A recess has been declared in the Senate session until 12:30 PM. After the break, the chamber will proceed to vote on the amendment to the Animal Protection Act, commonly known as the "Five for Animals" (Piątka dla zwierząt).

At 9:30 AM, the Senate's Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the Legislative Committee will convene to consider amendments to the novelization that were proposed during the plenary debates.

Also today, as we reported on 300POLITYCE, the continuation of the presidential consultations regarding the aforementioned amendment to the Animal Protection Act is scheduled to take place.

Photo: Łukasz Kamiński, Chancellery of the Senate

- There will be no measurable results, nor will there be any, as long as the Prime Minister does not understand that there must be a drastic change in the government's attitude in the fight against the pandemic. We presented five concrete, good solutions, and we also presented 16 proposals that have either been rejected by this government or are still lying in the parliamentary freezer. Now is the time for the Prime Minister to prove whether this was just a PR stunt for journalists, to say that talks took place, or whether there will truly be a breakthrough and he will want to implement good demands - said Borys Budka in an interview with Grzegorz Kępka on Polsat News' "Graffiti".

"I think that by necessity [Czarnek's swearing-in] will not be possible this week. From what I know, Mr. MP is feeling well. In the next few days, there is a chance that he will end his isolation and his illness will conclude. Perhaps next week is a realistic date. We stand by our nomination for the Minister of Education and Science. It's a matter of agreeing on a date with Mr. President" - said government spokesperson Piotr Müller in an interview with Konrad Piasecki on TVN24. 

As we can see, President Andrzej Duda is completely absent when it comes to this issue. I regret this, because he has a very good tool, which is the National Security Council. I would like to remind you that nearly a week ago I asked President Andrzej Duda to convene the National Security Council. Well, during the election campaign, he was more active. He has absolutely disappeared underground – said Borys Budka on Polsat News.

It was Jarosław Kaczyński who assured in the Sejm that this law is perfect and he wouldn't amend it. Kaczyński must raise the white flag today, because his senators rebelled. We support increased animal protection, we support solutions that prevent breeding animals for fur, we are against ritual slaughter, but we want the state to guarantee compensation. This is the key – said Borys Budka on Polsat News. 

https://twitter.com/sasinjacek/status/1316234785170259968?s=21

https://twitter.com/sasinjacek/status/1316234813926449155?s=21

Opady w całym kraju zwiększają poziom wody w Wiśle. Wojsko sygnalizuje, że konieczny może być czasowy demontaż mostu pontonowego z tymczasowym rurociągiem do Czajki. W takim wypadku ponownie rozpoczniemy ozonowanie ścieków i wzmożone kontrole

„Everything indicates that Mr. Szumowski, the longer we get to know him, the more he proves to be a completely irresponsible person. I will remind you that he went to Spain. The Ministry was saying that it advised Poles against traveling to Spain. The former Minister of Health, who goes to Spain right after announcing that one should not. I have the impression that Mr. Szumowski was walking around and spreading it” – said Katarzyna Lubnauer from Civic Coalition in an interview with Jacek Prusinowski on Radio Plus. 

„We will turn to the GIS (Chief Sanitary Inspectorate) for an explanation of this matter, to find out why Mr. Szumowski was walking around shops, around Poland, and spreading the coronavirus” – she added.

The Ministry of Health has reported 6,526 new cases of coronavirus infection in Poland. Tragically, 116 individuals have died due to the virus.

Further details can be found in the following official announcements:

• https://twitter.com/mz_gov_pl/status/1316295574786912256?s=21
• https://twitter.com/mz_gov_pl/status/1316295576955351040?s=21

- As we can see from today's results, the situation in two voivodeships, which contain Poland's largest cities, is developing quite disturbingly. These are the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, with over 1100 infections, and the Małopolskie Voivodeship, also with over 1100 infections. It must be said that the capitals of these voivodeships are influencing these results. Mazovia has around 720 infections from Warsaw alone, while Małopolska has 499 infections from Krakow itself - said Wojciech Andrusiewicz during a press conference.

