According to 300POLITYKA information, a press conference is scheduled for 10:15 AM, during which the leaders of the Civic Coalition will present an important political initiative. Our sources indicate that this initiative is intended to establish a political assessment of the government's handling of the pandemic and dominate discussions on the subject for the coming weeks.

As we hear, President Andrzej Duda has a meeting planned for today with the family of Rotmistrz Pilecki, on the 72nd anniversary of his death. Following this, he will travel to Silesia, where, along with Prime Minister Morawiecki, he is scheduled to participate in the Provincial Crisis Management Team meeting.

At 9:30 AM in Warsaw, Robert Biedroń will hold a press conference on "the difficult situation of local governments in connection with the pandemic and the presentation of a bill on supporting local governments." At 12:00 PM, in front of the Modlin airport, Biedroń will hold a conference with the airport's vice-president regarding "the PiS policy leading to the closure of this airport and the liquidation of hundreds of jobs, as well as the catastrophic situation of regional airports."

At 10:00 AM in the Sejm, a press conference will take place with Patryk Jaki and members of Solidarna Polska concerning the European Parliament report on Poland being presented today. Meanwhile, at 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM, Krzysztof Bosak will hold press conferences.

- We are definitely not emerging from the epidemic. Unfortunately, Poland is among those Eastern Bloc countries, and indeed among EU countries, in the worst situation because the epidemic here has not subsided yet. It's holding at a level of 300-400 infections per day, and the end is still not in sight. All other countries have either completely emerged from the epidemic, like Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Slovakia. They have essentially suppressed the epidemic to a level of a few, one, or zero cases per day, whereas this is unfortunately not the case for us - stated Andrzej Sośnierz in "Rozmowa Piaseckiego" on TVN24.

- We were conducting few tests. Now that's improving. Testing is being conducted very nicely and very intensively in Silesia right now, and the detection rate here is very high, in the sense of being full and complete – stated Andrzej Sośnierz in "Rozmowa Piaseckiego" on TVN24.

- There were few tests, and therefore the tests did not detect all infections, but fatal cases are recorded accurately, still not underestimated that much, so if we have 1000 deaths unfortunately, and the mortality rate in Eastern Europe is somewhere around 0.7%, then if these 1000 constitute 0.7%, then we have somewhere in Poland, I assume, around 150,000 infected - stated Andrzej Sośnierz in the program „Rozmowa Piaseckiego” on TVN24.

– Yesterday, maybe 30,000 [tests]. That’s good that it’s that many, but from the beginning, I’ve been appealing for a long time that we needed to conduct around 80,000 tests daily, we should have. Now, perhaps the epidemic is subsiding in some environments, provinces, but here we need to bear in mind that if we were to intensively test environments such as healthcare, doctors, a lot of tests would be needed for them, so a level of around 70-80 thousand daily would be good to achieve, and I am still surprised that we haven't reached this yet for such a long time – stated Andrzej Sośnierz in "Rozmowa Piaseckiego" on TVN24.

- If polls chose, we would still have Bronisław Komorowski as president. One thing is certain, in the second round, only Kosiniak-Kamysz has a chance to defeat Duda. I am convinced - said Paweł Kukiz in an interview with Robert Mazurek on RMF FM's "Morning Conversation".

- It will certainly be easier for PiS to attack Trzaskowski right now and they will simply crush him, I am convinced of that, than a woman, because a woman, I'm talking about Ms. Kidawa-Błońska here, is difficult to attack - said Paweł Kukiz on RMF FM.

- Every political party in Poland is, to a greater or lesser extent, pathologized. Every single one of them is after state-owned companies and family appointments. In this regard, the PSL doesn't differ from PiS any more than PiS differs from Civic Platform, or from the Democratic Left Alliance, or any other political entity. The only exception right now is Koalicja Polska, which also includes the PSL, and which is carrying my demands from 2015, demands that, if implemented, would fundamentally change the character of all political parties - Paweł Kukiz stated on RMF FM.

- Yes, Mr. Editor. The paradox is that to destroy the character of political parties in Poland, which is given by the system, it must be done within a party formula - said Paweł Kukiz on RMF FM.

"Today or tomorrow we will announce [the abolition of the mask mandate] together with the prime minister. I cannot jump the gun here. It is clearly visible that in many voivodeships, the rate of mutual infection is falling, and quite rapidly. We know that the biggest problem remains the outbreaks in Silesia, but these are limited outbreaks confined to mines. At the moment, we are testing the families of miners who have already been tested" - said Minister Łukasz Szumowski in an interview with Dominika Wielowieyska on TOK FM Radio's "Poranek".

"There may be a delay in time for some voivodeships. We have three voivodeships where the R-number is close to one or, in the case of Silesia, above one. In all others, it is below one. Fortunately, we already have the first tests of a vaccine that shows efficacy, but [the vaccine] is not yet available. It is clear that the epidemic indicators, whose predictions we had for Poland were much, much worse, show that we have a safer situation than we thought. Our decisions change depending on the epidemic situation. It's not as if a decision made at the beginning, with an unknown epidemic, is meant to be that decision until the end of time" - said Minister Łukasz Szumowski on TOK FM. 

- Nothing can be ruled out, however, regarding this constitution, as can be seen from the accumulating examples in recent weeks and months, we advocate for constitutional reform, because it did not foresee several situations and, as evident from 1997 itself, it does not correspond to the realities of 2020. The Supreme Court, for example - Krzysztof Sobolewski said in "Poranek" Siódma9. 

- The majority, all motions from the total opposition submitted in this Sejm and the previous one, of course, make no sense from our perspective for them to be effectively submitted, which is why I am surprised, especially by Civic Coalition, that at a time when our main topic should be the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, they are focusing on personal matters. But this is, as always, prioritizing party interest over state interest – said Krzysztof Sobolewski on Siódma9's "Morning".

