– This is the plan, the idea [that the parliamentary club will be called Civic Coalition]. Yes [I will be in this club]. Yesterday we had a meeting of the board of Inicjatywa Polska and our MPs, both male and female, also believe that such a solution is better, and the party recommended this solution – stated Barbara Nowacka in an interview with Konrad Piasecki on TVN24's "Rozmowa Piaseckiego".

– I think we all agree that the club must work very dynamically, and Borys Budka is such a very dynamic person, and today he seems to be – it appears – the most serious and determined candidate in the fight for leadership of the club – she continued.

- I want to be clear. My immediate professional plans do not include a move to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I have agreed with the President, the Prime Minister, and Chairman Kaczyński on a completely different scenario regarding my professional plans, and I hope it will be realized - said Krzysztof Szczerski in an interview with Katarzyna Gójska on "Sygnały Dnia" on Polskie Radio Jedynka.

- We haven't had such democratic elections in Poland since 1989, so if political pressure is to be applied to the courts, now we, as the ruling political camp, will chant 'Free courts, free courts' outside Civic Platform's headquarters. Yes, we want freedom for the Supreme Court to decide whether to consider election protests or to order a recount of votes - said Krzysztof Szczerski in an interview with Katarzyna Gójska on 'Sygnały Dnia' on Jedynka radio.

- Regarding the 30-fold increase, we are ending discussions on this matter. However, it appears we will indeed be seeking other solutions, as our coalition partners were quite firm on this issue. We won't die for the 30-fold increase - said Radosław Fogiel in an interview with Piotr Witwicki on Polsat News's "Graffiti" program.

– This is my big appeal to the politicians of the Civic Platform: get your act together. I don't want to talk in the media anymore about who your boss will be. I'd like to talk about what decent things we'll do together – stated Barbara Nowacka in an interview with Konrad Piasecki on TVN24's "Rozmowa Piaseckiego".

- If I were to allow myself some sort of prophecy regarding this Sejm term, I have a feeling it will be a self-perpetuating mechanism from the right, from the left. They will throw topics at each other around which they can build outrage among their electorates - said Radosław Fogiel in an interview with Piotr Witwicki on Polsat News's "Graffiti".

- I'm a supporter of a female candidate [in the elections for the President of Poland] and I'd like that person to be Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska - stated Barbara Nowacka in a conversation with Konrad Piasecki on TVN24's "Rozmowa Piaseckiego".

- Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska is a person of consensus, someone who knows how to find common words, but also common action, even with those people who today vote for PiS, because they feel excluded, unheard, because they also don't want to participate in the Polish-Polish war - she continued.

“This is one of the most important things that can happen right now [amendments to the Supreme Audit Office Act]. Do you remember what happened when PiS introduced the act that shortened Judge Gersdorf’s term? Article 205 states that the President of the Supreme Audit Office is appointed by the Sejm with the consent of the Senate for six years. If a situation arises where we, as the democratic side, have rightly condemned the breaking of the constitution in Ms. Gersdorf’s case, then there is a problem here too” – said the leader of SLD, Włodzimierz Czarzasty, in an interview with Joanna Komołka on Radio Zet.

“When cleaning up a mess, you cannot break the constitution” – he added.

„I am speaking about my own dreams. I would like to merge SLD and Wiosna. That is my opinion. For the past 4 days, this has been the opinion of the SLD management, which unanimously made a decision on this matter. They also decided that there will be a joint candidate for the Left-wing, which ends the discussion on whether there will be one presidential candidate or several. The Left-wing will definitely put forward a candidate” - said the head of SLD, Włodzimierz Czarzasty, in an interview with Joanna Komolka on Radio Zet.

- We have achieved a great victory. For the first time since 1989, a political camp not only governs for another term but has regained an absolute majority. However, it is also no secret that in the final weeks of the campaign, 2-3% shifted away from us. This victory would have been much more impressive, and above all, we would have had a majority in the Senate, had it not been for this outflow. Who shifted away? Small business owners, highly specialized professionals concerned by the now-outdated announcement of the abolition of the so-called 30-fold limit, which de facto means a significant tax increase for these talented individuals who earn well - stated Jarosław Gowin in an interview with Marcin Wikło on TVP1's "Kwadrans polityczny" (Political Quarter of an Hour).

- I want to say that this most creative part of society, the so-called middle class, is a group that we must win over with the quality of our governance over the next 4 years - the Deputy Prime Minister continued.

