-- ACTIVISTS ACCUSE WARSAW CIVIC PLATFORM OF ELECTORAL JUGGLING TO SUPPORT OWN INTERESTS - Michał Wojtczuk in GW: “Who will fill the district council positions – major parties or local committees? This depends partly on the shape of electoral districts. The Warsaw City Council is currently changing them. City activists accuse the Warsaw Civic Platform of electoral juggling to support its own interests and an attempt to cut out small committees. (...) More changes are in elections for district councils. 'Where the local coalition partner governs with PO or potentially favors it – without radical changes. But where Miasto Jest Nasze (The City Is Ours), a real urban movement independent of PO, has a chance, the boundaries are changing,' believes one of the district deputy mayors, distancing himself from both PO and MJN.” http://warszawa.wyborcza.pl/warszawa/7,54420,23156674,rada-warszawy-bedzie-zmieniac-okregi-wyborcze-aktywisci-chca.html

-- COALITION OF DEFEAT - GW QUOTES HEAD OF OBYWATELE RP: “Iwona Szpala in GW: 'Paweł Kasprzak, leader of Obywatele RP (Citizens of the Republic), called the agreement between the two parties a "coalition of defeat" during a debate ("voivodeship assemblies are not a united opposition, they are two parties that were thrashed in the elections"). He warned that they will fail in the assemblies and might lose Wrocław.'” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,23157985,wybory-samoprzadowe-trudne-negocjacje-platformy-z-nowoczesna.html

-- ANTONI DUDEK: AFTER A THREE-YEAR BREAK, PEOPLE WILL VOTE FOR PIS OR AGAINST PIS - says in an interview with Paweł Wroński in GW: “Local government elections. The result PiS achieves in these elections could have a huge impact on the future political landscape. These will be elections in which society – after a three-year break – will vote "for PiS" or "against PiS." Of course, elections in municipalities, especially smaller ones, will not have such political significance, but in the case of provincial assemblies and major cities, they will. And the most important battle will be for Warsaw.”

-- IF PIS'S RESULT IS WEAK, MORAWIECKI MAY BE REPLACED - BELIEVES DUDEK: “If PiS candidates win in Warsaw and Krakow, a repeat of this success in the next three election campaigns, which will occur within just over a year, will become very probable. Then Morawiecki can consider himself a sure candidate for Prime Minister for another term. However, if PiS's result is weak, he will be replaced – perhaps even before the parliamentary elections – by the party leader, and his place will be taken by another political shock absorber.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,23157923,premier-naczelny-historyk-kraju.html

-- IN THE RULING CAMP, THERE IS A NEED TO TAKE THE REINS - Stanisław Janecki in Sieci: “But at the same time, the rulers cannot provide ammunition for shelling their own positions and continue to labor under the blissful conviction that nothing will harm them. Someone must take the reins in the united right-wing camp if a bad scenario is to be avoided. There are too many arguments served on a platter that the new authorities are no different from the previous ones. Unless it's about some Machiavellian scenario of co-optation designed to neutralize rivals and ensure a long tenure in power. But such a scenario could lead to defeat even faster than inaction.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/386379-ktos-w-obozie-wladzy-musi-pociagnac-za-cugle-zeby-nie-podsycac-goebbelsowkiej-kanonady-opozycji

-- WE CAN ALSO EXPEL RUSSIAN DIPLOMATS - Grzegorz Osiecki in DGP: “Poland can expel Russian diplomats. Other types of sanctions against Russia are also being considered. Decisions could be made as early as today – DGP learned from government sources. The government is considering such steps as a sign of solidarity with British actions following the attack on Sergei Skripal, a former Russian intelligence officer living in the UK.” http://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/polityka/artykuly/570911,polska-sankcje-rosja-gest-solidarnosci-wielka-brytania.html

