-- AT 1 PM: STATEMENT FROM THE LAW AND JUSTICE PARTY CHAIRMAN - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2018/11/06/ -- 15 YEARS AGO President Aleksander Kwaśniewski refused to appear before a parliamentary investigative committee examining the so-called Rywin affair. -- KATARZYNA KOLENDA-ZALESKA: LET THE OPPOSITION CREATE A POLITICIAN CAPABLE OF WINNING ELECTIONS - writes in GW: "Perhaps it should finally be a woman? Yes, I know the experiences of presidential candidates Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz and Henryka Bochniarz are not encouraging. They received only a few percent of support. But that was a long time ago, and the banal statement that the world has changed does take on some fundamental significance in this particular matter. Besides, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, a few years after her presidential defeat, easily won elections in Warsaw, even though the 'womanly wind of history' wasn't blowing that strongly. Hanna Zdanowska in Łódź utterly defeated her opponents. Both ladies were not 'women candidates.' They were candidates because they are good. Competent and substantive. And let the Civic Coalition look for such a candidate today." http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,24131194,przez-swiat-wieje-kobiecy-wiatr-historii.html -- MUCH EMOTION, LITTLE SUBSTANCE - Fakt on Tusk's interrogation symmetrically. -- THE OTHER SIDE HELPS TUSK WITH ITS GOVERNING STYLE - PIOTR ZAREMBA IN DGP: "Małgorzata Wassermann is conducting the Amber Gold investigation diligently, albeit with a predetermined thesis. But why does PiS in no case agree to subject its own alleged wrongdoings and omissions to similar procedures when the opposition demands it – for example, concerning the aforementioned GetBack? Let's repeat: this turns the truth-finding process into a predictable ritual. Tusk, whatever his failings during his premiership, feels like a fish in water in such an atmosphere. He easily turns disputes into a political game of sensations. The other side helps him in this – with the style in which it governs itself. -- TUSK WAS THE CULMINATION OF THEORETICAL STATEHOOD - ZAREMBA CONTINUES: "We already know that Tusk was the culmination of a system of carelessness and a 'theoretical state.' However, some believe this, others will never believe it. Even the most spectacular clashes between PiS parliamentarians and the former prime minister will not change the balance of power in Poland." https://forsal.pl/gospodarka/polityka/artykuly/1334124,donald-tusk-komisja-amber-gold-to-gra-wrazen.html -- JACEK NIZINKIEWICZ WRITES THAT THE LACK OF A CHARISMATIC OPPOSITION LEADER WORKS FOR TUSK - writes in RZ: "Therefore, he is increasingly referring to Polish politics. The lack of an obvious charismatic leader for a united opposition also works in his favor. So do the increasing gaffes of President Andrzej Duda. Today, Tusk is closer to returning to Polish politics, and this distance is shrinking week by week." https://www.rp.pl/Analizy/311059897-Nizinkiewicz-Jak-Tusk-przesluchiwal-komisje-ds-Amber-Gold.html -- TO CONFRONT TUSK, SOMETHING MORE THAN SUCH A COMMISSION IS NEEDED - MARCIN FIJOŁEK: "Monday's interrogation of Donald Tusk was a cold shower for all those who were convinced – effectively fueled over the 28 months of the investigative committee's work – that it would be any kind of breakthrough. If not a substantive breakthrough in explaining the Amber Gold affair, then at least a political, full-blooded political spectacle, in which the former prime minister would be in the role of an absolutely defensive boxer, cornered and desperately explaining the system of the Civic Platform in the years 2007-2015. (...) I will repeat – to confront Tusk, something more was needed: better preparation, a more efficient team, a broader tactic for the subsequent minutes. A second such chance and opportunity will not come soon – regardless of the committee's enormous work and Małgorzata Wassermann's gigantic effort over these almost three years, the final chord was simply a failure, or perhaps in the most favorable interpretation – a missed opportunity. But those sometimes hurt even more." https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/419761-na-tuska-trzeba-czegos-wiecej-niz-tak-dzialajaca-komisja -- TUSK ATTACKED MORAWIECKI - ANDRZEJ STANKIEWICZ: "Then he didn't mince words, referring to Morawiecki and GetBack's connections to PiS and right-wing media. 