"She is a controversial figure. It is enough to recall her actions from 1968, including various articles signed with her name. The MP later explained herself in a strange way, but she did explain. If the President wished not to appoint the MP as Senior Marshal, it would be a decidedly sound decision" - said government spokesman, Minister Piotr Müller, on Radio Jedynka.

„There will be new faces [in government]. There will be ministers of constitutional rank who haven't been ministers of constitutional rank before. There will be new ministries, in terms of new ministry names. There will be consolidation, changes in responsibilities, regarding departments of government administration, which is natural even during a term” - said government spokesperson, Minister Piotr Müller, on Radio Jedynka.

„More than half of the composition has been approved, even more” - he added.

- We had experience with the Ministry of State Treasury – it was solely focused on extensive oversight, but more expansive thinking is also needed: how state-owned companies could collaborate to accelerate development, invest, and work for the country more effectively than before – stated Jacek Sasin in an interview with Michał Rachoń on TVP Info's "Jedziemy", when asked about media reports that PiS plans to establish a new ministry – the treasury, headed by Jacek Sasin himself.

- Returning to the Ministry of State Treasury in the form we knew it for over twenty years of the Third Polish Republic is not the way, but thinking about finding a common denominator, a platform for joint action for the entire sector of state-owned companies, that is a good idea – emphasized the Deputy Prime Minister, stressing that “no decisions have been made yet.”

- Marian Banaś himself isn't helping PiS, because new publications and revelations keep emerging, and he's somewhat media-shy. He doesn't come out, he doesn't explain himself as things are, he doesn't say, for example, 'this is untrue,' 'that is untrue,' he doesn't present his version. He doesn't really communicate with the media; I haven't seen a press conference - stated Krzysztof Łapiński in an interview with Jacek Prusinowski on Radio Plus.

- I think today Marian Banaś is looking at things from his own perspective, as an official with a 6-year term, and that's probably his point of view, not necessarily whether it helps or harms PiS - continued the former spokesman for the President of Poland.

There is no politician who is unbeatable, and hypothetically, one can assume that a candidate will emerge who will gather the votes of the entire opposition. Let us remember that in a divided society, which Poland is today, it's rather fifty-fifty. Andrzej Duda's victory was also 51.5% to 48.5%, so these social divisions persist. It will be a matter of mobilization, a matter of a counter-candidate. To what extent Andrzej Duda will still be able to win over voters from, for example, the PSL or Konfederacja, because I don't think from PO. And of course, today he is on a good or the best path to re-election. He has very strong cards and many advantages for this, but I think that, from what I can say, when I was in the Presidential Palace, there was never any conviction from the president or his entourage that everything was already settled, that a second term was a certainty. A second term, if it happens, will be after truly, surely, significant effort and a tough campaign - stated Krzysztof Łapiński in an interview with Jacek Prusinowski on Radio Plus.

„May God grant that the words of the Marshal [Bielan] become reality [about PiS having a majority in the Senate]. Of course, I must emphasize that politics is about dialogue, so talks are ongoing, as is typical in politics, and their outcome will be known soon. I want to remind you that PiS, as an electoral committee, won the Senate elections. We secured 48 mandates” - said Krzysztof Sobolewski, the elected Member of Parliament and Chairman of the PiS Executive Committee, during the morning program of Catholic radio stations "Siódma9".

„Let time do its work. Time is our ally in this arrangement” - he added.

https://twitter.com/sylwiaspurek/status/1188807662856736768?s=21

On December 12, 2019, Donald Tusk's book titled "Szczerze" will be released. It is a personal diary recounting the behind-the-scenes of European politics and key moments in recent Polish and European history, also containing the author's political credo. The publisher of the book is Agora Publishing House - announced the publisher on their website.

"This is an extraordinary, personal diary of the President of the European Council. Day by day, we follow his first steps in his new role, learn about the behind-the-scenes of European politics, and track the most dramatic events of recent years: the terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels, the refugee crisis, the death of Gdańsk’s President Paweł Adamowicz, and the endless Brexit negotiations. The book also features multidimensional and surprising portraits of the most important figures in world politics, from Barack Obama and Angela Merkel to Donald Trump and Boris Johnson. But "Szczerze" is much more than a book about the inner workings of power. It is also Donald Tusk's political credo, written in fluent, colorful language, and a story about Europe, which remains a grand dream. And also about European politics, which can be a bitter disappointment."

