-- SENTENCE ON TENEMENT CLEANERS - writes Piotr Żytnicki in Gazeta Wyborcza Poznań: “I have been waiting for this day since the time when thugs threw firecrackers into stairwells, scattered worms on the stairs, and put carcasses in mailboxes. When the sanitary inspectorate advised residents that domestos was best for carcasses, and the lack of water in the tenement building did not pose an epidemiological threat. When thugs cut off their gas and drilled holes in ceilings from which water poured. When they called regular vandalism a renovation. When they piled up a grave from the earth, hammered in a cross, and threatened elderly ladies that they would end up in it. When they hung funeral ribbons with the inscription 'Last Farewell'. When they put wigs on shaved heads, rang doorbells, and asked frightened people: 'What? Is it funny?'. http://poznan.wyborcza.pl/poznan/7,89336,23340564,czysciciele-kamienic-skazani-od-szesciu-lat-czekalem-na-dzien.html?disableRedirects=true

-- IPSOS FOR OKO.PRESS: PIS IS CHANGING POLAND FOR THE BETTER: “As many as 47% of Poles believe that after the 2015 elections, Poland changed for the better. 33% of people see a change for the worse. The wealthier see mainly bad changes, and the less wealthy see good ones. Interestingly, among men, good change has a two-fold advantage over bad, while among women, good and bad are tied. As many as 52% of men believe that after 2015 there was a change for the better, and only 26% for the worse. Among women, the result is balanced – 43% see good change, and 40% see bad change. In the April IPSOS poll for OKO.press, we asked (as always) about the assessment of the situation in Poland after the 2015 parliamentary and presidential elections. 47% of respondents see a change for the better, 33% see a change for the worse, and according to 15%, nothing has changed.”

-- LESS WEALTHY DECIDEDLY FOR PIS - analyzes Piotr Pacewicz: “Among the less wealthy, support for PiS is as high as 50%, and among the wealthy – 27%. People with lower incomes have real reasons to support Law and Justice. Many actions of the PiS government (the 500+ program, raising the minimum wage) actually improve the living conditions of less wealthy Poles." https://oko.press/polowa-polakow-uwaza-ze-pis-zmienia-polske-na-lepsze-szczegolnie-najmniej-zamozni-sondaz/

-- PIOTR ZAREMBA ON THE TIME OF STOMPING, BECAUSE FALLING POLLS DON'T PUSH TO REVOLUTION - says in an interview with ŁUKASZ PAWŁOWSKI AND FILIP RUDNIK in Kulturaliberalna.pl: “Yes, now is the moment... of stomping, the second half of the term – a time for consumption and administration. This is nothing unusual, it can be easily explained. For example, it's easier to win elections without starting new battles. Falling polls don't push towards revolution.”

-- DESPITE THEIR PR CLUMSINESS, PIS HAS AN INSTINCT FOR RESPONDING TO SOCIAL PROBLEMS - says Zaremba in Kulturaliberalna.pl: “Despite everything – with all their PR clumsiness – PiS politicians have an instinct for responding to social needs. It didn't go well with the disabled, but generally speaking, on this occasion, there's a message that many other needy groups have already received a lot. At the same time, Zbigniew Ziobro is coming up with initiatives to toughen the penal code and expand the scope of self-defense, which can appeal to people with, let's say, right-wing sensitivities.”

-- IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THEIR GRUFF STYLE OF OPERATION, THEY ARE BENT TOWARDS THE PEOPLE - says Zaremba: “PiS has the face of a socially sensitive party, with various shadows and awkwardnesses, with MP Pięta, who wants the police to throw the disabled out of the Sejm, but this is a characteristic of the political radicalism of this group. They are aggressive towards anyone who stands in their way, but at the same time – within their gruff style of operation – they are bent towards the people. One can criticize it – I, for example, have just found out what tax I will pay this year and I am not delighted – but it is a party that has a consistent line on social issues.”