- At the Government Crisis Management Team, when the situation related to gastronomy was discussed, with the recommendations that were to be implemented there, there was a decision that the recommendation concerning persons who could sit at a table would be of a soft nature. Ultimately, it was issued by the GIS (Chief Sanitary Inspectorate) in the form of a binding recommendation. The Prime Minister was misinformed by his staff, and I wanted to apologize for this. It was simply supposed to be a soft recommendation, but it turned out to be published in the form of the article I just mentioned. Therefore, due to our fault, the Prime Minister was unaware that this recommendation was indeed binding under sanitary inspection regulations, and for this, on behalf of the Prime Minister's staff, I wanted to apologize – stated Piotr Müller in TVN24's "Rozmowa Piaseckiego".

- Tomorrow, the Government Crisis Management Team will discuss further issues related to the transition to the next stage of lifting restrictions, so some of them may soon become outdated. Let's hope we will be able to afford that. And as I said, this particular one was not supposed to be binding in the form of this article resulting from the GIS decision, but was intended to be a soft recommendation. It turned out that it was actually published under the provision I just mentioned – the government spokesman continued.

Marlena Maląg will today propose to Warsaw authorities the assistance of government IT specialists to speed up the distribution of aid to nearly 400,000 Warsaw entrepreneurs eligible for the shield – 300POLITYKA has learned. Maląg intends to highlight large-scale IT projects that have been successful under this administration, such as 500+ or E-Prescription – we hear from a minister involved in the introduction of the business shield. Public employment services in Poland are structured around provincial and district labor offices appointed by respective provincial and district self-government authorities. On the government side, there is visible irritation regarding the pace of application processing at the municipal level. "The formal and organizational separation between self-government bodies and government bodies results in a decentralized model of labor offices. Politics also plays a role here – where the starosta or the mayor of a city with county rights comes from a political camp opposing the government, they may delay the operations of some offices – for example, as in the case of shield aid," a minister tells us. "I took the liberty of sending an appeal to the Mayor of Warsaw to review the implementation of micro-loans disbursed as part of the anti-crisis shield and to improve operations," the Minister of Labor stated on Friday. In her letter to the capital's mayor on Friday, Maląg wrote: "We observe with concern the situation in Warsaw, which constitutes a shameful exception on the map of Poland in terms of processing loan applications for micro-entrepreneurs to cover current operating costs. According to our information, the Labor Office of the Capital City of Warsaw has processed less than 10 percent of all applications so far. Meanwhile, the national average is 60 percent, and many labor offices have nearly 100 percent application processing rates."

- Discussions on this topic are currently underway, regarding the actual lifting of the mask mandate, among other places, in public spaces. I mean outside buildings, as decisions regarding public transportation or other enclosed spaces are less likely to be expected. However, in public spaces, various individuals are already pointing out that the period during which we wore masks has allowed us to flatten, and continuously maintain, the stable number of infections in Poland and to secure the period of gradually reopening subsequent stages. Therefore, this option is indeed being taken into account - stated Piotr Müller in "Rozmowa Piaseckiego" on TVN24.

- Regarding Minister Szumowski, Prime Minister Morawiecki has full confidence. The minister has recently become the target of many attacks, which in our opinion are entirely unfounded, untrue, and very often simply from people who did not understand the situation that was occurring just a few weeks ago – stated Piotr Müller in "Rozmowa Piaseckiego" on TVN24.

- President Andrzej Duda toured the country throughout his term. If we were to consider these meetings or on-site visits as campaigning, then his entire 5-year term would have to be classified as such. However, Rafał Trzaskowski is the President of Warsaw. His primary duty is to manage the city, especially since many negative things are happening in this city. Entrepreneurs in Warsaw, and particularly the employees of these businesses, have still not received funds today because Rafał Trzaskowski is unable to allocate the funds transferred to him by the state budget and the government to entrepreneurs. Rafał Trzaskowski should focus on managing the city, rather than traveling across Poland campaigning for elections - stated Adam Bielan in an interview with Jacek Prusinowski on Radio Plus.

"Perhaps these events should prompt us to clearly establish which guidelines apply, how they are binding, and how we enforce these regulations. We know well ourselves the number of photos circulating on the internet after a weekend spent in cafes and restaurants, where one of the comments I read said it seems like families in Poland are very large, considering the number of people at restaurant tables. We need to quickly verify this and rethink how strictly the recommendations should be enforced" - said Deputy Prime Minister Jadwiga Emilewicz in an interview with Maciej Głogowski in the EKG Magazine on TOK FM.

- Furthermore, not only is [Rafał Trzaskowski] conducting an election campaign, electoral agitation, as was evident in northern Poland last weekend, but his campaign aides are also entirely outside the law collecting signatures for his candidacy, even though the Marshal of the Sejm has not yet announced the elections - stated Adam Bielan in an interview on Radio Plus.

- This recording is probably quite obvious to everyone involving MP Nitras, but it's not just about this recording. It's about emails, SMS messages that activists are sending. It's about public statements from Civic Platform politicians who, even before they receive the daily briefing informing them that they cannot speak about it publicly, have already spoken about these signatures being collected - he continued.

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“Power is not privileged. Madam Editor, if you were to come to me, you are welcome for coffee, of course, you would also sit without a mask, and I would too. For every activity, there are clear regulations that everyone should wear a mask if they meet another person. This does not apply to the performance of official duties. Certainly, the Prime Minister should maintain a greater distance, and I would recommend that the people around the President and Trzaskowski pay attention to this.” - stated Minister Łukasz Szumowski in an interview with Dominika Wielowieyska on Radio TOK FM’s Morning program. “I would suggest that the people who are always around these public figures pay attention.”

