-- MORAWIECKI ON POLAND'S RATING UPGRADE: "This confirms that there is nothing wrong with our institutional reforms or the justice system." - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2018/10/13

-- GOOD MOODS IN GOVERNMENT AFTER S&P DECISION, "WE MUST USE THIS WELL" https://300polityka.pl/news/2018/10/13/musimy-to-maksymalnie-wykorzystac-dobre-nastroje-w-rzadzie-po-podwyzszeniu-ratingu-polski-przez-sp/

-- PIOTR ZAREMBA ON THE CHURCH HIERARCHY'S LACK OF ACTION REGARDING PEDOPHILIA SIGNALS - writes in RZ: "After all, you are confirming the thesis about the social significance of Smarzowski's film, bishops. No one will erase that impression anymore. There was time for that. Naturally, burning out scandals with a red-hot iron is not goodwill, but a duty; it's not a matter of image, but of elementary morality, and the harm to even one child cries out loudly. But it's worth noting that for several years, warnings have been sent to the Episcopate about impending reckonings, including in the form of this film. Nothing was done about it. The shadow of this procrastination will now weigh upon thousands of decent priests."

-- DISMISSING THE PHENOMENON SURROUNDING THE CLERGY WILL BE A MISTAKE EQUAL TO A CRIME - ZAREMBA FURTHER CONCLUDES IN HIS TEXT FOR RZ: "Let everyone judge for themselves whether by attending the cinema they are not supporting this action, especially since this opposition, more cultural than political, treats the viewership of 'Kler' as a plebiscite. But putting aside mere curiosity about a historical event, at least Catholic opinion leaders should know what they are talking about. Dismissing this event will be a mistake equal to a crime." https://www.rp.pl/Plus-Minus/310119910-Piotr-Zaremba-Kler-Nieuczciwe-chwyty-Wojciecha-Smarzowskiego.html

-- THE ERA OF GERMAN MEDIA POWER IN POLAND IS COMING TO AN END - JACEK KARNOWSKI: "The conclusion is clear: the era of German media power in Poland is slowly coming to an end. Not because it is the will of the government, and not because these media are making significant mistakes. Primarily because Poland is slowly becoming a 'completed state.' Thus, grotesque, semi-colonial hybrids must become a thing of the past." https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/416241-czas-niemieckiej-potegi-medialnej-w-pl-zbliza-sie-do-konca

-- GRZEGORZ ŁAKOMSKI ON THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF POWER AFTER THE TAPES: "Another notes that regardless of the Minister of Justice's role in this matter, he may face consequences because suspicions have fallen upon him. - I don't know if Ziobro had anything to do with this, but Morawiecki's response will be sharp, he assesses. According to our sources, rumors have begun circulating in PiS that Patryk Jaki, the Deputy Minister of Justice and Ziobro's right-hand man, will replace him as minister, and the leader of Solidarna Polska will receive an offer he cannot refuse from the Prime Minister and be sent to Brussels. There is rivalry between politicians, including for influence in state-owned companies. The tug-of-war was even visible during the Prime Minister's recent visit to New York, which was to be accompanied by the president of PKO BP, Zbigniew Jagiełło (a friend of Morawiecki), and the president of PZU, Paweł Surówka (considered to be connected to Ziobro). - Ziobro's people controlled the delegation because PZU was the main organizer and they decided who could come. Jagiełło got angry and didn't go, an informant familiar with the behind-the-scenes of the Prime Minister's visit tells us." https://www.tvn24.pl/magazyn-tvn24/w-pis-badaja-kto-stoi-za-tasmami-podejrzany-ziobro,179,3062

-- RZ ON THE DEBATE: TRZASKOWSKI HAD NO ACE UP HIS SLEEVE - Artur Bartkiewicz: "Furthermore, Trzaskowski, apart from various nice-sounding phrases, had no ace up his sleeve in the style of Jaki's declaration to leave the party. It's hard not to get the impression that he approached the debate unprepared."

-- LOCAL CANDIDATES WERE A BACKDROP FOR THE NATIONWIDE WAR - Bartkiewicz continues in RZ: "It is sad that candidates who focused on local issues – which should be the essence of local elections – will likely only serve as a backdrop in Warsaw for the nationwide war between PO and PiS. Jan Śpiewak, Justyna Glusman, or even Piotr Ikonowicz, when their 45 seconds came, actually spoke about the city's problems. But everyone was waiting to hear what Jaki and Trzaskowski would say anyway. The cards in these elections seem to be already dealt." https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/181019669-Bartkiewicz-o-debacie-warszawskiej-Troche-smiesznie-troche-smutno.html

-- OKO PRESS ON HOW TVP HELPED JAKI (Magdalena Chrzczonowicz, Agata Szczęśniak): "The Warsaw debate was conducted in agreement between three editorial offices. However, the TVP journalist could not avoid biased comments: she warned Trzaskowski not to 'express opinions,' and defended Jaki against Rozenek's accusations. Patryk Jaki's real show, however, began on TVP Info only after the debate." https://oko.press/debata-warszawska-manipulacja-tvp-najpierw-dyskretnie-potem-na-calego/