-- ZAREMBA ON HOW GW AND THE OPPOSITION ARE UNRELIABLE AS DEFENDERS OF THE OPPRESSED:“PO or Nowoczesna MPs as advocates for the poor and oppressed – and 'Gazeta Wyborcza', today sympathetic to every teacher who has to leave school, even though it once advocated for the abolition of the Teacher's Charter – are not particularly credible. A large majority of society has shifted to the left and is realistically quite demanding. This is a statement of fact, not an evaluation. At the moment, political bidding is therefore not about who saves how much, how to manage rationally, but rather – who promises us more. In this competition, PiS is not easy to beat.”

-- ZAREMBA ON PIS'S CHANCES OF WINNING, BUT NOT AN ORBAN-LIKE MARCH FOR ABSOLUTE POWER: “PiS made several mistakes – I don't deny that. The scandal with the awards was very poorly handled in terms of PR. The women's protests, Sunday trading – these are all potentially risky things. In this sense, PiS's poll crisis did occur, that's obvious. However, I don't have the impression that something happened that they absolutely did not plan. Perhaps the retreat on media deconcentration is a sign of slowing down, certainly the half-heartedness of judicial reforms – they were meant to be even more radical. (...) However, if PiS does not further sink itself with these mistakes, it still has a serious chance of winning. Perhaps not a constitutional majority – it won't be an Orban-like march for absolute power – but it can maintain power." https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2018/05/01/piotr-zaremba-wywiad-pis-poparcie-pawlowski-rudnik/

-- PIOTR ZAREMBA CRITICIZES THE FORMULA OF A "SPECIAL TAX FOR THE DISABLED" AS LACK OF EMPATHY - as he writes in Przewodnik katolicki: “Why should this particular group, whose financial needs are not great, be singled out as a reason for imposing additional 'levies'? Why can much larger projects be financed by 'ordinary taxation', which is supposedly collected more effectively than before? And in this one case, they say: well, it's sick, disabled children cost us so much that if you don't want them to scare us from television screens, pay 'extra'. Or maybe first, let's support these children, and then think about a dowry for everyone, including the children of millionaires? Morally, this order seems obvious to me. I see a certain dryness, a lack of empathy in this formula of a tax 'especially for them'. Although I don't intend to fight levies for the most needy. Some accuse me of naivety because I appeal to the Prime Minister and believe in his good will. Yes, I believe. I think this 'levy' formula is still an awkwardness. Others believe I am causing our government 'trouble'. In this sense, I am naive. I believe that such 'political' topics have not ceased to be moral topics.” https://www.przewodnik-katolicki.pl/Archiwum/2018/Przewodnik-Katolicki-17-18-2018/Opinie/Robie-rzadzacym-klopot

-- RAFAŁ TRZASKOWSKI – HYPOCRITE SUMMED UP IN A MINUTE - GAZETA.PL ON THE FILM ART. 18: “The authors of the film about marital equality titled 'Article 18', which refers to the 'marital' section of the Polish Constitution, released their own material in response to Trzaskowski's questions to Jaki. A very short YouTube video recalls how Trzaskowski's formation, Civic Platform, related to issues of orientation equality. 'It's not nice to wipe your mouth with minorities,' reads the caption under the video, which quickly sums up the party's stance on LGBTQ people. The video 'Rafał Trzaskowski. Hypocrite summed up in a minute' shows both Bronisław Komorowski's statement from 2004 and the much later vote by PO and PSL MPs, who, together with PiS, rejected the bill on registered partnerships.” http://www.tokfm.pl/Tokfm/7,103094,23346446,trzaskowski-zapytal-jakiego-o-parade-rownosci-a-potem-pojawil.html#Z_Czolka3Img

-- KRZYSZTOF KARNKOWSKI ON TRZASKOWSKI'S CAMPAIGN FINANCED BY MUNICIPAL INSTITUTIONS - writes in Gazeta Polska Codziennie: “Trzaskowski is illegally conducting his election campaign, relying on municipal institutions managed by HGW's people. Meetings in buildings under the jurisdiction of the city hall or districts ruled by PO, intrusive promotion in local government newsletters, generally as part of parliamentary activities. The only thing is that Rafał Trzaskowski's electoral district is not Warsaw, but Krakow.”