- There are no large outbreaks. We keep emphasizing that we are currently infecting each other on the streets frequently. If you ask whether Warsaw has a chance of being in the red zone, I will not hide the fact that we are heading towards declaring over 100 districts as red districts again. Unfortunately, quite a lot of cities will likely be included - said Wojciech Andrusiewicz during a press conference.

- We do not assume that the entire country will become red tomorrow. As for additional restrictions, as the Prime Minister announced at a press conference with the Minister of Health, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health will communicate about this once a week, so we can expect a press conference from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health at the end of the week regarding the communication of any possible additional restrictions - said Wojciech Andrusiewicz during a press conference.

“On behalf of the Civic Coalition parliamentary club, we have today submitted a motion to Madam Marshal Witek to extend the agenda of the upcoming Sejm session to include information from the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs regarding the status of negotiations for the new European Union budget and the accompanying recovery fund, which is intended to counteract the effects of the coronavirus epidemic. In recent days, through a press interview with the new Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Jarosław Kaczyński, we have learned that the Polish government - in the opinion of Deputy Prime Minister Kaczyński - is ready to veto the EU budget. This is the same budget project that the Prime Minister was recently boasting about, a budget from which Poland, including the recovery fund, is the largest European beneficiary. We have already experienced so many unexpected events and decisions from Deputy Prime Minister Kaczyński that we know that when he says he is ready to veto the European budget on behalf of the government, he is ready to do so,” Sławomir Nitras from the Civic Coalition stated at a press conference.

“It turns out that [in Polish foreign policy] it can still get worse. Today, we have PLN 550 billion on the table, which Poland can either use or not. The voice of Jarosław Kaczyński, who is now a member of the government, casts doubt on the possibility of utilizing EU funds in the next financial perspective. We are submitting this motion so that Poles find out what this is all about, in which direction Polish foreign policy is heading, and in which direction our country's development is heading – East or West,” said Agnieszka Pomaska from KO.

“We will also be expecting information on this matter in the Senate. At the nearest Senate session. We knew this, and PiS has repeatedly given proof that it prioritizes its party's interest over Poland's interest. PiS has repeatedly shown that the interest of the Community is also of little significance compared to the interest of a narrow group of PiS leaders,” stated Senator Bogdan Klich from KO.

„We will see [what the stance will be]. Commissions are underway [in the Senate]. We are for amendments. Discipline is constant. I hope no [senator will deviate]. [What the penalties will be], we will see if they deviate. [Threatened with deviation] is removal from the club, from the party. Various consequences are possible. We are talking to them [the suspended MPs]” – said Deputy Speaker Ryszard Terlecki from PiS in an interview with journalists in the Sejm.

We have just concluded the last session of the PiS parliamentary club's Senate part concerning the animal protection bill. The Senate has finished substantive work in committees. A vote is scheduled for 3:00 PM. The latest recommendations for our senators were presented by both Marshal Terlecki and Marek Martynowski,” said PiS Senate Deputy Marshal Marek Pęk. “The most important recommendations made were to vote against the motion to reject the bill and against adopting the bill without amendments. I believe the majority will vote against these motions. We will consider the motions submitted today in today's committees, and of course, those announced by the Prime Minister will be voted on,” added the head of the PiS Senate club, Marek Martynowski. “Discipline applies. We have made numerous changes after long and exhausting discussions. I believe there should no longer be significant doubts. I hope that the senators who raised these doubts have been convinced and that the entire PiS Senate club will vote according to the recommendations of Chairman Martynowski,” said PiS Sejm Deputy Marshal Ryszard Terlecki.

„Those who received votes in rural Poland have a chance to rehabilitate themselves. PiS received the most votes from Polish farmers. They have a chance to rehabilitate themselves and vote differently than in the Sejm, to reject the 'fifth' that introduces an embargo on Polish agriculture, to reject the 'fifth' that liquidates the Polish economy” - said the leader of PSL, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, at a press conference.

