-- PIOTR ZAREMBA ON PETTY COMMENTS BY PO AND TRZASKOWSKI - writes in PTT: "I also found the malicious memes and comments from the Platformers regarding the state of the Polish army petty on this day. Really, Mr. Rafał Trzaskowski, are pictures of warriors from Bolesław the Brave's era proof of the ruin of the Polish army? And how was it in your time? Since you're striving for new equipment, does this mean that the current authorities have destroyed somewhere or hidden what was purchased or produced in Polish factories during your time? Well, of course not! A complete rejection of responsibility for the recent past, combined with a spirit of constant bickering, that's the hallmark of our politics."

-- THE PIS CHAIRMAN LEAVES MORE AND MORE MATTERS TO MORAWIECKI - ZAREMBA ON THE SCENES OF POWER: "From behind the scenes of the expedition, it is heard that Prime Minister Morawiecki blocked the decision to purchase frigates at the last moment. It's possible he took into account the resistance of the Polish shipyard lobby, as well as his own ministers. Or perhaps he wants to get out of the opposition's line of fire. Meanwhile, the transaction had been prepared for months. It was supposed to be a success for Minister Mariusz Błaszczak after the chaos of the Macierewicz era. Isn't this turn of events an act of questioning his position? Other rumors are multiplying, Błaszczak was reportedly offered the position of NIK president. That would not be an advancement. We don't know if the Prime Minister isn't finding common ground with the minister, or if Jarosław Kaczyński has started looking towards Macierewicz again. Probably the former. Although all decisions are still authorized in Nowogrodzka, the PiS chairman is leaving more and more matters to the head of government."

http://www.polskatimes.pl/opinie/felietony/a/wrzawa-po-wokol-parady-wojskowej-to-wyjatkowe-zacietrzewienie-i-nieporadny-kalizm,13418644/

-- PIS CLEARLY LEADS IN A POLL FOR RZ: PIS 38%, PO 25%, SLD 8%, KUKIZ 6%, PSL 5%, NOWOCZESNA 4%, RAZEM 2%.

-- 4 SIGNALS FROM THE WEB THAT JAKI WILL WIN - POLITYKAWSIECI: "Qualitative data analysis indicates that #PJ's campaign team has completely detached from current nationwide #PiS problems in the "pre-campaign." Topics like #BlackProtest, #SN, and #PJ's own conservative views, which could have been a burden for him, practically do not exist at the moment. The #PJ campaign team has focused on local issues and from this position, it quite skillfully attacks its competitors. Analysis of post popularity shows the #PJ campaign team's strong emphasis on the 'local nature of the campaign.'"

http://politykawsieci.pl/analiza-4-sygnaly-z-social-media-jaki-wygra-w-warszawie/

-- JACEK GĄDEK ON ADAMOWICZ BEING CONVENIENT FOR PIS: "PiS also benefits from the political turmoil, for example, around Westerplatte. In Gdańsk, the PiS candidate simply has no chance of winning, and besides, Płażyński is not liked in PiS and is considered an alien body. But Adamowicz, as the new-old mayor, is more convenient for PiS. Why? The incumbent mayor is accused in a trial for making false asset declarations for the years 2010-2012. According to investigators, the politician did not declare two apartments and understated his savings (discrepancies reached PLN 320,000). Adamowicz insists he made a mistake and then 'repeated the error in a few subsequent declarations.' The trial is ongoing, so the prosecutor's office and the government's propaganda apparatus have excellent fuel to grill him. A person cooperating with the city's incumbent mayor says: 'This story might even end with Paweł Adamowicz's arrest. Finding judges who will readily approve such an arrest is no problem now.'"

http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,23791824,ta-historia-moze-sie-nawet-skonczyc-aresztowaniem-adamowicza.html

-- GRZEGORZ SROCZYŃSKI WRITES THAT DUDA SURPRISES HIM AND MAYBE HE IS LESS PiS-OWSKI THAN WE ALL THINK: "Duda said all this freely and coherently. This politician invariably surprises me. Whenever he has to defend the PiS's sole correct party line, he is rigid and makes blunders (see the KFC incident, where the presidential couple reacted aggressively to a question about breaking the constitution). He gains wings in moments when he goes against PiS. This was the case with the veto of judicial laws (he gave a great speech there), and it is the case now. And it's not just about the distortion of my perspective, meaning that I simply agree with Duda's decisions, so his speeches might appeal to me more. Duda's entire body language in these 'anti-PiS' moments of his presidency is more decisive and freer. One gets the impression that Duda simply enjoys provoking PiS. Perhaps it's the joy of a 40-year-old who momentarily breaks free from the influence of a toxic father. Or perhaps Duda is actually less PiS-oriented than we all think."