„[The Sejm Speaker] will announce the elections as soon as the bill returns from the Senate, goes through the parliamentary procedure, and we know when the elections will be held. The National Electoral Commission's resolution will be published before the Marshal announces them. That is my assumption [that we will publish it once the bill passes the Sejm]” – Deputy Marshal Ryszard Terlecki told journalists in the Sejm. 

„It's an opposition ritual. The opposition likes tabling these motions. We like responding to them. In a word – something is happening. [The response will be] negative” – said Deputy Speaker Ryszard Terlecki in a conversation with journalists in the Sejm. 

- The President or other politicians do not shape the TVP board. So I don't know why it would be perceived that way. These are decisions of the National Media Council. It makes decisions regarding both TVP and public radio - stated Adam Bielan on Radio Plus.

- I can only answer for the visit I witnessed, the President's in Garwolin county. At all locations where I accompanied the President, we endeavoured to adhere to all rules established by authorities in connection with the epidemic state in our country - stated Adam Bielan on Radio Plus.

- Certainly, the President's visit did not change anything in this regard. Marketplaces across Poland are unfortunately more crowded than we would expect, but let us also remember the social atmosphere. After many weeks of restrictions, sacrifices, it is harder to maintain a certain kind of discipline - he continued.

“The Szumowski affair illustrates in a nutshell all the control mechanisms that have been eliminated by PiS. Today, we see how the state is decaying. The fish rots from the head. Those in power should be beyond any suspicion, yet we see one scandal after another involving prominent PiS activists. We see, before our very eyes, how the friends and families of PiS politicians are enriching themselves while Poles lose their jobs and thousands of companies are closed every day. What is most outrageous is that these people are even using the pandemic to enrich themselves dishonestly, building their fortunes through their connections. Furthermore, PiS politicians have unfortunately grown accustomed to hiding their assets by transferring them to their closest relatives. The Szumowski affair shows that it's not just about the Minister of Health, not just about unclear family ties and business dealings by his immediate circle, but that the state is failing in its intelligence services and prosecution. It should be their colleagues in government who expose these scandals, who should stand guard over the honesty and integrity of those in power. Unfortunately, over the last five years, a situation has been reached that has never occurred in history. The services are not functioning. Those in power are beyond accountability. That is why today, the Civic Coalition is submitting three no-confidence motions. Against Minister Szumowski, whose continued public service has been called into serious question due to further media reports concerning his family and his past dealings” - said PO Chairman Borys Budka at a press conference. 

“The second person who should resign immediately is Minister Mariusz Kamiński. It is not only because the services are failing to properly vet the assets of the most important individuals, but also because of recent events in Warsaw and other places in Poland, where the police are used to brutally restrict civil rights and freedoms, contrary to the constitution. And finally, the silent minister who has disappeared, who does not appear, but who should be ensuring the prosecution functions properly – Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, because he bears political responsibility for not taking any effective action against these people in power, and at the same time, for the prosecution being used for political purposes. Today, the Civic Coalition is submitting three no-confidence motions against the most compromised individuals of this government, against people who are closing their own kind of enclosed system, which allows those in power to remain unaccountable” - he added.

As 300POLITYKA has learned, President Andrzej Duda has appointed Professor Małgorzata Manowska to the position of First President of the Supreme Court. Manowska was one of the 5 judges whose candidacies for this position were presented to the president by the General Assembly of Supreme Court judges.

In the past, Professor Manowska served as Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Justice – from March 30 to November 27, 2007.

She was a long-time lecturer and examiner for the legal advisor, attorney, and notary apprenticeships, as well as a lecturer at the National School of Judiciary and Public Prosecution and an examiner for the judicial exam.

From January 21, 2016, to the present, she has held the position of Director of the National School of Judiciary and Public Prosecution. She is the author of numerous publications in the field of civil procedure.

- Presidential candidate Rafał Trzaskowski, in his public statement, engaged in relativizing responsibility for a child rape. Let us recall his own words. Regarding Roman Polański, the perpetrator of child rape, he said: 'He made enormous contributions to Polish culture. Therefore, I understand that one might have a problem making a clear-cut decision here.' Ladies and gentlemen, the fact that someone has made significant contributions in one area or another is no reason to have a problem deciding whether justice should act or remain passive - said Krzysztof Bosak during a press conference. 

- We do not consent to any conspiracy of elites, whether they are spiritual or secular elites. We must act, which is why we are presenting a bill to amend the Penal Code. Here is the draft law. Thanks to this project, the penalty for preventing the apprehension of perpetrators, for preventing the prosecution of perpetrators of pedophilic crimes, will be raised from the current 3 years to 10 years - said Krzysztof Bosak during a press conference. 

„Today, as in the case of the Constitutional Tribunal, the President did not receive a resolution from the General Assembly. He received a list of candidates. Only one of these individuals garnered a majority of votes, so it can be considered that they are the candidate of the General Assembly. The remaining individuals are candidates from groups of judges, and this is a fundamental difference” – said PO leader Borys Budka at a press conference.

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Patryk Jaki, commenting on the election of the First President of the Supreme Court, expressed gratitude towards those who have supported the reform of the justice system and the Supreme Court.

On his Twitter account, Jaki shared a link to a tweet (https://twitter.com/patrykjaki/status/1264855395803312129?s=21) and included the following message:

"Dziękujemy wszystkim, którzy przez ostatnie lata wspierali nas w walce o reformę wymiaru sprawiedliwości i SN"

This translates to: "We thank everyone who supported us in the fight for judicial reform and the Supreme Court in recent years."

The statement suggests a period of significant political effort and public engagement surrounding changes to the Polish judiciary, specifically targeting the Supreme Court.