„We agreed [in the Senate alliance] on respecting the principles of good legislation, the rule of law, and strengthening Poland's presence in the EU, not leading Poland out of the EU. We remain faithful to these principles, even if our political interests suggest otherwise, even if the benefits in support and polls were within reach. We did not succumb to the temptation of breaking the principle of the rule of law, but stood by the constitution and the rule of law. This is a test for this majority, whether they will be on the side of the rule of law, the constitution, and whether they will be on the side of European law” - he added.

During a block of votes, the Senate rejected the two most far-reaching motions concerning the Animal Protection Bill: one to adopt it without amendments and another to reject it entirely.

Senators are now voting on amendments and have already rejected, among others, the one that would have removed the ban on ritual slaughter from the bill. The most divided on the issue of rejecting the bill entirely was the Civic Coalition club (20 for, 20 against, 3 abstentions).

One of the adopted amendments stipulates the extension of the entry into force of regulations concerning the limitation of ritual slaughter until the end of 2025. Another introduces a grace period for fur farming until July 31, 2023. Yet another removes restrictions concerning the ritual slaughter of poultry. The bill will now return to the Sejm. 76 senators voted in favor of its adoption, 11 voted against, and 10 abstained.

- The situation was not easy, and it seems no ideal solution could be found. However, after long, turbulent deliberations, the vote concluded with the adoption of the act with numerous amendments, and it seems this is the best the Senate could achieve. While working on the act, which came to us from the Sejm having been processed in an extremely careless manner - said Marshal Tomasz Grodzki during a press conference. 

- I held consultations with Prof. Pinkas regarding the current and expected epidemic situation. Further increases in the number of infections are expected in the coming days. This is a result of behaviors from a few days ago. The future also depends on us. Wash your hands! Wear a mask! Protect Seniors! - wrote President Andrzej Duda on Twitter.

- The matter is very fresh, so we will be looking into it, we will be making decisions, but the rules are generally quite simple, similar to those applied to MPs - said Radosław Fogiel in an interview with Roch Kowalski for "Political Interview" on TOK FM Radio.

- I believe that Mr. President, who has repeatedly announced that he will never agree to the paltry treatment of animals and that he will support any proposal that improves their situation, I believe that Mr. President will act in this way - said Radosław Fogiel on TOK FM.

Sawicki: Od dziś będę optował za rezygnacją ze współpracy z tzw. opozycją w Senacie

https://twitter.com/sawickimarek/status/1316434413664849920

- The situation is extremely serious, as we introduced a drastic lockdown in the spring when there were fewer than 300 cases. Now we have 6.5 thousand, and the authorities wasted several months dealing with themselves and failing to prepare us for the predictable autumn wave of the pandemic - said Tomasz Grodzki in an interview with Grzegorz Kajdanowicz on TVN24's "Fakty po faktach".

- This is not the time to criticize doctors. This is the time to support all healthcare staff who are working under immense pressure. You can see how exhausted the people in the Sanitary and Epidemiological Station are, how exhausted the nurses are, how exhausted the people in care homes are. They are falling ill, going into quarantine, and there are fewer and fewer of them. This is what needs to be addressed, not using doctors as scapegoats, and soon it will be teachers, then lawyers, as usual. These are PRL-era times, we cannot act like this. Stalin fought doctors, but a democratic government shouldn't - said Tomasz Grodzki on TVN24.

- In politics, change is quite common. I wish these colleagues all the best. And in the Senate, as you know, I try to lead this institution in such a way that all senators feel that we are doing something good for Poland and for our citizens, and we try to do it as carefully and as well as possible - said Tomasz Grodzki on TVN24.