'Imagine, if you were interrogating me today, if I, as prime minister, had accompanied Mr. Marcin P. when he was awarding prizes to someone. If Amber Gold and Mr. P. had informed someone from my family that he needed help. If Mr. Plichta had financed campaigns and newspapers? Can you imagine the grilling you would have given? This is Tusk's most serious attack on Morawiecki to date, who was one of his economic advisors in the past. A 'passive' advisor – as Tusk stated before the committee.' -- THEY WERE UNABLE TO PROVE HE DELIBERATELY PROTECTED THE SCAMMERS - STANKIEWICZ CONTINUES: "But Tusk came out of this confrontation unscathed for another reason. For two years of operation, the committee has not found evidence of Tusk's direct links to the creators of Amber Gold. And therefore, it was unable to prove that Tusk deliberately protected the scammers." https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/tusk-przed-komisja-sledcza-zaatakowal-morawieckiego-analiza/nxw61j8 -- NO PLAN FOR TUSK - ŁUKASZ PAWŁOWSKI IN KL: "Law and Justice faces a very difficult test and cannot be sure of the outcome. In such conditions, it is difficult to keep one's nerves in check and maintain a unified message. Opposition politicians will try to take advantage of these gifts. And if they fail, Donald Tusk will likely benefit. The interrogation before the Amber Gold committee showed that PiS still has no plan for the former prime minister. And he stubbornly refuses to disappear from Polish politics." https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2018/11/06/tusk-wasserman-komentarz-pis-wybory-parlament-europejski/ -- OLD, GOOD TUSK IN FORM - PAWEŁ WROŃSKI in GW: "Donald Tusk's interrogation by the Amber Gold investigative committee resembled a hunt for a large animal by a pack of nervous hunters. They shot often and densely, but usually missed, and sometimes shot themselves in the foot. The ambushes were too obvious, and the level of political engagement gave the undertaking a comical character." http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24131845,stary-dobry-tusk-w-formie.html -- THE COMMISSION IS A WASTE OF TIME - JAKUB MAJMUREK: "The Amber Gold Commission turned out to be a waste of time and energy. Nothing else could have been expected. The Amber Gold case requires careful examination of state dysfunctions and a sensible plan for their repair. However, change cannot be brought about by throwing criminal insinuations at a political opponent. And this is precisely what – not only in the Amber Gold case – PiS's offer ultimately boils down to. https://www.newsweek.pl/polska/polityka/komisja-ds-amber-gold-to-po-prostu-strata-czasu-nas-wszystkich/ycz4qdt -- PIOTR SKWIECIŃSKI ON THE INFORMAL CENTER SHAPING THE OPPOSITION'S STRATEGY: "And it is precisely this tactic (escalating the situation towards demonstrating that the government is weak, which is intended to either solidify this belief in society or force the government into a confrontation in extremely unfavorable circumstances for it) that has recently become very clearly dominant in the fight against PiS. In recent weeks and days, it can be observed in the behavior of both HGW and the current establishment of the Supreme Court. It's time for a conclusion. Until recently, there was obvious chaos in the anti-government camp. Today, for the first time in a long time, I am beginning to see elements indicating the existence of some informal center shaping the opposition's strategy on a very broad scale (not just party-wise). Somewhere, an informal headquarters has been established, capable of imposing a uniform policy on very disparate environments (not by issuing orders to the mayor or judges, of course; rather by convincing and giving good advice). This is another signal in recent days that is unfavorable to the ruling party." https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/419797-czy-powstal-nieformalny-sztab-antypisu -- THE OPPOSITION MUST FORM A COMMON BLOC - WŁODZIMIERZ CIMOSZEWICZ IN GW: "Pro-European parties, non-governmental organizations, local authorities, and active citizens should form a broad electoral bloc, 'Europe,' which will advocate for a fundamental change in our country's European policy and submit joint candidate lists. This will provide a serious chance to win a large majority of European mandates and will also serve as an example for some other European countries. Discussions and decisions on this matter should be swift. Otherwise, individual parties will undertake their own separate preparations, ruling out the scenario of broad agreement. A procrastinating