-- RADOSŁAW SIKORSKI ON THE POLISH BREIVIK - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2019/01/18

-- FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE CHURCH'S AUTHORITY IS SO STRONGLY ERODING - KRZYSZTOF MAZUR FROM THE JAGIELLONIAN CLUB: “In the current Polish context, something else is striking. For at least since World War II, the Catholic Church has been proposing the language and interpretative framework for subsequent national tragedies. In the case of Paweł Adamowicz's murder, it seems for the first time its authority in this regard is so strongly eroding. The Church has ceased to be a unifying element for the entire community; it no longer creates meaning that expresses the state of consciousness of the majority of society.”

-- FRAMING THE MURDER WITHIN THE DISPUTE IS AN ESCAPE FROM OUR RESPONSIBILITY; WOULD KACZYŃSKI AND TUSK'S DISAPPEARANCE END INTERNET HATRED? - MAZUR CONTINUES: “Framing the murder of Paweł Adamowicz within the current political dispute is a simple escape from our responsibility. Indeed, we have a social problem with verbal aggression, especially in the infosphere, but Tusk and Kaczyński do not bear sole responsibility for it. We are the ones who allow ourselves to get caught up in these emotions; we are their carriers; we generate countless comments and memes. Does anyone with a healthy mind truly believe that if Tusk and Kaczyński disappeared from politics, it would solve our problem with Internet hatred? One only needs to watch 'patostreamers' on YouTube, who have nothing to do with politics, to understand that this is a lie politicians tell us to mobilize us against their adversaries. Pointing to a scapegoat might calm our consciences for a moment, but it will not solve any social problem.”

-- WE CANNOT OBJECTIFY SUFFERING FOR OUR OWN PURPOSES - MAZUR'S CONCLUSION: “Ultimately, it is about Paweł Adamowicz and his loved ones. Murder is the radical objectification of the murdered person, to the point of depriving them of life. Someone wanted to manifest their own drama at the cost of the former Mayor of Gdańsk. We owe it to the murdered man and his loved ones not to do the same with the memory of him. We cannot objectify this suffering for our own purposes, even if those purposes are noble. We should do everything possible to ensure that the memory of those terrible days in January 2019 becomes a memory of suffering, but also of the victory of hope, rather than becoming another fuel for the Polish-Polish war.” https://klubjagiellonski.pl/2019/01/17/nie-dajmy-sie-wciagnac-walcom-polityki/

-- JACEK NIZINKIEWICZ WRITES IN RZ THAT THE PIS CHAIRMAN SHOULD ATTEND THE FUNERAL: “The absence of the PiS chairman will be glaring. The leader of the ruling party should attend the funeral not only to show unity with a significant portion of the grieving society but also to prove that he cares about Polish reconciliation. Therefore, on Saturday, all the most important national politicians should be in St. Mary's Basilica.”

-- STEFAN W. LIVED IN A COUNTRY WHERE THE ATMOSPHERE IS SHAPED NOT ONLY BY PIS - NIZINKIEWICZ CONTINUES: “On the other hand, the opposition, by attacking PiS for Adamowicz's death, will deepen the national dispute. Stefan W. was not a member or supporter of PiS. He lived in a country where the atmosphere is shaped not only by PiS but also by other political groups. The Mayor of Gdańsk was not a politician who built his position on social divisions. His political friends should remember this, and even more so the rulers, who take responsibility for what is happening in Poland.” https://www.rp.pl/Analizy/301179889-PiS-nie-jest-winne-smierci-Adamowicza.html

-- THE HEAD OF KRRITV SIGHS AT MAZUREK'S QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER HE WATCHED WIADOMOŚCI: “Witold Kołodziejski: Ugh, I watched…”

“- You sigh.

“- Because I know what you're going to ask, and my lips are sealed, as complaints about 'Wiadomości' have already reached the National Council, and proceedings have begun, so I have to be careful.”

“- Did you like those reports? Especially the one about hate speech?”