-- 300POLITYKI LIVEBLOG: GRODZKI ON STALIN FIGHTING DOCTORS AND THAT A DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT. SAWICKI ON PSL LEAVING THE SENATE MAJORITY. NITRAS AND POMASKA ON THE NECESSITY OF THE PRIME MINISTER INFORMING THE SEJM ABOUT THE EU BUDGET. https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/10/14/ ***** POLSAT EVENTS -- WE HAVE THE LARGEST DAILY INCREASE IN CORONAVIRUS INFECTIONS SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE EPIDEMIC IN POLAND. -- WARSAW AND KRAKÓW, POLAND'S LARGEST CITIES, HAVE THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF INFECTED INDIVIDUALS - Agnieszka Milczarz. -- STARTING TOMORROW, BOTH LOCATIONS MAY BE IN THE RED ZONE - Milczarz continued. -- ACCORDING TO DOCTORS, THIS IS A RESULT OF THE RELAXATION OF SOCIAL DISCIPLINE - Milczarz. -- NO ONE KNOWS WHEN IT WILL END. SCIENTISTS' MODELS AND CALCULATIONS ARE HELPFUL, BUT THE PROBLEM IS THEY DON'T ALWAYS WORK. -- THE TEST WAS NEGATIVE, BUT PRIME MINISTER MORAWIECKI IS STAYING IN QUARANTINE JUST IN CASE. -- CAUTION IS ADVISED BECAUSE THE TEST PROBABLY MISLED THE FORMER MINISTER OF HEALTH. -- ŁUKASZ SZUMOWSKI HAS BEEN ADMITTED TO THE WARSAW HOSPITAL OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR AND ADMINISTRATION, HE IS ON OXYGEN BUT BREATHING INDEPENDENTLY - Mira Skórka. -- THE PRIME MINISTER IS BEING CAUTIOUS - Skórka continued. -- THE PRIME MINISTER IS WAITING FOR THE RESULT OF ANOTHER TEST - Skórka. -- HE WILL MOST LIKELY NOT PARTICIPATE IN TOMORROW'S EUROPEAN COUNCIL SESSION - Skórka continued. -- THE RULING PARTY IS FACING INCREASING CRITICISM FROM THE OPPOSITION REGARDING THE FIGHT AGAINST THE PANDEMIC - Skórka. -- THE PRESIDENT SPOKE WITH THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HYGIENE. -- THE SENATE ADOPTED THE "FIVE FOR ANIMALS" BILL WITH AMENDMENTS. -- THE ATMOSPHERE WAS MOST NERVOUS WITHIN THE RULING LAW AND JUSTICE PARTY (PIS). THE PARTY LEADERSHIP DEMANDED VOTING FOR THE AMENDED VERSION OF THE BILL AND THREATENED THEIR SENATORS WITH CONSEQUENCES - Grzegorz Kępka. -- YET, PIS SENATORS WERE NOT UNANIMOUS. ALTHOUGH 40 OPPOSED REJECTING THE BILL BEFORE AMENDMENTS, 8 ACTED DIFFERENTLY: ONE VOTED FOR, 4 ABSTAINED, AND 3 DID NOT CAST THEIR VOTE, ALTHOUGH THEY VOTED LATER - Kępka. -- THE CIVIC COALITION WAS EVEN MORE DIVIDED. HERE, AS MANY AS 20 SENATORS WANTED TO REJECT THE BILL FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE VOTING, 20 WERE AGAINST, AND 3 ABSTAINED - Kępka continued. ***** FAKTY TVN -- OVER 6.5 THOUSAND NEW INFECTIONS, 116 PEOPLE DIED. WE HAVEN'T HAD SUCH BAD NEWS SINCE MARCH 4TH - preview. -- SAYING EVERYTHING IS UNDER CONTROL TODAY IS DELUDING REALITY. JUST LOOK - Krzysztof Skórzyński illustrates with photos of queues for coronavirus tests in Kraków and Warsaw. -- ACTUALLY, THE PATIENTS' NEEDS ARE ALREADY GREATER THAN THE LABORATORIES' CAPACITIES EVERYWHERE - Skórzyński. -- IF MORE TESTS COULD BE