-- THEY ARE DOING THE SAME THING, ONLY MORE SO - RAFAŁ MATYJA IN CONVERSATION WITH PIOTR ZAREMBA IN DGP: "I say they are doing the same thing, only more so. PiS is deepening the flaws of the Third Republic. When PO was in power, many people saw me as more anti-PO. It is natural for me to be more against the party that is currently in power, which has more influence and responsibility than the opposition."

-- PIS HAS MADE THE SEJM AN EVEN GREATER CARICATURE THAN PO - Matyja Tells Zaremba: "If I thought we were facing authoritarianism, I would write that. The opposition is too quick to declare 'the end of democracy'. The democratic package was written a few years ago because it wasn't PiS, but PO, that broke parliamentary rules. Yes, but PiS has made the Sejm an even greater caricature than PO. It is difficult for me to find anything in this sphere where PiS does something better, respects standards more. But Platform has somewhat lost the right to shout about the 'end of democracy'. And they announced it right after the elections. Perhaps the young MPs from Nowoczesna had the right to do so, but not PO."

-- KACZYŃSKI COULD HAVE WON OVER NEUTRAL PEOPLE WITH DOZENS OF GESTURES: "Kaczyński could have won over neutral people with dozens of gestures. He didn't want to – deliberately. That was the theatricalization of the conflict over the Constitutional Tribunal. It wasn't necessary, but especially not necessary to involve MP Stanisław Piotrowicz. It's about provoking the opponent. Besides, Kaczyński somewhat followed Tusk's method, who was said to bang on the bars with a rod to annoy PiS. I don't see either leader as an enemy of the people. Some even accuse me of treating them too empathetically, explaining why they are like that."

-- ZAREMBA TO MATYJA: "I myself felt somewhat outside the system during the overwhelming influence of Platform." Matyja: "Me too." http://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/opinie/artykuly/572068,matyja-o-kaczynskim-tusku-polityce-i-tk.html

-- THERE WILL CERTAINLY BE IMMEDIATE POLITICAL BENEFITS - Grzegorz Osiecki in DGP: "The prescription presented by Jarosław Kaczyński on Thursday for the image-related problems of his group, caused by the bonuses for Beata Szydło's government, will certainly bring PiS immediate political benefits. Now it will be up to the opposition to decide whether to support the party leader's proposal or vote against it, alienating the majority of us."

-- THE MATTER SHOWS WHAT TROUBLES PIS HAS WITH GOVERNING - OSIECKI FURTHER: "Jarosław Kaczyński is probably counting on the decisions on reductions to allow him to move forward, leave the polling shocks behind him, and concentrate on the local election campaign. However, the matter shows what troubles PiS has with governing. To solve the problems it has created, it resorts to immediate prescriptions that, while eliminating some, create completely new ones."

-- KACZYŃSKI: RETURN THE BONUSES - headline in SE.

-- THE CHAIRMAN WANTS TO TEACH THE PLATFORM POLITICIANS - headline in RZ.

-- KACZYŃSKI: POLITICIANS MUST EARN LESS - headline in GPC.

-- SZYDŁO GAVE, THE CHAIRMAN TOOK - headline in GW.

-- VOX POPULI, VOX PIS - headline in DGP.

-- PIS IS CAPABLE OF ENDURING MORE IN THE RACE FOR MODESTY THAN ITS COMPETITORS - Jacek Karnowski: "This reduction is to be proof of the PiS leadership's determination, it is to finally put an end to the bonus issue. But not only that – it is also a signal that in this, ultimately unhealthy competition, in this ultra-populist race 'for modesty,' PiS is capable of enduring a great deal. And certainly more than its competitors."

-- KARNOWSKI ON THE TABLOID AND OPPOSITION POPULIST WAVE: "Jarosław Kaczyński, however, decided that stopping the populist wave whipped up by tabloids and the opposition is more important today. Against this background, low earnings, especially for deputy ministers, are a politically secondary, or even tertiary, issue for him."

-- KARNOWSKI ON COMBINED OPERATIONS: "The balance of the entire maneuver, undoubtedly brilliant, is not yet known. Certainly, the forces that initiated the witch hunt and managed to force a retreat have been encouraged to undertake similar operations. On the other hand, Jarosław Kaczyński is not a politician who will ever permanently accept such a dictate. So, even if the conviction has now emerged in many offices that manipulative goals can be achieved through combined operations, it is, without a doubt, just an illusion." https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/389028-prezes-kaczynski-wyslal-dzis-jasny-sygnal-w-tej-chorej-konkurencji-pis-jest-w-stanie-wytrzymac-bardzo-duzo-a-na-pewno-wiecej-niz-opozycja