“- Examples of hate speech should be shown and condemned, but the moment it was done, namely the day of President Paweł Adamowicz's death, was fatal.”

-- KOŁODZIEJSKI ON MAZUREK'S QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER THESE ARE JOURNALISTIC STANDARDS: “I have already told you that such reports should be avoided at such a time. And I cannot tell you more, even if I wanted to. I also won't tell you whether it's shameful or not, because here we touch upon emotions, and I would prefer to calm them down. However, these 'Wiadomości' reports did not serve to calm emotions, although they were not a prime example of inciting them either.” https://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/opinie/artykuly/589416,kolodziejski-mazurek-adamowicz-wiadomosci-tvp-gdansk-krrit.html

-- BOGDAN BORUSEWICZ TO MAGDALENA RIGAMONTI'S QUESTION ABOUT KURSKI - IN A DGP CONVERSATION: “He was never and will never be my colleague. I know him well, I know what he did in Gdańsk. I saw him cooperate with SLD in the provincial assembly, playing only for himself. I heard what he said during the elections, how he commented on my victory. He said I only won because my wife died. Well, you see, for me, he is a transparent person, he doesn't exist, I don't want to know him. For a moment, I hoped he had changed a bit, but he hasn't. He is responsible for what 'Wiadomości' and TVP Info broadcast. Several million people watch public television. Some only have TVP. And into their heads, they are fed these concoctions that Platforma are traitors, they report Poland to Brussels, and Brussels is the same as Moscow used to be. After the conflict over the Smoleńsk appeal at Westerplatte, one of the PiS government ministers asked if Adamowicz and his people didn't have German passports. This was the message conveyed in the public media. Those who did it are now trying to hit themselves, but on others' chests, not their own.” https://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/opinie/artykuly/589415,borusewicz-adamowicz-rigamonti-gdanska-zabojstwo-tusk.html

-- ŁUKASZ ROGOJSZ IN GAZETA.PL QUOTES A PIS POLITICIAN ON KACZYŃSKI'S ABSENCE: “A PiS politician: - Jarosław had no bad intentions and didn't want to manifest anything. From what I know, they were late because Terlecki spoke to him earlier, and they got stuck on the way. Word by word, it suddenly turned out that they entered the hall after everything was over. For us, it looked tragic because all the reconciliation gestures we had made since Sunday evening were ruined. It would have been better if they hadn't come at all or had been half an hour late.”

-- ANOTHER PIS POLITICIAN TELLS ROGOJSZ ON OFF THAT PIS VOTERS ARE FED UP WITH KURSKI: “I often meet with our voters, including the so-called hard electorate. These people are absolutely fed up with Kurski. When I heard this for the first time, I was surprised, because I thought they were delighted with the sharp reports and unsparing attacks on our opponents. But then other voters said the same, and then more. It turns out they see perfectly well what Kurski is feeding them and what idiots he considers them. They are not the ignorant masses he always thought they were – assures our interlocutor from PiS.” http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,24373240,zabojstwo-prezydenta-adamowicza-nie-zasypie-podzialow-do-soboty.html

-- PIOTR ZAREMBA ON KACZYŃSKI'S ABSENCE: I THINK IT WAS AN ACCIDENT, RESULTING FROM A NONSENSICAL, YET ARROGANT ATTITUDE TOWARDS WHAT IS HAPPENING IN POLITICS: “It would be downright comical, but it's hardly a comedy. After the death of the opposition Mayor of Gdańsk, Paweł Adamowicz, the ruling camp made many statements saying that something terrible had happened, that we were all united in grief, etc. Then, at a crucial moment, when PO leader Grzegorz Schetyna was delivering a remembrance in the Sejm about the murdered man, and MPs had the only opportunity to honor him, PiS chairman Jarosław Kaczyński was late for the hall. I don't think he planned it. Adamowicz was not his personal enemy, and purely pragmatic reasons could not have pushed him to this. Moreover, I know how much politicians are affected by such stories, reminding them that they themselves are mortal. I think it was an accident, albeit one resulting from the 'Chief Commander's' nonchalant, and at the same time, arrogant attitude towards what is happening in Polish politics. He feels so above everything that he wouldn't even glance at his watch.”

