-- MORE MORAWIECKI AND DUDA, LESS KUCHCIŃSKI AND TERLECKI - MASTALEREK ALSO SAYS ORLEN WORKS FOR DRIVERS AND THE ECONOMY - 300LIVE:https://300polityka.pl/live/2018/05/18/

-- DID THE PRESIDENT AWARD FOR SCAMS? - FAKT: “Jakub R., the main suspect in the City Hall corruption case, received over PLN 218,000 over the years. Kamil D., arrested in December 2017, received a total of over PLN 48,000, while Krzysztof R. received over PLN 66,000 in bonuses from the city mayor. Interestingly, the City Hall only provided a list of bonuses from the period 2007–2013. It is unknown whether there were any bonuses between 2013–2017 and in what amounts. The city did not respond to our question on this matter.” https://www.fakt.pl/wydarzenia/polityka/ogromne-nagrody-w-ratuszu-hanny-gronkiewicz-waltz/23l7fs3

-- JAN ŚPIEWAK RESPONDS TO HIS CRITICS, INCLUDING HOŁDYS, IN AN INTERVIEW WITH MAZUREK IN DGP: “They clearly don't bother to notice that this city has been run since 1994 – with a three-year break for Lech Kaczyński – by the Civic Platform environment, which first bred Paweł Piskorski, and now the reprivatization mafia. Should I stay silent, put my tail between my legs, because someone worse than them will come? And who is worse than the murderers of Jolanta Brzeska, than the gang that throws people onto the street?”

-- ŚPIEWAK ON TRZASKOWSKI: “The only thing is that we differ radically on why we are in politics. I am here to change reality, he is here to preserve the status quo, and that status quo in Warsaw is very smelly.”

-- ŚPIEWAK ON FR. TWARDOWSKI: “He dedicated his famous poem ‘Let's hurry to love people, they leave so quickly...’ to her, it was about my grandmother and grandfather.” http://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/opinie/artykuly/574589,jan-spiewak-reprywatyzacja-trasa-w-z-warszawa-gronkiewicz-waltz.html

-- OBSERVING THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING NEW, POLAND IS MORE PIS-LIKE, BUT DIFFERENTLY PIS-LIKE - PIOTR ZAREMBA ON LOCAL ELECTIONS - WRITES IN DGP MAGAZINE: “It is possible that all these timid changes will disappear after the campaign. Indeed, they might be overshadowed by wars between central and local Poland, right-wing and more pragmatic. Wars even more violent than the current ones. But it is also possible that we are observing the beginning of something new. Perhaps a different Poland will emerge from the local elections? More PiS-like, but differently PiS-like.”

-- A RETURN TO THE MORE DISTANT PAST, BECAUSE DID LECH KACZYŃSKI AS A CANDIDATE FOR WARSAW MAYOR FULLY RESEMBLE THE CURRENT PIS? - ZAREMBA CONTINUES: “To some extent, it could be a return to the more distant past. Because did Lech Kaczyński, as a candidate for Warsaw mayor, fully resemble the current PiS? In 2010 and 2014, PiS lost not only cities but also provinces. It was only in 2013 that they took over the Podkarpackie regional assembly, which was confirmed by subsequent elections a year later. However, anti-right-wing, often colorful coalitions ruled everywhere else (in Silesia, even the RAŚ had to be included in such a bloc). Now, according to the calculations of the PiS headquarters, taking five regional assemblies is certain: Podlaskie, Lubelskie, Podkarpackie, Małopolskie, and Świętokrzyskie. In two more – Mazowieckie and Łódzkie – the right wing is close to victory. This divides Poland along a clear line into more eastern and northwestern regions, but it still doesn't give the ruling camp control over most of the country (7 out of 16 regional assemblies). However, along with several metropolises and many smaller cities, and with personnel changes in many districts, towns, and gminas, this will undoubtedly bring a revolution. Poland will become more PiS-like.”

-- ON THE FATE DECIDED BY THE FACT THAT HIS FACE COULD ADD PIS ONE SEAT IN THE MAZOWIECKI REGIONAL ASSEMBLY - Zaremba: “The ruling camp's influence on many areas of life will significantly increase: education, healthcare, culture. Powerful streams of EU money distributed by the regional assemblies will be under PiS's control. On the other hand, the opposition will lose many positions in local government administrations. Even if Jaki does not win, he may strengthen PiS's position in all of Greater Poland, because in the provinces, even in Western Poland, the results are not as unambiguously anti-right-wing as in the metropolises. Jaki's fate was decided, among other things, by detailed research indicating that his face could add one seat to the ruling camp in the Mazowiecki regional assembly. And that one seat could decide who will control this assembly – the right wing or the integrating opposition.”

