-- DAVOS IN A NUTSHELL: Thanks to Bank Pekao being a partner of the Forum for the second time, it was possible to open the Polish House and organize a panel dedicated to the Strategic Outlook for the CEE region only, with the participation of PAD and the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko (Thursday). PM M is flying to Davos tomorrow, and today PAD will begin his stay in Davos with a Tuesday meeting with business representatives at the invitation of Bank Pekao S.A. In the early afternoon, Andrzej Duda will open the Polish pavilion "Polish House," which will be a space promoting Polish business and Polish investments. Inside the pavilion, a "Polish Night" promoting Poland will also take place. PAD will hold talks with the NATO Secretary General and the President of Brazil. Pekao CEO Michał Krupiński will lead a discussion on the state of the European Union, with the participation of representatives of global business and politicians (including Chancellor Angela Merkel and Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Economy and Finance of France).

-- IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME TO POINT TO ANYONE SPECIFICALLY - FR. LUDWIK WIŚNIEWSKI IN AN INTERVIEW WITH ANNA DOBIEGAŁA IN GW: “I spoke about a principle. It never occurred to me to point to anyone specifically. We should finally understand that we have created hell in Poland, and we are all responsible for it, although to varying degrees, of course. I am also responsible. Therefore, firstly, I wanted to say: let's put a full stop, let's start from the beginning, let's start differently. Secondly, as a society, we have become accustomed to hate speech; it has grown into us. We need to wake up to react to politicians' bad words.”

-- IT'S NOT LIKE WE HAVE AN ANGELIC ARMY ON ONE SIDE AND A DEVILISH ONE ON THE OTHER - FR. WIŚNIEWSKI CONTINUES: “It's not like in Poland we have an angelic army on one side and a devilish one on the other. We think that if the current ruling team loses, we will have heaven. No. I believe it could be even greater hell, because people have grown a need for revenge. I tried to call out: stop, you can't go on like this, without accusing anyone specifically.” http://trojmiasto.wyborcza.pl/trojmiasto/7,35612,24386415,o-wisniewsi-powinnismy-w-koncu-zrozumiec-ze-zrobilismy-w.html

-- 300LIVE: BIELAN ON THE MEDIA: We have TVN24, which is very heavily tilted in one direction, and we have TVP Info, which is tilted in the other direction. Thanks to this, we have balance https://300polityka.pl/live/2019/01/22

-- GRZEGORZ OSIECKI AND TOMASZ ŻÓŁCIAK ON THE THREE PILLARS OF THE PIS CAMPAIGN - THEY WRITE IN DGP: “According to our information, PiS intends to base its campaign on three pillars. We want to convince Poles that our victory is a guarantee of reconciliation in public life, that as rulers, we will actually introduce it - says our informant. Civic Platform, which announces the reversal of changes, including in the courts, introduced by the current government, is to be criticized for the fact that its potential victory would be a triumph of revenge politics. The second pillar of the electoral strategy is to be programmatic solutions. We can expect another 'Morawiecki's Fifth' - five catchy ideas that are meant to be electoral assets. One of them is to increase the tax-free amount, which we have already announced in DGP. It is not known what form it will ultimately take; work is underway.” -- DGP AUTHORS ON THE OPPOSITION'S THREAT OF REVERSING PIS REFORMS: “The third pillar of the PiS campaign is to be the threat that the opposition's return to power means a correction or reversal of the flagship changes introduced in this term, such as 500 plus or lowering the retirement age. Although PO has already declared not only that it does not want to withdraw, but even promised to expand child benefits, PiS is not taking it at face value. It counts on being able to play on the vision of PO not keeping its promises during the campaign.”

-- THE OPPOSITION HAS BECOME MORE SENSITIVE TO THE QUALITY OF DEBATE - DGP ON TRZASKOWSKI'S DECISION: “The opposition has also become more sensitive to the quality of public debate. Yesterday, the Mayor of the Capital City, Rafał Trzaskowski, suspended Jarosław Trybuś, the deputy director of the Museum of Warsaw, from his duties for a month. This is the result of a publication by the mayor's subordinate on social media on Sunday. He posted a graphic depicting a knife, in the handle of which the profile of a face strikingly similar to Jarosław Kaczyński could be seen. We do not accept such behavior. While performing his duties, an official represents not only himself but, above all, the good name of the office - commented Rafał Trzaskowski.” https://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/polityka/artykuly/589682,pis-mateusz-morawiecki-platforma-500-plus.html

-- THE IRANIAN CONFERENCE IS A BLOW TO THE EU - PAWEŁ WROŃSKI in GW.

