interview with Piotr Witwicki on Polsat News's "Polityczne Graffiti".

- We are launching a website that will show and remind the Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, about his promises. As you can see, the promises made by Civic Platform have a tendency to disappear very quickly, to be forgotten. We, as the opposition, but with a very strong mandate in Warsaw, intend to work hard to remind the president why he became president, what promises he made. That's why we have created the website trzaskowskiwatch.com - said Patryk Jaki in the Sejm.

- Mr. President, if you ever have trouble remembering your promises, you can call me. I will always remind you what you promised during the election campaign - Jaki added, addressing Trzaskowski directly.

- They are like the Loch Ness Monster. Many people talk about them, but no one has seen them. I can assure you that this topic is not even discussed in the leadership circles of the United Right. I see no reasons why we should shorten our term. We agreed with the Polish people on four years. We have fulfilled many of our promises, but some things are still in progress. For example, regarding the implementation of the Constitution for Science, I still need several good months to bring this reform to a stage where it functions fully - Jarosław Gowin stated in an interview with Marek Kacprzak on the WP program "Tłit". 

- We are not planning government changes. If they occur, they will be a consequence of the European Parliament elections, should any ministers decide to run and be elected. However, the Prime Minister always has a free hand regarding individual decisions. A major reconstruction, on the other hand, would require coalition agreements - stated Jarosław Gowin in an interview with Marek Kacprzak on the WP program "Tłit". 

- I interpret President Duda's words, which I know from the editor's brief statement, that he accuses the judges of violating the spirit of the Constitution, not its letter - Jarosław Gowin stated in an interview with Marek Kacprzak on the WP program "Tłit". - Disputes over how the judiciary should look are a natural phenomenon in democratic debates, e.g. in America. And trust in the Supreme Court in the USA does not suffer from this - he continued.

"Judging by the president's statements, he has no intention [of apologizing to the Supreme Court judges] whatsoever, and I am not surprised at all. [And will you apologize?] But what reasons would argue for that. We can wonder whether the reforms were successful or unsuccessful. As you remember - I voted, but I wasn't happy. I predicted that it would end in trouble, that some of these changes would have to be withdrawn. I am a realist. I know that during the EP campaign, which is already underway, the issue of the judiciary will be used instrumentally by various Western politicians who will use it for self-promotion.”

- Parliamentary opposition, in the European Parliament elections, should have as one of its common slogans, the adoption of the euro by Poland as soon as possible, precisely in order to permanently anchor ourselves in European structures - said Ryszard Petru in the Sejm.

On January 3rd, the prosecutor's office has summoned Magda Fitas-Dukaczewska, the interpreter for then-Prime Minister Donald Tusk, for interrogation in the investigation concerning so-called diplomatic treason, related to the Smoleńsk catastrophe.

Fitas-Dukaczewska is an interpreter who has worked for numerous prime ministers and presidents.

The case, according to our sources, is unprecedented. Even Hillary Clinton, in a similar situation, opposed the interrogation of Donald Trump's interpreters. - The government wants to provide a 'ride on Donald' for the new political season - argue the sources speaking to 300 [PL]. They emphasize that Prime Minister Morawiecki will have to lift the state secrecy clause from her.

- A meeting concerning the technical aspects related to energy, energy prices, is currently underway, and several ministers are working on developing appropriate solutions in the circumstances we are in. This is to fulfill our promise – stated Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at a briefing at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister.

- I want to emphasize that PiS councillors here in Warsaw convinced other councillors on the Warsaw Council to make these discounts 98%. Then Mayor Trzaskowski changed this decision to a discount of only 60%, thus breaking this election promise. PiS, through many appeals, is asking for its restoration, simply for promises to be kept. Just as we are credible and keep our promises in every area, so too here we ask for promises to be kept, and we will certainly strongly advocate for a return to the previous agreed state that PiS councillors proposed. In the area of the act regarding discounts on State Treasury land – we also have very interesting, good proposals that will soon be presented legislatively - stated Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki at a briefing at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister.

- There is a law, and I will say a few words about it. Within the framework of this law [amendment to the Public Finance Act], we will introduce an amendment that will prevent actions like those carried out in Warsaw. The sudden, violent, and unexpected robbing of Warsaw residents, misleading them, breaking promises – this will be changed – stated Stanisław Karczewski at a briefing in the Senate.

The decision regarding the location for the Ministry of Health leadership meeting was made on December 4th.

The Ministry is responding to a publication by Gazeta Wyborcza.

Here are the relevant tweets:

• https://twitter.com/MinZdrowia/status/1075375625744117760
• https://twitter.com/MinZdrowia/status/1075377343059935233

- I endorse these words of the President. Yesterday, I attended a meeting of Constitutional Tribunal judges. The President clearly stated what we always say, that everyone is equal before the law. And the law that applies to judges in Poland is Polish law. Not a ruling, but the law, and that law was different, and the behavior was different - stated Stanisław Karczewski at a briefing in the Senate.

- This is how it should be, that everyone in Poland is equal before the law, and Supreme Court judges must also respect the law. This respect was lacking, and the President clearly spoke about it - added the Marshal of the Senate.

Improving, simplifying, and accelerating court proceedings – this is the main goal of the reform of the Code of Civil Procedure. The draft, prepared by the Ministry of Justice, was adopted today by the Council of Ministers. According to the ministry, the new regulations are intended to provide Poles with the opportunity for swift and effective pursuit of their rights, fair proceedings, and just verdicts.

