-- 300LIVE: BIEDROŃ ON JARUZELSKA: I CHECKED IF IT WAS KEMPA OR JARUZELSKA SPEAKING, AND ON TUSK'S HARMFUL RETURN: https://300polityka.pl/live/2018/04/18/

-- PLN 170 MILLION IN BONUSES AT THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE: “In 2017, employees of companies supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture received PLN 173,524,000 in bonuses. Among them are agricultural agencies, research institutes, and companies in which the State Treasury holds shares.” http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,23284138,prezes-kaczynski-bedzie-zly-w-resorcie-rolnictwa-tez-wyplacili.html

-- PFN PAYS FOR PR SERVICES - Agata Kondzińska, Iwona Szpala in GW: “We asked the Foundation on Tuesday about the contract amount. We also requested a clause in the PFN's statute that served as the basis for hiring an external company to service journalists. We did not receive a response.”

-- THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO CARE FOR POLAND'S IMAGE, BUT CAN'T EVEN CARE FOR THEIR OWN - SE: http://www.se.pl/wiadomosci/polityka/maja-dbac-o-wizerunek-polski-nie-potrafia-o-swoj-pfn-zatrudnia-agencje-pr_1050030.html

-- COMPROMISED INDIVIDUALS ARE TRYING TO SHINE THEMSELVES WITH OUR MONEY, THIS IS HOW THE POLISH NATIONAL FOUNDATION MAKES ITSELF RIDICULOUS - headline in Fakt: “This tragicomedy seems to have no end! The Polish National Foundation, established to properly care for Poland's image abroad, had to hire an agency... to save its image in Poland! It's a situation straight out of a Bareja film, but the information obtained by journalists from Polstatnews.pl leaves no room for doubt.” https://www.fakt.pl/wydarzenia/polityka/polska-fundacja-narodowa-wynajela-specow-od-wizerunku-swojego/70ljmz2

-- FORMER PO DEPUTY FACES CHARGES, FORMER PIS DEPUTY GOES UNPUNISHED - Fakt on Wipler.

-- THEY DRAINED POLAND AND ARE FIGHTING OVER PLN 500 MILLION - Fakt's lead story on the Czartoryskis.

-- ZUZANNA DĄBROWSKA WANTS GLIŃSKI TO RETURN 100 MILLION - as she writes in RZ: “Now Tamara Czartoryska (daughter of the heir to the Czartoryski Foundation) reveals that from the very beginning, the entire maneuver was aimed at siphoning money out of our country. The current board of the foundation, which includes Prince Maciej Radziwiłł, brother of the former Minister of Health, decided that millions would flow out of Poland. Nobility obliges, as it turns out. And the title of Prince – even more so. The only question is, to what end? But Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Gliński remained in Poland. And in my opinion, he should look for the cash to pay it to the State Treasury. After all, the President announced that there would be no mercy for those who soil their hands.” http://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/180419385-Zuzanna-Dabrowska-Oddajcie-moje-100-milionow.html&template=restricted

-- LESZEK MILLER ON HALF A BILLION FOR THE CZARTORYSKIS - he writes in SE: “Princess Czartoryska is ready to appear in court and before the prosecutor. And Minister Gliński?” http://www.se.pl/wiadomosci/opinie/leszek-miller-minister-i-ksiezniczka_1050117.html

-- TOMASZ BIELECKI ON THE TOPICS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH BRUSSELS - EXTRAORDINARY APPEAL, JUDICIAL TERMS OF OFFICE: “According to our information, the topics of contact between the Commission and Poland include, among others, the radical limitation of the institution of extraordinary appeal, which, in its current form, will allow for the overturning of final judgments from the last 20 years within three years of its entry into force. Another point of discussion is the possible declaration that if the current Supreme Court judges, in accordance with the new law, request permission to continue working in retirement, they will certainly receive it. But what will Jarosław Kaczyński ultimately agree to? We still don't know – explains another Western diplomat participating in the Council of the EU meeting to us.” http://amp.dw.com/pl/majowe-przesilenie-w-sprawie-artykułu-siódmego/a-43426518?__twitter_impression=true

-- THE GOVERNMENT IS RUNNING OUT OF AMMUNITION, IN THE EVENT OF ANOTHER CRISIS, PIS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PROMISE MORE - Marek Beylin on wyborcza.pl: “Another problem: the current wave of social promises reduces their pool for the future. In the event of another crisis, PiS will not be able to promise much more and remain credible. By playing all or nothing now to reverse the unfavorable trend, the government is divesting itself of its most valuable ammunition. Of course, PiS can still win local and parliamentary elections. However, not in a triumphant march, as it predicted for itself not long ago, but in an uncertain crawl to success. And whether it will reach its goal depends solely on the opposition, its coalition capabilities, and the society's democratic imagination.”

