-- JAGIENKA WILCZAK ON HOW CHILDREN FIND HOMES FOR HOMELESS DOGS: “Young people will search for a new home not only among their relatives, family, or friends. They will also present the chosen dog on pro-animal forums, talk about it, show photos, and be active, because in a sense, it is their dog. The children will not take the dogs themselves; only when a new home is ready and checked by the shelter management – as this is a fundamental condition – will the animal be adopted and taken from its kennel. Nothing forced; the point is that the dogs do not end up back in the shelter because they got bored. Or, even worse, that they are not found in the forest, tied to a tree, left to die. Because then all the effort would be in vain.” https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/ludzieistyle/1751756,1,ruszyla-pierwsza-w-polsce-akcja-puste-schronisko-ma-sens.read

-- NOWACKA DISMISSES AGREEMENT WITH RAZEM AND ŚPIEWAK? 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2018/06/12/

-- THE BUDGET IS IN THE RED WITH FUR FARMERS - JACEK LIZINIEWICZ IN GPC: “In total, fur farmers paid over PLN 11 million to the budget. However, during the same period, they received PLN 41 million from VAT refunds alone. Ultimately, the central budget is over PLN 30 million in deficit when it comes to direct contact with fur farmers.”

-- MEDIA TUMULT IS EFFECTIVE, PIS MAY YIELD TO FUR FARMERS - FURTHER FROM GPC: “The media tumult has probably proven effective. The animal protection bill has landed in the parliamentary freezer. Representatives of the parliamentary team of animal friends now have a tough nut to crack. They will likely try to salvage less controversial parts of the bill. This means that both the ban on fur farming and the ban on ritual slaughter will be removed from the new law. Decisions are expected this week.” https://gpcodziennie.pl/91522-milionydlafutrzarzy.html

-- THE HUNTERS' FACTION IN PiS IS WEAKENING - Aleksander Gurgul in GW: “It is noteworthy that simultaneously, the hunters' faction has weakened both within PiS and within the State Forests themselves. – There is a clear division within PiS. On one side are people from the circle of MP Szyszko, the former environment minister, who 'love animals, so they like to kill them.' On the other side is a group of opponents of animal abuse and killing them, for example, for fur, which includes party leader Jarosław Kaczyński.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,23526530,fiasko-pomyslu-lasow-panstwowych-na-siec-sklepow-z-dziczyzna.html

-- THE CHAIRMAN HAD TIME FOR TELEVISION, A BAD OMEN FOR TVP - AS MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI WRITES IN RZ: “According to a rumor often repeated in PiS, the chairman finally had a lot of time to watch television. Therefore, one can hear in PiS that the current head of public television, Jacek Kurski, should be worried about this, because the PiS chairman, as a viewer, could see how other viewers are treated. And – according to our interlocutors – he was not at all satisfied with the effects of this role-playing experiment. So, it may turn out that the attack on private media serves as a smokescreen for implementing changes at TVP, which Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki is also reportedly insisting on, believing that the rather blunt propaganda material might have been better at the initial stage of solidifying support at the beginning of the term, but now, as PiS tries to modernize its image, it's time for a different phase.” http://www.rp.pl/Analizy/180619884-Kaczynski-mial-czas-na-telewizje-Co-to-oznacza-dla-TVP.html

-- GUNTER VERHEUGEN SPEAKS OF DOUBLE STANDARDS IN THE EU BECAUSE THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT IS NOT MAINSTREAM - in an interview with Kamil Turecki in Onet: “I want to be clear – in my opinion, the European Commission does not have the appropriate competencies to deal with this matter. I'm anticipating your question – of course, it has tools and can use them. However, I believe it is doing so ineptly. The commissioners don't know what to do. They also have no idea what will happen. I have one simple piece of advice for all parties to the dispute – de-escalate this conflict. The Polish government has not 'sold' its arguments in a very convincing way. I am not an expert in these matters, but I know, and not just me, that the Polish justice system requires reform because it does not meet contemporary standards. The question is different – are we basing ourselves on double standards or on the same rules? There are double standards in Europe because the current Polish government is not part of the so-called mainstream. Let's look at other countries. Why doesn't the EU take on the Hungarians? Because Fidesz is part of the largest group in the European Parliament. PiS is not, because it preferred to go its own way. That was a serious tactical mistake. That is why the Polish government is marginalized in the European Parliament and the European Commission. It also disagrees with the President of the European Council, Donald Tusk. Today, Poland is close to having no influence in European structures. The solution is de-escalation of the conflict from both sides.”

