***

-- DEPUTY JOLANTA SZCZYPIŃSKA HAS PASSED AWAY.

-- BEATA SZYDŁO FAREWELLS SZCZYPIŃSKA: "Grant her, O Lord, eternal rest, and let perpetual light shine upon her... Rest in peace, Jola."
https://twitter.com/BeataSzydlo/status/1071372393271173121

-- AND ROBERT BIEDROŃ: "Deputy Jolanta Szczypińska has passed away. We had many differences in politics, but we were united by our love for animals and our Słupsk. May you continue to have your beloved city and many, many little brothers and sisters around you wherever you are."
https://twitter.com/RobertBiedron/status/1071371000732884993

***

-- TOMASZ SEKIELSKI, MACIEJ ORŁOŚ, PASCAL BRODNICKI, CZESŁAW MOZIL AMONG THE SIGNATORIES OF THE LETTER AGAINST THE ACTA2 DIRECTIVE: “Copyright is of fundamental importance to us. We fully support the implementation of regulations aimed at protecting it. However, we are deeply concerned by the content of Article 13 of the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market, as proposed by the European Parliament. The unconditional transfer of legal responsibility for published content from creators to social media platforms where it is published – contrary to the justified intentions – may lead to these services, due to the scale of the phenomenon, being forced into "preventive censorship" of all uploaded materials. In practice, this means a significant restriction on the ability to publish content online and poses a direct threat to artists, their audiences, and the industry centered around them. The version of Article 13 proposed by the European Parliament, on a pan-European scale, could deprive independent creators of remuneration totaling 800 million euros, without which they will be unable to continue their activities.”
https://www.tworcyinternetowi.pl/

-- DID POLAND SAVE EUROPE FROM ACTA, OR CAN IT SAVE US FROM ACTA2 - CORY DOCTOROW, CANADIAN SCIENCE FICTION WRITER: “A massive coalition of 15,000 Polish creators whose videos, photos and text are enjoyed by over 20,000,000 Poles have signed an open letter supporting the idea of a strong, creator-focused copyright and rejecting the new Copyright Directive as a direct path to censoring filters that will deprive them of their livelihoods.

-- CORY DOCTOROW ON THE BLOCKING MINORITY THAT COULD FORM AROUND POLAND IN THE COUNCIL OF THE EU REGARDING ACTA2: “With the current stage of the Directive negotiation set to finish as early as Christmas, and a final vote due eight weeks afterwards, there is little time to lose. The opposition to the Directive is mounting and with Poland onboard, there is a real potential for a "blocking minority" -- a directive cannot proceed when opposed by at least four states representing more than 35% of Europeans in total”.
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2018/11/poland-saved-europe-acta-can-they-save-us-acta2
***

-- BORN IN POLAND, PAUL ZIEMIAK IS THE NEW SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE CDU: https://wpolityce.pl/swiat/424666-paul-ziemiak-nowym-sekretarzem-generalnym-cdu

-- JK MUST FEEL THAT THE KNF AFFAIR AND THE U-TURN ON THE SUPREME COURT HAVE DAMAGED PiS'S IMAGE - PIOTR PACEWICZ in OKO: “Jarosław Kaczyński must feel that both the KNF affair and the U-turn on the Supreme Court have damaged PiS's image. They were supposed to be a party of noble sheriffs incapable of corruption – but they had Marek Ch. They were supposed to reject Brussels' dictate and unyieldingly reform the judicial caste, but they had to back down from the purge in the Supreme Court.”
https://oko.press/kaczynski-pociesza-i-mobilizuje-aktyw-my-nigdy-nie-lamalismy-konstytucji-to-oni-nasza-aferka-to-nic/

-- JK DID NOT GIVE THE IMPRESSION OF A POLITICIAN IN CONTROL OF THE SITUATION - JAKUB MAJMUREK: “On Friday, Kaczyński did not give the impression of a politician in control of the narrative and the situation. He did not present himself as a charismatic leader, equally brazenly cynical, skillfully twisting things and turning the crisis to his own advantage. His attack on PO was as ugly and dishonest as it was desperate. The PiS leader behaved like a boxer losing on points, unable to deliver a decisive blow and, in desperation, starting to bite the opponent.”

-- DETACHED FROM PROBLEMS - MAJMUREK FURTHER ON JK: “He also presented himself on Friday evening as a politician detached from the problems that Poland and Poles are concerned with. His speech might have made some sense in 2015, when PiS took power and it was time to review the previous governments' performance. However, over three years have passed since then. We have completely different problems now than those of the eight years of Platforma's rule. Many of them stem from PiS's policies. For example, it remains unknown what shock the electricity prices in 2019 will be for the economy. It is unclear what plan the government has to prevent electricity prices from stifling small and medium-sized businesses and the budgets of poorer households. In these circumstances, insinuations about Tusk are of little interest to anyone.”