-- JACEK KARNOWSKI ON THE SECOND ROUND BEING LIKELY: "The reminder of the entire constellation of politicians and anti-politicians fighting for the presidency significantly increases the probability of a second round of elections. Previously, a scenario was possible where Trzaskowski and Jaki would cover the entire political spectrum and settle the fight on October 21st. Now, one can assume that Jakubiak, Śpiewak, Korwin-Mikke, Rozenek, and others will indeed snatch something, and there will be a runoff. This is, of course, good news for the right-wing candidate. From the perspective of the main candidates, the debate is probably undecided. Not because they performed poorly or well, but because such a broad field has pushed their performances somewhat to the margins. The show was stolen by marginal, exotic candidates, absent from the campaign on a daily basis." https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/416366-show-skradli-kandydaci-egzotyczni-wiec-bedzie-ii-tura

-- MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI: IT MIGHT BE MORE INTERESTING THAN WE THOUGHT: "To summarize: the image, previously flattened into a clash between Trzaskowski and Jaki, has gained some color. That's good. It might be more interesting before the second round than we thought." https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/416369-po-debacie-albo-jaki-i-zmiana-albo-pycha-i-samozadowolenie

-- WP ON JAKI'S MOVE: "But it turned out mediocre: Jaki ran out of time, he 'got stuck,' the debate moderator interrupted him mid-sentence, and the cameras did not capture a close-up of him handing Trzaskowski a resignation letter. And in the end, the 'non-partisan' candidate still got into the PiS party bus and drove away from the TVP building." https://opinie.wp.pl/debata-warszawska-najgorszy-teatr-telewizji-w-historii-6305266802231425a

-- RAFAŁ TRZASKOWSKI ON HAVING NO FRIENDS IN POLITICS - he tells Donata Subbotko in GW: "My friend from elementary school is Michał Żebrowski. My second childhood friend is Łukasz Bromski. Other friends are mainly from high school. I have people next to me at work whom I like, but friendship is something very private, and it's hard to imagine it in politics. I entered politics late, at the age of 36, when true friendships are rarely formed."

-- RAFAŁ TRZASKOWSKI TELLS SUBBOTKO ABOUT HIS CHILDHOOD AND THE AFFECTION OF KALINA JĘDRUSIK: "Many jazz musicians, writers, actors. Why impress with names? Besides, during communism, ZOMO often patrolled the Old Town, so people came to hide. But the courtyard was like anywhere else, various children lived there. We played with bottle caps and pikutki. My mother ran an open house. Kalina Jędrusik, for example, was a friend of the family, who I particularly remember; she devoted a lot of time to me – the only lady whose curses never offended. I also had closer contact with Tomek Lengren and Marek Piwowski; they knew how to talk to children, while I would just say hello to others – and go out to the courtyard. I wasn't that little child who sits with his parents' friends; I preferred the street atmosphere. Even today, I don't like sitting at the table for too long. My wife is from Silesia, she's very family-oriented. Sometimes this whole nice, diverse family sits at the table, talks, but I can only sit for about an hour, then I get impatient."

-- TRZASKOWSKI, ALBEIT RELUCTANTLY, ANSWERS SUBBOTKO ON WHAT HE READS: "I'm reading, for example, Adam Johnson's novel 'The Orphan Master's Son,' which won a Pulitzer in 2013 – it takes place in North Korea, a bit of Orwell, a bit of a James Bond-style spy novel. And short stories by Adam Haslett, who has also been nominated for a Pulitzer twice. And 'The Predatory Dynasty of Piast' by Sławomir Leśniewski about the beginnings of the Polish state, a book based on the theory that Mieszko and his retinue were Scandinavians. Even now, in the heat of the campaign, I try to read for a while at night, before going to sleep. I love Tolstoy and Dostoevsky; I consider them the greatest writers of all time. Besides Shakespeare. If someone has read Shakespeare and Dostoevsky, they know everything about life. And Tolstoy has everything about emotions, even in the scenes of a ball or horse races in 'Anna Karenina.' But I am an Americanist, I studied English philology and specialized in postmodern literature, so I also love experimental literature, Pynchon, DeLillo. Among Poles, I really like Pilch, Tokarczuk, Stasiuk."

-- TRZASKOWSKI REMEMBERS PIWNICA: "My mother was a bartender first, then a costume designer. Later, she took care of the house. I used to go to Piwnica as long as I can remember. Skrzynecki took me under his wing. I wandered around Krakow with him until morning, and he would talk about art and history. In high school, I went there all the time to escape from home, drink wine, and breathe in that atmosphere. My brother, Piotr Ferster, who is 19 years older than me, was like my second father. And a friend with whom I went skiing and who introduced me to the nooks and crannies of Krakow. I had my first drink with him. Of the Piwnica songs, 'Dezyderata' was the most important for me, of course; I heard it since childhood. I also liked the sketch-like songs sung by Preisner or Raj. And I loved Turnau. He was probably 17 when we met; he played me his songs on a Grundig tape, which he didn't want to perform because he thought they weren't good. He impressed me. Nice memories."