- I have just spoken with Ms. Zofia Pilecka, the daughter of Rotmistrz Witold Pilecki. The memory of this Patriot and his heroism strengthens our identity. We build the future on experience. Today, we know that quarrels, disputes, and divisions do not serve Polish causes. Patriotism unites – wrote President Andrzej Duda on Twitter.

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- I appeal to the rulers for immediate support, a special act for institutions like the Warsaw-Modlin Airport institution. Funds to save not only this airport per se, meaning its functioning, but also the jobs around it. If you look around, you will see restaurants, hotels, small shops, parking lots, everything that has created tens of thousands of jobs in this locality. People who have found work thanks to this. From this place, I would also like to appeal to the rulers to halt the construction plans for the Central Communication Port. From the very beginning, the Left said that this is a big mistake, that it is an overscaled investment. We have a similar investment in Germany, near Berlin, which has not been completed for the last 15 years. Germans could not cope with a much smaller investment. I do not believe that Kaczyński and Morawiecki will be able to handle such an investment, given that they couldn't handle the Luxtorpeda, electric cars, and many other investments that were written in the sand - said Robert Biedroń during a press conference.

Michał Dworczyk, the Head of the Prime Minister's Chancellery, stated that calls for resignations during the pandemic are a manifestation of political laziness, particularly when a party finds itself in the parliamentary minority. He emphasized that effective crisis management necessitates constructive collaboration, and it is this kind of engagement that they are advocating for.

Dworczyk's remarks, shared via a tweet (https://twitter.com/michaldworczyk/status/1264867453819125760), suggest that political opposition should focus on contributing to solutions rather than merely demanding the dismissal of officials. He implied that such demands, especially from a minority position, are an unproductive approach to addressing the complex challenges posed by the pandemic. Instead, he urged for a focus on practical, constructive work aimed at navigating the crisis effectively.

- Apparently, the Senate Speaker wants to delay or shorten the time for gathering signatures for the new Civic Platform candidate, because the commission on this matter has only been convened for tomorrow. I would like to remind you that the previous one worked for so long and so "intensively" that it did not manage to complete its work; it was interrupted, and its further part will take place tomorrow. And there is still no information about the Senate session. What seems surprising, but observing the opposition's actions, we are less surprised, because they indeed cannot cope even with the simplest tasks – stated Ryszard Terlecki at a briefing in the Sejm.

- This is, of course, the prerogative of the president [to appoint the First President of the Supreme Court]. We are very pleased that this drawn-out procedure has been completed and the president has been appointed. It is worth addressing the opinions, difficult to call them that, but they did appear in the media, that the assembly of Supreme Court judges chooses the president. Of course, the Constitution says otherwise, and lawyers, especially those who stated that it is precisely the assembly that chooses and decides by majority whom the president should appoint, such lawyers lack the qualifications to practice law. I think this should reach their potential clients - stated Ryszard Terlecki at a briefing in the Sejm.

- This can be commented on very simply. Waving the Constitution isn't enough; you also need to read it. Those who haven't read it don't understand that it's the President who chooses from candidates presented by the assembly of judges. Any other ideas are unserious and contrary to the letter of the Constitution - stated Ryszard Terlecki at a briefing in the Sejm.

„The nomination of Professor Manowska is another political act by Andrzej Duda, another idea on how to close the system, because we have a closed arrangement here. You see the police grabbing a woman who is sitting at a protest in front of Trójka, prosecutors who are paralyzed by who knows what concerning Minister Szumowski’s affairs, and now we have the Supreme Court, whose First President will be a Deputy Minister of Justice, Zbigniew Ziobro's deputy from 2007. So, the arrangement is becoming a closed one. How can one ignore the will of judges of an independent court, the most important court in Poland, and make one's own political choices and calculations? As President of the Republic of Poland, immediately after taking office, I should request all documents related to this nomination and seriously verify it” - said presidential candidate Szymon Hołownia at a press conference.

„President Duda has once again shown that, unfortunately, he is not the president of Poles. He is the president of Law and Justice and will stop at nothing to turn the Republic of Poland into the private state of Jarosław Kaczyński and all those who execute his will” - he added. 

- Certainly, [the election of the First President of the Supreme Court] is not the end of the reform yet, but it is an important stage in organizing and stabilizing the legal system and the system of justice in Poland. We certainly dealt with attempts to prolong this process. There were situations, perhaps, not to say compromising for judges, who could not understand what it meant to circle a candidate they wanted to nominate. Well, that indeed seems very compromising for those individuals, but fortunately, all these attempts to prolong the selection of candidates ended successfully, and the President could exercise his rights - stated Ryszard Terlecki at a briefing in the Sejm.

- PiS has candidates [for the pedophilia commission] and will present them. This will be officially announced. Yes, this week - stated Ryszard Terlecki at a briefing in the Sejm.

The election calendar will be announced by the Marshal of the Sejm once the Senate concludes this tedious, exhausting, and, in my opinion, unnecessary procedure of delaying the legislative process. I will remind you that swift proceedings are currently in the interest of Civic Platform, and it appears the Senate is delaying these actions. Perhaps this is a result of internal disagreements within Civic Platform – stated Ryszard Terlecki at a briefing in the Sejm. It depends on when the Senate is able to deal with this. We would like it to be a period of time that is safe for collecting signatures, meaning at least a few days, but if the Senate continues to drag its feet, this deadline may be shortened – he continued.

- We wanted to address the motions of no-confidence against ministers. Regarding the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Sasin, it will be considered at this Sejm session. Naturally, it will be rejected by the parliamentary majority because it lacks any substantive justification. As for the three motions announced by Civic Platform, as it happens, these motions have not yet been submitted. Perhaps Civic Platform is looking for justifications for them. In our opinion, there is no justification for these motions either. We are, of course, awaiting the documents. We will refer to the details then, but we find no grounds for these motions to be considered positively - stated Anita Czerwińska at a press briefing in the Sejm.