-- PERHAPS BECAUSE OF THIS, PIS WILL WIN, AND KACZYŃSKI HAS RESTORED HIS STATUS AS SOMEONE WHO DETERMINES WHAT POLITICS SHOULD REVOLVE AROUND - Piotr Skwieciński: "Thanks to the decision to return the bonuses, and what's more – to fight for a general reduction in salaries for political positions (including local government), as well as in State Treasury companies, Law and Justice may reverse the negative poll trend (which, in my opinion, is clearly caused by, among other things, the bonus issue – a precise shot at the strong point of their image, namely the party of ascetics). Perhaps thanks to this, they will win the local elections. And it's impossible not to notice that in this way, Jarosław Kaczyński, with one move, has restored his status as someone who, at every stage, determines what Polish politics should revolve around at a given time."

-- SKWIECIŃSKI ON THE THREAT OF NEGATIVE SELECTION: "Establishing negative selection for state authorities as a permanent principle will, in the long term, inevitably lead to numerous misfortunes." https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/389019-dlugofalowo-grozi-nam-wprowadzenie-negatywnej-selekcji-do-najwyzszych-wladz

-- KACZYŃSKI TURNS THE TABLE, BUT THERE IS A BITTER AFTERTASTE - Marcin Fijołek: "And therefore, today's move is not a pro-state decision, it is not based on substantive premises, on reports regarding, for example, the impact on corruption risk or the impact on the quality of those who will enter politics. I myself believe that this 20% reduction will not have a significant impact on this matter. But summarizing the entire decision, it is still a policy conducted – despite everything – for the polls, dictated by the opposition and part of the media. It's not the first time PiS has backed down from certain ideas due to an unfavorable public reaction, but it's the first time in an atmosphere of showing weakness and indecision. The PiS leader decided not to try to untangle the knot, but to cut it. And while I am not surprised by such a reaction, there is a bitter aftertaste to it all. And not only because it's an escalated bid of populism." https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/389039-jaroslaw-kaczynski-nie-usiadl-do-pokera-tylko-wywrocil-stolik-innego-wyjscia-chyba-nie-mial-bo-gra-szla-o-fundament-tej-ekipy

-- PI'S BOUNDLESS POPULISM - Michał Szułdrzyński in RZ: "Returning the bonuses seems like a rational response to criticism. But by saying, 'the voice of the people is the voice of God,' Kaczyński is opening a new chapter in the history of populism in Poland, crossing new boundaries. Ministers are already too poorly paid on the Vistula. And why should parliamentarians from all parties and thousands of local government officials be punished for bonuses awarded by Beata Szydło?"

-- ACCORDING TO SZUŁDRZYŃSKI - HARMFUL FOR THE STATE IN THE LONG RUN: "But the PiS decision has another background. Polls showed that anti-system movements of Paweł Kukiz or Janusz Korwin-Mikke were benefiting from the ruling party's declining support. Kaczyński therefore decided to outbid them in populism. In the short term, this may give PiS a boost in the polls. In the long term, it will be harmful to the state. After destroying the civil service, this is another step in the dismantling of the state by the ruling camp." http://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/304059888-Szuldrzynski-Bezgraniczny-populizm-PiS.html

-- FOR THE GOOD OF THE FATHERLAND, THE CHAIRMAN WILL WHIP THE MPS - Paweł Wroński in GW: "Chairman Jarosław Kaczyński – for the 'good of the Fatherland' and for Beata Szydło's mistake, for the party's arrogance and the vulgar propaganda he himself endorsed – wants to whip his MPs. He not only lowered their salaries, but also broke their spines. He didn't say it directly, but the reprimand about the 'convoy of shame' organized by PO indicates that the graphic showing the government's earnings displayed outside his office windows threw him off balance. He spoke of social surveys that supposedly didn't matter before. This means his current decisions are dictated by growing panic." http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,23231078,za-blad-szydlo-prezes-wychloszcze-poslow.html

-- WE MUST NEGOTIATE WITH THE EU, BUT NOT AT ANY PRICE - Tomasz Sakiewicz in GPC: "There is no point in hiding that a certain diplomatic dexterity is indeed indicated here, especially since the Union itself is in an unenviable situation after Brexit, it will have less money, and many countries are looking for savings. On the other hand, one must remember that all concessions have their limits. The limits are Poland's fundamental interests. First of all, our strategic alliances with the United States. Just as the clarification of the Smoleńsk case and the issue of state sovereignty. If we manage to preserve these fundamental principles, then other concessions may be worth EU money. That is, we must negotiate with the Union, but not at any price. I am counting on this way of conducting politics to be a success for the current government." https://gpcodziennie.pl/86265-dogadajmysiezuezachowujacpryncypia.html

-- UNTARGETED MOVE BY GRZEGORZ SCHETYNA - Wojciech Szymański in GW: "His ambitions do not concern the streets of Wrocław, but Poland and the European Union. That is why his candidacy was rejected by the outgoing mayor Rafał Dutkiewicz, who was once ideologically close to him. He believes that his successor should be someone strongly connected with local government. After Ujazdowski's nomination, he announced that if he doesn't win in Wrocław, he will withdraw from politics. But a city with European aspirations deserves a mayor for whom this position is more than just a prelude to a political retirement."

