-- “TODAY I AM CALM, KNOWING WE ARE A GENERATIONAL MOVEMENT” - 300POLITYKA ON JAROSŁAW KACZYŃSKI’S WORDS AT A CLOSED PiS CLUB MEETING:https://300polityka.pl/news/2018/09/03/jaroslaw-kaczynski-na-klubie-pis-dzis-jestem-spokojny-ze-jestesmy-ugrupowaniem-na-pokolenia/

-- ONET QUOTES JAROSŁAW KACZYŃSKI’S ALLEGED WORDS AT A CLOSED PiS CLUB MEETING: “Today I am calm, knowing we are a generational movement,” Jarosław Kaczyński reportedly said at a closed meeting of the PiS club. According to 300polityka, the meeting took place while Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was en route in an election bus to Łowicz.” https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/kraj/konwencja-wyborcza-pis-jaroslaw-kaczynski-jestesmy-ugrupowaniem-na-pokolenia/wvxnpbm

-- ROKITA ON THE FLYER – NEWS FROM 300: “I couldn’t point to anyone else in his generation who could combine deep personal decency with a very rare, genuine talent for politics.” https://300polityka.pl/news/2018/09/03/saryusz-wolski-i-rokita-na-ulotce-jakiego-nie-potrafilbym-w-jego-pokoleniu-wskazac-nikogo-innego-kto-umialby-laczyc-gleboka-osobista-przyzwoitosc-z-bardzo-rzadkim-prawdziwym-talentem-do-polityki/

-- REBELLION WITHIN NOWACKA'S MOVEMENT, WILL INICJATYWA POLSKA SPLIT? – Michał Wojtczak in Gazeta Wyborcza: “I strongly disagree with forming a coalition with Civic Coalition. I strongly disagree with the notion of ‘Civic Coalition or death.’ There is an alternative,” argued Paulina Piechna-Więckiewicz, a Warsaw councilwoman from Inicjatywa Polska, at a press conference this morning. She asserted: “I cannot imagine my voters receiving Grzegorz Schetyna along with me. It's impossible to create a left-wing agenda and implement it within Platforma, within Civic Coalition.” http://warszawa.wyborcza.pl/warszawa/7,54420,23857852,wybory-samorzadowe-2018-stowarzyszenie-barbary-nowackiej-peknie.html

-- JAKUB MAJMUREK ON NOWACKA’S SCHIZOPHRENIC POSITION: “If an agreement is reached between IP and Civic Coalition in the regional assembly elections, it will place Nowacka's organization in a rather schizophrenic position. On one hand, activists from Warsaw and Poznań will be urging support for candidates backed by IP for mayor of those cities – Jan Śpiewak and Tomasz Lewandowski – convincing potential voters that we don't have to choose the lesser evil, that we are not condemned to the PO or PiS alternative. On the other hand, the participation of activists from Civic Coalition lists in the regional assemblies will convey the opposite message: that no alternative exists and it’s not even worth bothering to build something of our own, because only a united opposition bloc can stop PiS and save democracy in Poland.”

-- BY ENTERING CIVIC COALITION, NOWACKA WEAKENS HER FUTURE BARGAINING POSITION – MAJMUREK CONTINUES: “Liberals can only be truly liberal regarding women's rights if there is a strong left-wing parliamentary representation. As a necessary coalition partner to remove PiS from power, it could – not only on women's issues – set numerous conditions. By immediately joining Civic Coalition, Nowacka weakens her future bargaining position.”

