-- AT 12:30 PRESIDENT'S STATEMENT ON VOTING ORDINANCE - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2018/08/16/

-- WARSAW REPRIVATIZATION GOES TO COURT - GW's FRONT PAGE: "According to information obtained by 'Wyborcza' from the prosecution in Wrocław, which is conducting the investigation, on September 5th, the Warsaw District Court will only consider the indictment against businessman Maciej M. and his lawyer Andrzej M. Their defense will argue that the court case has no basis. They have filed for dismissal."

http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,23789554,warszawska-reprywatyzacja-idzie-pod-sad-znamy-szczegoly-pierwszego.html

-- DUDA WILL HARM HIS COLLEAGUES - FAKT's headline on the voting ordinance.

-- BIEDROŃ WANTS TO LOVE POLAND - FAKT's headline.

-- KRZYSZTOF PACEWICZ ANALYZES THAT BIEDROŃ CAN COUNT ON 9-10% INITIALLY: "From the analysis of our polls, Robert Biedroń's new party might initially count on 9-10% support if it attracts feminist activists and urban movements to its lists, but starts without the SLD and Razem. Biedroń's popularity in presidential polls is likely higher: in two April surveys by the Pollster Research Institute for Super Express, Biedroń secured third place, with results of 17% and 19%." https://oko.press/nowa-partia-biedronia-moze-liczyc-na-9-10-proc-na-poczatek-analiza-sondazy/

-- WE NEED TO FIND AN ADDITIONAL 100 SEATS, WHICH WILL NOT COME FROM NOWACKA RUNNING ON THE CIVIC PLATFORM LISTS - Marcin Celiński from Liberte: "If we want to think realistically about a government other than PiS in the next term, we need to find an additional 100 seats – with all due respect to Barbara Nowacka, her running on the Civic Platform lists won't provide them. An idea like Biedroń's is needed – to cater to voters (which doesn't mean parties and little parties) of liberal and left-wing leanings, 'black umbrellas,' supporters of Poland's modernization and Europeanization. Will it take votes from Civic Platform – probably to a small extent, yes, but primarily it will mobilize those who won't vote for Civic Platform, and those are precisely the votes needed to defeat PiS."

-- POLAND'S INTEREST BEFORE PLATFORM'S INTEREST - Celiński continues: "Therefore, it is worth undertaking a broader reflection; beyond the interest of Civic Platform and the political bloc it is forming, there is Poland's interest, which a second term of PiS rule does not serve. Don't be afraid of Biedroń; he can add to the opposition, not take away from it." https://marcincelinski.blog.polityka.pl/2018/08/15/kto-sie-boi-roberta-biedronia/

-- BIEDROŃ'S EXCELLENT DECISION - Sławomir Sierakowski on Onet: "A new project 'Kocham Polskę' (I Love Poland) will be created. The name may not be particularly sophisticated, as that's the kind of politics we have, but it seems to suit a candidate who evokes benevolent reactions even from opponents and possesses that certain something that politicians like Aleksander Kwaśniewski had, who could win over the masses. Without this, it's difficult to succeed in presidential elections, and Biedroń rightly hints at such ambitions. It's easier to imagine him in presidential elections than parliamentary ones, although that stage will also have to be passed. So far, Biedroń has presented himself as a soloist; we don't know his team or his talent for team building. The news that Barbara Nowacka has left the project being formed doesn't sound good, but it's just the beginning, so nothing is decided. Biedroń knows perfectly well that to achieve anything, including in presidential elections, he needs a broad formation."

-- SIERAKOWSKI ON THE GLASS CEILING OF CIVIC PLATFORM AND SLD: "For the last dozen or so years, one could say anything about Polish politics, but not that it is excessively pluralistic. Civic Platform seems to have a glass ceiling above it, as does the SLD, so a lot of votes are still up for grabs. Everything will depend on whether the opposition, divided into two wings – the Platform and Biedroń's – will be stronger than PiS, or whether Biedroń will only fragment it, but not lead to a superiority for the opposition. Although it is hard to be optimistic today from any side other than the government, the first scenario seems quite realistic." https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/robert-biedron-nie-kandyduje-w-wyborach-samorzadowych-sierakowski-dobra-decyzja/fb5k6pl.amp

-- JĘDRZEJ BIELECKI ON THE EU COMMISSION'S CONFUSION REGARDING POLAND: TIME IS NOT ON BRUSSELS' SIDE - he writes in Rzeczpospolita: "There will be no two-speed Europe for now, and after next year's European Parliament elections, politicians much closer to the Polish authorities' views might take the helm of the Community. The announcement of referring the matter to the ECJ could be a signal that Brussels is bracing for another defeat. An alternative solution to the dispute through a vote in the Council of the EU to punish Poland will not be easy to implement: many EU countries do not want to get into a dispute with Warsaw. The legal basis for the ECJ to condemn our country also does not seem very strong. Perhaps, therefore, time is not on Brussels' side." https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/180819573-KE-kontra-Polska-Polityczna-praworzadnosc.html