- These are far-reaching, sometimes even fundamental, changes. They are heading in one direction: improving and accelerating the pace of court proceedings. They respond to the great public expectation that court cases can be conducted quickly and professionally – emphasized Zbigniew Ziobro at a press conference.

As the ministry highlights: "The reform introduces a series of revolutionary solutions aimed at resolving a significant portion of cases already at the first hearing. It shortens the path for citizens to the courts – cases are generally to be conducted near their place of residence. It limits the possibility of sabotaging proceedings by lodging constant appeals. It also guarantees the objectivity of proceedings, automatically disqualifying judges and entire courts in situations where their impartiality may be questioned."

- President Andrzej Duda visited Polish soldiers stationed in Romania as part of a multinational NATO brigade. The Head of State, accompanied by the Minister of National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak, participated in a Christmas Eve meeting with the soldiers. Those recognized received decorations from the President and the Minister of National Defence. The purpose of the visit was to familiarize oneself with the service and work conditions of the soldiers and contingent personnel – informed the Chancellery of the President.

- When, in 2016, we were heading towards the NATO summit in Warsaw, striving for allied NATO presence in Poland, we said we were committed to solidarity. Solidarity means not only that we need allied presence in our country, but that we are ready to extend this allied presence, meaning security, to our other friends – said PAD after a formal roll call on the grounds of the 26th Infantry Battalion barracks. – In Romania, you are the Polish representation of our shared security, which we care about so deeply – he emphasized.

- I am here to thank you immensely for this service, I am here, on the eve of Christmas, to share the Christmas wafer with you and to bring you – even if just for this moment – a breath of Poland, our homeland – said the President.

- But at the same time, while extending my wishes, I want to ask you to personally convey from me the highest expressions of respect and thanks, and the warmest wishes to your loved ones, when you speak with them, now before the holidays – PAD said. He assured them of the immense gratitude from both the Polish state and its head of state for their soldierly service, dedication to the Republic of Poland, and their daily sacrifices.

- There's no point relying on fake news, even if it's front-page news in a respected (for now) newspaper - said Joachim Brudziński in an interview with Bogdan Rymanowski on the "Wydarzenia i Opinie" program on Polsat News.

- I deny it and will only add that the otherwise excellent editor Piotr Zaremba is not a member of the Law and Justice leadership, so if he provides this type of information, it's no wonder he later denies it - Brudziński added.

- There was an inspection carried out in the Suwałki police. General Jarosław Szymczyk informed me of the results of this inspection. The vast majority of these allegations absolutely did not prove to be true. There is no shadow of a doubt that Minister Jarosław Zieliński issued no orders whatsoever to the officers - said Joachim Brudziński in a conversation with Bogdan Rymanowski on the program "Wydarzenia i Opinie" on Polsat News.

- [Rafał Trzaskowski] provided [ammunition with the rebate decision], but skillfully disarmed it. It took some time, I agree. I thought there was a misunderstanding, a lack of focus and immediate reaction. Communication arising from the fact that the city hall, the president himself, the city council are not yet formally working as they will when they gain common experience - stated Grzegorz Schetyna in a conversation with Justyna Pochanke on TVN24's "Fakty po faktach". He added:

"I found out during a Sejm session. We had a difficult session, first a vote of confidence for the prime minister, then a vote of no confidence, postponed to Friday. It happened alongside us. I found out, Rafał Trzaskowski wasn't there, he was in Brussels. It all happened in parallel and landed on our table really on Friday. That's why we started preparing then, primarily President Trzaskowski, a reaction, how to react to this situation"

- Tomorrow we will submit a motion to equalize these rates. We can admit our mistakes. This is a case of President Trzaskowski, but on the other hand, we say 'checkmate'. PiS fought so hard for the 98% discount, so we say: we accept the 98% law - stated Grzegorz Schetyna in an interview with Justyna Pochanke on TVN24's "Fakty po faktach".

- Yes [I am preparing Platforma Obywatelska for earlier elections]. I have to, because this approaching year is a great mystery. I see how PiS behaves, and I see these internal conflicts, it could explode, therefore, political maturity must be such that we must consider various scenarios, including early elections - stated Grzegorz Schetyna in an interview with Justyna Pochanke on "Fakty po faktach" on TVN24.

- We must then [in the case of early elections] be ready for an agreement among opposition parties, a joint electoral committee. We must be ready, as we are discussing, I assume that by January 20th we will be ready with a concept for preparing for the scenario of early elections – stated Grzegorz Schetyna in an interview with Justyna Pochanke on "Fakty po faktach" TVN24.

- I am embarrassed by those words. I think the President overstepped, at the very least. But since all representatives of the President's Chancellery are repeating this, and have been since this morning, that we are acting against the law, then this is probably intentional. It wasn't a slip of the tongue or nervousness - said Małgorzata Gersdorf in an interview with Monika Olejnik on the program "Kropka nad i" on TVN24. 

- Judges are meant to be apolitical; they cannot belong to parties or trade unions. But there comes a time when one must defend the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, and then a judge has a duty to tell citizens what independence and impartiality are, and which instruments protect impartiality, and which, on the contrary - said Małgorzata Gersdorf in an interview with Monika Olejnik on TVN24's program "Kropka nad i". 

I have submitted a declaration of acceptance of the mandate. Piotr Muller will replace Jolanta Szczypińska in the Sejm.