-- AFTER THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS, THE LEFT'S EXPERIMENTS WILL END – MAJMUREK’S CONCLUSION: “The Left must break this vicious cycle of weakness. Its voters should clearly communicate this to their leaders. There is time for various experiments and configurations until the European elections. However, after that, it would be good – not only for the Left but also for Polish democracy – for a single center to emerge capable of integrating the rest and giving the left side the ability to engage in real political games on the national stage. Until then, everything will remain in flux within the left-wing bubble – likely even more turbulently than today.” http://krytykapolityka.pl/kraj/majmurek-mieszanie-w-lewicowej-bance/

-- PO LIKE PiS IN 2011? – MARCIN FIJOŁEK: “Marcin Mastalerek recently pointed out an interesting tendency in our political life. The former spokesperson for Law and Justice observed that PO is repeating the biggest mistakes of PiS during its time in deep opposition. Every comparison can be flawed and only partially capture the essence of things, but one must admit there's something to what Mastalerek wrote. I believe Sunday's Law and Justice convention confirmed this tendency. We are witnessing a rather unexpected role reversal. PiS politicians are talking less and less about Platforma; Jarosław Kaczyński, during his speech, barely mentioned political opponents (apart from generalities), and Prime Minister Morawiecki's message of “sticking Poland together” is increasingly setting the tone for this campaign.”

-- CIVIC COALITION IS SLIPPING INTO PiS'S 2011-14 POSITION – FIJOŁEK CONTINUES; “The effect of this dynamic, however, is that the opposition under the Civic Coalition banner – unless it changes its strategy – is increasingly slipping into the positions PiS occupied in 2010-2014: a practically unelectable group (referring to broader support than 25-30 percent). And the party led by Jarosław Kaczyński is consciously exploiting this, offering a more moderate message. It's playing itself. How lasting is this role reversal? It's hard to estimate, but such processes, firstly, are difficult to reverse with a snap of the fingers, and secondly, they don't repeat themselves 1:1. However, 2018 is a different reality with different social moods than the times when PiS was in deep opposition.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/410506-nieoczekiwana-i-chyba-jednak-trwala-zamiana-miejsc-pis-i-po

-- WOJCIECH ENGELKING PARAPHRASES SZCZEPKOOWSKA – TODAY IN 2018, A NEW RIGHT IS BEING BORN – HE WRITES FOR WP: “The ruling party’s convention before the local elections shows that although PiS has indeed abandoned its moderation after 2015, it hasn't done so permanently. Having carried out the most important actions from Jarosław Kaczyński's perspective – judicial reform, opposition to Donald Tusk's election as President of the European Council – it is once again reaching for the image it cultivated in 2015. This time, however, it seems to be doing so for good. And thanks to this – if I may borrow from Joanna Szczepkowska – ladies and gentlemen, in 2018, a new right is being born in Poland. If it succeeds, it will rule for years, because the conservative voter will lose their reservations.”

-- ENGELKING QUOTES 300POLITYKA’S DIAGNOSIS: “The second reason is – as Michał Olech eloquently put it in his analysis of the PiS convention on 300polityka.pl – Jarosław Kaczyński's transition from the position of PiS CEO to that of a supervisory board chairman: someone who may coordinate some party actions but is hard to find on the front lines. Kaczyński realizes that most of the young politicians in his party (and even older ones like Joachim Brudziński, Adam Lipiński) are neither interested in continuing the wars from the Porozumienie Centrum era nor capable of handling them. By adopting the archaic attire of the “PC Order,” they wouldn't gain a new electorate, and they would lose the most dedicated supporters because they would seem unbelievable to them.” https://opinie.wp.pl/wojciech-engelking-narodziny-prawicowego-leminga-6291609061197441a

-- MARCIN WOJCIECHOWSKI IN NEWSWEEK ON PiS’S IMAGE CONSISTENCY: “In 2018, a review of dozens of PiS candidates for mayors across Poland leaves no doubt and even inspires respect for the consistency with which this party approaches its image strategy. The vast majority of candidates are individuals born in the 1980s. They are educated, can speak Polish correctly and at least reasonably well in English, and their appearance aligns with Jarosław Kaczyński's promise that Poles will soon live like people in Western Europe. When PiS decides to focus on young and educated individuals, young and educated individuals become candidates nationwide. There are no concerns about an unknown name, or that there are more deserving party activists in the region, or that local cliques won't accept a second-tier candidate. The top-down decision is respected by structures nationwide without complaint. Only then does the central message of “we are a modern party,” directed from Warsaw and distributed by state media, gain strength. It is consistent with what voters will see locally.” http://m.newsweek.pl/opinie/konwencja-wyborcza-pis,artykuly,432367,1.html?src=HP_Left_Opinions