- Polish enterprises assumed that funding from the Polish Development Fund (PFR) would be disbursed by the end of April this year at the latest. Unfortunately, the end of May is approaching, and the program has still not received approval from the European Commission, which is incomprehensible to Polish businesses and their employees. This threatens many of them with bankruptcy, leading to job losses for thousands of workers. In such a difficult and unprecedented situation, the European Commission's decisions on approving rescue packages in member states should be measured in days, not weeks, and certainly not months - wrote Polish entrepreneurs in an appeal addressed to EC President Ursula von der Leyen.

- Given the enormous economic and social costs caused by every day of delay in program approval, as representatives of the largest Polish employer and entrepreneur organizations, we appeal to you, Madam President, for an immediate response and for the earliest possible approval of the government's Financial Shield program from the Polish Development Fund for Large Firms. We are talking about the uncertainty faced by thousands of companies, millions of employees, and their families. With this in mind, Europe and Poland currently need swift and decisive action to protect their development potential, enterprises, and jobs - emphasized in the letter.

The letter was signed by representatives of the National Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Polish Entrepreneurs, Association of Business Service Leaders - ABSL, Confederation Lewiatan, Polish Business Council, Employers of Poland, Employers' Union of Business Centre Club, Polish Bank Association, and Polish Crafts Association.

- Some figures here concern us. The national average for completing this task is 60%. To date, over one million four hundred thousand applications have been submitted. This task has been accomplished, with 883,000 applications processed positively. Over PLN 4.4 billion has been disbursed. This amount is already in entrepreneurs' accounts. However, there are local governments, district labour offices, that are carrying out this task in such a way that we are very concerned. On Friday, in a letter to Rafał Trzaskowski, I mentioned the need to speed up the implementation of this task, stating that Warsaw entrepreneurs are waiting for these funds. We have taken steps that not only secure the funds, because I remind you that as of today, funds secured for the city of Warsaw, for the district labour office in Warsaw, amount to PLN 150 million. Of this, for processing, as can be easily calculated, PLN 750,000 will be allocated. So, if we were to convert this, the processing of one application, for the processing of one application, we are transferring PLN 25. And if we look at the progress in task completion, the execution of the task in Warsaw is 11%. I will remind you, on Friday it was 9%. One could say there is acceleration, but what kind? That is why I appeal to the Mayor of Warsaw, so that we make every effort, so that the President looks into the implementation of this task, this logistics. We have already stepped in and are still able to help you. If there is a problem, please tell us what further assistance the President needs. We will certainly help the district labour office in Warsaw, so that Warsaw entrepreneurs receive these funds as soon as possible – stated Marlena Maląg at a press briefing.

- I will say this: the ministry's services, the ministry's IT services are constantly cooperating with the district labour office. They are technically streamlining what is on the district labour office's side. The loan application instrument is very simple. In fact, if the application is submitted electronically, the processing on the district labour office's side involves retrieving the application from the system, then verifying if the entrepreneur is in the CEIDG system, and this is happening almost semi-automatically, and then qualifying for disbursement. This is the work that must be performed efficiently, and efficiently in the city of Warsaw – she continued.

- We are committed to protecting jobs. Mr. President [Trzaskowski], we are ready to support the district labour office in carrying out this task. Today, we have already provided IT personnel. Our institutions, subordinate to the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy, are already analysing how else they can support the district labour office. We are also waiting for an initiative from the President, if you need this help – the minister emphasized.

- We've been given the opportunity to conduct an interview with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. I want to ask him as many questions as possible about education and, of course, the economy, as it's very important right now. But I'm also waiting for your questions. We'll see how it turns out - informed Adam Drzewiecki from Matura To Bzdura. Questions can be sent via Instastories on Instagram. The broadcast will be on Tuesday at 4:00 PM.

„In connection with today's statement by Civic Platform politicians, I have spoken on this matter many times, but I will say it again if there is a need. I have never supervised NCBiR” - said the Minister of Health Łukasz Szumowski at a press conference.

„This matter has been analyzed many times – a year ago, two years ago, three years ago by journalists. It did not evoke any emotions or controversies. Why does this matter suddenly evoke so many emotions today, is the subject of statements that actually show suggestions, insinuations, certain unconnected facts. I am convinced that this is related to the election calendar and I would call it a political happening. Instead of dedicating all my effort to fighting the epidemic, I am generally responding to these various reports” - he added.

„[Recommendations regarding masks] I expect tomorrow. I think this is an element highly anticipated by Poles. Tomorrow, we will issue these recommendations together with the Prime Minister, similar to the rules regarding weddings, various aspects of every person's normal life,” said Minister of Health Łukasz Szumowski at a press conference.

“Today no one died from Covid. This shows that the situation is truly stabilized. For this reason, we should rejoice, and certainly many more people will die from Covid in the world and in Poland, but the fewer, the better. Every such day brings joy” - said the Minister of Health, Łukasz Szumowski, at a press conference.

- The procedure is very simple. Despite this, we saw an attempt at obstruction in the Supreme Court. Fortunately, we managed to bring this procedure to an end, to select these candidates. Every judge could cast a vote, express their will. And based on this procedure, these candidates, the President made a free choice, because this is the President's competence, his prerogative. No one can challenge it - said Sebastian Kaleta in an interview with Adrian Klarenbach on Polish Radio 24.

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- Together with the Minister of National Defence, Mariusz Błaszczak, we decided that this year's Special Forces Day will take place at this unit, a unit that Silesia is particularly proud of, at the AGAT Special Forces military unit - said President Andrzej Duda in Katowice.