-- JĘDRZEJ BIELECKI WRITES IN RZ THAT MERKEL WANTS TO DETERMINE IF POLAND IS READY TO RETURN TO THE MAINSTREAM OF INTEGRATION: “Merkel also wants to determine with Morawiecki if he is ready to return to the mainstream of integration, to realistically join the ranks of the 'five major countries' that will decide the future of the Union after Brexit. One of the decisive points is the reform of the judiciary. On Friday in Warsaw, the new German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas emphasized that Germany would prefer to avoid a vote in the Council of the EU on whether to consider Poland a country permanently violating the rule of law under Article 7 of the EU Treaty. To achieve this, however, Warsaw must change at least some provisions of the judiciary reform, for example, regarding the extraordinary review of past judgments. After Friday's meeting of the heads of the two diplomatic services, one gets the impression that Poland is open to this.” http://www.rp.pl/Unia-Europejska/303189947-Polska-moze-wrocic-na-salony-Unii-Europejskiej.html&template=restricted

-- MERKEL WANTS TO CONVINCE THEM TO TAKE A STEP BACK - Bartosz T. Wieliński in GW: “No one wants a conflict with Warsaw; such a scenario is not in anyone's interest. During the meeting with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and President Andrzej Duda, Chancellor Angela Merkel wants to convince them to take a step back on the rule of law issue.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,23158015,ile-zaplacimy-za-upor-pis.html

-- TIME TO END AMATEURISM - Michał Szułdrzyński in RZ: “Our foreign policy must finally be pulled out of the harmful dichotomy that PiS governments have led it into: either good relations with Europe and co-deciding on the future of the Community, or standing up from our knees and pursuing a sovereignist policy. Especially since, so far, the effects of this 'standing up from our knees' have been disastrous. Furthermore, recent months – in connection with the uproar after the adoption of the IPN law – have shown what unfathomable amateurism Polish diplomacy is today. Therefore, if Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki does not want to be remembered as the gravedigger of Poland's and Poles' European aspirations, he should quickly learn from recent failures. Conducting European policy, co-deciding on the future of the Union, but also pursuing one's own interests requires skill in using complex tools, and above all, professionalism.” http://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/303189942-Szuldrzynski-o-dyplomacji-Czas-skonczyc-z-amatorszczyzna.html&template=restricted

-- MAREK CICHOCKI ON THE WEIMAR TRIANGLE NOT BEING A PR PROJECT: “The Weimar Triangle cannot become what it was before: a public relations political project, and Polish ambitions cannot stop at showing our Central European partners how important we are again, because we are talking to Berlin and Paris as equals.” http://www.rp.pl/Felietony/303189943-Cichocki-Niemcy-w-Warszawie-Ani-nagroda-ani-prezent.html&template=restricted

-- PUTIN WINS IF THERE IS NO WORLD CUP BOYCOTT - SAYS BARTŁOMIEJ SIENKIEWICZ in an interview with Jacek Nizinkiewicz in RZ: “Putin emerges victorious from it. He tells the world: not only did Russia kill its traitor, but it also carried out the most spectacular chemical attack in the West. And what? And the English come to us and play nicely at our World Cup. And other NATO countries' teams. See how weak they are?

-- BAD TIMES ARE COMING, POLAND CANNOT BE PROUD - SAYS SIENKIEWICZ: “Too many dangerous things are happening on the Russia-West line for Poland to be proud and destroy relations with allies, upon whom our elementary defense capabilities depend. I hope I am wrong, but after the attack in London, I have a feeling that bad times are coming. http://www.rp.pl/Polityka/303189949-Sienkiewicz-o-Rosji-Niestety-nadchodza-zle-czasy.html&cid=44&template=restricted

-- PAWEŁ SOLOCH ON THE WORLD CUP BOYCOTT - says in wPolityce: “Such a possibility can be considered. Russia certainly cares about this event. Everyone expected that in connection with today's presidential elections in Russia, and subsequently the World Cup, Russia would not behave aggressively, but it turned out completely differently.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/386484-nasz-wywiad-szef-bbn-o-relacjach-z-mon-i-ataku-na-skripala-bojkot-mundialu-jest-do-rozpatrzenia-rosji-na-tym-wydarzeniu-zalezy

