-- MORAWIECKI IN THE SEJM TO THE OPPOSITION: HOW DARE YOU NOT EXPLAIN YOURSELVES? https://300polityka.pl/live/2018/12/28/

-- A GOOD STUDENT OF WOJTYŁA - ADAM MICHNIK ON BISHOP PIERONEK: "He belonged to the priests who were good students of Karol Wojtyła. Together with his master, he remained faithful to church orthodoxy, which he understood as the orthodoxy of mercy and forgiveness, not anathema and inquisition." http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24313373,adam-michnik-o-biskupie-tadeuszu-pieronku.html

-- HE WAS NOT THE CHURCH'S LAWYER, BUT ITS SPOKESMAN - FR. BONIECKI REMEMBERS BISHOP PIERONEK: "He acted with full awareness. He had a distinct vision of the Church. He chose his style of being a bishop. He was not the Church's lawyer, but its spokesman." https://www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/zegnaj-tadeuszu-157082

-- A HUMBLE, HONEST MAN - PIOTR ZAREMBA REMINDS PART OF THE RIGHT: "I saw him just a few months ago when, invited to a debate after the performance of 'The Judges' at the Nowa Huta People's Theatre, he spoke with the director and the audience with evident effort. I will remember him for standing firm against the one-sided praise of the film 'Kler' (while also understanding its social significance). Others will also 'not notice' this, yet a person is worth seeing in all their complexity. His contributions to making the Church more communicative have been squandered by all sides in internal Catholic disputes, including by himself. And yet, he remained a humble (I was once in his Warsaw apartment while he was working in the Episcopate), honest man. And – I remind the furious part of the right – never at odds with orthodoxy. RIP" https://www.facebook.com/100011509202636/posts/699351097125191/

-- THE FACE OF AN OPEN CHURCH - title in RZ about Bishop Pieronka.

-- IT HARMS THE NATIONAL INTEREST, IT UNDESKIES THE ALLIANCE WITH THE WEST - JERZY HASZCZYŃSKI IN RZ ABOUT WAŁĘSA: "The former president has engaged in mending relations with Moscow. It harms the national interest, it undermines the alliance with the West." https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/181229572-Haszczynski-Walesa-na-imieninach-na-Kremlu.html

-- ROMAN IMIELSKI DEFENDS WAŁĘSA A BIT: "The problem is that this is an interview in the classic Wałęsa style – digressive, egotistical, and often imprecise. When he says that Poland's relations with Russia should be better, he emphasizes that 'we are closer to Moscow than New York.' Reading the entire argument, it's clear he means geographical location and the resulting fundamental interests, but without that word, one could also disseminate this fragment as relating to our mentality." http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24313165,walesa-w-pulapce-rosyjskiego-wywiadu.html

-- PRIME MINISTER MATEUSZ MORAWIECKI ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES WITH THE COMMUNIST SECURITY SERVICE - I TRY TO SPEAK RESERVEDLY ABOUT MY UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCES: "Indeed, from a young age, from the age of 11, I was printing the 'Dolnośląski Bulletin' in Wilczyn near Oborniki Śląskie. Then the battle for freedom during martial law. Printing ink, street clashes, Molotov cocktails, and finally journalism and fighting with the weapon that communism feared: free speech. I had to take care of my mother and sisters. My mother almost died when the lug nuts on her car's wheels were loosened. That's how the SB agents operated. I indeed experienced many such events, physical and psychological violence, blackmail." I try to speak reservedly about my unpleasant experiences, such as beatings by the militia or SB."

-- MORAWIECKI ON THE BANKING SECTOR IMPROVING: "If anything, I felt like Wokulski. Poland has changed completely. It wasn't wallenrodism at all. It was a transition from romanticism to positivism. And let's not demonize the banking sector. Over the years, it has largely improved."

-- MORAWIECKI ON HUMOR FROM CONTACT LENSES AT BUSINESS LUNCHES: "Donald Tusk was also at one of them, already as Prime Minister. In 2005, I thought there would be a PO-PiS coalition. Later, in the management board, I was closer to PiS among people closer to PO, although it wasn't sharp initially. However, the hate campaigns were gaining momentum. I remember those tense moments at business lunches, for instance, about the specific humor originating from 'Szkło kontaktowe' (Contact Lens TV show)."

-- MORAWIECKI ON HIS CONVERSATION WITH KACZYŃSKI AFTER RECEIVING THE PROPOSAL TO REPLACE ROSTOWSKI: "A serious proposal to take over the position after Minister Rostowski did indeed come. I did not accept it. And it wasn't known then that Tusk would leave for Brussels, or that Platforma would falter. Just look at the polls at the time. I simply didn't want to be in that government. I met with Jarosław Kaczyński then and told him about this proposal. He asked: 'What is your decision?' I replied that I had refused. 'Oh, I'm very glad,' he responded. No other arrangements were made then."