-- WHO TO BELIEVE: MORAWIECKI OR PAWŁOWICZ? – Michał Szułdrzyński in Rzeczpospolita: “However, we arrive at a problem here. Whom are we to believe? Morawiecki, who encourages dialogue with political opponents, or Jarosław Kaczyński, who called them scoundrels? The Prime Minister, when he says he doesn't divide Poles, or the party leader who speaks of a worse sort of Pole? The head of government, who says it's worth talking, or those PiS politicians who give the opposition 30 seconds to speak during important parliamentary debates? Morawiecki, who speaks of unity, or MP Pawłowicz, who approves of striking political opponents? If Morawiecki wants to be credible, he should not so much change his language as change PiS from within. If this doesn't happen, the offensive of smiles will only be an empty campaign ploy.” https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/309039918-Szuldrzynski-Morawiecki-usmiecha-sie-do-centrum.html&template=restricted

-- ŚPIEWAK WANTS CANDIDATE DEBATES AND SAYS ANOTHER MAJOR ENTITY WILL JOIN HIS COALITION IN WARSAW: https://www.portalsamorzadowy.pl/rozmowa-tygodnia/jan-spiewak-przedstawia-program-i-chce-debaty-wywiad,112883.html

-- JACEK KARNOWSKI WRITES THAT YES, PiS IS TRAMPLING ON THE INFORMAL CONSTITUTION, WHOSE CHIEF PRINCIPLE IS THE ABSENCE OF ANY REFORMS CHANGING THE STATUS QUO: “Indeed, the ruling camp sometimes tramples on the informal constitution, established at the round table, whose chief principle is the prohibition of any reforms that change the status quo. However, this is a separate matter, which has nothing to do with a written document and stems from a clear electoral verdict. Similarly, the outcry of the so-called 'caste' is in no way linked to the parliament's clearly expressed constitutional right to regulate the judicial system, to decide on judges' retirement age, or to elect Constitutional Tribunal judges according to the calendar.”

-- KARNOWSKI ON THE DEMONSTRATION IN DEFENSE OF THE CONSTITUTION AND A BANANA REPUBLIC:“I dream of a large demonstration by the Good Change camp in defense of the constitution. In defense of its fundamental, most important provisions, so instrumentally treated by the current opposition. But to begin with, it's worth starting from the basics: from rejecting the appropriation of the beautiful word 'constitution' by people who actually built a banana republic here, ruled by various oligarchies.” https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/410611-czy-nie-czas-na-wielka-demonstracje-w-obronie-konstytucji

-- WHOM DOES JAŚKOWIAK FEAR – ON JAŚKOWIAK’S THREAT FROM PUCZEK – Adam Kompowski in Gazeta Wyborcza: “Pucek can be a formidable opponent: he distances himself from PiS, criticizes Jaśkowiak, and as a former city official, he can deliver sharp blows. He most frequently discusses delayed investments, including the flagship project promised by Jaśkowiak in the 2014 election campaign, namely the tram to Naramowice. In polls, Pucek had between 6 and 10 percent support, but these were surveys from a few months ago. He is strongly supported by Grobelny himself – he even posed for a photo with him, reminiscent of Wałęsa with Civic Committee candidates in 1989.”