tactic of delaying, calculating, outmaneuvering partners, and pursuing petty personal interests is a recipe for squandering voter engagement and a harbinger of defeat." http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,24131307,wniosek-z-wyborow-samorzadowych-opozycja-musi-utworzyc-wspolny.html -- METROPOLISES ALONE WILL NOT DEFEAT PIS - Marek Beylin in GW: "Today, this warning signal should sound like a bell. It will be very difficult to defeat PiS if voters from smaller towns, even if they don't support Kaczyński's government, turn away from opposition parties. Therefore, the democratic camp must start significant work in these communities now. Build contacts and agreements with active local environments. And, no less importantly, treat them as partners, utilizing their considerable intellectual and organizational resources. The opposition has already won over the large cities of Poland. But the Poland of smaller towns is still waiting. And it is within reach." http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,24132064,podboj-samych-metropolii-nie-wystarczy-by-polozyc-kres-dobrej.html -- PIS'S STRATEGY TOWARDS PSL PROVED EXCEPTIONALLY EFFECTIVE - Bartosz Brzyski from the Jagiellonian Club: "Law and Justice won in 147 out of 314 rural districts. This is an increase of 80% compared to 2014. The Polish People's Party won in only 40 districts, which means a decrease of 107, or 73%! From this perspective, PiS's multi-year strategy proved exceptionally effective, and their increased support across almost all of Poland came at the expense of the PSL." -- EITHER A NEW RIGHT-WING STRATEGY OR NEW MOVEMENTS THAT WILL CHANGE THE POWER STRUCTURE - BRZYSKI FROM KL CONTINUES: "The local election results shed new light on the changing political divisions in Poland. The familiar division between the 'conservative East' and the 'liberal West' is complemented by an equally clear division between the urban electorate and the rest of the population surrounding it. This is most evident when analyzing the voivodeships where PiS achieved the best results. Cities form isolated islands where candidates of the United Right were practically doomed to failure from the outset. Such strong polarization of 'cities versus peripheries' must lead to new political strategies on the right. Otherwise, it will end with the emergence of new political movements that will change the balance of power on the Polish political scene." -- BIEDROŃ MUST FIGHT FOR THE PROVINCES - BRZYSKI FROM KL CONTINUES: "Biedroń has the political intuition that if he wants to seriously enter the game, he must not only fight for the progressive urban electorate but, above all, reach the provinces. His narrative is paradoxically close to PiS today and appeals to matters of dignity. So it seems that if he turns out to be more than just a celebrity, but a politician through and through, his initiative could be a problem not only for the Civic Coalition but also for the Polish right." -- CULTURAL CHANGE MAY CAUSE THE RIGHT-WING TO SUFFER FROM INDIGESTION - BRZYSKI'S CONCLUSION: "The only way for the right-wing to seriously start competing for cities is through deep reflection on its ideological foundations, which are sometimes a thoughtless imitation of, for example, American worldview divisions. A prime example is the approach to the natural environment, which is sometimes skeptical solely in the name of 'warming one's ears' out of spite towards the global left. It's hard not to get the impression that books like Scruton's 'Green Philosophy' have remained unaddressed in the Polish right. Instead of – like Scruton – focusing on local identities, the conservatism of small homelands and hometowns, the Polish right continues to strive for centralism, taking away powers from local governments, centralizing funds, and decentralizing problems. This, in turn, may lead to a remarkably unpleasant cultural change for conservatives." https://klubjagiellonski.pl/2018/11/05/miasta-kontra-reszta-swiata-gdzie-pis-moze-przegrac-z-biedroniem/ -- MICHAŁ SUTOWSKI ON A NEW FORCE: "Everywhere there we will find 'low-hanging fruit' that the Civic Coalition and PSL will not want or be able to reach. In the long run, the mobilization of young people and residents of Western Poland will also determine whether Poland will experience a destructive 'civilizational conflict' between the winners and losers of European modernization. Without a new force – not entangled in the establishment, visually non-partisan, open not only to large cities (although