-- MORAWIECKI ON BEING READY TO WORK WITH THE SLD: "I had a general sense that I wanted to enter politics. I went into banking with that thought. I wanted to be part of the team fixing Poland, eliminating the pathologies of the Third Republic. But it was hard to predict PiS's victory in 2015. Jarosław Kaczyński promised me nothing. I would be lying if I said I didn't see myself in a future PiS government. However, I thought it would more likely be a coalition with the PSL, or even with the SLD. I was ready to work even in such a scenario. I argued about it with colleagues from the former underground."

-- MORAWIECKI ON NOT REGRETTING WHAT HE GAVE UP TO ENTER POLITICS:"I did not improve my financial situation by going into politics. I gave up, to put it mildly, until retirement, perhaps even about 100 million zlotys (laughter). I gave it up with joy, I must add."

-- MORAWIECKI QUOTES JARUZELSKA'S WORDS ABOUT THE THIRD REPUBLIC: "Law and Justice did not and does not have anything against the successes of people who managed to achieve more than others honestly. The critical assessment concerns the functioning of part of the Third Republic's elites. I was surprised myself when I recently read Monika Jaruzelska's words stating that the elites of the Third Republic rejected community and chose narcissistic self-satisfaction."

-- MORAWIECKI STRONGLY ON LESZEK CZARNECKI'S BUSINESSES: "I don't know him at all. I will answer briefly and not a word more: the more the market for financial sector regulation in Poland was civilized, the narrower the scope for profitable businesses for this capital group became."

-- PATRYK JAKI TELLS ROBERT MAZUREK HE WOULD LIKE TO INVEST IN HIMSELF: "I would like to invest in myself, improve my English and German, which I have been learning, to speak both very well. And I would like to pursue postgraduate studies."

-- WE HAVE FLAWS BUT WE ARE FIXING THE SYSTEM - JAKI CONTINUES IN DGP: "Yes, our camp may not be perfect, and I see its flaws, although I certainly won't talk about them publicly. However, I see that the struggle between the beneficiaries of the Third Republic and those who want to fix this system is still ongoing. And I want to be in the latter camp."

-- JAKI ON EFFECTIVENESS IN POLITICS: "That can also cause a stir. Do you know what a politician fights for? For effectiveness. I was in opposition the whole time – I could talk even the most justly, go to the media, meet people. And what? For years, I fought completely in vain in the Sejm. And today? Look to your left, at the desk, there's a pile of documents to sign. As a deputy minister responsible for bailiffs, I can take a letter and do something with one signature. Then I receive a letter from a crying man who writes: 'For twenty years, no one helped me, only you.' That's what power is for, that's why one is in politics."

-- WHAT THEY DID WAS VILE - JAKI STRONGLY ON PARUCH AND BIELAN - TELLS MAZUREK: "What those gentlemen did was vile.

Vile?

Vile and disgusting. I dedicated half a year of my life to the election campaign, to helping the right-wing camp; I got a better result than PiS in Warsaw, so I guess I didn't fail. And what? I haven't even had time to sleep, and they are already personally attacking me in the media. People from the same camp! I haven't seen similar attitudes in PO."

-- JAKI ON BEING AMONG POLITICIANS WITH THE HIGHEST TRUST: "...I am proud of what I have achieved in life. I am 33 years old, I am at the top of the table of politicians with the highest trust in Poland. I have a wonderful family. And I received nothing for free; I had to fight for everything." https://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/opinie/artykuly/588054,patryk-jaki-wywiad-mazurek-bielan-paruch-kaczynski-wybory.html

-- PRZYŁĘBSKA'S COMPLAINTS REJECTED - GW HEADLINE: "'No signs of a prohibited act' and 'no public interest' - with such justification, the prosecutor's office discontinued the investigation against 'Wyborcza' following reports by Julia Przyłębska, the President of the Constitutional Tribunal." http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24313792,odrzucone-donosy-przylebskiej.html#S.-K.C-P.-B.2-L.1.maly

-- AMONG THE PLUSES OF 2018, MARCIN FIJOŁEK MENTIONS BRUDZIŃSKI AND BŁASZCZAK: "Brudziński and Błaszczak also strengthened their political positions within the United Right camp - the head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration is doing his job without the flash of cameras, skillfully putting out fires and dealing cards behind the scenes of PiS, while the head of the Ministry of National Defence holds strong cards related to negotiations in the USA regarding Fort Trump. In the spring, he will probably announce good news, which will further boost his political wings."