-- JAŚKOWIAK PREFERS THE LEFTIST LEWANDOWSKI IN THE SECOND ROUND – GW CONTINUES: “Jaśkowiak does not want Pucek in the second round; he repeats that he would like to see his deputy, Tomasz Lewandowski, there. Lewandowski, the leader of the Inicjatywa Polska movement, will be the candidate for the leftist coalition in Poznań. In a recent interview with 'Wyborcza,' the mayor explained that he personally, along with MEP Krystyna Łybacka, persuaded Lewandowski to run. He argued that such a competitor would ensure an appropriate level of pre-election debate. In previous polls, Lewandowski registered around 10 percent support. http://poznan.wyborcza.pl/poznan/7,36001,23858827,kogo-sie-boi-jaskowiak.html

-- BIEDROŃ’S THIRD WAY – Agata Kondzińska and Iwona Szpala in Gazeta Wyborcza: “According to 'Wyborcza' findings, Biedroń has been preparing for this political project for months. In the scenario of returning to major politics, his author readings played a significant role. He wasn't just the mayor of Słupsk there, but also the subject of a river interview where he spoke about being a simple guy from Krosno. He had a tough time, but he persevered in life. 'Robert has this unique ability to talk about politics through his life story, and he is credible in doing so,' Michał Syska, director of the F. Lassalle Center for Social Thought in Wrocław, tells 'Wyborcza.' Syska admits that Biedroń uses the center's publications and analyses.”

-- GW FURTHER ON THE BACKGROUND OF BIEDROŃ'S MOVEMENT: “‘He saw how many people want to talk normally, are tired of the conflict between the two main parties that has been going on for years,’ a person from Biedroń's circle tells us. ‘Promoting the book was a way to build himself politically; the entire strategy was conceived this way,’ adds another interviewee. http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,23858869,trzecia-droga-roberta-biedronia-po-slupsku-czas-na-kraj.html

-- ZUZANNA DĄBROWSKA ON BIEDROŃ’S TWO TRUMP CARDS – writes in Rzeczpospolita: “But Biedroń has two trump cards in his hand: a positive track record in local government as the mayor of Słupsk and a clean slate, unburdened by participation in any previous governments. That's quite a lot. But is it enough? The first serious test for the new initiative will be the local election results for Słupsk's deputy mayor, Krystyna Danilecka-Wojewódzka. If she loses the election, Biedroń's new movement would lose momentum right at the start. But this does not seem likely, despite attempts to hold his deputy responsible for a case of pedophilia involving an official working in an institution subordinate to the city.” https://www.rp.pl/Polityka/309039927-Robert-Biedron-wchodzi-do-krajowej-polityki.html&template=restricted

-- IN RAFAŁ WOŚ'S OPINION, BIEDROŃ IS BECOMING MEDIOCRE: “He has dragged out this game for too long, and – as is now clearly visible from online reactions – many of his recent supporters have taken him for another political deceiver. With each such trick, Biedroń is becoming increasingly commonplace. He wants to be different, separate, contrasting with the background at all costs. And he is increasingly blending into it. He is like a Hollywood actor who started with ambitious roles in niche productions and built his brand on never taking the easy way out. Until one day, the first compromise happened. One lighter role, to mock his own image. Barely noticeable nose correction and a tiny bit of Botox to enhance the naturalness of his face. A casual staged photo-op with a tabloid, of course with an ironic undertone. And then it all followed, and the audience soon began to get confused about where the live tissue was and where the plastic.” https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/kraj/1762524,1,tajemniczy-pasjans-roberta-biedronia.read

-- RAFAŁ WOŚ PRAISES NOWOCZESNA!“Nowoczesna has submitted a draft amendment to the Labor Code concerning pay transparency. They want salary information to be clearly stated in job offers. And I understand proposals like that! (...) This is not the first signal from the liberal camp that something has stirred in their program in recent months, and clearer social notes are finally appearing. For example, the 'Active Family' program presented in March concerned, among other things, school meals for children and the obligation to provide afternoon care in educational facilities at least once a week. There was also mention of co-financing the employment of nannies by financing their pensions and a subsidy for employment at the level of PLN 200.”