-- KARNKOWSKI ON THE ARROGANT SELF-ASSURANCE REMINISCENT OF KOMOROWSKI'S CAMPAIGN:“Trzaskowski's arrogance and self-assurance, complemented by a junior high school level of taunts and mandatory spelling errors, are reminiscent of Bronisław Komorowski's presidential campaign. And although the PO candidate seems a sure thing, the campaign may seriously verify his current self-satisfaction." https://gpcodziennie.pl/88525-sladamikomorowskiego.html

-- EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF RZ ON TRZASKOWSKI: HE WAS KNOWN AS A LETHARGIC, LAZY BEAR FROM THE WARSAW ZOO: “Rafał Trzaskowski, the main competitor, can also be an ally if he loses the momentum he's showing in the pre-campaign. So far, he doesn't lack energy, but in the past, he has often been known as a lethargic, lazy bear from the Warsaw zoo. Only maintaining this level of activity will make him a solid competitor for Jaki. He should also defend himself more energetically against being stereotyped as a conceited Varsovian who scoffs at 'słoiki' (migrants to Warsaw), especially since the latter are largely his voters. He has little time for this, because although the campaign is only about to begin, shots from the Aurora have already been fired, and Judge Wojciech Hermeliński has no instruments to stop the speeding detachments of sailors from attacking the Winter Palace. The fight for power has therefore begun exceptionally early, and its stake is political success in the local elections, which will undoubtedly be taking the capital.” http://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/180509970-Wybory-samorzadowe-Bitwa-o-Warszawe-bedzie-kluczowa.html

-- MAŁGORZATA KIDAWA-BŁOŃSKA TELLS ROCH KOWALSKI THAT PO HAS NOT CUT TIES WITH HGW: “I will not agree with you that we have cut ties with Mayor Gronkiewicz-Waltz. She always had and will have our support. She has served Warsaw well, no one can take that away from her.”

-- KIDAWA BELIEVES JAKI'S CAMPAIGN RESEMBLES DUDAS' CAMPAIGN: “Formally, it hasn't started. Although the last morning briefing by MP Jaki resembles the style of President Duda's campaign a bit. Events will certainly start to gain momentum, and we will see candidates for city mayor more and more often, both in the city and in the media. http://www.tokfm.pl/Tokfm/7,103094,23341768,kidawa-blonska-wierzy-ze-trzaskowski-pokona-jakiego-w-warszawie.html

-- MAREK BEYLIN ON THE FACT THAT NO PARTY CAN CONVINCE THAT IT HAS A GOOD PLAN FOR POLAND AFTER PIS: “in an interview with Jakub Bodziony in Kulturaliberalna.pl: “Because it is the weakness of PiS that has created a space on the political scene that the opposition should enter with its own narrative. And here lies the problem: no party can convince voters, nor, I suspect, itself, that it has a good idea for Poland after PiS. This means that although PiS is weakening, it can still win elections.”

-- UJAZDOWSKI IS NOT AN ANCHOR BUT BALLAST - BELIEVES BEYLIN: “Ujazdowski is not an anchor, but ballast, which indicates that PO lacks political imagination regarding the attitudes of its potential electorate. Someone with fundamentalist views on women's rights, sexual minorities, and abortion cannot be a candidate for the centrist opposition. This is a middle finger to young voters, not only progressive but also moderate.”