-- SPACE FOR ANOTHER CANDIDATE - GW FURTHER: "Schetyna's decision opens up space in Wrocław for the emergence of a new candidate for the anti-PiS opposition. Someone who will gather liberal and leftist circles, and urban movements. It will be a real alternative for Wrocław." http://wroclaw.wyborcza.pl/wroclaw/7,35771,23232054,ujazdowski-kandydatem-po-na-wroclaw-niecelne-zagranie-schetyny.html

-- ADAM SZŁAPKA ON A JOINT LIST OF THE ENTIRE OPPOSITION - writes in RZ: "These are historical elections, not party elections. And that's how we should think about them. Let's assume we won't implement our programs, we won't reform the tax system, the economy, education. We will do only this, and it will be enough, that we will restore the principles of a democratic rule of law. We will do only this, and it will be enough, that we will reverse Poland's march to the East. This must be an election that will elect not a Sejm, but a constituent assembly. If we adopt this assumption, victory is possible. Because one common list will be possible. It will encompass everyone who understands that without rules of the game, there is no democracy. A common list that will have a place for all opposition parties: PO, Nowoczesna, PSL, SLD, and Partia Razem. A common list that has a place for Robert Biedroń, Barbara Nowacka, right-wing politicians. For which there will be a place for social organizations fighting for civil rights – for Akcja Demokracja, Ogólnopolski Strajk Kobiet, Obywatele RP, Wolne Sądy, KOD, Projekt: Polska. But also for local government officials, local leaders, people of culture, everyone who believes that together we can achieve a civic repair of Poland." http://www.rp.pl/Publicystyka/304059905-Adam-Szlapka-Kontrakt-dla-opozycji.html

-- THE OPPOSITION SHOULD SHOW POSITIVE SOLUTIONS - Waldemar Pawlak in conversation with Jacek Nizinkiewicz in RZ: "Every government that has good polls thinks it's here to stay. The economic crisis and the cooperation of employers with trade unions in the face of the crisis taught me humility. Today's opposition is wasting time criticizing PiS. It should show positive solutions."

-- PAWLAK PRAISES PIS ON THE OPPOSITION FOR ORGANIZING DEBATES: "PSL is losing too much time and energy criticizing the government. I would expect the 'Peasants' to show more positive proposals. We won't build anything good for the future by just tugging and biting. After their second election loss to PO, PiS learned its lesson and organized program debates, which gave the impression that there was an alternative to the PO and PSL government. It would be worth comparing today's solutions with PiS's proposals from their time in opposition. In program debates, the opposition PiS did not propose dismantling the judiciary system, as it has been carried out today."

-- I APPRECIATE PIS'S GOVERNMENT - Pawlak tells Nizinkiewicz: "I appreciate PiS's government, especially for reaching out to the weaker, such as the 500+ program. I only fear God. PiS is a transient phenomenon. In some time, we will remember this government as a good vaccine for restoring solidarity among Poles." http://www.rp.pl/Polityka/304059901-Waldemar-Pawlak-PiS-jest-zjawiskiem-przemijajacym.html

-- TOMASZ PIETRYGA WRITES IN RZ THAT IT WILL BE ADVANTAGEOUS FOR PIS TO SACRIFICE THE EXTRAORDINARY APPEAL: "PiS is currently willing to sacrifice the presidential flagship, which is this element of the reform. Especially since it can not only improve relations with Brussels, but also reciprocate Andrzej Duda, who, with his veto, questioned the dogma of the so-called degradation act in the right-wing camp." http://www.rp.pl/Opinie/304059892-Tomasz-Pietryga-Usmiech-do-Brukseli-a-jezyk-Dudzie.html

-- PIS WILL NOT GIVE UP ON ADMINISTRATIVE COURTS - writes Ewa Siedlecka: "PiS will not give up on administrative courts. There will also be a 'good change' there, sooner or later. The question is whether the judges will undertake it themselves, without risking their judgments, or whether PiS will have to carry it out – as in the Supreme Court or the National Council of the Judiciary – with its own hands." https://siedlecka.blog.polityka.pl/2018/04/04/kolej-na-sady-administracyjne/?nocheck=1

-- BIRTHDAYS: Maria Zuba, Mikołaj Kunica.