-- LESZEK MILLER ON THE DEATH OF HIS SON – IN A LONG INTERVIEW WITH SE.PL (KAMIL SZEWCZYK): “It is an unimaginable tragedy in my life. A part of me died with him…”

-- ONE FEELS AS IF THEY ARE DYING THEMSELVES – PRIME MINISTER MILLER CONTINUES: “If my wife and I had noticed anything wrong with our son, we wouldn't have gone anywhere. And since we hadn't taken our granddaughter on any trips for a long time, we thought we should go to Greece. Our son supported this idea, and couldn't go himself. We couldn't imagine that such a terrible piece of news would reach us in Greece. I would do anything to turn back time, to save my son, to help him. Leszek was our only child, and we loved him very much, and we will continue to love him even though he is dead. Anyone who loses a child can only then appreciate what an unbearable, monstrous pain it is and what a terrible experience. One feels as if they are dying themselves. And merciless death not only takes the child but also a part of each of us.”

-- MILLER ON THE POPE’S SUPPORT: “It is also an enormous pain and blow for her. She is bearing it terribly. Someone who hasn't experienced this doesn't realize what monstrous pain it is. I am receiving many messages, including that time heals wounds… But there are wounds that cannot be healed. I was surprised when Cardinal Konrad Krajewski from the Vatican called us and said, on behalf of the Pope, that he would pray for our son. It was very moving for us.”

-- “I WISH ALL OF THIS WERE A BAD DREAM”: “I regretted it. I would have preferred they didn't divorce, but that's how life is. What could I have done then… But their separation happened very peacefully. You know: I wish my son's death were a nightmare in the sense that I'm dreaming all of this and will wake up any moment, and my son will greet us with a joyful shout, ‘Hi, Dad!’ And I still constantly have the feeling that my son's death is a nightmarish dream. It’s terrible.”

-- PRIME MINISTER MILLER ON THE SUPPORT OF PRIME MINISTER MORAWIECKI, SZYDŁO, THE PRESIDENT, AND TUSK: “And for these expressions of support, I sincerely thank you. I would like to thank you for the thousands of kind words that have reached us. For the support. We received many calls from religious people, who know that our son was not a religious person. I received condolences from Deputy Prime Minister Beata Szydło, Minister Beata Kempa, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, President Andrzej Duda, Donald Tusk, and Aleksander Kwaśniewski, who could not attend the funeral because he was abroad. It is comforting to me that political divisions have temporarily receded into the background.” https://www.se.pl/wiadomosci/polityka/pierwszy-wywiad-z-leszkiem-millerem-po-smierci-syna-mialem-wrazenie-ze-sam-umieram-aa-NKrM-Yrqk-qdc9.html

-- SYLWIA SPUREK, DEPUTY TO ADAM BODNAR IN GAZETA WYBORCZA: “In the case of people with disabilities, Polish democracy has not learned the lessons of basic human rights. For three decades, a system has been created that lacks solidarity, stable legal solutions, and modern institutions – a system that leaves a significant part of society behind.

-- NEITHER THE CURRENT NOR ANY PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT – SPUREK CONTINUES: “Neither the current government nor any previous one has been able to precisely determine the number of citizens with disabilities. While the European Union discusses the best educational methods or the most effective housing solutions, in Poland, one still has to fight for a few dozen zlotys in additional benefits.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,23858449,wolnosci-nie-kupi-sie-za-185-zl-czyli-jak-polskie-panstwo-zawiodlo.html

-- ŁUKASZ PAWŁOWSKI FROM KULTURA LIBERALNA ON THE OPPOSITION’S POOR NARRATIVE REGARDING THE EU: “From the data above, a clear conclusion emerges: pro-European forces in Poland cannot limit themselves in political struggle to scaring people with the threat of Poland leaving the EU. PiS politicians will immediately deny such accusations – and it’s hard to blame them, since over 80 percent of their supporters favor EU membership. Representatives of the ruling party will, however, immediately emphasize that they want a Community that respects Poland's independence and takes its voice into account. Both of these claims can resonate with the public – for years, over 65 percent of Poles have believed that our country does not have sufficient influence on EU decisions and actions.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2018/09/04/pawlowski-polacy-euroentuzjazm-eurosceptycyzm/

-- BIRTHDAYS: Jan Ziobro, Amelia Łukasiak.