-- SROCZYŃSKI WRITES TO WATCH SCHETYNA'S HANDS IN THE MATTER OF THE ELECTORAL LAW: "Although it seems unlikely now, a quiet agreement between Kaczyński and Schetyna to reject the veto might occur. Such a setup could be arranged quite easily. Kuchciński would convene an urgent Sejm session, PO MPs wouldn't manage to arrive on time, the veto – in the absence of the opposition – would be rejected, and Schetyna would shout about the 'end of democracy' and Kuchciński's 'great deception' who 'prevented us from voting.' And everyone would actually be happy. I don't really believe in this scenario (although it circulates in the backrooms as one of the possibilities), but many things happen in Polish politics that I wouldn't have believed before (and this doesn't just apply to the actions of the 'good change'). So let's watch Schetyna's hands in this matter and be glad that Duda 'managed it' this time."

http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,161770,23791840,sroczynski-duda-jest-szczesliwy-gdy-robi-kaczynskiemu-wbrew.html#Z_mBoxNajcz

-- THE DUOPOLISTS LOST - MICHAŁ SUTOWSKI: "And who lost? Certainly all the 'duopolists,' proponents of dividing Poland into two political blocs, where everything smaller than Kaczyński and Schetyna positions itself before them as a supplicant. If the new electoral law had passed, the 'principle of reality' and common sense would have stood behind them – and now they are left only with ideological fantasies and moral blackmail."

-- DUDA'S VETO PUTS THE BALL IN THE OPPOSITION'S COURT - SUTOWSKI: "Who won in the long run? In my opinion, PiS came out at zero – the possible consequences of the new electoral law for the European Parliament or its absence depend on so many variables that it's impossible to predict them unequivocally. Andrzej Duda definitely came out on top, as he blocked a law that would have solidified his own camp – it would have determined the consolidation of the right, and thus his own insignificance, which will now remain a relatively open question. Small and medium-sized parties have won their chances for survival and individual mandates. And the opposition as a whole – has retained the possibility that the European Parliament elections will be a springboard for a third political force, i.e., the left-wing bloc of the opposition. And this last point is the most important – Duda's veto means that the ball is now in their court."

http://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/przegrali-duopolisci-kto-wygra-zobaczymy/

-- PIS IS IRRATIONAL REGARDING THE OPPOSITION - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: "The veto acts as if the president pointed out an error to PiS, and they don't like that very much. That's why I don't fully believe that it was a staged event by Jarosław Kaczyński and Andrzej Duda. But even if it were, the president's decision benefits many circles. PiS can also gain from this, as moderate voters will receive a signal that Duda is capable of blocking Law and Justice when the party goes too far. For both the president and the ruling party, this can be beneficial in the long run. Much suggests that in the current situation, the new electoral law could be very risky for PiS, as a united opposition could win the European elections against them. Six months before the Sejm and Senate elections, this would be a huge blow to the authorities. Pushing through the new electoral law therefore proves to be decidedly irrational from PiS's perspective."

http://archiwum.rp.pl/artykul/1383541-Weto-czyli-koze-wyprowadzic.html

-- ACCORDING TO GRZEGORZ KOŁODKO, SPENDING ON THE MILITARY IS WASTED MONEY - he says in an interview with RZ: "No one is threatening us. These are fantasies of politicians and some media. It's worth looking at who voted in the Sejm to increase spending to 2.5% of GDP, and remember them at the elections so they are not in the next Sejm, since they are so wasteful and squander public money."

-- POLAND IS SAFE IN THE EU, NOT THANKS TO THE MILITARY - KOŁODKO continues: "The French also like military parades, but their great statesman, President Charles de Gaulle, paid the electricity bills for the palace he lived in out of his own pocket. So, if President Duda is such a great patriot, maybe he should also pay for the electricity he uses privately, instead of calling for constant increases in military spending and flying with a large entourage to Australia, from where we are to buy two dilapidated frigates for PLN 2 billion. Why should they rust in the Pacific when they can rust in the Baltic? Poland will be safe if we have a strong economy, an integrated society, and proper relations within the EU."

-- THE OPPOSITION WILL EXAGGERATE THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SLOWDOWN - KOŁODKO in RZ: "GDP dynamics will fall in the coming years. Of course, the opposition and government critics will exaggerate the significance of this slowdown, but we are not threatened by an economic crisis. However, imprudent management of public funds will increase fiscal and social tensions. If anything threatens us, it's social division, inability to withstand budget pressures, or ecological threats, not some invented enemy."

-- KOŁODKO ON POLAND'S GOOD ECONOMIC POSITION: "Our international position is very good. We have public debt at only half of GDP, of which 33% is foreign debt, interest rates are low, and the currency exchange rate is relatively stable."

http://archiwum.rp.pl/artykul/1383586-Wzrost-wydatkow-na-wojsko-to-marnotrawienie-pieniedzy.html

-- ŁUKASZ PAWŁOWSKI IN KULTURA LIBERALNA RIDICULES THE TEXTS OF JANICKI AND WŁADYKA ABOUT SYMETRISTS: "In short, according to Janicki, the only way to defeat PiS is to ruthlessly criticize the party's actions in every dimension and constantly remind of the violation of the constitutional order, which it has been perpetrating for years. In this situation, comparing PiS with the opposition, or even more so criticizing the latter or demanding specific actions from it, is effectively working for Kaczyński. 'A certain journalist from Gazeta Wyborcza' – incidentally, it's Michał Olszewski, one of the best Polish reportage writers, a laureate of the Ryszard Kapuściński Award – therefore has no right to write openly about Trzaskowski's campaign errors, because by doing so, he becomes Kaczyński's 'poputczik.' Olszewski should lay freedom of speech on the altar of service to the opposition, and the best way to help it is through praise or at least friendly silence."