PERFORMED, THERE WOULD BE EVEN MORE CONFIRMED CASES, AND EVEN SO, THERE ARE DRAMATICALLY MANY OF THEM - Skórzyński. -- WE ARE HEADING TOWARDS DECLARING 100 DISTRICTS AS RED - Wojciech Andrusiewicz. -- IT IS QUITE PROBABLE THAT WARSAW WILL BECOME A RED ZONE - Skórzyński. -- IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL INTRODUCE NEW, ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS BY FRIDAY - Skórzyński. -- THE PROBLEM OF LACK OF DOCTORS IS NOT RELATED TO WHAT DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER SASIN CLAIMS - Skórzyński. -- SASIN BLAMES SOME, ALTHOUGH HE DOESN'T SAY WHICH, GROUP OF DOCTORS FOR THE SITUATION IN HEALTHCARE, EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE DOCTORS WHO FIRST SOUNDED THE ALARM THAT AUTUMN WOULD BE THE MOST DIFFICULT - Skórzyński. -- THE TEST DID NOT CONFIRM CORONAVIRUS IN THE PRIME MINISTER, BUT HE CONTINUES TO BE OBLIGATED TO REMAIN IN QUARANTINE - Skórzyński. -- ŁUKASZ SZUMOWSKI INFECTED WITH CORONAVIRUS, BUT THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME WE ARE HEARING ABOUT A POSITIVE TEST RESULT FOR HIM - preview: Apparently, the September one was false, but this raises the question of how reliable the tests are. -- JUST BEFORE THE EU SUMMIT ON THE BUDGET, JAROSŁAW KACZYŃSKI THREATENS A VETO BECAUSE, ACCORDING TO HIM, ONE CANNOT GIVE IN TO BLACKMAIL - preview: The head of the largest parliamentary group in the European Parliament responds - there is no blackmail, but there are certain rules. The PiS leader goes even further, arguing that Brussels today is worse than Moscow used to be. -- THE OPPOSITION DOES NOT HIDE ITS OUTRAGE - Maciej Knapik. -- THE EU IS NOT FORCING POLAND TO LEGALIZE PARTNERSHIPS AT ALL, BUT THE MAIN DISPUTE IS ABOUT THE RULE OF LAW - Knapik. -- THE CASE OF JUDGE MORAWIEC ONLY EXACERBATES THIS DISPUTE - Knapik. -- THE CHAIRMAN (KACZYŃSKI) GOES MUCH FURTHER IN HIS CRITICISM - Knapik on the comparison of Moscow and the EU. -- LEAVING THE EU REQUIRES ONLY A SEJM MAJORITY AND THE PRESIDENT'S SIGNATURE. NO ONE IS FORCING US TO STAY - Knapik. ***** WIADOMOŚCI TVP -- UNFORTUNATELY, THE NUMBER OF INFECTED IS GROWING - on the main screen. -- SENIOR HOURS ARE RETURNING IN SHOPS - in the previews. -- THE MOST SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC - in the preview. -- THE MINISTER OF HEALTH ASSURES THAT THE BASE OF BEDS AND RESPIRATORS IS SECURED - in the preview. -- THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS - Karol Jałtuszewski. -- THE FIGHT AGAINST THE EPIDEMIC IS BEING HINDERED BY ANTI-MASKERS - Jałtuszewski. -- SENIOR HOURS IN SHOPS AND PHARMACIES - banner. -- 40 MILLION SICK PEOPLE GLOBALLY - in the preview. -- AN APPEAL TO DOCTORS. -- WE THANKED THEM FOR THEIR DEDICATION, AND NOW THE VOIVODES ARE APPEALING TO DOCTORS - Konrad Wąż. -- IN SOME VOIVODESHIPS, MEDICAL CHAMBERS HAVE DIFFICULTY ASSIGNING DOCTORS TO WORK ON THE PANDEMIC - Wąż. -- IT