-- A PARTY THAT HAS NOTHING MORE TO OFFER THAN ETERNAL ACCOUNTING DESERVES NOT TO REMAIN IN POWER - MAJMUREK'S CONCLUSION: “If this attack on PO was intended to halt the decline in support visible in internal polls, it may not work. PiS – and any other party – that has nothing to offer beyond perpetually accounting for what political rivals did 7 years ago does not deserve to remain in power.”
https://www.newsweek.pl/opinie/wystapienie-kaczynskiego-sugeruje-ze-w-pis-jest-naprawde-zle/2jd1jql

-- KAMILA GASIUK-PIHOWICZ, IN CONVERSATION WITH KAMILA TERPIAŁ, COMPARES LUBNAUER TO KACZYŃSKI: “I was backed into a corner. I'll say it bluntly, Katarzyna Lubnauer wanted to build the Civic Coalition as much as Jarosław Kaczyński wanted to reform the courts with the KRS law. The real actions of the leader of Nowoczesna went in the opposite direction. After several months of internal discussions, persuading, and urging us to strengthen the Civic Coalition, only a resolution to establish a team to discuss potential cooperation was formed, meaning nothing at all. Nowoczesna found itself at a crossroads. That's why a few deputies and I said: we're checking. We proposed forming a joint parliamentary club of the Civic Coalition and were met with a veto. Why? It was obvious that after its formation, Nowoczesna would have to run within the Civic Coalition, while a significant group of deputies wanted to run independently. I could not lend my face to such actions. Now, at least, part of the Nowoczesna people will build the Civic Coalition.”
https://wiadomo.co/kamila-gasiuk-pihowicz-nie-chcialam-firmowac-samotnego-startu-nowoczesnej-w-wyborach/

-- STRONG REACTION FROM DEPUTY MONIKA ROSA TO THE INTERVIEW WITH GASIUK: “Mr. Editor. You always have brilliant comments on interviews or statements that are untrue. But here, somehow, not. Seriously, comparing [Lubnauer] to J. Kaczyński is weak. And I am ending this unnecessary discussion; the opponent is elsewhere after all.”
https://twitter.com/moanrosa/status/1071153013664989184

-- ANDRZEJ GAJCY ON THE CONVICTION IN PiS THAT THE SPLIT IN THE RIGHT CAN NO LONGER BE STOPPED: “According to our interviewees in the ruling party, there is a strong conviction that a split with the Toruń circles cannot be stopped anymore. Jarosław Kaczyński himself reportedly conveyed this opinion to his closest associates, who see the RPE [Father Rydzyk's European Movement] as an attempt to corner PiS before the upcoming elections.”

-- GAJCY WRITES THAT BOTH SZYSZKO AND MACIEREWICZ ARE INVOLVED IN FATHER RYDZYK'S INITIATIVE: “according to our sources in the ruling party, well-known PiS deputies are seriously involved in the RPE initiative, including former environment minister Jan Szyszko, deputy Anna Sobecka, Gabriela Masłowska, and former national defense minister Antoni Macierewicz, who – despite publicly calling reports about the new party fake news – is secretly strongly supporting this initiative. It has been known for some time that the dismissal of both Macierewicz and Szyszko significantly strained relations between Toruń and Nowogrodzka [PiS headquarters].”
https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/konserwatywny-bunt-wobec-pis/5nbjtl0

-- PIOTR ZAREMBA ON CHANGES IN THE JUDICIARY - ON THE OCCASION OF THE KACZYŃSKI-WAŁĘSA TRIAL - TOO FAR: “It is also possible that the most fervent opponents of the current government will not accept this verdict. They will consider that the judge was intimidated, that she drew conclusions from the organizational changes in the Polish judiciary. I am not a supporter of these changes; I believe that PiS has gone too far in giving politicians of the ruling option influence over judges' careers. But in this case, 'Newsweek' magazine, which usually heats up one-sided anti-government emotions, was exceptionally right. In one of its articles, it reminded judges that they too must make an effort. Earn back credibility in the eyes of Poles. Regardless of the stupidity and obvious bias of the billboard campaign financed by the Polish Development Fund.”

