-- BIELAN ON TUSK NEEDING TO GET MORE INVOLVED AGAINST NORD STREAM 2.

-- WHERE IS SCHETYNA? HE'S GONE - Adriana Rozwadowska in GW: “What is the opposition doing during this time? Where is the leader of Civic Platform, Grzegorz Schetyna, when a spectacular protest, the largest in years, is looming? In June, MP Bartosz Arłukowicz complained that opposition initiatives are not picked up by the media because PiS overshadows the opposition. The latter has accustomed us to reactivity: to the 'Family 500 plus' program, it reacted with a proposal to expand the 500 plus program, and to 500 plus for retirees – with the 13th pension. And when an opportunity arises on its own – the opposition disappears underground.”

-- THE OPPOSITION WILL ONCE AGAIN DROWN, FULLY DESERVEDLY - Rozwadowska's conclusion: “Now, not later, is the opposition's chance to show it has learned from the past. To step out and say: liberalism assumes equality of opportunity – public services must be invested in. An efficient state cannot be made of cardboard – it is impossible without well-paid professional civil servants, brave firefighters, and rested nurses. If the opposition does not seize this last opportunity for a more pro-social course – it will drown. Fully deservedly, once again.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,155287,23657829,gdzie-jest-grzegorz-schetyna-ni-ma.html

-- PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES ARE STANDING UP, POLAND MAY GRIND TO A HALT - GW lead story: “Firefighters, teachers, police officers, sanitary inspectors, and even border guards – if the government does not agree to a 12% wage increase for the public sector and other demands from trade unions on Thursday, Poland may grind to a halt.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,155287,23656547,bedzie-wielki-protest-w-budzetowce-rzad-dostal-ultimatum-ma.html

-- HUMILIATING PIŚ VOTERS IS CONTRARY TO DEMOCRACY - Tomasz Markiewka in Gazeta.pl: “Worse still, Saramonowicz's statement introduces a very dangerous division. Between the stupid mob, which has never achieved anything and bows to false authorities, and spiritual elites finding dignity in themselves. Firstly, this division is untrue, if only because Saramonowicz seems to find dignity not in himself, but in relation to his own imaginings of the dull mob. Only against their background does he find fulfillment. Secondly, such divisions will only please Kaczyński and PiS.” http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,161770,23655191,markiewka-glupi-motloch-i-my-duchowe-elity-ponizanie-wyborcow.html#BoxOpinionImg

-- MARCIN FIJOŁEK IN WPOLITYCE ON GERSDORF'S STATUS: “But returning to the status of Professor Małgorzata Gersdorf. According to wPolityce.pl's findings, intensive, not to say feverish, conversations and debates are taking place within the Supreme Court itself regarding how to treat the professor. It's about a trivial matter: payments. How should the professor be treated from July 4th onwards? From which drawer should the money be transferred to her account, and how large should these sums be? This is only a seemingly trivial problem. Please note that it is possible to pay money either from the 'pile' titled 'First President of the SN' or from the 'drawer' for remuneration for retired Supreme Court judges. Both scenarios differ in the amount transferred to Professor Gersdorf's account, but also in her status.” https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/403279-tylko-u-nas-czy-sn-uzna-prof-gersdorf-za-byla-i-prezes

-- PANIC IN THE RULING PARTY - Agata Kondzińska in GW: “In the Tricity area, a majority of current councillors will not be able to run on the PiS list because they have been holding lucrative positions, mainly in Lotos and Energa. – This is a catastrophe, complete surprise, and a disruption of the existing order. And no one knows why this happened – comments one of Kaczyński's party activists.”

-- THE BAN WILL APPLY TO PERSONS IN MANAGERIAL POSITIONS IN STATE-OWNED COMPANIES - further in GW: “The regulation on companies is the president's decision – says a PiS politician. But he admits it will be clarified. – The ban will apply to members of the management boards of state-owned companies and persons in managerial positions – he reveals. And adds: – It is understood that it does not apply to a sales representative employed by a company. This is meant to convey the message that the path from politics to business leads in only one direction.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,23657727,trwoga-w-partii-wladzy.html

-- AUSTRIA DOES NOT WANT TO ANTAGONIZE BECAUSE IT HAS EXPERIENCE WITH ARTICLE 7 - DGP: “But Austria is unlikely to go all the way. The procedure provides for a vote at the end, in which member states can state a serious risk of violating the rule of law in Poland. – Many countries are skeptical about voting because they prefer to avoid such strong antagonism between countries. We even more so, because we ourselves have the worst possible experiences. In 2000, we felt like victims of 14 member states – said an Austrian diplomat.” http://www.gazetaprawna.pl/artykuly/1170519,praworzadnosc-i-polska-reforma-sadownictwa-w-komisji-europejskiej.html

-- FRAGMENT OF A CONVERSATION BETWEEN WOJCIECH MUCHA AND JACK LIZINIEWICZ WITH THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE ON THE BAN ON FUR ANIMAL FARMING: “I have a clear opinion – not everyone in PiS shares it. Are animals so valuable that some believe they need better protection than humans?

-- What do you mean by that?

-- I see a moral dilemma for people who care about fur animals, about a dog on a chain, but have no problem accepting abortion.

-- Minister, forgive me, but that's populism. One can be against abortion and against the senseless killing of animals at the same time.