-- TRZASKOWSKI ON THE BRUTAL CAMPAIGN: "We constantly have to debunk things and at the same time focus on a positive message. But that's politics today. Lies, misrepresentations, fake news. Propaganda from that side for millions. On the other hand – independent media, which don't spare me, that's their role. All media live off clickability; everyone is looking for sensationalism. Today, it pays the most to be colorless. I knew it would be hardcore, dirty, that blood would be spilled." http://wyborcza.pl/magazyn/7,124059,24037489,rafal-trzaskowski-walczymy-o-nasze-miasto.html#nowaZajawkaGlownaMT

-- FAKT ON GOVERNMENT RECONSTRUCTION: "It's certain now! Before Christmas, or at the latest in the spring, there will be a government reconstruction. President Jarosław Kaczyński (69) promised the Prime Minister that he would be able to make the changes in his cabinet that Mateusz Morawiecki (50) wanted from the beginning. There is one condition: the local elections must be a success for PiS!"

-- ACCORDING TO FAKT, THESE MINISTERS WILL LEAVE THE GOVERNMENT: ZALEWSKA, KEMPA, ADAMCZYK, TCHÓRZEWSKI, AND SZYDŁO: https://www.fakt.pl/wydarzenia/polityka/czeka-nas-kolejna-rekonstrukcja-rzadu/vzxeqdz

-- PIS WILL COPE WITH ANYONE - says Jerzy Ziętek in an interview with Eliza Olczyk in RZ: "Let the opposition forget about facing PiS, because at the moment this party will cope with anyone. It's three lengths ahead of others. That's why Robert Biedroń doesn't stand much of a chance with his initiative. If he had run in the presidential elections in 2015, he would have had a political structure ready by now that could function on the political scene. Three years ago, there were many people looking for an alternative – they didn't want PiS, but they also didn't want the corrupt team that had been in power for eight years. Back then, Biedroń had a huge chance to enter the political scene thanks to his freshness, dynamism, and charming way of presenting his ideas. Now, PiS's electoral machine won't let him through." https://www.rp.pl/Plus-Minus/310119874-Boguslaw-Zietek-PiS-bedzie-rzadzil-przez-dwadziescia-lat.html

-- BARBARA NOWACKA AGAINST THE CONCORDAT AND DEFLECTS ACCUSATIONS OF CIVIC PLATFORM CONSERVATISM - in an interview with Natalia Waloch in GW: "And I see no reason to maintain an agreement that is also unfavorable from the perspective of the state budget. As for Civic Platform – like everywhere, you can find different people there. I know those who are against further clericalization of the country. However, one thing must be said honestly: the entire political class has been feeding on the myth for years that the Church must be supported. I remember Aleksander Kwaśniewski riding in the popemobile. I remember Leszek Miller in the embrace of bishops."

-- KATARZYNA LUBNAUER ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS BECOMING BASTIONS OF FREEDOM: "We face a choice: democracy or autocracy, modernity or regression. Local governments are rising to the rank of bastions of freedom. It is they who are taking over tasks that the ideologized state has ceased to fulfill. They finance IVF programs, ensure real sex education in schools, and provide culture without censorship. And it is likely they who will have to ensure access to a gynecologist who does not invoke the clause of conscience."

-- LUBNAUER ON FEMALE IDENTITY BEING STRONGER THAN PARTY AFFILIATIONS: "Oh, I'll tell you about a scene I saw recently. Our MP Kornelia Wróblewska came to the parliamentary restaurant with a resolution regarding the parliamentary nursery. A group of PiS MPs was sitting there, so Wróblewska approached, started explaining, and one of them interrupted: 'Girls, sign it. Women are afraid of nothing; men are cowards.' That's what I mean: female identity is stronger than party colors." http://www.wysokieobcasy.pl/wysokie-obcasy/7,163229,24037233,katarzyna-lubnauer-i-barbara-nowacka-dziewczyny-w-niedziele.html#nowyMTmagazyn

-- GW ON HOW GET BACK RECORDED KORNEL: "Sunday, April 15, 2018, lobbyist Piotr B. calls the president of GetBack, Konrad Kąkolewski. He says he is at the Marriott Hotel in Warsaw for a meeting with Kornel Morawiecki, the father of the head of government. As proof, he sends Kąkolewski a photo. He informs that the 200 million PLN loan for GetBack has been arranged. Kąkolewski puts the call on speaker and records it. Piotr B. also records it. We do not know the content of this recording. According to our sources connected with Kąkolewski, who relayed it to them, the lobbyist handed the phone to Morawiecki Sr. during the conversation at the hotel. He, in turn, allegedly confirmed that he had arranged the loan."

-- HOWEVER, IT TURNED OUT THERE WAS NO LOAN: "The next day, GetBack issues the famous announcement that PKO BP and Polski Fundusz Rozwoju will co-finance the company with exactly that amount. But a few hours later, the bank and PFR decidedly deny this information. A scandal erupts, Kąkolewski loses his position, and the stock exchange suspends GetBack's trading." http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24037093,jak-getback-nagral-ojca-premiera-kornel-morawiecki-obiecal.html