-- EVERYTHING IS STARTING TO CONNECT, TVP PROVED TO BE A COMPLETELY INFLEXIBLE PROPAGANDA TOOL - ZAREMBA CONTINUES: “In this situation, the hypothesis that a recently released former gangster succumbed to the atmosphere is vague and unconfirmed, but it cannot be entirely dismissed. And the subjective sense of grievance among people associated with the opposition gains some food. True, the finale of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity as the scene of the murder might be a coincidence. But as every year, this event became the subject of exaggerated ideological wars. When these wars are fought on the Internet, they are the affair of their participants. When the public, or rather governmental, television becomes the arena for crude and lying 'satire,' everything begins to connect with everything. Even if it was a defense against an attack, it was one that had to add fuel to the fire. Especially since on the first day, even TVN avoided political agitation. TVP, on the other hand, proved to be a completely inflexible propaganda tool, always reacting the same way.”

-- ZAREMBA ON THE DELAYED REACTION: “Furthermore, there is something in politics called a delayed effect. Even the first polls will not be a hundred percent forecast of what will happen in the autumn. And most importantly, this camp has failed the test of even minimal flexibility. It reacts to all crises in the same way: by hitting the gas pedal of mechanical propaganda tailored for enthusiasts. This is ethically questionable, not boding well for Poles to have a healthier, less suffocating public life. But it is also risky. If an even more serious trial comes than the reaction to the tragic death of a political opponent, the test might be failed.” https://polskatimes.pl/piotr-zaremba-nie-sposob-przewidziec-politycznych-konsekwencji-zabojstwa-adamowicza/ar/13817713/2

-- ANDRZEJ GAJCY WRITES IN ONET THAT THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR SUCH AN ABSENCE FROM JK: “The assurances from the ruling camp that it was an unfortunate accident mean little now. With this single gesture, PiS has provided the opposition with an excellent weapon to accuse the ruling camp of disregard, disrespect, and pettiness in the face of this tragedy. It is difficult to find an excuse for such a faux pas. (...) There are events in which one simply cannot fail to participate. Moreover, instead of public apologies, statements have come from Law and Justice politicians suggesting that public opinion should deal with more serious matters than this. At the same time, they have given permission to TVP chairman Jacek Kurski to continue his horrific spectacle of hatred on public television.”

-- THE PRIME MINISTER IS PASSING THE TEST, BUT THE SAME CANNOT BE SAID FOR KACZYŃSKI HIMSELF AND HIS CLOSE CIRCLE: “When the whole of Poland is mourning the murder of the Mayor of Gdańsk, one cannot behave so carelessly. Governing a country is not kindergarten, but a huge responsibility. Poles expect those who govern to rise to the occasion, especially in such tragic moments. Prime Minister Morawiecki is currently passing this test, which unfortunately cannot be said of Jarosław Kaczyński himself and his closest circle.” https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/minuta-ktora-moze-pis-drogo-kosztowac-komentarz/jgpdhps

-- PAWEŁ HUELLE TELLS ANDRZEJ STANKIEWICZ THAT PAWEŁ ADAMOWICZ BECAME A VICTIM OF INCITEMENT: “I believe that in the months leading up to his death, Paweł was being hounded. It is enough to look at what pro-government media wrote and showed. They used hateful language towards him, incited hatred, and slandered him. Paweł became a victim of precisely this kind of language. In such a situation, a madman can always appear who will take a knife and attack such a vilified person. In this sense, the Polish right is co-responsible for his death. It was a deliberate murder of a politician. Therefore, it was a political assassination. We must oppose hate speech. This is the last moment.”