-- FURTHER PIS MISTAKES WILL BE JUDGED MORE HARSHLY THAN BEFORE - Beylin continues: “Even if PiS manages to get out of trouble now, from now on it will have to operate under suspicious social surveillance. And every mistake or sign of cronyism will be judged more harshly than before. If anyone believes that this government is capable of such restraint, they should look at its personnel and habits.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,23283214,wladza-traci-amunicje.html

-- IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE LEFT WILL COMPLETELY REPLACE PLATFORM - Adam Bielan in RZ: “Of course, we must monitor this. However, it seems that in the perspective of the upcoming parliamentary elections, the left poses a direct threat to Platform, just as Ryszard Petru's party did three years ago. In turn, in the perspective of the next term, it is possible that the left will completely replace PO. And then it will be our main political rival.” http://www.rp.pl/Rzecz-o-polityce/304179920-Adam-Bielan-PiS-przejal-inicjatywe.html

-- COMRADE CONSERVATIVE - Damian Duszczenko from the Together Party in Krytyka Polityczna: “Do voters have such short memories? One might doubt it – the long interview with Monika Jaruzelska by Tomasz Kwaśniewski, published in ‘Duży Format,’ shows you in your face that the newest flagship leader of the non-right will not be able to convince the progressive electorate. Everything would be fine if Monika Jaruzelska remained a symbolic choice, a disagreement with PiS's shallow anti-communism. But it's worse when she herself has conservative views. And worst of all, when she publicly reveals them.”

-- WHY DOES JARUZELSKA WANT THIS POWER? - conclusion: “If, however, as the interview title suggests, 'Jaruzelska is going for power,' and at the same time she is unable to offer a vision for the Polish state and society, or even say anything concrete on matters of general interest, then I think potential voters would want to know a simple thing: why exactly is the general's daughter going for this power?” http://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/towarzyszka-konserwa/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=krytyka

-- IT'S HARD TO APPRECIATE THE ACTIONS OF SOMEONE WHO TELLS NONSENSE - Rafał Hirsch: “I hope this is just part of his fight for political position within PiS. Perhaps he thinks he needs to spout this nonsense so that his comrades, who have thought this way for many years, can nod their heads and think warmly of him. But if so, then some visible sign would be needed for the rest of those who are listening, so they know that when the Prime Minister tells stories from the moss and ferns, he is doing it specifically for a select group of exceptionally intelligent listeners. Perhaps at the right moment, one could touch their right ear with their left hand, or cough, or raise an elbow. Then it would be easier to bear, and the joy from the Prime Minister's completely sensible ideas could be greater. And his comrades wouldn't notice it anyway.”

-- HIRSCH ON THE ILLUSORY CHANGE IN CIT: “There is also a proposal to reduce the CIT tax for a handful of companies that already don't pay much of it. I am repulsed by 'selling' this as a reduction in the CIT tax, when it's a reduction only for small businesses, but I can swallow it. I've gotten used to everyone doing this in politics. For the uninitiated: CIT is to fall from 15% to 9% but only for companies with revenue below EUR 1.2 million annually – that's less than 400,000 companies, which contribute only a few percent of the total CIT to the budget. The estimated cost of this reduction for the budget is less than half a billion zlotys, which in itself indicates how cosmetic this change is. In the case of an actual tax cut, the budget revenue deficit would be much larger.” http://next.gazeta.pl/next/7,156830,23278620,mam-problem-z-premierem-mateuszem-morawieckim-dobre-rzeczy.html

-- PIS CAN ONLY LOSE NOW - PIOTR PACEWICZ ANALYZES IPSOS POLL IN OKO: “It turned out that PiS practically has no reserve and it will be very difficult for them to convince more voters. This is certainly a consequence of the conflict-ridden style of politics pursued by Law and Justice. It is difficult to remain indifferent to Jarosław Kaczyński's party; one either loves PiS – and then votes for it – or the opposite.” https://oko.press/pis-moze-juz-tylko-stracic-widac-potencjal-kukiza-i-n-sondaz-oko-press-pokazuje-kto-ma-jakie-rezerwy/

-- CRIMINALS SHOULD BE AFRAID - Agata Łukaszewicz on the lead page of RZ: “Zbigniew Ziobro wants to toughen the law and give judges more freedom in sentencing. Ziobro wants harsher penalties for gang members, rapists, fraudsters, and loan sharks. Courts will have more opportunities to punish. They will be able to issue sentences from one month to 30 years in prison. – This change means a greater chance for a fair verdict. Today, a court may decide that 15 years of deprivation of liberty is not enough for the perpetrator, and 25 years is too much. Now it will issue, for example, 16, 18, or 20 years in prison – Ziobro argues.” http://www.rp.pl/Prawo-karne/304179924-Nowe-pomysly-Ziobry-na-zaostrzenie-prawa-karnego.html

-- IT IS PLEASING THAT ZIOBRO DID NOT FOLLOW THE PATH OF POPULISM - Tomasz Pietryga in RZ: “It is pleasing that Zbigniew Ziobro has not, this time, followed the path of populism consisting of simple toughening of penalties. Looking at the several dozen changes to the Penal Code that have occurred in recent years, this is already progress.” http://archiwum.rp.pl/artykul/1371340-Komentarz-„Rzeczpospolitej”-Kary-ostre-dobre-i-zle.html