-- BEYLIN ON MISTAKES OF EXAGGERATION AND A CONTEMPTUOUS ATTITUDE TOWARDS 500+ BENEFICIARIES: “And mistakes of exaggeration? I have strong reservations about comparing Kaczyński to Hitler or Stalin. It is not only counterproductive but also blinding, as it prevents understanding the new undemocratic system that has emerged in Poland or Hungary and is sprouting and striving for power in Europe in various forms. However, a more serious mistake of a considerable part of the democratic camp, especially liberal circles, was combating 500+ and contemptuously portraying its beneficiaries as social parasites. This was a mistake not only ethical but also political. After such criticism, voters knew they had to stick with PiS to preserve 500+ in the future. It was also a diagnostic error, because 500+ may bring the opposite effect than PiS intends. It may turn beneficiaries of this benefit away from this party.”

-- PROF. CZAPIŃSKI ON JAKI HAVING NO CHANCE - says to Kamila Terpiał in wiadomo.co: “Where he didn't have power, he won't have it there. Patryk Jaki, for example, will not win in Warsaw. I believe that the PiS candidate also has no chance in Gdańsk. In Wrocław, Kazimierz Michał Ujazdowski will take votes away from them. That choice was a good move. https://wiadomo.co/prof-janusz-czapinski-patryk-jaki-nie-wygra-w-warszawie/

-- ELITES CHOSE TO BELIEVE IN CZAPIŃSKI'S SOCIAL DIAGNOSIS- says Jan Sowa in an interview with Kulturaliberalna.pl: “Even during the second term of PO, there were signals showing many potential problems. But the elites in power chose to believe in Janusz Czapiński's 'Social Diagnosis' and assurances that people claim to be happy.”

-- THE AVERAGE PERSON HAS NOT FELT THE ALLEGED CATASTROPHE OF THE PIS GOVERNMENT, WHICH THE LIBERAL MEDIA CLAIM IS HAPPENING, AT ALL - SAYS JAN SOWA: “It's only us who have the impression that the world is falling apart and the state is disintegrating. I recently wondered what the concrete impact of the PiS government has been on my life after more than two years. I found one thing: Jarosław Gowin dissolved the council of the National Program for the Development of Humanities, which I was a member of, and appointed new people with more conservative views. It wasn't pleasant, but it didn't ruin my life either. What else? Honestly, I don't see anything else that would affect me personally, and I am part of the group that should suffer the most. The average person in Poland has not felt the alleged catastrophe, which, according to 'liberal' media, is currently happening, in the slightest. And they benefited from 500+, the lowered retirement age, higher hourly rates, or felt better thanks to the dignified rhetoric of 'getting up from their knees'.”

-- JAN SOWA ON THE NEW LEFT SHAPING ONLY ELITES: “The Left – and this is very evident from 'Krytyka Polityczna' – has achieved great success in shaping discourse, but only discourse that reaches elites. Publishing books, introducing new topics into public debate – here the success is undeniable. But convincing voters has not been very successful. It also didn't help that Razem is an attempt to copy the successes of left-wing parties from abroad: Podemos, Syriza, or the British Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn.”

-- THE RAZEM PARTY IS EXOTIC FOR THE WORKING CLASSES - SAYS SOWA: “This is a matter of what French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu called 'habitus' and linked to class position – a certain way of being, speaking, appearance, and lifestyle. The Razem party is too exotic for the average voter from the so-called working classes to trust it. Especially for a left-wing voter, who usually has less cultural capital, lives in smaller towns, is unlikely to be a winner, and is unlikely to be an intellectual. This is completely different from the West, where we have a large group of people who provide social backing for such parties.”