-- FIJOŁEK NOTICES TRZASKOWSKI'S POLITICAL SUCCESS AND WRITES THAT HE COULD BE A CANDIDATE FOR PRIME MINISTER: "Trzaskowski's campaign and election result in Warsaw gave a moment of respite to the often beleaguered Civic Coalition - it's no wonder that on the Warsaw gossip and name-dropping market, speculation began that Grzegorz Schetyna might nominate Trzaskowski as a candidate for prime minister. But these are just rumors. Unfortunately, the beginning of President Trzaskowski's term in the capital (the issue of discounts, the bizarre choice of spokesperson) shows a rather obvious and stereotypical development of a political career for Platforma activists. But for 2018, a plus is deserved."

-- BIEDROŃ CLEARLY CAUSED A STIR ON THE OPPOSITION SIDE - FIJOŁEK CONTINUES: "He clearly caused a stir on the opposition side and evoked a kind of 'Hassliebe' (love-hate) on the side of the Third Republic camp. On the one hand, those who think more soberly see that Biedroń is two leagues above Grzegorz Schetyna in terms of freedom of expression and potential to reach voters, but on the other hand, there is very little time until autumn 2019, and every move that disrupts the current fragile order on the opposition side causes nervousness. Robert Biedroń is skillfully handling this stage just before opening his political visor - he is flirting, conducting politics in the style of stand-up comedy and small shows, and among voters, he throws around generalities, unverifiable theses, and slogans that, when confronted with reality and facts, turn out to be political hollow shells. This tension between a likeable guy from Facebook and a full-fledged politician cannot last forever. Nevertheless, his position on the political scene has grown in 2018 - the question is whether he will be able to turn these nascent potentials into something more."

-- FIJOŁEK ON THE PRESIDENT'S DEFEAT AND THE NEED FOR A RESET: "Although there is still some time until 2020, there should be a solid brainstorming session at Krakowskie Przedmieście, and perhaps even a small political reset. Field visits alone, however passionate and evoking widespread enthusiasm among residents, even seasoned with pleasing approval polls, will not be enough in the long run." https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/427191-ranking-nieoczywistych-plusow-i-minusow-w-polityce-ad-2018

-- ANNA DĄBROWSKA IN POLITYKA ON 4 PIS POLITICIANS IN PKOl: "This is not the only political change in the PKOl board. The national curling federation has also changed its representative in this body, who will now be represented by former PiS MP Andrzej Jaworski. Ryszard Czarnecki and Adam Hofman are already on the board. Czarnecki even wanted to become the president of the Polish Olympic Committee, but due to the predicted defeat, he withdrew his candidacy just before the vote. In total, there are as many as four politicians on the Olympic Committee board who have been associated with Kaczyński's party to varying degrees for years."

-- DĄBROWSKA ON PORĘBA: "In POLITYKA in 2011, he said: 'I learn a lot from Jarosław Kaczyński, and largely thanks to him, I am in politics.' The PiS leader once announced that MEPs could only spend two terms in Brussels. - But that probably doesn't apply to Tomek, and the president will make an exception for him. He has special considerations. He brought his wife to Brussels; their two daughters attend a French school there - says one of the PiS MEPs. There are rumors in the party that Kaczyński might reward Poręba with the position of EU commissioner." https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/kraj/1776730,1,europosel-pis-wiceprezesem-pkol.read?src=mt

-- MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ ON THE GOOD CHANGE'S TROUBLE WITH GLAPIŃSKI: "I fear God, but nothing else - he replied when asked by the weekly 'Sieci' if the KNF affair was supposed to lead to his resignation. The question is whether this was a message to PiS opponents, or to the PiS leadership, which certainly notices that Glapiński is becoming a burden for the good change." https://www.rp.pl/Polityka/312279881-Dworki-prezesa-Glapinskiego-czyli-klopot-dobrej-zmiany.html

-- IN THE POLISH CHURCH, THE CORPORATION IS WINNING - MONIKA OLEJNIK IN GW:"Pope Francis is fighting pedophilia like no other pope. Churches all over the world are stirred, and ours? In the Polish Church, the corporation is winning." http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,24313312,czy-jezus-poszedlby-na-kler.html

-- BROADCASTERS END DISPUTES WITH EMITEL - RZ:"The financial terms of the Emitel and TVP agreement are most likely the same as in the case of WP and other stations present on MUX8. They were not disclosed in the press release. The hybrid TV offering is slowly expanding on MUX8, requiring the TV to be connected to the internet. TVP wants to use it to provide supplementary content to its main channels. Legia Warsaw already uses the multiplex in this way." http://rpkom.pl/artykul/1387702.html#.XCTcO2GLm9w.twitter

-- BIRTHDAYS: Natalia de Barbaro, Tadeusz Zwiefka, Wojciech Kozak.