-- ZAREMBA ON THE VERDICT: “We constantly hear that there will be fatigue, that Poles will not tolerate more of these often nonsensical emotions, insulting to human dignity and reason, but this is still not happening. In the Kaczyński-Wałęsa trial, will the positive moral be noticed more, or the calculated symmetry that allows, albeit in limited doses, for lies and insults to others? I don't know.”
https://polskatimes.pl/wyrok-w-procesie-walesa-kaczynski-czyli-panu-bogu-swieczke-a-diablu-ogarek/ar/13723632

-- KONKRET24 CHECKS THE DATA PROVIDED BY PLATFORMA REGARDING FOOD PRICES: “Available data from the Central Statistical Office suggests that Christmas food shopping will indeed cost us more. However, there is nothing to indicate that the increases will be as high as in the table prepared by Civic Platform.”
https://konkret24.tvn24.pl/polska,108/tegoroczne-swieta-beda-duzo-drozsze-twierdzi-po-czy-ma-racje,890297.html

-- NOWOCZESNA MAY LEAVE THE COALITION - Justyna Dobrosz-Oracz and Paweł Wroński in GW: “Jacek Protasiewicz from the Democratic Union of Europe will save the parliamentary club of Nowoczesna? The deputy admits to having discussions on this matter, but the PSL-UED club must make the decision. On Saturday, Nowoczesna will consider its future – voices are emerging suggesting leaving the Civic Coalition.

-- PROTASIEWICZ CONFIRMS THE POSSIBILITY OF JOINING THE N CLUB: “We know and like each other; we are considering various options,” Protasiewicz tells 'Wyborcza'. He notes that this cannot be his personal decision; it must be accompanied by the consent of his parent party and the PSL parliamentary club. Politicians point out that a decision will not be made quickly because the threat of further departures from Nowoczesna still exists. In that case, political transfers would lose their meaning.”

-- TOO QUICK FOR PiS - WOJCIECH CZUCHNOWSKI in GW on former heads of KNF and SKOK: “The KNF acted very quickly in this matter. Nevertheless, the heads of the Commission from 2011-2016, arrested on Thursday, are today charged with "failure to perform duties" and "causing losses." During interrogations, they explained that they could not have reacted faster and – most importantly – that the siphoning of 1.5 billion PLN from the treasury occurred between 2008 and 2009. During that time, SKOK Wołomin was presented in the media by the National Credit Union as a model for others, its president received awards, and PiS politicians were seen with him at events.”
http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,2425302,zbyt-szybcy-dla-ziobry-b-szefowie-knf-podczas-rzadow-po-dzialali.html

-- AGNIESZKA POMASKA TO MACIEJ SANDECKI'S QUESTION IN TRÓJMIEJSKA GW ABOUT THE FAILURE OF WAŁĘSA'S CAMPAIGN: “These elections showed that a surname is not everything. I think Jarosław Wałęsa himself feels that he started the campaign too late, in the sense that he was not very present in Gdańsk before. It is difficult to conduct social and political activity in Gdańsk from Brussels, and this several years of activity was missing.”

-- BORAWSKI IS THE PO CANDIDATE FOR DEPUTY MAYOR OF GDAŃSK - POMASKA CONFIRMS: “Our candidate is Piotr Borawski, who is an experienced local government official. We previously agreed on Agnieszka Owczarczak as the candidate for the position of Chairwoman of the City Council, as well as regarding positions in the city council committees. Personal matters are the most medial, but we began our talks with the president by addressing substantive issues, the city's priorities for the next five years.”

– POMASKA DECIDEDLY FOR THE MONUMENT OF FATHER JANKOWSKI - WE CANNOT HONOR A PEDOPHILE: “Henryk Jankowski has a monument, a square, and honorary citizenship of the city in Gdańsk, and it is difficult for me to imagine this situation continuing. We cannot honor a pedophile in Gdańsk who destroyed the lives of many people. The article in 'Duży Format' was shocking to me; I had to read it in installments because I couldn't do it all at once. I have great respect for the author for writing it, as I imagine it wasn't easy, and this is a very important issue. I have no doubt that what was written is true. The fact that Father Jankowski's victims remained silent for so many years was because they had no choice. They came from poor families, and they clashed with a man who could do anything, and they were defenseless against him. That's why I am concerned by voices saying, 'let's wait, let's think, maybe it's not true,' because we must remember where the victims are and where the perpetrator is. Any voice of doubt on this matter is a voice that does not help the victims, but the perpetrators. PO politicians hold the position that Father Jankowski cannot have a monument and honorary citizenship in Gdańsk, but I believe this should be carried out calmly and in accordance with the law. We cannot remain silent on this topic, and the stance must be unequivocal – stand with the victims, not the perpetrators.”
http://trojmiasto.wyborcza.pl/trojmiasto/7,35612,24252363,agnieszka-pomaska-przewodniczaca-po-w-gdansku-chcialabym-polowy.html

-- MONUMENT OF THE CHURCH'S SHAME - Maciej Sandecki from trójmiejska GW.

-- YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A CYNICAL COGWHEEL AT ALL - KRZYSZTOF ŚMISZEK ON ROBERT BIEDROŃ - in conversation with Wojciech Karpieszuk in stołeczna GW: “Robert, who entered politics some time ago, is proof that you don't have to be a cynical cogwheel at all. He also comes from a non-governmental organization. He has never calculated things. People feel that.”

-- ŚMISZEK TO KARPIESZUK'S QUESTION ABOUT LIFE PARTNERS ENTERING POLITICS: “We are not the only life partners in Poland who are politically active. Take the Zdrojewski couple, for example. I haven't heard anyone ask Senator Barbara Zdrojewska if she's afraid of being a wallflower.”

-- ŚMISZEK ON PO'S CALCULATED NARRATIVE ABOUT BIEDROŃ: “This is a calculated game on the part of PO, which sees a new, strong, and serious player. Robert has never said that PO and PiS are the same. PiS is destroying Poland. It is a dangerous party in terms of civil liberties and rights. It is a cynical party, where the guiding principle is power for power's sake, cloaked in patriotic arguments. But at the same time, Robert has the courage to say that PiS introduced solutions that improved the lives of many poor Poles, restoring their dignity. When 500 plus was introduced, within a year in Słupsk, expenditures from the city budget for free lunches for schoolchildren decreased by 40%.”

-- ŚMISZEK ON NOWACKA AND GIERTYCH IN THE SAME FORMATION:“I congratulate Basia on the distinction. I wish her success. She will need it, as she might be in the same coalition with Roman Giertych, who expresses a desire to return to politics. Answering your question: we will chip away maybe one or two percent from Civic Coalition. But we attract those who would never vote for it. Especially after what PO did with Nowoczesna. I think these young people who flock to meetings with Robert would not come to a meeting with Grzegorz Schetyna. So why hate someone who can be a counterweight to Korwin or Kukiz, who push young people into a nationalistic, neoliberal abyss of selfishness. Robert can mobilize people to the polls. Biedroń's movement is essential to remove PiS from power in a year.”
http://warszawa.wyborcza.pl/warszawa/7,54420,24255012,partner-roberta-biedronia-wkracza-do-polityki-przyciagamy.html

-- IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S ABOUT, IT'S ABOUT MONEY - PIOTR GŁUCHOWSKI in GW on Fr. Rydzyk: “Enough of this begging. Politicians associated with the Redemptorist are creating the True Europe Movement. They want to repeat the raid on cash that the LPR managed. And cash is urgently needed because Father Tadeusz has increased the pace of investments. In the coming years, alongside the university buildings, dormitory, temple with a mausoleum, a new café, and an old geothermal well (the RM and Trwam headquarters are in other parts of Toruń), there will be thermal baths with slides, a spa hotel with 70 apartments, and a large Museum of Memory and Identity named after John Paul II. The contractor estimates the costs at 140 million, while the government has promised only 70 million.”
http://wyborcza.pl/magazyn/7,124059,24253676,skad-sie-wzial-ojciec-rydzyk.html#nowaZajawkaGlownaMT

-- FATHER DIRECTOR'S DEPUTIES - Rafał Wójcik in GW:“Besides Zbigniew Ziobro's Solidarna Polska and Jarosław Gowin's Porozumienie, they are the third, albeit unofficial, coalition partner of PiS. Their headquarters is not Nowogrodzka, but Toruń, where Father Tadeusz Rydzyk commands his media base.”
http://wyborcza.pl/magazyn/7,124059,24255133,przyboczni-ojca-dyrektora-czyli-nieoficjalny-koalicjant-pis.html#nowaZajawkaGlownaMT

-- ONE YEAR AGO, Beata Szydło resigned from the office of Prime Minister, leading to the resignation of the cabinet, which President Andrzej Duda accepted and nominated Mateusz Morawiecki as Prime Minister.

-- 28 YEARS AGO, in the second round of the presidential elections, Lech Wałęsa defeated Stanisław Tymiński.

-- BIRTHDAYS: Katarzyna Sławińska, Michał Królikowski, Jacek Michałowski, Marek Pol, Tomasz Lenz, SUNDAY: Stefan Jaworski, Tomasz Sianecki, Ania Zaleska.