-- AHEAD OF DAVOS, AN ECONOMIC SUMMIT IN POLAND WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND GOOGLE CEO - NEWS FROM 300GOSPODARKA: http://300gospodarka.pl/news/2019/01/19/wstep-do-davos-w-warszawie-szef-google-wezmie-udzial-w-debacie-o-innowacjach-w-regionie-news-300gospodarki/

-- KOSINIAK APPEALS FOR THE RESTORATION OF REAL DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2019/01/21

-- RYAN HEATH AT POLITICO EUROPE ESTIMATES THAT BIEDROŃ COULD WIN AS MANY AS 5 SEATS IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: “Another movement, situated on the center left and led by former Słupsk Mayor Robert Biedroń, is not yet registered as a party. Opinion polls suggest it could win five seats if it does enter the race”. https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-new-political-players-election-2019-brussels/

-- OWSIAK BEARS EVEN GREATER RESPONSIBILITY - JACEK NIZINKIEWICZ IN RZ: “Poles extend Owsiak a vote of confidence every year, putting more and more money into the collection boxes. But Jurek Owsiak is not a sacred cow. He has made statements that should never have been made, like the 'joke' about MP Pawłowicz. Jurek's political antipathies are all too readable… Now Owsiak bears even greater responsibility. He should use his authority to unite society, especially when, after Adamowicz's death, politicians are failing the test”.

-- NIZINKIEWICZ APPEALS TO OWSIAK FOR A GESTURE: “It would be a beautiful gesture for Owsiak to invite the Prime Minister and the President to the Pol'and'Rock Festival. It would be a beautiful gesture to fight hatred together. The blade that killed Paweł Adamowicz must not kill national solidarity. And that is what Jurek Owsiak, the head of a charity focused on helping all Poles, should strive for now.” https://www.rp.pl/WOSP/301209970-NIzinkiewicz-Odpowiedzialnosc-Jurka-Owsiaka.html

-- GDAŃSK REJECTS THE EXTREME, THE WAR BETWEEN THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT - RAFAŁ HIRSCH IN DGP: “Gdańsk is a city incredibly attached to its history, extremely aware of its consequences. In this context, it is by necessity a conservative city. But on the other hand, Gdańsk's history is long, incredibly twisted, and complicated. However, it always speaks of a commitment to freedom. It is a history of tolerance, openness, and even cosmopolitanism and liberalism. In today's world of fierce war between the right and the left, Gdańsk takes the best from both sides and rejects the extreme. That is why you like to be there.”

-- HIRSCH ON WHY PROGRESSIVE GDAŃSK DOES NOT FALL INTO EXCESSIVE "LEFTISM": “That is why, in my opinion, Kashubians are the opposite of all nationalism. PRL-era industrialization, by drawing Kashubians from the surrounding villages and towns, made Gdańsk itself increasingly Kashubian. And Kashubians are very conservative, religious people, one might say – right-wing. Perhaps that is why Gdańsk, being an open and tolerant city, never falls into excessive 'leftism' that might discourage some people from it. But at the same time, thanks to them and their history, it will never fall into right-wing nationalism either. Gdańsk is perfectly moderately centered. And it is for everyone.” https://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/opinie/artykuly/589590,gdansk-adamowicz-polityka-wojna-prawakow-z-lewakami.html

-- JACEK ŻAKOWSKI ON NOT GIVING QUICK RELEASE TO EMOTIONS - he writes in GW: “Do we always have to so loudly promote the belief that whenever something bad happens, we must identify and punish the culprits, even though we know about the tragic nature of fate and the immanence of madness? We must react and draw conclusions. Evil must be countered. But it must be done thoughtfully. To truly help. Not just to give a quick release to emotions. And, above all, not to cause harm.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,24382487,szok-po-zbrodni-kaze-cos-zrobic-ale-przede-wszystkim-nie-nalezy.html

-- JACEK KARNOWSKI WRITES ABOUT THE OPPOSITION'S GOAL - A COLOR REVOLUTION THAT WILL COMPLETELY ELIMINATE AND DELEGITIMIZE PREDECESSORS: “After Gdańsk, the opposition's goals are slightly different: it's no longer about a simple victory, about regaining power, but about a real revolution, a revolutionary moment. Specifically: the goal is a 'color revolution' type of revolution, one that not only removes predecessors from power but also creates a moral and mental breakthrough, effectively delegitimizing predecessors, permanently removing them from the scene. This is the stake the opposition wants to play for today, having a valid premonition that if the matter came down to a simple choice, they could at best form a weak government, incapable of reversing numerous changes. And a revolutionary strategy offers a chance to win the whole pot this autumn, while also satisfying psychological needs related to the pursuit of brutal revenge.”

-- KARNOWSKI ON MITIGATING TENSION AFTER A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY: “The ruling camp must be aware of this, must be prepared. But at the same time, it is acting rightly by again proposing a new beginning, also declaring readiness for self-correction, because that is how the Prime Minister's words should be understood. Not because the sharp political dispute contributed to the death of President Paweł Adamowicz (such a connection has not been proven so far), but because mitigating tension would lend some meaning to this terrible tragedy.” https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/430356-po-gdansku-celem-opozycji-jest-kolorowa-rewolucja

-- MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI ON THE PARTY OF GREAT REVENGE: “The Party of Great Revenge needs this message for two basic reasons. To claim that it is being formed, acting, and aiming to avenge the death of the President of Gdańsk. In reality, the revenge is to be taken on the PiS members for the fundamental fact – that they dared to seize power in 2015, in democratic elections. And also to create a new political platform that will erase old divisions, allow for the return of marginalized and discredited activists, and cover up the lack of a positive program. Hence, the greatest enthusiasm for this idea comes from those who are on the margins of politics today.”