-- DID THE PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER TRY TO STOP THE ATTACKS AND TONE DOWN THE MOODS? - HUELLE CONTINUES: “She was divided, like most Poles. As a state and society, we have not developed a conciliatory method for conducting disputes. We should be able to sit down and talk. Instead, we prefer to clench our fists and attack each other. I heard that after Paweł's death, the president and prime minister issued statements of mourning and that they are going to the funeral. However, these are empty gestures without meaning. What were they doing when he was being attacked? Did they try to stop these attacks, to tone down the moods?” https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/pawel-huelle-to-bylo-zabojstwo-polityczne/v1t84dj

-- MONIKA OLEJNIK IN GW ON THE RED LIGHT: “Now, politicians, media, and the prosecution should finally see a red light. They should put an end to the barbarization of political life. But will anything change? When presidents want to show children what hatred is during lessons, Ordo Iuris immediately protests that upbringing belongs to parents. When there is a moment of silence in the Sejm in memory of Paweł Adamowicz, Jarosław Kaczyński and the deputy speakers are late. Coincidentally? At a council session in Łódź during a moment of silence, there is only one PiS councilor. Coincidentally? When I hear the Minister of Foreign Affairs saying that Tusk is a representative of Germany, I recall that Adamowicz was also called a German.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,24375422,czy-zauwazymy-ze-pali-sie-czerwone-swiatlo-nikt-nie-ma-sily.html

-- RISK UNDERESTIMATED? - GW front page: “The police did not place the murderer of Paweł Adamowicz under surveillance, although his mother informed them that her son might be dangerous after his release from prison. The Prison Service emphasizes: - If we had known that the information passed on by the police about Stefan W. came from his mother, we could probably have done more.” http://trojmiasto.wyborcza.pl/trojmiasto/7,35612,24375387,zlekcewazono-ryzyko.html

-- MINISTER JAKI, THE FACTS PLEASE - ROMAN IMIELSKI IN GW: "If such a report is honest, it might be unpleasant. For example, if it turns out that the three years of Minister Jaki's oversight of the prison system were wasted time when it comes to the rehabilitation of people like Stefan W. And that independent experts will quickly identify the reefs, evasions, and inaccuracies in the document. However, it might be the opposite – they will praise him and say that Jaki is doing his job well, that everything possible was done for Stefan W. to leave prison as an exemplary citizen or a person who received adequate care after release. However, we will not know this until you, Minister Jaki, stand before the citizens and tell them exactly what the penitentiary history of murderer Paweł Adamowicz was.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24375378,czas-powiedziec-sprawdzam-patryk-jaki-musi-pokazac-raport.html

-- EWA SIEDLECKA, COULD THE POLICE SPY ON KOD BUT NOT ON STEFAN W.: “The police claim they could not surveil Stefan W. after his release from prison. One can be surprised by this statement, if only because they had and have no problems surveilling, for example, street opposition activists, as we know from documents revealed by 'Gazeta Wyborcza' and the OKO.press portal. At the time, the police explained that they have the right to track people in public places as part of their task of counteracting and detecting crimes. Article 14 of the Police Act states that 'the police carry out activities: operational-reconnaissance, investigative-probationary, and administrative-orderly in order to: recognize, prevent, and detect crimes and misdemeanors (...)'.“

-- ULTIMATELY, IT DOESN'T SEEM THAT THE POLICE OR THE PRISON SERVICE NEGLECTED ANYTHING THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS CRIME: “Would such surveillance have prevented the tragedy? Stefan W. had the right to come to the finale of the Great Orchestra, he had the right to stand near the stage. A police officer would have had to literally be on his back to stop him from intruding on it. It seems that the only thing that could have discouraged Stefan W. from attacking was the awareness that the police were following him and watching him. That is, ostentatious surveillance. If he had broken the law – for example, caused a disturbance in a public place – he could have been detained and ordered psychiatric observation. But such a pretext did not occur. So, in the end, it doesn't look like the police or the prison service neglected anything in this matter that would have prevented this crime.” https://siedlecka.blog.polityka.pl/2019/01/17/kto-zawinil-w-sprawie-stefana-w/?nocheck=1

-- BIRTHDAYS: Ernest Skalski, Jan Lityński, Helena Łuczywo.