-- PIS HAS TROUBLE WITH THE TRUMP CONNECTION - Wiktor Ferfecki in RZ: “Ted Malloch, who was supposed to help PiS reach the US President, has been questioned by the FBI in connection with Russian contacts.” http://www.rp.pl/Prawo-i-Sprawiedliwosc/304179912-Klopoty-lacznika-PiS-z-Trumpem.html&template=restricted

-- UJAZDOWSKI HAS RETURNED TO DEMOCRACY - Ernest Skalski in polemic with Jacek Żakowski in GW: “The reaction to this – from Jacek Żakowski, among others – tells those in power not to be stupid, to defend their system and their position within it. Because if they try to switch to the light side of the force, they will be humiliated, dragged through the mud, and subjected to heavy penance. Like in a sect, not in politics. For me, this is a manifestation of the left's historical sectarianism. What's next? Lustration of Ujazdowski, Dorn, Giertych? Lowering their pensions? Żakowski asks Szubartowicz a rhetorical question: 'Why don't you appeal to the head of PO not to field people who irritate the liberal center and the left?' I will answer for Szubartowicz – apparently, he considers it a greater good to remove the undemocratic PiS clique from power.”

-- ERNEST SKALSKI WRITES THAT THE DECOMPOSITION OF POWER IS BEGINNING: “The departure of a government in conflict with the majority of society is accompanied by its decomposition, the opening of a part of it to the opposition. This process is already beginning in Poland, and the case of Kazimierz Ujazdowski is a strong confirmation of this.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,23283554,ujazdowski-nawrocil-sie-na-demokracje.html

-- PLATFORM OF OMERTÀ - Adrian Stankowski in GPC: “There can only be one explanation for this peculiar tactic – the Platform has chosen a course of action characteristic of criminal groups, where the principle of silence and defending one's own at all costs is a condition for survival.” https://gpcodziennie.pl/87345-platformaomerty.html

-- IF SZYSZKO BECAME MINISTER OF CULTURE, HE WOULD DEMOLISH WAWEL FOR BRICKS - Michał Olszewski in GW: “If Jan Szyszko became Minister of Culture due to Jarosław Kaczyński's whim, he would demolish Wawel for bricks. For the good of culture, of course.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,23283486,ekologiczny-wawel.html

-- GREAT CELEBRATION IN THE PRIMEVAL FOREST - headline in GW.

-- CLOSING FRONTS IN THE WAR WITH THE EU - RZ.

-- ADAM WAJRAK ON RESPONSIBILITY FOR VIOLATING THE LAW IN THE PRIMEVAL FOREST - he writes in GW: “Lasy Państwowe – the institution that led to this verdict – should undergo fundamental reform. It cannot be that this corporation, protecting its shady interests, leads to such destruction and scandal.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,23283588,cztery-wnioski-po-decyzji-trybunalu-sprawiedliwosci-w-luksemburgu.html

-- SZYSZKO'S ABSURD STUBBORNNESS - Michał Szułdrzyński in RZ: “It turns out that after Jan Szyszko's resignation, the bark beetle is no longer a threat to the Primeval Forest, and the European Commission does not want to lead to the destruction of unique natural habitats. And the ease with which Poland submits to the decision of the Court of Justice of the EU shows how absurd Minister Szyszko's stubbornness was.”

-- THE GOOD CHANGE ITSELF GIVES TUSK AN ARGUMENT ABOUT BEING HUNTED - SZUŁDRZYŃSKI continues: “However, 'the good change' itself gives Tusk an argument that there is a hunt for the former PO leader in Poland. If Marcin Wolski, who supports PiS, writes a poem in 'Gazeta Polska' that today they are arresting the PO baron Stanisław Gawłowski, but the target is Tusk, then it will be easier for the current President of the European Council to convince Brussels decision-makers that seeking compromise from PiS is just a wolf in sheep's clothing.” http://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/180419386-Michal-Szuldrzynski-PiS-w-owczej-skorze.html

-- DOES POLAND STILL NEED A PARLIAMENT? - Konrad Tomaszewski in GPC: “We already know the content of the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union and the final charges against Poland. It is worth considering the arguments and asking whether the law enacted by us is still in force in our country.” https://gpcodziennie.pl/87314-czypolscepotrzebnyjestjeszczeparlament.html

-- RAISING A CHILD IS WORK - Piotr Wójcik in GPC: “Should a mother raising children be compensated? Who should bear the majority of the costs of raising offspring – parents or the state? Demographic changes require answers to these and many other questions, as well as appropriate reforms. The Mama+ program can be a prelude to such deep changes.” https://gpcodziennie.pl/87316-wychowaniedzieckatopraca.html

-- 8 YEARS AGO, the funeral ceremonies for the presidential couple Lech and Maria Kaczyński took place in Krakow.

-- BIRTHDAYS: Jan Rulewski, Jan Artymowski, Arkadiusz Bąk.