IS, AMONG OTHER THINGS, DUE TO THE WORK OF DOCTORS THAT WE HAVE A LOWER NUMBER THAN IN THE WORLD - -- SASIN'S STATEMENT. -- VOIVODES REQUESTED DELEGATIONS, OFTEN UNSUCCESSFULLY - Wąż. -- MEDICAL LEAVE AND RESIGNATIONS ARE APPEARING - Wąż. -- OUTRAGED PATIENTS' VOICES. -- THE VOIVODE ASKED THE CHAMBER FOR 235 DOCTORS TO BE READY; 18 DOCTORS REPORTED - Wąż. -- IN THE LOWER SILESIAN VOIVODESHIP, 3 DOCTORS REPORTED - Wąż. -- IN THE OPOLE AND GREATER POLAND VOIVODESHIPS, THE CHAMBERS DID NOT REFER ANYONE - Wąż. -- A SIMILAR PROBLEM OCCURRED IN THE SPRING, WHERE SOME DID NOT WANT TO TREAT PATIENTS. AT THAT TIME, THE THEN DEPUTY MARSHAL OF THE SENATE, STANISŁAW KARCZEWSKI, VOLUNTEERED TO WORK IN THE HOSPITAL - Wąż. -- OBSERVERS REMIND THAT THE CONDITION OF HEALTHCARE IS A RESULT OF NEGLECT - Wąż. -- VOTERS PERFECTLY REMEMBER THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE PO-PSL GOVERNMENTS - Wąż. -- ARŁUKOWICZ'S STATEMENT FROM THE TAPES. -- THE SITUATION BEGAN TO IMPROVE 5 YEARS AGO. EXPENDITURE WILL NOW AMOUNT TO 5% OF GDP AND WILL EXCEED 100 BILLION FOR THE FIRST TIME - Wąż. -- TOM CRUISE IN LINE FOR A TEST IN ROME - Wąż. -- AMENDMENTS WILL DELETE RESTRICTIONS ON RITUAL POULTRY SLAUGHTER - in the preview. -- THIS IS A CIVILIZATIONAL LEAP, SAY THE DEFENDERS OF THE LAW - Damian Diaz. -- THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, INCLUDING THOSE ADOPTED BY THE SENATE - Diaz. -- THE SENATE POSTPONED THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SOME PROVISIONS - Diaz. -- MEETINGS OF THE APPROPRIATE STATUTORY BODIES WILL TAKE PLACE - Diaz. -- WE ARE MOVING TO A NEW FORM OF COOPERATION, CERTAINLY MORE DIFFICULT FOR OUR COALITION PARTNERS - Jan Filip Libicki. -- RULE OF LAW FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF BRUSSELS - banner. -- THE TOPIC OF SPANISH JUSTICE REFORM IS ABSENT AMONG EU BODIES - Dominik Cierpioł. -- THE OPPOSITION IN THE EU IS TRYING TO CREATE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE RULE OF LAW IS BEING VIOLATED - Cierpioł. -- HUNGARY AND POLAND DO NOT AGREE TO THE SUSPENSION OF FUNDS BASED ON DECISIONS OF EU OFFICIALS - Cierpioł. -- SUSPENDED INVESTMENTS, INCREASED DEBT, AND HIGHER SERVICE PRICES. WARSAW OFFICIALS WANT RAISES WITH THE PROTECTION OF PIS COUNCILLORS - in the preview. -- CONTROVERSIES SURROUNDING PAID PARKING ZONES IN WARSAW. FAMILIES INSTEAD OF PLN 30 WILL PAY PLN 1200 FOR AN ADDITIONAL CAR - Maciej Sawicki. -- THEY WILL ALSO PAY DEARLY FOR WASTE REMOVAL - Sawicki. -- THE PILA DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR HALTED THE DRASTIC WASTE FEES - Sawicki. -- WARSAW IS THE CENTER OF POLISH BUSINESS, WHERE REVENUES HAVE INCREASED BY PLN 4 BILLION - Sawicki. -- DESPITE CUTS, CONTROVERSIAL PROJECTS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED, SUCH AS A TOILET IN A PARK FOR PLN 540,000, WHICH IS THE PRICE OF A SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSE - Sawicki.