-- IT CANNOT BE SAID THAT POLAND FLAGRANTLY VIOLATES THE RULES - FURTHER FROM VERHEUGEN: “Of course, there are things to improve, but it cannot be said yet that Poland flagrantly violates the rules. Flaws exist to be eliminated. I can list a whole host of countries that have problems with their justice systems. If you asked me which country has the most trouble with this, I wouldn't say Poland, but Italy.” https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/gunter-verheugen-dla-onetu-musze-uzyc-mocnych-slow-europa-zyje-w-epoce-hipokryzji/59wq45y

-- PRESIDENT'S DECISION ON JUDGES A SIGNIFICANT SIGNAL FOR THE EC - Michał Szułdrzyński in RZ: “According to information from 'Rzeczpospolita,' out of the 27 judges who were forced into retirement by the new law, over half have submitted the appropriate letters to the president. If Andrzej Duda agrees to their continued service for further years, the government will be able to state in negotiations with the Vice-President of the European Commission, Frans Timmermans: the intention was a court reform, not a complete overhaul of the judiciary, nor excessive interference by the executive in judicial activities.” http://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/306119915-Kluczowa-liczba-w-sporze-z-Bruksela.html

-- MICHAŁ ŻAKOWSKI ON THE MORAL BLACKMAIL OF THE LIBERAL OPPOSITION TOWARDS LEFT-WING GROUPS - writes in Kultura Liberalna: “The campaign for the local elections is unofficially beginning. 'Candidates for candidates' are increasing their media activity. Some of the liberal opposition are, once again, employing the tactic of moral blackmail, expecting that in the name of the 'fight for democracy,' urban movements or left-wing groups will give up their right to use their democratic rights.”

-- MICHAŁ ŻAKOWSKI ON THE NARRATIVE THAT INVALIDATES THE VOICES OF THOSE HARMED BY REPRIVATIZATION: “Freedom, equality, solidarity are not values that exist only when Civic Platform or any currently strongest party identified with the non-ultra-conservative current is strong. We are the guarantors of their protection ourselves. This principle applies particularly at the local government level, where non-party committees have an easier time breaking through than at the central level. If we care about protecting what is important to us, let's not forget what might be important to other residents of our city. The narrative that Trzaskowski is the only sensible choice de facto invalidates the voice of individuals directly harmed by reprivatization, who will never vote for someone associated with PO. It is not worth pushing these voters into the arms of Jaki just so that a few publicists can note with satisfaction that there is no alternative to the strongest non-PiS candidate.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2018/06/11/zakowski-skalski-polemika-wybory-warszawa-demokracja/

-- FORMERLY A CRACOVIAN, TODAY WARSAW RESIDENT - Fakt on Trzaskowski: “Journalist Konrad Piasecki noticed a new biographical note about the candidate and compared both versions. Now, both Cracovians and Warsaw residents have reasons not to trust the politician. And Trzaskowski? Perhaps, like Bronisław Komorowski in the past, he will explain that he 'is from all of Poland.'” https://www.fakt.pl/wydarzenia/polityka/wczesniej-krakus-dzis-warszawiak/ewn0t0y

-- KATARZYNA KOLENDA-ZALESKA ON THE CIVIC PLATFORM'S SIN OF OMISSION - writes in GW: “The fact that the opposition, and especially Civic Platform, is joining in the whitewashing of an anniversary that commemorates the impulse leading to the fall of communism, is no longer understandable. It forces us, however, to call it a scandal, and a scandal of immense proportions.”