-- THE MIDDLE CLASS, WITH TEARS IN THEIR EYES, SUPPORTS THE CAREGIVERS' PROTEST, PERHAPS THE SOLIDARITY LEVY SHOULD BE EXTENDED - JACEK KARNOWSKI: “The middle class, populating the media with tears in their eyes, supports the demands of caregivers for disabled people in the Sejm. Their fulfillment, according to the government, will cost approximately PLN 9 billion. This is mainly because, after the Constitutional Tribunal's ruling, it is impossible to single out one group of disabled people; all are to be treated equally. (...) In my opinion, if the conflict continues to escalate, if it cannot be resolved otherwise, if the ladies do not back down, the government should consider extending the solidarity levy to those who earn very well. So, instead of a threshold of one million zlotys per year, for example, a quarter of a million zlotys per year. Incomes of around PLN 20,000 per month are high not only in the Polish context but also in the Western context. And people who achieve them usually hold high social positions, which in turn imposes special obligations on them towards the entire community. After all, they earn a lot by functioning in this specific society.”

-- INVOLVE THOSE SOCIAL GROUPS THAT FIERCELY SUPPORT THE PROTEST IN ANY POTENTIAL AGREEMENT - KARNOWSKI CONTINUES: “If the government intends to yield to the caregivers of disabled people, it should involve those social groups that fiercely support this protest today in any potential agreement. All the more so because, if anyone knows, the Polish middle class knows that the state is financed by citizens' taxes, and you cannot spend significantly more than you earn. Therefore, fulfilling the demands of disabled people should take the form of a broad social contract, encompassing not only the weakest but also the strongest groups. Since so many numerous and affluent environments want to help so much, they should contribute something themselves.” https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/394687-rzad-powinien-znacznie-rozszerzyc-danine-solidarnosciowa-niech-to-bedzie-szeroki-kontrakt-spoleczny-z-grupami-ktore-wspieraja-protest-w-sejmie

-- LIBERAL MEDIA ARE NOT INTERESTED IN CRITICIZING WHAT ARŁUKOWICZ DID FOR THE DISABLED - Krzysztof Karnkowski in GPC: “And regardless of what the irritated PiS electorate thinks – it is very good, because there can never be enough social sensitivity to the issues of these people and their families. Nor is it true that those protesting in the Sejm only criticize Mateusz Morawiecki's government. It's simply that liberal media are not interested in publicizing, for example, Iwona Hartwich's critical opinions about the empty promises that Bartosz Arłukowicz, the Minister of Health during the Civic Platform's time, once made to caregivers of disabled people.” https://gpcodziennie.pl/89760-politykanakolkach.html

-- MAŁGORZATA WASSERMANN SAYS SHE WILL NOT START THE CAMPAIGN BEFORE THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ELECTION DATE: http://krakow.wyborcza.pl/krakow/7,44425,23415443,malgorzata-wassermann-nie-prowadze-kampanii-to-nie-jest-moj.html

-- KACPER PŁAŻYŃSKI CRITICIZES ADAMOWICZ FOR NEGLIGENCE LEADING TO THE CONTAMINATION OF THE MOTŁAWA RIVER: “– We live in a plywood city that cannot ensure safety. Two hours passed from the decision to discharge sewage into the Motława to opening the manhole, because that manhole was stuck – said the PiS candidate. – It probably hasn't been opened for 20 years. So what certainty do we have that this infrastructure is in appropriate condition. Unfortunately, we are waiting for a fragment of this infrastructure to be delivered from the Netherlands, and every day of waiting means more sewage being dumped into the Motława. Why don't we have these spare parts in Gdańsk? – he added.” http://trojmiasto.wyborcza.pl/trojmiasto/7,35612,23413112,po-awarii-przepompowni-plazynski-oskarza-adamowicza-o-zaniedbania.html?disableRedirects=true

-- JANINA OCHOJSKA, RESPONDING TO MAGDALENA RIGAMONTI'S STATEMENT THAT IT'S NOT JUST THE PIS GOVERNMENT THAT HASN'T ADDRESSED THE ISSUES OF DISABLED PEOPLE, SAYS IN DGP: “Of course not. Because the governments run by PO and PSL, by SLD and AWS, also didn't. Since 1989, our democratic state has not, and still does not, address these issues. Can such a country be called democratic in view of this? After all, in a democratic state, disabled people have the right to live fully in society. And no government over these almost 30 years of freedom has seriously addressed the issues of disabled people. Furthermore, it has not addressed the issues of the homeless, refugees, or minorities. Clearly, for the state, these people are second-class citizens, the 'worse sort'. This is evident at every step. One would think that now, at least, construction should be done in such a way that a disabled person can access public institutions. I don't have legs on wheels and can't use a ramp, I can overcome at most three steps, so I need a lift. In our country, the needs of disabled people are not taken into account. There is no visible care for us.”