-- ON SAINT JEROME, THERE IS RAIN OR THERE ISN'T - PAWŁOWSKI continues about the texts of JANICKI and WŁADYKA: "But already in the current issue of 'Polityka,' Janicki and Władyka formulate a different diagnosis and order the opposition to 'adapt to the circumstances,' i.e., the demands of the voters. 'If the public says: surprise us with something, then one does not discuss the concept of 'surprise,' but simply tries to make an impression.' And if opposition parties do not do this, losing in the next elections will not be their 'harm,' but their 'fault.' As the authors claim, the 'client-voter is always right.' So it turns out that the opposition should be anti-PiS and shouldn't be, that one can demand an inspiring program from it and at the same time cannot, that the quality of its contact with voters can be assessed against PiS's contacts, but at the same time, one must not do it, because in this way we are helping the ruling party. Thus, regardless of what happens, the authors will be right. As in this charming saying: 'When on Saint Jerome's Day there is rain or there isn't, then on Saint Protus' Day there will be sunshine or bad weather.'"

https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2018/08/16/wrozby-polityka-przewidywania-pawlowski-janicki-wladyka/

-- TRZASKOWSKI'S BLUNDER - title in Fakt.

-- JACEK KARNOWSKI WRITES THAT NO ONE TAKES TRZASKOWSKI SERIOUSLY: "Rafał Trzaskowski remains the favorite of the elections, especially since polls, of varying credibility, paint a still not entirely clear picture. However, there is no doubt that Patryk Jaki mobilizes voters much better than his competitor. Many people even seem to think that the PO candidate has nothing interesting to offer them, and it's not even worth listening to him. This is also an important signal before the parliamentary elections. Platforma is not treated as a party capable of making a serious, credible proposal to voters. Platforma is merely a negation."

https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/408213-zwyciestwo-patryka-jakiego-oznaczaloby-smierc-antypisizmu

-- PROF. ANDRZEJ NOWAK ON THE PO CANDIDATE'S WRONG STRATEGY: "I will repeat once again that I consider this a fundamental political mistake, irrespective of the un-civic tone of this attitude. Mr. Trzaskowski addresses his statements to an ever-narrower electorate. The message 'let's turn away from Polish tradition,' let's call it something pathetic, ridiculous, is addressed to a few, perhaps a dozen percent of Poles who do not identify with Polish history and tradition. They have the right to do so, but fortunately, they constitute a negligible minority and certainly do not guarantee victory in the elections."

https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/408177-prof-nowak-trzaskowski-popelnil-zasadniczy-polityczny-blad

-- KRYSTYNA NASZKOWSKA WRITES THAT THE DEMISE OF THE LUDOWCY IN THIS ELECTION MAY NOT SUCCEED: "High turnout and high support for PiS might deal such a blow to the Peasants' Party that they won't recover. That's what it seemed like last spring. But since April, the atmosphere around the PSL has improved somewhat. (...) Rural voters are slowly realizing that they can also lose from PiS's 'good change.' Maybe that's why PSL activists, who are now traveling around the country as part of their local government campaign, are not encountering as much hostility as they did in 2016. 'There's no love, but there's discussion, there are calm conversations, something has changed in our favor,' they say. (...) So, PiS will probably get the most votes, but – as the PSL members explain – the point is that even if they win, they won't take the entire pool and won't be able to govern independently in a regional assembly in more than one voivodeship."

https://oko.press/psl-walczy-o-zycie-na-wsi-dobijanie-ludowcow-moze-sie-kaczynskiemu-nie-udac-w-tych-wyborach/

-- ON HOW THE OPPOSITION SHOULD CREATE ITS CONSTITUTIONAL PEOPLE - JAKUB MAJMUREK in GW: "The constitutional camp must understand that true democratic leadership does not consist of giving voice to existing attitudes, values, and interests in society, but of creating such policies that create a 'people' – a subject that transcends existing political, class, and identity divisions, capable of acting for change. This requires a narrative and the practice that follows it, which gives a sense of agency and participation in the political drama of power to all those who are and will be deprived of it in PiS's Poland: from sexual minorities, through women and non-believers, to the world of labor in conflict with the business oligarchy of PiS."

http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,23793552,pis-swoj-lud-wynalazl-dopiero-w-2015-r-majmurek.html

-- SE ON KASIA TUSK'S SECRET WEDDING: https://www.se.pl/wiadomosci/polityka/tajny-slub-tuskowny-aa-T3R7-VuNd-eM68.html

-- BIRTHDAYS: Zofia Romaszewska, Jacek Żakowski, Jacek Wilk, Jacek Wojciechowicz.