-- AN INTERESTING FRAGMENT IN JĘDRZEJ BIELECKI'S ARTICLE IN RZ ABOUT MORE AND MORE EU COUNTRIES SHARING THE VISÉGRAD GROUP'S STANCE ON REFUGEES:"Already, autonomous communities governed by the People's Party, such as La Rioja, practically do not accept immigrants, while those where PSOE or other left-wing parties are in power, such as Andalusia or Catalonia, have no problem with it. After the resignation of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, the 37-year-old Pablo Casado took the helm of the People's Party, whose views in many areas are comparable to the hard wing of PiS." https://www.rp.pl/Unia-Europejska/308159967-W-sprawie-imigracji-Wyszehrad-zarazil-Europe.html

-- ŚPIEWAK REVEALS THE TOP CANDIDATES ON THE LISTS - TVN WARSZAWA: "Śpiewak, who is also the agreement's candidate for the city's president, is to be the leader of the list in the district covering Śródmieście and Ochota districts. Piechna-Więckiewicz, who in case of the WMW leader's victory in the Warsaw presidential election would serve as his deputy for spatial and equality policy, will run for re-election to the city council as the 'number one' candidate in Mokotów. In addition, among the list leaders will be the co-chairwoman of the Warsaw Greens, Dagmara Misztela, who will run in the district covering Ursynów and Wilanów, the vice-head of Wolne Miasto Warszawa, Karol Perkowski (Wola), as well as politicians from the Razem party: Hanna Gospodarczyk (Praga Południe and Rembertów), Justyna Drath (Bemowo, Ursus, and Włochy), Maciej Borowski-Monkiewicz (Targówek, Wawer, and Wesoła), and Konrad Wiślicz-Węgorowski (Białołęka and Praga Północ). Misztela, Gospodarczyk, and Drath are also – like Piechna-Więckiewicz – candidates for deputy mayors. In the city hall, they would be responsible for investment issues, social affairs, and education, respectively." https://tvnwarszawa.tvn24.pl/informacje,news,spiewak-ujawnia-jedynki-brna-listach-do-rady-miasta,268712.html

-- ACCORDING TO AN ICM POLL FOR TVP, TRZASKOWSKI LEADS BY TWO POINTS:

Trzaskowski: 39.1%

Jaki: 37.3%

Śpiewak: 5.1%

Rozenek: 4.3%

Wojciechowicz: 2.8%

Stefaniak: 1.6% https://www.tvp.info/38531584/przedwyborczy-sondaz-w-stolicy-jaki-z-trzaskowskim-leb-w-leb

-- MICHAŁ WOJTCZUK FROM GW ON TWITTER: Civic Platform misunderstood public sentiment, scaring that the parade would cause traffic jams in Warsaw, suggesting a fair on Freta Street instead, and making fun of the reenactors. Only @TomaszSiemoniak somehow managed to get out of it by pointing out what equipment is missing – that was the right move. https://twitter.com/michawojtcz/status/1029818559067828225?s=12

-- MARCIN MAKOWSKI ON TWITTER: I was supposed to have a long weekend without politics today, but I just saw Trzaskowski praising the purchase of jam at a fair over a "pathetic parade" on the occasion of Poland's Armed Forces Day. Good grief. https://twitter.com/makowski_m/status/1029767966504755200

-- PATRYK SŁOWIK FROM DGP ON TWITTER: I thought this tweet, in which Rafał Trzaskowski calls Piłsudski a general, was a fake. I checked. Unfortunately, the candidate really believes that Józef Piłsudski was a general... https://twitter.com/PatrykSlowik/status/1029785616853164032

-- SŁOWIK ON REENACTMENT GROUPS: Oh, now I understand! Under President Komorowski, the participation of reenactment groups in the parade was a tribute to the history of the Polish military. But under President Duda, the participation of these groups is a joke, indicating the weakness of the Polish army. https://twitter.com/PatrykSlowik/status/1029724105698959361

-- SŁOWIK ON TRZASKOWSKI'S POST: A very good joke at the expense of people who dedicate their time and money because they are passionate about history. Ha, ha, ha. https://twitter.com/PatrykSlowik/status/1029716280553693184

-- POLSAT NEWS ON TRZASKOWSKI'S BLUNDER WITH "GENERAL PIŁSUDSKI": "On Rafał Trzaskowski's Facebook page, there was information that the candidate for Warsaw's mayor, on the occasion of the 98th anniversary of the Miracle on the Vistula, laid flowers at the monument of 'Gen. Józef Piłsudski'. Netizens immediately noticed the error and informed the Civic Platform politician that he had 'demoted the marshal'. After several hours, the post was corrected." http://www.polsatnews.pl/wiadomosc/2018-08-15/general-jozef-pilsudski-wpadka-na-profilu-rafala-trzaskowskiego/