- PiS wanted confirmation of its policies in the form of very strong support. They expected to receive proof of the sovereign's backing for their policies, but they didn't get it. Various minor issues decided this, although they did mobilize many new PiS voters, not just with promises, but also by deploying money on a massive scale for the first time in an election year, hoping for a significant effect, which didn't happen. One of the clear mistakes was the promise of a minimum wage of 4,000 PLN. Many people found this concerning, thinking that if they currently earn 3,600 PLN, they would soon be earning the minimum wage. Self-employed individuals were afraid they would have to earn 2,000 PLN just for social security contributions. For quite a few people, it caused confusion and didn't work out well at all. It appears that President Kaczynski didn't announce this after sufficient deliberation with his government colleagues, and it seems the message wasn't fully coordinated. We remember the disruption with Minister Czerwińska. It was policy conducted recklessly, which didn't serve PiS, because for many people it raised the question whether PiS could really do it without everyone paying the price, and that slowed down certain actions - said Professor Rafał Matyja in an interview with Katarzyna Kolenda-Zaleska on "Fakty po Faktach".

- For a draft law to even be discussed, [Janusz Korwin-Mikke] would indeed need to find four more allies, because according to the constitution, at least 15 parliamentary signatures are required to submit a bill, and from what I recall, the Confederation only secured 11 seats - Jan Kanthak stated in an interview with Bogdan Rymanowski on Polsat News's program "Wydarzenia i Opinie" (Events and Opinions).

- Perhaps he will find them in the Law and Justice party? - the journalist pressed.

- To my knowledge, he will not. I will not sign it. For now, we are not talking about a draft law. We don't know what is hidden under the 'anti-LGBT' slogan - Kanthak replied.

- I saw what happened in Białystok, I saw stones flying towards gay and lesbian people. I heard shouts to kill them, to kill us, because those were the kinds of shouts. And I did not see condemnation of this from Law and Justice. On the contrary, it was Jarosław Kaczyński who opened this Pandora's box and unleashed it, which Janusz Korwin-Mikke is now exploiting. That's how the situation looks. Either this madness will be stopped, and we will truly start returning to a language of mutual respect and dignity for all people, or we will simply continue to fuel this for a long time - said Paweł Rabiej in an interview with Bogdan Rymanowski on the program "Wydarzenia i Opinie" on Polsat News.

- If the PSL's result in Wrocław increased fivefold, it went from 1 [seat] to 5%, but in many rural centers, it regained its voters and achieved much more than 4 years ago. In my opinion, the PSL's coalition with a city party – and this wasn't about any left-wing party, but about running with a city party – made many rural voters think, "This wasn't our party." It was losing some of its identity, so the PSL's return was met very positively – said Prof. Rafał Matyja in FpF.

- In my opinion, Jarosław Kaczyński was not pleased with Konfederacja's entry into the Sejm. It really complicates PiS's life considerably. A lot depends on how Konfederacja behaves and to what extent it will be a well-thought-out strategy versus improvisation, because Korwin will say one thing, Braun another, and Bosak yet another, but each of them can cause PiS some trouble. This will be a Sejm that is significantly richer rhetorically - said Prof. Rafał Matyja on FpF.

- This is the result of a sensible decision for unity, because there was no room for individual displays. A few people reversed the PiS districts. I believe the Senate is a draw. We will be waiting for every vote, each one will be interesting - said Rafał Matyja in FpF. - In Ukraine, I encountered the concept of a "third round" of elections. It is better for all of us if this term begins with a confirmation of the result. I even believe that PiS is making a mistake by questioning these results. After all, anyone who knows how the Senate operates knows that PiS will be the winner of votes many times over - Matyja added.

-- 300POLITYKA LIVEBLOG:
Matyja on what didn't work in PiS's campaign
Rabiej on the "Pandora's Box"
December 12: Premiere of Donald Tusk's book "Szczerze" (Honestly)
https://300polityka.pl/live/2019/10/28/

*****

POLSAT EVENTS

-- THE NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (PKW) LEFT NO ILLUSIONS AND ISSUED NEGATIVE OPINIONS ON 36 ELECTORAL PROTESTS - announcement.

-- AMONG THEM ARE FOUR PROTESTS FILED BY THE LAW AND JUSTICE PARTY (PiS) CONCERNING FOUR SENATORIAL DISTRICTS - Dariusz Ociepa.

-- THE PKW ALSO ISSUED NEGATIVE OPINIONS REGARDING ONE PROTEST FILED BY CIVIC PLATFORM AND ONE BY THE POLISH PEOPLE'S PARTY (PSL) - Ociepa continues.