-- NEW GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER DEFENDS WARSAW - GW: “Seehofer, the new German Interior Minister since last Wednesday, is the first important Western European politician to express understanding for Poles and Hungarians. In his opinion, Brussels used a "moralizing tone towards Eastern European countries" on the issue of refugees. – This is a counterproductive approach, as every country has its pride – the minister assessed. (...) – The European Commission often behaves patronizingly. More effort must be put into dialogue – he said. He argued that if the new EU countries do not want to accept refugees, they can send more officers to patrol the borders in return.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75399,23157156,nowy-szef-niemieckiego-msw-broni-warszawy-w-sporze-z-bruksela.html -- LOT SHOULD BE WHITE AND RED, WE SHOULDN'T LISTEN TO "IT CAN'T BE DONE" – IT'S THE MENTALITY OF ACCOUNTANTS - writes Marcin Mastalerek in the latest issue of Sieci: “This is one of the promises still unfulfilled. In this regard, we have not 'stood up from our knees.' Sometimes I get the impression that state-owned company managers lack courage, imagination, and determination. They are afraid. This impossibility of managers and the "accountant's" mentality is the greatest burden. We constantly hear "it can't be done" entered into various spreadsheets. I don't see any interesting initiatives in promoting Poland today undertaken by a state-owned company or any significant company. Because the "accountant's" mentality does not extend beyond the horizon of the nearest financial report. In the campaign, we were concerned with ideas that fit the sense of pride in belonging to the Polish community. It is best to describe what we lack with a concrete example, and in this case, with a specific company. Polish Airlines LOT. Our national airline. Just a few years ago, it was experiencing a deep crisis, with increasingly poor economic results, and was treated neglectfully by previous governments, because how else can one describe the behavior of former Prime Minister Tusk, who assumed that LOT might cease to exist.”

-- WE WOULD HAVE NO CHANCE OF CHANGES IF WE LISTENED TO PEOPLE WHO SAID IT CAN'T BE DONE - WRITES MASTALEREK: “Meanwhile, I have already heard that it cannot be done, that it will cost money, that you can't ground all the planes, that it must take time because a plane is not painted in an hour. It is, of course, easier to cover it with a candy advertisement, obscuring the crane, whose tradition dates back to the interwar period. Because that is the kind of campaign LOT is running on its planes. Therefore, it can be done gradually but consistently, using the time when planes are serviced, and finally, ordering new planes in Polish colors. The late Grażyna Gęsickia told me: 'Don't talk to people who say it can't be done.' If Americans could do it, so can Poles. We can carry out a major campaign – in Poland and abroad. We can create a project for years to come. We would have no chance if, in 2015, we had listened to people who said it couldn't be done.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/386513-polskie-marki-musza-pracowac-na-marke-polski-na-swiecie-lot-powinien-byc-bialo-czerwony

-- THE GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO CHARGE HIGH VAT - Fakt.

-- SHE AWARDED 1.6 MILLION PLN IN PRIZES AT THE TRIBUNAL - Fakt's front page about Przyłębska.

-- ZIOBRO IS WRAPPING A WHIP FOR THIEVES IN TOGAS - GPC.

-- ZIOBRO WANTS TO KICK OUT JUDGES FOR THEFT - headline in Fakt.