-- GAZETA.PL ON TRZASKOWSKI'S POST ABOUT THE REENACTMENT GROUP AND "GENERAL PIŁSUDSKI": "The mocking post by the candidate for Warsaw's mayor caused considerable controversy among commentators. 'How embarrassing, seriously,' 'Do you know what historical reenactment is?' or 'If it was supposed to be witty or funny, it failed' – these are just the milder parts of the critical comments. Moreover, this is not the only post by the politician related to the celebrations of Poland's Armed Forces Day that was disliked by commentators. Earlier, Rafał Trzaskowski, writing about Józef Piłsudski, called the marshal a general. 'Netizens immediately noticed the error and informed the Civic Platform politician that he had 'demoted the marshal'. After several hours, the post was corrected,' we read on polsatnews.pl. http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,23790071,trzaskowski-uderza-w-blaszczaka-ironicznie-chcialem-przeprosic.html#Z_MT2

-- JAKI ON THE FACT THAT A CITY WHERE TRASH IS SPILLED ON THE STREET IS NOT A SYMBOL OF AMBITION AND MODERNITY: "First and foremost, Warsaw must be a truly European city. And today, no city is European if it is not honest. The standard of Europeanism is honesty, and Warsaw must become so. Rafał Trzaskowski does not guarantee this. He is a continuation of Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz's governance, which led to such great theft, to the plundering of assets. That's the first point. Secondly, Warsaw must be ambitious. It cannot be that the authorities of Warsaw bring shame upon us throughout Europe and the world because garbage is spilling onto Warsaw's estates. Also, because the capitals of Bulgaria or Romania have more kilometers of metro. Also, because Minsk has two ring roads, and Warsaw has none. Because we are losing to other regional capitals in the sphere of new technologies and smart cities. Warsaw must be an ambitious city." https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/407975-nasz-wywiad-jaki-po-robi-wszystko-by-prowokowac-zadymy

-- LUDWIK DORN ON THE NEW GENERATION IN POLITICS AND THE FRAGILITY OF CIVIC PLATFORM AND PIS: "Firstly, in the Polish party-political system, and particularly in its most important elements: PiS and PO, the growing problem of generational succession must be resolved. Rafał Matyja, associated with 'Nowa Konfederacja,' observes that Polish political elites are quite aged in a European comparative perspective. The solution to this issue is not to place more 30-40-year-olds in 'winning' positions in parliamentary and local elections, although that also has its significance, but to compose the governing bodies and their advisory circles, which shape the political line based on the life and intellectual experiences of the most politically active generations. And when it comes to political activity, age is one of the key variables. Because the current political leadership continually postpones the solution to this problem, pressure for forty-somethings to enter governing bodies and political staffs is increasing, and the chances for an evolutionary and protracted generational exchange are inevitably diminishing. This problem will most likely be resolved through a sequence of subsequent internal party upheavals, especially since both party structures are incredibly fragile due to the second circumstance: difficulties with leader succession in both PO and PiS." http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,161770,23785495,dorn-moje-pokolenie-toksycznych-rodzicow-iii-rp-chce-trzymac.html#Z_BoxOpinionImg

-- A FEW YEARS AGO, THE CURRENT OPPOSITION SAID THE STATE OF THE ARMED FORCES WAS GOOD, WHILE PIS SAID IT WAS BAD - Witold Jurasz on Onet: "We are in for a festival of assurances of Polish strength from the authorities and complaints about the state of the army from the opposition. Interestingly, just a few years ago, today's opposition said the state of the armed forces was good, and PiS said it was bad. In reality, the state of the Polish armed forces is tragic. This is the fault of politicians, although unfortunately, not only." https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/witold-jurasz-o-stanie-polskich-sil-zbrojnych/ell9pr3

-- RZ ON ORLEN'S INVESTMENTS: "Significantly more diesel will be shipped from the Lithuanian refinery of PKN Orlen to Poland. This will be possible thanks to increased efficiency in crude oil processing in a new installation and an agreement with Lithuanian railways. (...) – Thanks to this, Możejki will become resistant to fluctuations in the oil market. In the future, they will obtain the same amount of finished fuels from 8 million tons as they now do from processing 10 million tons. This will not only affect profit growth but also their greater stability – explains Daniel Obajtek, CEO of Orlen." https://www.rp.pl/Surowce-i-Chemia/308159950-Mozejki-przestaja-byc-kula-u-nogi.html

-- BIRTHDAYS: Jacek Karnowski, Patryk Michalski, Jowita Michalska.