-- Animal rights activists believe that it is immoral to breed animals for purposes other than food. Yet, from the beginning of the world, we have used various parts of animal bodies. What is the difference between using fur and using skin or hooves for gelatin?

-- Food production ensures our food security, while fur does not.

-- Furs are in demand. Look at haute couture fashion houses.

-- I can name major fashion houses from the last year alone – for example, Gucci – that have abandoned furs because they consider them unnecessary barbarism.

-- I don't deal with fashion. There is and will be demand for furs. They say it can be replaced by synthetic products. Only that when fur ages, it biodegrades after several decades. Plastic will lie around for 1000 years. Furs are more environmentally friendly…”

-- GAZETA POLSKA JOURNALISTS WILL STICK TO THEIR OPINION ON KILLING FOR FURS, MINISTER ARDANOWSKI TO HIS: “That's interesting. Data from the Ministry of Finance indicates that 11 million PLN was collected from farming taxes, while VAT refunds to farmers amounted to 41 million PLN.

-- I repeat – the conditions should be tightened, not the farms abolished. What should farmers breed instead?

-- They can breed rabbits, as one farmer proved by building a rabbit farm and then releasing tens of thousands of minks there, despite the opposition of local residents.

-- You are talking about pathology.

-- No, I'm talking about another major breeder in Poland. If you consider a titan of the industry to be a pathology, then there is a problem.

-- I don't know about that case – I would have to visit that farm. I see we will remain with different opinions on this matter.

-- Apparently.”

-- ARDANOWSKI DISMISSIVELY SPEAKS OF RESIDENTS PROTESTING AGAINST ODOR FROM MINK FARMS: “I see protests in many matters, for example, near the Supreme Court…”

-- ANDRZEJ STANKIEWICZ ON THE FINANCIAL REPORTS OF PARLIAMENTARY OFFICES - EXCERPT ON MINISTERS' "KILOMETER ALLOWANCES": “Three ministers are at the forefront of recipients of 'kilometer allowances'. Minister of Energy Krzysztof Tchórzewski collected over PLN 12,000. Minister of Infrastructure Andrzej Adamczyk received almost PLN 13,000 (he also spent over PLN 15,000 on electronic equipment). Deputy ministers who are also MPs also receive 'kilometer allowances'. For example, Patryk Jaki from the Ministry of Justice received PLN 17,500, and Jarosław Sellin from the Ministry of Culture – PLN 11,700, and additionally spent PLN 1,600 on taxis. However, the record holder is the Minister of Environment Henryk Kowalczyk – he collected almost PLN 25,000 in 'kilometer allowances' from the Sejm, despite his constituency being in Pułtusk, which is not far from Warsaw.” https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/kilometrowki-i-smieciowki-ministrow/8q6kmjc

-- PREZES PREFERS TO LEAVE ABORTION TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL TRIBUNAL - Michał Szułdrzyński in RZ: “And in the situation of the bill being repealed by the Constitutional Tribunal, they will be smaller than if such a ban were carried out by the Sejm with the votes of PiS parliamentarians. On the one hand, it will be difficult for Kaczyński to accuse them of hypocrisy, and on the other hand, a change that evokes great social emotions will be carried out by others. Regardless of whether this happens in this or the next parliamentary term.” http://www.rp.pl/Analizy/180719958-Szuldrzynski-Prezes-woli-pozostawic-aborcje-w-TK.html

-- DGP ON THE FAILURE OF THE IDEA TO MERGE NBP WITH KNF - UNLESS THE VISION OF LOSING POWER APPEARS - write Marek Chądzyński and Grzegorz Osiecki: “But there is another possible consequence of the lack of changes. PiS risks losing control over KNF if it loses the elections in 2019. Although the chairman is appointed for five years (the current head of supervision, Marek Chrzanowski, started working at KNF in the autumn of 2016), the ruling party has broadly opened the door for shortening terms of office for various positions with new regulations. – Today, there is no pressure to integrate KNF into NBP because everyone thinks that close cooperation between the head of the NBP and the chairman of the commission will be enough. But it doesn't always have to be that way – says our source from government circles. Currently, PiS's ratings are stable, and the party is leading in polls. However, it cannot be ruled out that if it becomes clear closer to the elections that losing power is a real possibility, the idea of merging supervision and the central bank will return.” http://biznes.gazetaprawna.pl/artykuly/1170547,nici-z-laczenia-nadzoru-i-nbp.html

-- RZ LEAD STORY: POLAND IS ONLY APPARENTLY AN ARMORED POWER - writes Zbigniew Lentowicz: “Poland has about a thousand of them, which should make us an armored power in NATO. However, this is an illusion.” http://archiwum.rp.pl/artykul/1380959-Czolgi-tylko-od-parady.html

-- SE LEAD STORY: KURSKI IS GETTING MARRIED: https://www.se.pl/wiadomosci/polityka/kurski-sie-zeni-prezes-tvp-i-jego-ukochana-kupili-juz-obraczki-aa-Q8JQ-RuRx-DevC.html

-- BIRTHDAYS: Monika Olejnik, Piotr Kraśko, Andrzej Brzeziecki, Krzysztof Wąsowski, Agnieszka Owczarczak, Beata Chyczewska.