- Today we can confidently say that the situation is under control. In the last 24 hours, there have been no deaths, and the number of infections has dropped compared to a few days ago. These are different infections, because those that were in the mines have been suppressed, but now we have these outbreaks that have been transferred to homes - said President Andrzej Duda in Katowice.

- At this moment, submitting requests to dismiss ministers during a pandemic, during an economic crisis, is an expression of the opposition's powerlessness and a lack of any constructive proposals that can be presented to Poles. Of course, there are no reasons to dismiss Minister Szumowski – said Michał Dworczyk in an interview with Bogdan Rymanowski on the program "Gość Wydarzeń" on Polsat News.

- Sometimes mistakes happen. This is what the government spokesperson, Minister Müller, spoke about today. In such a situation, one must say 'I apologize,' because if a mistake happens, one must apologize for that mistake. The authorities, representatives of the authorities, are treated the same as the average Kowalski. We, within the Chancellery, because it is we who provide services to the Prime Minister, will draw conclusions from this - said Michał Dworczyk on Polsat News.

- Tomorrow the Prime Minister will present information. It will happen by Wednesday at the latest. However, I do not wish to discuss the details; this matter is reserved for the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health - stated Michał Dworczyk in Polsat News.

First, Marshal Witek has had the obligation to announce the election date since yesterday. This is a constitutional obligation, and the new law has nothing to do with it. Second, it is hypocritical to blame the Senate for the longer legislative work, as the Senate is compensating for what was not done in the Sejm – thorough analyses. Third, it is extreme hypocrisy to claim that some analyses are underway in the Prime Minister's Chancellery regarding when and how to announce the resolution of the National Electoral Commission (PKW). This is pure manipulation. I listened with embarrassment to what Minister Dworczyk said, because I haven't heard such a quantity of hypocrisy in a long time. Meaning, if someone says they are legally analyzing how to announce the PKW resolution, no, they are just waiting for a new law, and the new law has nothing to do with the Constitution explicitly stating it. The Sejm Marshal has 14 days to order new elections – stated Borys Budka in a conversation with Bogdan Rymanowski on the program "Wydarzenia i opinie" on Polsat News.

- It is good that the Supreme Court will have a First President, elected in accordance with the constitution and the provisions found in the laws. I am absolutely outraged by the attempt by some irresponsible PO politicians to question this election. In my opinion, this is an expression of such a lack of respect not only for the law but also for state institutions - said Michał Dworczyk on Polsat News.

- There is the Electoral Code, which is binding. There is the Constitution, which is binding. The new law has nothing to do with it. Today, Marshal Witek is committing a constitutional offense by not announcing the elections. What if the law [on elections] is not adopted? What if the Sejm rejects it together with the Senate? The execution of a constitutional obligation cannot be made dependent on future law. As of today, the Electoral Code and the Constitution are binding, and the fact that the Sejm, with a parliamentary majority, has mindlessly adopted absurd solutions is absolutely no impetus for the Senate to act in the same way. The Constitution clearly states: the Senate has 30 days to consider a bill - stated Borys Budka on the program "Wydarzenia i opinie" on Polsat News.

- We are currently in the stage of formal-legal analyses, also related to ensuring no legal chaos arises, which could generally very significantly complicate the presidential elections. I repeat, as soon as this legislative process concludes, the Marshal will present the election calendar, and I hope it happens as soon as possible - said Michał Dworczyk in Polsat News.

- I don't believe a word from PiS. I don't believe PiS wants to keep the Senate's amendments [to the so-called Presidential Election Act] in effect. No, they will probably all be rejected - stated Borys Budka on the program "Events and Opinions" on Polsat News.

- We are fortunate that in the Senate we speak with one voice. We will submit joint amendments concerning, among other things, the inclusion of an election calendar. This we have agreed upon. I also declared support and I stand by it for the PSL's amendment, which concerns two-day elections. This is to make them more secure. There are many such things that could have been done in the Sejm already, and yet PiS pretends that the Senate is to blame for the substantive work - stated Borys Budka in the program "Wydarzenia i opinie" on Polsat News.

„Just as the PiS authorities, by speaking of Poland's alleged pathologies before 2015, were in fact writing a pathological script for themselves, because today PiS joyfully implements everything it imagined about corrupt politics when it was out of power. Police brutality towards citizens expressing their political opinions, regardless of our stance on those opinions, but citizens have the right to express their opinions, a situation where regulations concerning the fight against coronavirus are so glaringly used to suppress civil liberties, while these same regulations are so glaringly ignored by everyone” – stated Senate Vice-Marshal Michał Kamiński of PSL-Koalicja Polska in an interview with Monika Olejnik on TVN24's „Kropka nad i”. 

„Regarding the police reaction and how they behave, it is an example of a good stance, as they are often not provoked. We had a situation during a demonstration when there was an epidemic state, when there was incitement to protests and gatherings, at a time when such a form should not have taken place due to the epidemic. The opposition is exploiting this” - said Deputy Minister Jacek Ozdoba on TVN24. 

"The opposition does nothing but push for elections to be held as soon as possible and in accordance with the constitution. It is clear that we want them to be held as soon as possible and in compliance with the constitution. Logic indicates that as soon as possible and in accordance with the constitution means sometime in mid-October" - said Michał Kamiński, Deputy Speaker of the Senate from PSL-Koalicja Polska, on TVN24.

“It is clear that Civic Platform is not collecting signatures now because it is a party that respects the law. If they were collecting them now, they would be breaking the law, so they are certainly not breaking the law and are waiting for the moment when they will be able to collect signatures” - said Michał Kamiński, Deputy Speaker of the Senate from PSL-Koalicja Polska, on TVN24.