-- OCHOJSKA ON THE BACKSTAGE OF (NOT) ENTERING THE SEJM: “Because the protest is in the Sejm. And frankly, if this were a political matter for me, I wouldn't get involved. However, to enter parliament, one must be invited by a parliamentarian. I asked MP Sławomir Piechota from PO for help. I've known him for years, even before he entered politics, he is a disabled person. He is currently in a sanatorium, so he asked his colleagues to invite me, to ask Marshal Marek Kuchciński to let me into the Sejm. If an MP from another party, from a different political option, were to vouch for me and invite me to the Sejm, I would not refuse. I care about disabled people, not MPs. http://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/opinie/artykuly/574588,niepelnosprawni-ochojska-sejm-protest.html

-- MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI ON HOW KUCHCIŃSKI'S TYRANNICAL PROPENSITIES ARE HARMFUL - WRITES IN RZ: “The gradual depletion of resources that can mobilize supporters is also a problem for Law and Justice. The so-called Morawiecki's 'five' did not turn out to be a breakthrough. The question is, what forces can be thrown onto the front now when further troubles arise. After all, not all previous ones have been resolved, such as the protest of caregivers for disabled people and the tyrannical tendencies of Sejm Marshal Marek Kuchciński. When Jarosław Kaczyński is in the hospital, the party's ability to react sensibly to crises drops radically.” http://www.rp.pl/Wybory-samorzadowe/305179878-Walka-o-sejmiki-wojewodzkie-bez-nokautu.html

-- ZUZANNA DĄBROWSKA ON THE SEJM OF POLITICAL DEGENERATION - WRITES IN RZ: “Messrs. Kuba and Adrian were banned from going for a walk by Marshal Kuchciński on Thursday because they approached the barrier to meet Janina Ochojska instead of hanging around the entrance. And actually, this news alone is enough to make the building on Wiejska Street a symbol of political degeneration. There's no need to cancel sessions, expel the media... It's enough to make citizens not even want to look in its direction. If voter turnout also drops, the loyal electorate will be enough to win elections. Everything will be locked up and a new, neat name will be announced for the system prevailing in Poland. Because 'parliamentary democracy' probably won't fit anymore?” http://www.rp.pl/Analizy/305179881-Zamkniety-Sejm-to-symbol-prawdziwej-IV-RP.html

-- HOLIDAYS WITH WHEELCHAIRS - GW front page: “After analyzing the polls, PiS decided not to give up on the disabled. – Let them stay in the Sejm during the holidays if they want to – a politician from the ruling camp tells 'Wyborcza'. (...) And the ruling camp will wait, because according to research that Law and Justice has, support for the protest is shallow. – When asked if they should help the protesters, respondents answer yes. But when asked whom to take from, they answer selfishly – a politician from Nowogrodzka tells us.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,23415406,niech-siedza-w-sejmie-przez-wakacje-jesli-chca-pis-chce.html

-- DWORCZYK RESPONDS TO THE ACCUSATION OF EXPENSIVE SHOOTING RANGES: “That's populism. If you're talking about shooting ranges, every normal person who hears that will be surprised: 'They have money for shooting ranges, but they don't want to help the disabled? A scandal!' The thing is, fulfilling those expectations costs nearly PLN 10 billion. And we're allocating PLN 40 million for shooting ranges.”

-- DWORCZYK ON THE DISORGANIZATION OF SEJM PROCEEDINGS: “We are very liberal. However, there are certain limits to the disorganization of the Sejm's work.

– Is this liberalism?

You have to ask the Marshal about the criteria. However, it is understandable to me that it is the Marshal's duty to organize the work of the parliament in such a way that the Sejm can function. This is one of the most important bodies of the RP.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,23415248,jestesmy-liberalni-ale-sa-granice-rozmowa-z-michalem-dworczykiem.html

-- ECOLOGISTS DON'T SEE THE RIVER OF FECES - GPC front page: “The Provincial Inspectorate for Environmental Protection, the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection, the sanitary inspection, city officials – the services are trying to solve the problem of the river of feces and the non-functioning sewage pumping station in Ołowianka in Gdańsk. However, the smelly problem is not noticed by... environmental organizations, which yesterday were busy with the war over seats in the Białowieża Forest Commission.” https://gpcodziennie.pl/89782-ekolodzyniewidzarzekifekaliow.html

-- PRESIDENTS, STOP FUEL PRICES - Fakt front page.

-- TRUMP BYPASSES DUDA - Bartosz T. Wieliński in GW: “Trump, after the enthusiastic reception in Warsaw in July, should reciprocate by hosting a so-called state dinner for the Polish president. He recently honored French President Emmanuel Macron in this way. But there is no invitation for Duda. This shows the place Poland has found itself in after almost three years of the so-called good change.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75399,23414472,duda-przed-zamknietymi-drzwiami-w-ameryce.html

-- BIRTHDAYS: Bogdan Zdrojewski, Paweł Poncyljusz, Mariusz Grad.