-- FURTHER FROM KOLENDA ON PO'S MISTAKE: “Civic Platform is committing a grave sin of omission, and its leaders are usually absent on that day. This is not limited to this one anniversary. Civic Platform gives the impression that it is ashamed of the June 4th elections because PiS calls them a 'betrayal by the elite.' And it is afraid that someone might think it has something to do with this alleged betrayal, something to do with the 'deals' in Magdalenka when Lech Wałęsa and Lech Kaczyński negotiated the peaceful transition from totalitarianism to democracy.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,23526037,platforma-i-grzech-zaniechania-goscinne-wystepy-we-wtorek.html

-- KACZYŃSKI TRANSMITTED A MESSAGE THAT THERE WILL BE NO MAJOR GOVERNMENT CHANGES UNTIL THE LOCAL ELECTIONS - Iwona Szpala, Paweł Wroński in GW: “There will be no major personnel changes in the government until the local elections – this was the message conveyed by PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński after returning from the hospital. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki is pushing for changes.”

-- GW ON SUSPICIONS THAT JURGIEL MADE A DEAL WITH PSL: “The Jurgiel situation is different. Rumors are surfacing in PiS that he has started aligning with a part of PSL. – It so happened that whenever clouds gathered over him, the Peasants' Party filed a motion of no confidence. Coincidence? – says a politician from PiS leadership. The party considered this a setup. – He succeeded twice. If the situation repeats, he will lose his position faster than he thinks – our interlocutor warns.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,23526409,co-kaczynski-zrobi-z-partia.html

-- WITOLD GADOMSKI ON THE NON-EXISTENT FOREIGN POLICY - writes in GW: “Poland should therefore support the position of the entire Union, whose goods Washington has imposed tariffs on. It does not do so because for PiS, the enemy is Brussels, which demands the observance of the rule of law in Poland. As has happened many times in history – when foreign policy is non-existent, we can only count on luck. On the fact that a catastrophe will not occur, and in a year a rational government will be formed.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,23526408,kraj-bez-dyplomacji.html

-- RABIEJ ON PETRU:“It must be clearly stated from the perspective of these three years that our leader had the ability to found a party that achieved a good result in the parliamentary elections, but it turned out he didn't necessarily have the skill and ability to develop this party, to maintain that result.” https://www.tvp.info/37600700/rabiej-nowoczesna-nie-ma-juz-klopotu-czyli-ryszarda-petru-i-jego-ego

-- PIOTR SKWIECIŃSKI ON THE GW ARTICLE ABOUT REPRIVATIZATION AND THE JUDICIARY - writes on wPolityce:“This is a very important article, albeit hidden on the local pages of 'Wyborcza,' but it nonetheless shows a certain courage on the part of that editorial office. Because it goes against its entire line, not concerning reprivatization, but the Polish judiciary. Because court clerks were corrupted. OK – can we imagine that this happened without the knowledge of the judges supervising them? Perhaps… And the whole story – meaning Janusz S., who years ago received a sentence (a severe one, six years!) – for the same offense, continuing similar activities without problems after release – doesn't it resemble the founder of Amber Gold, about whose numerous previous sentences none of the state institutions 'knew'?” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/399063-iii-rp-w-pigulce-czyli-janusz-s-i-warszawskie-sady

-- WOJCIECH MUCHA ON WHAT IS CONTROVERSIAL TODAY - writes in GPC: “But the company Red is Bad, a producer of patriotic clothing, has also recently been deemed controversial. Wp.pl criticized President Andrzej Duda for it. All because, on his way to the hospital where Jarosław Kaczyński was staying, he wore a t-shirt from this company. If he had gone there half-naked on a float during the equality parade, they probably wouldn't have found controversy. Such are these controversial times.” https://gpcodziennie.pl/91535-kontrowersjaniejednomaimie.html

-- BIRTHDAYS: Grzegorz Sroczyński, Krystyna Sibińska.