-- LIVEBLOG 300POLITYKI: PRESIDENT ON THE CONTROLLED SITUATION DWORCZYK APOLOGIZES KAMIŃSKI ON PIS IMPLEMENTING FLAWED POLICY, WHICH HE HIMSELF WARNED AGAINST BUDKA ON SUPPORT FOR THE PSL AMENDMENT ON 2-DAY ELECTIONS https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/05/25/ ***** WYDARZENIA POLSATU -- MAŁGORZATA MANOWSKA IS THE NEW FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE SUPREME COURT. -- It has been said for a long time that she might replace Małgorzata Gersdorf, although she did not receive the largest number of votes from the General Assembly of Supreme Court Judges, but Włodzimierz Wróbel did - Anna Hałas-Michalska. -- The opposition speaks of the politicization of the Supreme Court - Hałas-Michalska continues. -- The ruling party, like Stanisław Karczewski, announces the end of communism in Polish judiciary - Hałas-Michalska. -- Formally, the President is not bound by the majority decision; the Constitution speaks of selecting a president for a 6-year term from among the presented candidates - Hałas-Michalska. -- However, in the last 22 years, candidates with more votes have also become presidents - Hałas-Michalska continues. -- The President also appointed Michał Laskowski as the President of the Supreme Court, heading the Criminal Chamber - Hałas-Michalska. -- In Brussels, a report on the state of democracy in Poland. -- MEPs accuse the authorities in Warsaw of politicizing the judiciary and violating human rights. -- The government responds that this is untrue and is part of a long-standing smear campaign. -- Further accusations against the Minister of Health; Civic Platform politicians accuse Łukasz Szumowski of lying and claim he supervised an institution that awarded grants to his brother's company. -- The opposition announces motions to dismiss ministers. -- The campaign, which formally doesn't exist, is doing well - Mira Skórka. -- Candidates are appearing more boldly in public places and have to deal with difficult questions from residents - Skórka continues. -- KUBA STRZYCZKOWSKI IS THE NEW DIRECTOR OF TRÓJKA. -- The number of deaths due to COVID-19 in Poland has exceeded 1,000. ***** FAKTY TVN -- The decision regarding Manowska is no surprise - Maciej Knapik. -- All the circumstances do not seem to bother the politicians of the ruling camp. -- The opposition reminds that Manowska comes from an appointment by the neo-KRS and is considered a collaborator of Ziobro - Knapik. -- She was a politician; this is one of the premises - Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz. -- It is unknown what decision Laskowski will make - Knapik. -- Mandates, fines, detentions - protesters are increasingly alarmed that attempts are being made to intimidate them under the guise of protection against the epidemic. "Stop the repressions," the opposition appeals to the government, but the authorities say all actions are taken in accordance with the law. -- AT THE PRESIDENT'S MEETING, MANY PEOPLE WERE PRESENT AND THE POLICE DID NOT REACT - ARLETA ZALEWSKA: At the President's meeting, where many people also gathered, the police did not intervene and no one received a ticket. Following a protest by entrepreneurs on Saturday, their organizer and presidential candidate Paweł Tanajno was charged with assaulting police officers. In turn, PKP Intercity confirmed that the request from the head of the security department for information about people traveling to Warsaw for the entrepreneurs' protest is not only true but also stems from "concern for the safety and comfort" of passengers. -- BORYS BUDKA: If citizens cannot be bought, they are tried to be intimidated. -- PATRYK JAKI: If there is a lot of police to ensure safety, I think it's good because it acts preventatively. -- Łukasz Szumowski is the face of the government's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, but according to Civic Platform, the Minister of Health has another face. In their assessment, he is a person entangled in a conflict of interest. The minister's line of defense is that the accusations are political. -- HE WAS A POSITIVE FACE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE PANDEMIC, TODAY, AFTER THE REVELATION OF HIS BROTHER'S INTERESTS, HE CAN BECOME A BURDEN - KATARZYNA KOLENDA-ZALESKA. -- CIVIC PLATFORM UNDERMINES THE MINISTER'S HONESTY, SENDING A SIGNAL: THIS GOVERNMENT IS DISHONEST - KKZ. -- THE GOVERNMENT'S REACTION IS NOT SURPRISING: NO ONE WILL LOSE THEIR POSITION - KKZ. -- THE RITUAL IS GAINING IMPORTANCE IN THE CAMPAIGN; AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, THE PRESIDENT OFTEN APPEARED WITH SZUMOWSKI; TODAY, THE CONTROVERSIES SURROUNDING THE MINISTER MAY HARM HIM - KKZ. -- THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE DEBATE IS INTENDED TO SUPPORT TRZASKOWSKI'S CAMPAIGN - KKZ. -- THE PRESIDENT DOES NOT HIDE THAT HIS SUPPORT BASE IS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND HE HAS SIGNIFICANTLY EXPOSED HIMSELF TO THEM - KKZ. -- PAD RESORTS TO HALF-TRUTHS, MANIPULATION, TO AVOID SAYING ANYTHING STRONGER - ALEKSANDRA DULKIEWICZ. -- PIS WARNS THAT THE LONGER THE SENATE WORKS ON THE BILL, THE LESS TIME TRZASKOWSKI WILL HAVE TO COLLECT SIGNATURES - KKZ. ***** WIADOMOŚCI TVP – PAD HAS DECIDED TO APPOINT JUDGE MAŁGORZATA MANOWSKA AS THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE SUPREME COURT - announcement. -- Just yesterday, PAD announced that the competencies and predispositions of the candidates would decide - Konrad Wąż. -- MANOWSKA EMPHASIZED HER APOLITICAL NATURE ON SATURDAY - Wąż. -- The opposition protests and pushes for another candidate: Włodzimierz Wróbel - Wąż. -- Experts recall that 6 years ago Komorowski chose Gersdorf, even though she did not receive the majority of votes from the Supreme Court. The same happened in 2010 - Wąż. -- In 1998, Kwaśniewski did not appoint Prof. Strzębosz, who was running for a second term - Wąż. -- PAD chose Manowska because he believed she guaranteed political neutrality and the presidency of the Supreme Court - Wąż. -- Judge Wróbel, pushed by the opposition, does not hide his political views. He publicly criticized the judicial reform and its authors - Wąż. -- He also questioned the legitimacy of constitutional bodies such as the National Council of the Judiciary (KRS) and the Supreme Court's Disciplinary Chamber - Wąż. -- Wróbel also said that Poland is now only partially a democratic rule of law state, and largely an authoritarian country - Wąż. -- The choice of Manowska is a defeat for the self-proclaimed extraordinary judicial caste - Wąż. -- The decision to appoint Laskowski as President of the Criminal Chamber proves that the opposition is wrong that the President is not seeking compromise - Wąż. -- The appointment of Manowska as the First President of the Supreme Court gives hope for a break with pathologies that have often surfaced in the judicial community in recent years - announcement. -- For many, Manowska is a hope for long-awaited changes. Enough of the impunity of the extraordinary caste, the end of judicial excesses and unpunished theft - Konrad Warzocha. -- PAD and the Minister of Defense participated in a meeting of the Provincial Crisis Management Center Staff in Katowice - Karol Jałtuszewski. -- PIS MEPs leave nothing unsaid about the report prepared by one of the European Parliament committees - announcement: Brussels has once again attacked the Polish government for introducing legal solutions known from other member states. -- BRUSSELS IS HITTING POLAND ONCE AGAIN - Marcin Szypszak. -- RAFAŁ TRZASKOWSKI WAS A CO-AUTHOR OF THE 2016 EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION - Szypszak: Trzaskowski was in favor of punishing Poland on the international stage. -- BRUSSELS HAS TARGETED WARSAW. HOWEVER, IT REMAINS SILENT ABOUT THE ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTIONAL COURT IN GERMANY - Szypszak: An influential Christian Democrat politician took its helm. -- IT IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND THE LOGIC OF BRUSSELS OFFICIALS - Szypszak: On the one hand, they accuse of violating the rule of law, and on the other, they criticize that the parliament dealt with citizens' bills on the prohibition of abortion or sex education, even though it was a direct consequence of constitutional duties. -- BRUSSELS IS FORCIBLY LOOKING FOR SUBSTITUTE TOPICS BECAUSE IT FAILED IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE CORONAVIRUS - Szypszak. -- THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION HAS STILL NOT RESPONDED TO THE POLISH AID PLAN FOR LARGE COMPANIES - Szypszak. -- 5 YEARS OF FIGHT FOR SOVEREIGNTY AND PROSPERITY - banner. -- DOMINIK CIERPIOŁ RECALLS THE 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MORNING AFTER ANDRZEJ DUDA'S ELECTORAL VICTORY.