-- REGARDING THE PROTESTS, THE PKW ONLY ISSUES AN OPINION; THE SUPREME COURT IS NOT BOUND BY IT - Ociepa.

-- THE COURT WILL MAKE ITS FIRST RULINGS ON THE PROTESTS FILED BY PiS ON WEDNESDAY - Ociepa continues.

-- BUT REGARDLESS OF WHAT IS DECIDED, THE RULING PARTY STILL COUNTS ON HAVING A MAJORITY IN THE SENATE ANYWAY - Ociepa.

-- PARALLEL TO THE BATTLE FOR THE SENATE, PREPARATIONS FOR THE NEW GOVERNMENT ARE UNDERWAY - Ociepa continues.

-- MAREK SUSKI IS SAID TO RECEIVE NEW TASKS IN THE SEJM - Ociepa.

-- IT IS UNCERTAIN WHETHER RYSZARD TERLECKI WILL RETAIN HIS FUNCTION AS DEPUTY MARSHAL OF THE SEJM AND CLUB LEADER - Ociepa continues.

-- WE HEARD UNOFFICIALLY FROM ONE OF THE PiS POLITICIANS THAT THEY ARE MORE LIKELY TO LOOK FOR A NEW CLUB LEADER - Ociepa.

*****

TVN FAKTY

-- None of the 36 protests that the National Electoral Commission (PKW) issued opinions on Monday are justified. All received negative opinions, and the PKW sees no need for a recount. Among them are four protests from PiS, one from Civic Coalition, and one from PSL.

-- THE PKW RECOMMENDS THAT THEY BE DISMISSED WITHOUT FURTHER PROCEEDINGS - Jakub Sobieniowski.

-- THE PKW HAS NOT NOTICED ANY VIOLATIONS OF ELECTORAL LAW

-- WE MUST COME TO TERMS WITH THE VERDICT OF DEMOCRACY, WE HAVE THE LARGEST CLUB, AND WE MUST LOOK AT THIS WITH HUMILITY - Sobieniowski.

-- BIELAN IN "DO RZECZY" ABOUT THE MAJORITY BEING THERE "SOONER OR LATER."

-- SCHETYNA DOES NOT HAVE THE COMFORT OF THE PSL CHAIRMAN - Sobieniowski.

-- THERE ARE SOME LEAKS FROM CIVIC PLATFORM ABOUT SENATOR BORUSEWICZ AND SENATOR RYBICKI, AND I THINK THIS HARMS THEM IF SOMEONE IS LEAKING THIS KIND OF INFORMATION, BECAUSE SUCH A CANDIDACY ANNOUNCED AUTHORITARIANLY IS DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT LATER - WKK.

-- ALMOST 10 YEARS AFTER THE CATASTROPHE, FORENSIC TECHNICIANS ARE AGAIN AT SMOLENSK.

-- THE 3RD VISIT IN THE LAST 13 MONTHS.

-- RUSSIAN MEDIA ARE TALKING ABOUT A SPECIAL PROCEDURE TO PROTECT AGAINST THE INTRODUCTION OF ANY SUBSTANCES - Fakty correspondent in Russia.

-- PiS MEPs ABSTAINED ON DECLARATIONS:

-- IT WOULD SEEM THE MATTER IS CLEAR, BECAUSE THE EU HAS DECIDEDLY SAID NO TO THE DEATH PENALTY - Maciej Knapik.

-- THERE WERE FORMULATIONS THAT WE DID NOT LIKE - Beata Mazurek.

-- ARE THEY TO PUNISH HOMOSEXUALS OR NOT TO PUNISH THEM? - MKB.

-- WHICH POINTS DO NOT SUIT PiS? - Knapik.

-- I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THE DECLARATION AND LOOK, PERHAPS NEXT TIME - Mazurek.

-- KNAPIK ON ARCHBISHOP JĘDRASZEWSKI'S WORDS.

-- KACZYŃSKI SAID TO CONDEMN GAY PRIDES - Knapik.

-- KNAPIK ON MEDIA STICKERS STATING "LGBT-FREE ZONE".

-- UGANDA IS TO BE FREE FROM LGBT. LITERALLY - Knapik.

-- IT IS DIFFICULT TO FIND A STRONGER DISTANCING BY THE MINISTER OF FINANCE FROM THE FORMER MINISTER OF FINANCE - Krzysztof Skórzyński on Kwieciński's statement.