-- KARNOWSKI'S INTERESTING TAKE ON RADIO JEDYNKA: “Insinuations in 'Rzeczpospolita' were used to force the resignation of CEO Jacek Kurski, and attempts are still being made to create completely false theses about alleged manipulations. Anyone who truly watches knows that nothing like that is happening. Such attacks will likely be repeated. It is noteworthy that they do not concern public radio. And that is understandable too: from the airwaves of Radio Jedynka, the listener did not learn that the murder was committed by a criminal, but heard a lot about the hatred that supposedly caused it.” https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/430299-no-to-juz-jasne-naprzeciw-pis-stanie-partia-wielkiej-zemsty

-- JAROSŁAW KURSKI ON THE FIRST CHANNEL OF GW STATES THAT PIS TOLERATED AND ORGANIZED HATRED: “The PiS government not only tolerated hatred but also organized it. If this evil death is to bear good fruit, then the words of Fr. Wiśniewski and Hall must be taken to heart by everyone, not just those mourning Paweł. Primarily, those in power. They, if they wanted to, can do the most.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24383144,testament-pawla-adamowicza.html

-- BARTOSZ T. WIELIŃSKI TO JACEK KURSKI - he writes in GW: “What do you want to achieve, President Jacek Kurski? The television station you lead is like a locomotive whose engineer ignores the pressure gauge readings and constantly shovels more coal into the furnace. Speeding at a frantic pace, you have crossed all boundaries in your subservience to PiS and in your incitement against the ruling party's opponents.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,24381797,zle-zaklamane-relacje-tvp-z-pogrzebu-pawla-adamowicza.html

-- TOMASZ BIELECKI ON HOW POLAND PARADOXICALLY STRENGTHENS EU INSTITUTIONS: “This is, in fact, another example of such a paradox in the last dozen or so months. First, the Union, through Poland, initiated proceedings under Article 7 for the first time. And then – this is the biggest breakthrough – the European Commission decided to defend the Supreme Court thanks to an innovative interpretation of the EU Treaty, which – since 'Polish judges are judges of the Union' – gives EU institutions the right to control and safeguard the independence of the judiciary in the EU countries. Hence the complaint to the CJEU, its preliminary decision on interim measures, which led to the withdrawal of the retirement purge in the Supreme Court.” https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/swiat/1779236,1,spor-o-praworzadnosc-czyli-jak-polska--wbrew-sobie--wzmacnia-unie.read?src=mt

-- NEW ROADS FOR THE ELECTIONS - ANDRZEJ KUBLIK IN GW: “Already at the beginning of the year, the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA) announced that drivers can expect a record number of new roads this year. Approximately 470 km of new expressways and almost 20 km of city bypasses on lower-category roads are to be opened to the public. Almost the entire S6 expressway from Szczecin to Sianów beyond Kołobrzeg will be put into operation, as will the rest of the S5 expressway between Wrocław and Poznań, and most of the S5 from Gniezno to Bydgoszcz. By summer, the S17 expressway should be extended from Garwolin to Kurow, from where one can reach Lublin by expressway.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,155287,24377846,kampania-wyborcza-w-drogach-juz-sie-zaczela.html

– I GAVE BIRTH TO A SON WHO KILLED A MAN - A SHOCKING INTERVIEW BY KATARZYNA WŁODKOWSKA WITH STEFAN W.'S MOTHER IN DUŻY FORMAT GW: “This is the hardest. As a mother, I still love him. I only grieve that he did something terrible. He hurt so many people, the president, his family, us… And I am still his mother (cries). It's the hardest feeling imaginable. I gave birth to a son who killed a man, and I have to live with it. But I will never disown him. I will carry this suffering until the end of my life, even though I have lost my son forever. I will most likely never see him free.”

-- IT WAS A DIFFICULT DECISION - TO REPORT YOUR OWN CHILD, BUT I DID IT: “I also think about what will happen if someone recognizes me, associates me with what Stefan did. I learned that one of my colleagues at work said it was a bad reputation for the institution. I took a leave of absence, now I'm on sick leave. We are all afraid that we will be punished for Stefan. But what were we supposed to do? Do you know how difficult a decision it was to report your own child? But I went to the police and said he would do something unpredictable.”

-- I BEG FOR FORGIVENESS: “After the attack on the president, the police burst in during the night, with weapons in hand, and took the sons for questioning. Please understand us, he hurt us too. I would so much like to ask the president's wife, children, parents, and brother for forgiveness, but I know I'm asking for a lot and I might have to wait a long time for it. That's why I wanted this one interview – so that my words would reach them: I am very sorry. I am very sorry for my child (sobs). I beg for your forgiveness. I wish so much I could turn back time. I apologize to everyone.” http://wyborcza.pl/duzyformat/7,127290,24377564,wywiad-z-matka-stefana-w-przepraszam-za-syna-i-prosze-o.html

-- A YEAR AGO LIDIA OSTAŁOWSKA PASSED AWAY.

-- BIRTHDAYS: Paweł Arndt, Stanisław Handzlik, Dawid Wawryka.