During a working meeting with representatives of mining trade unions, of which there have been many recently, I came into contact with a person infected with coronavirus. I am currently undergoing quarantine. I am not planning any rest – I am working at regular capacity in a remote form.

"While simultaneously following similar processes in other countries, I haven't noticed the appointment of the new President of the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic, Petr Angyalossy, or former CDU politician Stephan Harbarth as President of the Constitutional Court being widely commented on and criticized by the European Commission?" - the Prime Minister responds to a question from Germany's largest opinion daily, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. The interview with the Prime Minister is published in Tuesday's edition of the newspaper. The Prime Minister also refutes accusations about the controversial electoral process in Poland:"Of course, there is a political challenge related to the epidemic situation - but other countries have faced similar elections when organizing their electoral procedures. However, in Germany, France, or Switzerland, the elections were not nationwide and did not concern the choice of the most important person in the state. Hence, the greater intensity of discussion about their form compared to other countries." Mateusz Morawiecki speaks about the importance of unimpeded cooperation between the government and the president:"President Andrzej Duda enjoys very broad support from Poles and is the favorite in the upcoming elections. Cooperation with him is going very well, which has proven to be of key importance in the context of the pandemic." The Prime Minister warns against dividing Europe:"What we should avoid most at this moment is division. (...) Meanwhile, there is no better or worse Europe. There is one Europe that needs solidarity and cooperation, because only then can it emerge stronger from this crisis. The fact that Poland and the Visegrad Group countries have developed most dynamically in recent years means that in this difficult time, we can bring more strength and freshness to the European community." PM Morawiecki rejects the theory of different speeds within the EU:"I believe that the temptations to implement a 'two-speed' approach, which have alarmingly often appeared in discussions about the future of the EU, will now, in a completely new situation, be definitively rejected, as the fundamental condition for the success of anti-crisis measures is adherence to the principle of solidarity of all EU member states." He also speaks about Euro-Atlantic relations and the damaged credit of trust:"Certainly, in recent times, the credit of trust between partners in the USA and the EU has been damaged, although I would refrain from seeking culprits, especially on only one side. The States and Europe share the same values - democracy, freedom, human dignity, and human rights. If we want these values to endure and develop, Euro-Atlantic cooperation is essential. We are living in times of change, instability, in a dangerous and dynamic era. Europe must take care of its security. The architecture of European and global security is difficult to imagine without American participation. Good, sensible cooperation between the USA and Europe is a condition for a just world order." Morawiecki also talks about the governing right-wing's vision:"United Right has a broad modernization program. We feel that Poland has many opportunities ahead. We want to utilize these chances as best as possible, turning them into economic success. This does not mean, however, that we will abandon our values. Our goal is wise modernization that does not renounce tradition."