-- JAN SOWA ON THE LEFTISM OF THE JAGELLONIAN CLUB - THE LEFT ON THE CORPSE OF A WOMAN: “I have had some contact with people from the Jagiellonian Club recently. Their leftward leaning in the social sense is obvious to me. I tried to investigate how far it extends in other spheres. I think the left and the conservatives from the Jagiellonian Club could come to an agreement, but it would have to happen 'on the corpse of a woman'. Women's reproductive rights – and above all: free access to abortion – are unacceptable for conservative-leftist circles. Refugees – yes, social rights – yes, the European Union – yes, I think even registered partnerships and the rights of homosexual people, but abortion, absolutely not.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2018/05/01/nowa-lewica-nie-wygra-z-pis-em/

-- THEY BROUGHT KACZYŃSKI A CRUTCH, WILL IT HELP THE DISABLED NOW? - Fakt's front page: “The President of PiS is feeling his bad knee. To such an extent that Jarosław Kaczyński (69) has to walk with crutches! On Monday, the director of the Military Institute of Medicine personally brought them to his home. Will the president now stand up for the disabled and their caregivers, who have been fighting in the Sejm for two weeks for additional money?” https://www.fakt.pl/wydarzenia/polityka/kaczynskiemu-przywiezli-kule-do-domu/e19rj7g

-- WOJCIECH MUCHA ON SPIELBERG - ALL GOATS JUMP ON A SLOPING TREE - writes in Gazeta Polska Codziennie: “I would shrug my shoulders, because it's just another unverifiable fake news, like any other: from the monster seen in Loch Ness to the claim that MP Marcin Kierwiński ate the Poniatowski Bridge. It's worse that the director's authority means that the story will probably spread through the media and will be another reason to beat Poland for alleged anti-Semitism and falsifying history. Yes, you read that right – fake news will be proof of our alleged lies. Meanwhile, Spielberg himself is positioning himself as a victim, saying that he will 'probably be arrested in Poland'. Well, the director of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' is probably not threatened with a close encounter with a Polish prison cell. I fear, however, that we will soon be threatened with the filming of an American version of 'Pokłosie'. All goats jump on a sloping tree." https://gpcodziennie.pl/88557-indianajonesifakenewsy.html

-- SZCZĘSNY SMOKED A CIGARETTE WITH THE PRESIDENT: “A cigarette anecdote involving national team player Adam Nawałka was recounted by Sebastian Staszewski. On May 9th, the journalist's book titled 'Tajemnice kadry' (Secrets of the Squad) will be released. It turns out that the 'Old Lady's' footballer smoked with President Andrzej Duda himself during one of the training camps! 'When it seemed that the meeting would end in a formal atmosphere, Wojciech Szczęsny stepped in. As witnesses recall, Duda, leaving the room, discreetly asked Boniek if he would smoke a cigarette with him. The goalkeeper of Roma [Szczęsny's club at the time – editorial note] overheard this. - Is Mr. President a smoker? - he asked. - Well, unfortunately, yes... - Duda replied. - I haven't smoked with the president yet... - the footballer paused for a moment. - Maybe a little pipe? - he inquired with innate confidence. Duda blushed but agreed to the unexpected proposal, and the players, laughing loudly, could not believe Szczęsny's boldness. - I was thrilled. Me, Wojtek from Grochów, standing there smoking with the President of Poland and the president of the Polish Football Association. Mr. Duda turned out to be a nice guy - recalls Szczęsny, who once again proved that off the field he can be even more assertive than on the pitch' – reads an excerpt.” http://sport.se.pl/pilka-nozna/reprezentacja/wojciech-szczesny-palil-papierosa-z-andrzejem-duda-okazal-sie-sympatycznym-czlowiekiem_1052347.html

-- 20 POLITICAL TOPICS OF MAY: https://300polityka.pl/news/2018/05/01/20-politycznych-tematow-maja/

-- 300LIVE: PiS submitted a bill to the Sejm on specific solutions supporting persons with significant disabilities, Zandberg on the candidate of the new left: https://300polityka.pl/live/2018/05/02/

-- BIRTHDAYS:Seweryn Blumsztajn, Paweł Reszka, Piotr Müller, Stanisław Ciosek, MAY 3: Czesław Bielecki, Kazimierz Plocke, Maciej Sokołowski, Marcelina Zawisza, Włodzimierz Czarzasty.