Everything is falling into a frighteningly logical, yet perversely coherent whole. In this story, it is Eurydice who bites the viper, and in a red coat, she travels from the bus to Hades. The spectacle does not end tragically, because – firstly – this is just the beginning, and no one has yet sung their final word, and secondly – the carnival part of the campaign has given us quite an opera, but a comical one.

Orpheus, playing for re-election, arrives to the rescue, descending into the underworld. Our tenor sings unexpectedly thinner than the audience expected, so the success of the entire operation hangs in the balance. And it was supposed to be *bel canto*… Ultimately, however, Charon, enchanted by his music (in foreign languages), ferries him across the river Styx for free. Even the fearsome dog Cerberus stops barking. Perhaps because the muzzle law came into effect?

We also have the Woman Who Casts No Shadow (Strauss), and there isn't much to latch onto, so maybe the rainbow eagle? Perhaps the fact that the soprano, on her way to a rehearsal, when asked what she intended to perform, replied: “And what do you intend to sing?”

Although for others, she might be Cześnik from "The Haunted Manor" (in Ursus?). Perhaps she will manage to gain something more, now that she no longer has Baron Ochs by her side – a rather dense and intrigue-unskilled hero who wanted to play the role of the cavalier with a rose. And he sang arias in the 2019 artistic season like Wagner's – half-hour long, and from a teleprompter, making the audience yawn.

Let us remember that one version of the Orpheus and Eurydice story ends tragically. In an act of revenge, the Maenads (CBA) on Dionysus's orders… tear Orpheus (played this time by the head of NIK) to shreds. The hero's head, torn from his body, lands in the sea, still repeating Eurydice's name. And she was buried on the island of Lesbos, one of the zones still not free from LGBT.

The theme of investigative activities is, moreover, very popular this carnival. In the scene from 'The Barber of Seville,' where Bartolo enters with soldiers, accuses the Count and Figaro of breaking and entering, and orders their arrest, the Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov, who himself fled Putin's clutches from behind bars to Berlin, cast the singers in POLICE jackets. Do we not again see with our mind's eye the CBA agents, very present on stage this season?

Here, too, someone is being bitten – albeit on Twitter – the chronicler describing the protagonists' adventures on the bus (it's Treliński, so it must be Autosan!). For a pączek, which he didn't even… bite (the keyword of the past artistic season).

But there is also a delightful image, as a barytone appears, the stars' factotum – the barber from Białystok – Figaro, and so far, he only sings, or perhaps sings as much as, the showy aria *Largo al factotum*: "Everyone calls me, everyone wants me, / Lords, youths, old men, maidens. (...) / Oh, oh, madness! / Oh, oh, what a crowd! / Not all at once, for God's sake!"

We also have (finally!) a (very) romantic accent, when a soprano, styled as Sarah Jessica Parker in a striking red and pink *Prabal Gurung* ensemble (our >>Fashion Police

March in politics is primarily about the continuation of the presidential campaign – with the deadline for candidate registration at the end of the month – as well as a special Sejm session on coronavirus, President Duda's decision on compensation for public media, Andrzej Duda's program convention, and the update of Poland's rating by two major agencies.

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Extra Sejm Session on Coronavirus. On March 2nd at 10:00 AM, the Sejm will convene for an extraordinary session, requested by President Andrzej Duda. The agenda includes only one item: a government briefing on actions taken and the state of national preparedness related to epidemic threats in Poland and Europe. The debate is scheduled to last for 3 hours, until 1:00 PM. As announced, the head of state is expected to appear on Wiejska Street.

Constitutional Tribunal on Competence Dispute. On March 3rd, a hearing will take place – at the request of the Marshal of the Sejm – regarding the competence dispute between the Sejm and the Supreme Court, and between the President and the Supreme Court. The Constitutional Tribunal will consider the case in its full composition. The presiding judge will be TK President Julia Przyłębska, and the rapporteur will be TK judge Krystyna Pawłowicz. The following day, March 4th, a hearing will be held regarding a motion to recuse a judge due to concerns about the validity of the judge's appointment by the President, at the request of the National Council of the Judiciary. The initiating party is the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court. A verdict is expected to be announced after the hearing.

Meeting of Health Ministers on Coronavirus. On March 6th, a special meeting of the EU member states' health ministers will take place in Brussels to discuss the coronavirus epidemic. As we wrote on 300POLITYCE, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki asked the President of the European Council Charles Michel and the Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, holding the EU presidency, to convene a meeting of ministers for health and social affairs (EPSCO) instead of the planned teleconference of ministers.

PAD's Decision on Compensation for Public Media. In the first week of the month, President Andrzej Duda must make a decision regarding the law on compensation for public media. The constitutional deadline of 21 days expires on March 6th. In recent days, signals from the Presidential Palace have indicated a possible veto, although this is not yet certain.

PAD's Program Convention. Andrzej Duda's program convention is scheduled to take place in March, although the exact date is not yet known. At the end of February, Błażej Spychalski stated it would likely be in 2-3 weeks. "There will be a convention, including a program convention, and this convention is ahead of us. It will likely be in 2-3 weeks when this convention takes place, where the President will present his program for the upcoming presidential elections, a program he would like to implement over the next 5 years," said PAD's spokesperson on Radio Plus.

Hearing at the CJEU on the Supreme Court's Disciplinary Chamber. On March 9th, a hearing of the parties will take place before the Grand Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Union concerning the European Commission's request for the temporary suspension of the Supreme Court's Disciplinary Chamber.

Poland's Rating Update. The rating agency Moody's has scheduled two potential dates for reviewing Poland's rating this year – the first is expected to occur on March 13th. The agency Fitch has also scheduled two potential dates for reviewing Poland's rating – the first is expected on March 27th.

Deadline for Presidential Candidate Registration. March 16th is the deadline for notifying the National Electoral Commission (PKW) of the formation of electoral committees for presidential candidates. District electoral commissions are to be appointed by March 23rd, and by March 26th, electoral commissioners are to make changes to the division of polling districts and the locations of polling station commissions. The most crucial deadline is the submission of presidential candidates to the PKW for registration – by March 26th at midnight.

EU Summit. On March 26th-27th, a European Council meeting will be held in Brussels. The preliminary agenda includes several points: strengthening the economic base, the digital dimension, enlargement, and external relations.

Photo: KPRP