attractive to them too), with coalition-building capacity – it is difficult to count on an optimistic scenario for 2019." http://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/michal-sutowski-wybory-samorzadowe-2018-druga-tura/ -- JAKUB MAJMUREK ON THE CRISIS OF THE LEFT, WHICH OFFERS A CHANCE FOR A NEW OPENING: "This might even work for the European Parliament elections. In national elections, Biedroń's and the left's separate runs will sink both projects. Zandberg, Czarzasty, Biedroń must come to an agreement. The left needs Biedroń's leadership talent and his courage to think outside the box. Equally needed are the ideologically commitment of Razem and the structures of the Alliance. The left will either agree, combining these resources, or perish. There is very little time to prevent the latter scenario. Things cannot get worse than they already are on the left – sometimes such a crisis offers a chance for a new opening." https://www.wp.pl/?s=opinie.wp.pl%2Fsgwpsgfirst-6313657841940609a -- MORAWIECKI'S ABILITY TO WIN OVER THE CENTER HAS WEAKENED, BUT IS STILL GREATER THAN ANYONE ELSE ON THE RIGHT - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI in RZ: "The 'Morawiecki Project' was ultimately sunk by the spot with immigrants and the Minister of Justice's anti-European crusade. One cannot credibly fight for the center when Zbigniew Ziobro initiates actions that moderate voters interpret as preparation for Polexit. One cannot speak of national reconciliation in a situation where TVP has turned into a purveyor of crude propaganda. As a result, Morawiecki, who became the face of the campaign, ceased to be credible for the center. PiS's problem is not only that the adopted tactic proved ineffective, but that there is no plan B. And the battered Morawiecki still has no alternative within PiS. His ability to win over the center after 11 months as prime minister seems very limited. Although it is likely still greater than anyone else in the camp of good change." https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/181109756-Szuldrzynski-Kleska-projektu-Morawiecki.html -- POLES DO NOT WANT A SINGLE-PARTY GOVERNMENT - Bogusław Chrabota in RZ: "If this were to happen again in the case of local elections, the United Right would have all the instruments of governance in its hands, and it would be difficult to speak of any form of cohabitation. However, this did not happen, which means that Poles – consciously or intuitively – do not wish for a single-party government at the helm of the state." https://www.rp.pl/Wybory-samorzadowe/181109757-Polacy-nie-chca-rzadow-monopartii.html -- ON THE GAME OF KUKIZ AND ZIOBRO AGAINST MORAWIECKI - AGATA KONDZIŃSKA AND IWONA SZPALA in GW: "Our interlocutors say that another game is being played around Kukiz's people. Minister of Justice Zbigniew Ziobro is said to play the main role here. – He has established very good personal relations with Paweł Kukiz. He exploited the fact that he cannot stand the Morawieckis – a politician from the United Right tells us. – Ziobro believes that in next year's elections, Kukiz should be our coalition partner. In exchange for support, Paweł could demand specifics: the coalition will be formed, but on the condition that Mateusz Morawiecki will not be the prime minister of the new government." http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24131896,pozegnanie-z-kukizem-dzis-w-kukiz-15-powyborcze-rachunki.html -- THE PIS GOVERNMENT IS IGNORING UKRAINE - Katarzyna Pełczyńska-Nałęcz in GW: "On the hundredth anniversary of the defense of Lviv, November 1, 2018, no official delegation from Poland appeared in Ukraine. However, Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Kyiv on that day. During her speech, she unequivocally supported the extension of sanctions against Russia and criticized the illegal elections in the separatist republics scheduled for the following week. We should be pleased that what the leader of the largest EU country says is in line with Warsaw's position. The problem, however, is that such a Polish voice in Ukraine has not been heard for a long time. The current and previous Polish prime ministers have not visited Kyiv even once. Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz also did not visit, landing in the Ukrainian capital on November 1st, only to transfer to a plane heading to Minsk." http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,24131459,dlaczego-o-polska-racje-stanu-w-kijowie-zabiega-angela-merkel.html -- BIRTHDAYS: Jacek Sasin, Jacek Snopkiewicz.