-- IN A REPORT ON THE TEXT FROM "RZECZPOSPOLITA".

-- IT IS COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT BANAS IS AT LEAST ON GOOD TERMS WITH TOP OFFICIALS IN THE SPECIAL SERVICES, AND IT IS THESE SERVICES THAT CONTROL HIM - Skórzyński.

-- FORMERLY, THE SEJM COMMITTEE WAS AN INSTRUMENT OF CONTROL; DURING THE CIVIC PLATFORM ERA, THE TRADITION OF ROTATING LEADERSHIP WAS ABANDONED - Skórzyński.

-- FORMERLY, THE OPPOSITION COULD SUMMON THE HEADS OF SERVICES FOR HEARINGS; TODAY, ONLY PRESS CONFERENCES REMAIN FOR THEM - Skórzyński.

*****

TVP WIADOMOŚCI

-- THE UNITED STATES IS GETTING INVOLVED IN BUILDING WIND FARMS IN POLAND - announcement: The Ministry of Development has signed an agreement in this regard with representatives of one of the largest American companies producing green energy.

-- WIND ENERGY IS ANOTHER AREA, FOLLOWING THE MODERNIZATION OF THE ARMY AND LNG DELIVERIES, IN WHICH AMERICANS WANT TO SUPPORT POLAND - Dominik Cierpioł.

-- THERE WILL BE A THIRD INVESTMENT IN WARSAW AS PART OF THE "MIĘSZKANIE PLUS" (APARTMENT PLUS) PROGRAM - announcement.

-- THE INTERNAL SECURITY AGENCY (ABW) HAS ARRESTED A POLISH CITIZEN ON SUSPICION OF ESPIONAGE FOR RUSSIA - announcement.

-- A TEAM OF INVESTIGATORS DELEGATED BY THE NATIONAL PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE HAS ARRIVED IN SMOLENSK - announcement: In the coming days, they are to conduct further investigative activities at the wreckage of TU 154-M, which crashed in 2010 while attempting to land at the local airport.

-- POST-ELECTION HORSE-TRADING IS UNDERWAY IN THE OPPOSITION CAMP. THE STAKES IN THIS GAME ARE POSITIONS IN THE SENATE - announcement: The opposition wants to elect its own Marshal of the upper house of parliament, but party leaders cannot agree on this matter.

-- PiS PROPOSES THAT ELŻBIETA WITEK REMAIN MARSHAL OF THE SEJM AND STANISŁAW KARCZEWSKI MARSHAL OF THE SENATE - Magdalena Wierzchowska.

-- IT IS STILL UNKNOWN HOW THE OPPOSITION WILL BEHAVE, WHICH MATHEMATICALLY HAS A MAJORITY IN THE SENATE AND THEORETICALLY CAN TRY TO ELECT ITS OWN MARSHAL - Wierzchowska.

-- POLITICAL HORSE-TRADING IS UNDERWAY IN THE OPPOSITION CAMP, AS THE SOCIAL DEMOCRACY OF POLAND (SLD) AND THE POLISH PEOPLE'S PARTY (PSL) KNOW PERFECTLY WELL THAT WITHOUT THEIR COMBINED 5 SENATORIAL SEATS, CIVIC PLATFORM CANNOT PUSH ANYTHING THROUGH IN THE SENATE - Wierzchowska.

-- ACCORDING TO UNOFFICIAL INFORMATION, THE LEFT WILL SUPPORT A CANDIDATE FOR SENATE MARSHAL IF THEY RECEIVE THE POSITION OF DEPUTY MARSHAL - Wierzchowska.

-- BOGDAN BORUSEWICZ IS NO LONGER CONSIDERED IN THE RACE FOR THE SENATE MARSHAL SEAT, AS HE WAS POORLY RATED AS MARSHAL, ALSO BY HIS PARTY COLLEAGUES - Wierzchowska.

-- A GROWING GROUP OF CIVIC PLATFORM POLITICIANS WANTS TO REMOVE SCHETYNA FROM THE PARTY LEADER POSITION - Wierzchowska.

-- MANY OPPOSITION POLITICIANS SEE TUSK AS A CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT - Wierzchowska.

-- TUSK LOST HIS INFLUENCE ON THE POLISH POLITICAL SCENE AFTER THE OPPOSITION'S DEFEAT IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS - Wierzchowska.

-- PRE-ELECTION POLLS GIVE TUSK NO CHANCE OF WINNING AGAINST PRESIDENT DUDĄ - Wierzchowska.