-- THE SUPREME COURT IS HELPING ZIOBRO - Tomasz Pietryga in RZ: “Now Zbigniew Ziobro is trying to use the situation for populist reasons. The day after the verdict, he announced a new reform idea out of the blue. By law, a judge proven to have stolen will lose their office and position. Disciplinary proceedings will no longer be necessary. After the latest Supreme Court ruling, the minister's idea will certainly gain public approval. This time, however, it cannot be denied that the Supreme Court had a hand in it.” http://www.rp.pl/Sedziowie-i-sady/303189954-Sad-Najwyzszy-pomaga-Ziobrze---komentuje-Tomasz-Pietryga.html&template=restricted

-- WOMEN AGAINST BISHOPS - GW front page: “Protests are planned under dioceses and archdioceses in 17 cities. They were organized by the All-Polish Women's Strike along with women's communities.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,23156469,kosciol-chce-piekla-dla-kobiet-dzis-protesty-pod-diecezjami.html

-- THE EPISCOPATE TELLS MPS WHAT TO PASS - Jacek Żakowski in GW: “The Episcopate knows how to keep silent when the state is crumbling. Unless Ordo Iuris complains to PiS that it has put the law completely banning abortion in the freezer, fearing that 90% of citizens, including four-fifths of the 'good change' voters, do not want it. When the authorities do not meet the aspirations of the ultra-Catholic minority, the bishops cannot remain silent. They regain their political voice and, in a thunderous chorus, tell the authorities what to do.”

-- ŻAKOWSKI CONTINUES: "Poland has various experiences with the Church. 'The German and the dog Baca' stood up for the arrested Cardinal Wyszyński. The rest of the bishops swore allegiance to the Polish People's Republic. Archbishop Zygmunt Szczęsny Feliński, exiled for sympathizing with the January Uprising, had no company in purple. There weren't crowds in cassocks around Father Popiełuszko. This is, unfortunately, repeating itself. This is the Polish norm in the face of historical crises. And the political silence of the bishops in difficult times for Poland is always accompanied by devotional fervor fueled by fundamentalists. We are returning to this. http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,23158107,episkopat-mowi-poslom-co-maja-uchwalic-zakowski.html

-- ONE HUNDRED DAYS OF KATARZYNA LUBNAUER - GPC: “One hundred days have passed since Katarzyna Lubnauer became the leader of Nowoczesna (Modern). However, the party is struggling not only with declining poll support but also with internal divisions.” http://gpcodziennie.pl/84609-stodnikatarzynylubnauer.html

-- CHANGE IN RUSSIA CAN ONLY COME THROUGH THE ELITE - EITHER AS A PALACE COUP OR A GENERATIONAL REVOLUTION - Piotr Skwieciński: “Because change in Russia can come through the elite. Either exclusively through it – as a kind of palace coup or generational revolution, or at least partly – because only the acceptance of at least part of the Putinist elite, its incorporation into this change, can legitimize it and make it lasting, just as Boris Yeltsin and the leaders who supported him legitimized and consolidated the collapse of the USSR and its transformation into Russia. The Putinist elites are, after all, the natural elites of present-day Russia; there are no others on a significant scale. And those in the West who are considering long-term policy towards Russia should draw conclusions from this.” https://wpolityce.pl/swiat/386516-rosja-po-wyborach-zmiana-moze-przyjsc-wylacznie-z-wewnatrz-putinowskiej-elity

-- GPC ON THE LOTTO-SPONSORED BEETHOVEN FESTIVAL - WHY BERNSTEIN, NOT PADEREWSKI? - as Stanisław Dybowski writes: “Traditionally, the pianist did not encore. It's a shame he didn't play a piece by Chopin, fittingly marking the centenary of Poland regaining independence, for which the great Fryderyk fought with his mazurkas and polonaises… (...) Looking at the inscription '22nd Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival,' it is worth asking if Germany organizes a similar festival for Chopin, Moniuszko, Szymanowski, or Penderecki? Or do the English, Spanish, French, or Swiss do so? And finally: why is Bernstein's work the leitmotif of the festival, not Paderewski's, who did so much for us?” http://gpcodziennie.pl/84590-zimermangralbernsteina.html

-- BIRTHDAYS: Mirosław Handke, Dobrochna Kędzierska, Arlena Sokalska.