-- ANNA AZARI IN AN INTERVIEW WITH JERZY HASZCZYŃSKI IN RZ, IN THE PRESENCE OF THE ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER AT THE IRAN CONFERENCE IN WARSAW: “We must remember that soon, on April 9, we have elections in Israel. But if a large group of foreign ministers from Arab countries confirms their participation, then I hope Netanyahu will also come to Warsaw. But that's not certain.”

-- RELATIONS HAVE RETURNED TO NORMAL - AZARI CONTINUES IN RZ: “They have returned to normal. Why do I care about Netanyahu coming? I thought that after the announcement of early Knesset elections, there would be no chance of him appearing here during my term, as I will be ambassador until early September. And now there is such a chance. The Prime Minister's visit to the Middle East conference would also be an opportunity for bilateral Israeli-Polish talks. Personally, I would like to see a cycle in these relations close during my tenure.” https://www.rp.pl/Swiat/301219902-Anna-Azari-izraelska-ambasador-w-Warszawie-Polska-jest-neutralna.html

-- ŁUKASZ WARZECHA IN RZ ON DIPLOMACY ON ONE LEG: “Organizing a summit dictated by the USA, which is mainly supposed to deal with Iran, is going ahead of the curve. It's not like Jarosław Sellin said, for example, that this event will show that Poland is participating in the great game. It will be quite the opposite - in this case, we are acting not as a country pursuing its own interests, but as an executor of US foreign policy.” https://www.rp.pl/Publicystyka/301219912-Dyplomacja-na-jednej-nodze.html

-- KAJA PUTO IN KRYTYKA POLITYCZNA WRITES ABOUT THE REPORT ON THE HOSTILITY BETWEEN PIS AND OPPOSITION VOTERS: “Dear hunters of 'symmetrists' and those holy indignant about the demands to start criticism from oneself, the Center for Research on Prejudice at the University of Warsaw (the one headed by Michał Bilewicz) has conducted research, which shows, among other things, that:

- attitudes of opposition party supporters towards PiS supporters are more negative than attitudes of PiS supporters towards opposition supporters (more negative feelings, greater degree of dehumanization, less trust in opponents).

- simultaneously, supporters of opposition parties believe they are more dehumanized by their opponents than supporters of the ruling party.

- among PiS supporters, contact with opposition supporters is associated with positive attitudes towards them, while in the group of opposition supporters, positive effects of contact are significantly weaker.

-- LINK TO THE FULL REPORT, WHICH PIOTR TRUDNOWSKI ALSO WROTE ABOUT: http://cbu.psychologia.pl/uploads/f_bulska/Polaryzacja%20polityczna%202.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3ddyqNMudqo3-VvJAL4SmhqYU4PSXu3physJ4tKesr_yDBqM-v8CH2h64

-- JADWIGA STANISZKIS TELLS JACEK NIZINKIEWICZ IN RZ THAT SHE FEARS PAWEŁ ADAMOWICZ'S DEATH WILL HAVE NO IMPACT ON THE ELECTIONS: “In Poland, such emotions appear quickly and disappear quickly. I fear that Adamowicz's death will not have an impact on the elections. The social policy pursued by PiS, by supporting the poor and families with many children through various social programs, will have the greatest impact on the parliamentary election results.” https://www.rp.pl/Polityka/301219922-Prof-Jadwiga-Staniszkis-Podzialy-na-dlugie-lata.html

-- KAROLINA WIGURA IN KULTURA LIBERALNA ON THE PROCESS OF RECONCILIATION: “But how to implement philosophical guidelines when neither reconciliation nor looking with compassion at another person is served by haste and messages that look good on social media and in twenty-four-hour news cycles? How to do it when pointing fingers at others has already begun? A friend on Facebook recently wrote that they would reconcile willingly, but only when Jarosław Kaczyński apologizes for the statement about 'treacherous faces.' There is also a festival of beating one's own chest and arguing about which side is more impeccable. Examples of intra-national reconciliation processes, such as those in Northern Ireland and South Africa, only appear relatively simple from a distance, monumental achievements following someone's brilliant idea and collective enthusiasm. Up close, they all meant a laborious struggle with well-established habits, reluctance to admit one's own guilt, contempt for the other, and finally, wise leadership by a person or group of people who had the courage to take responsibility for the success of the entire process. Each of us can answer the question for ourselves whether we are ready to take such responsibility.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2019/01/22/73881/

-- THE GAME OF EXTERMINATION HAS BEGUN, THERE WILL BE NO NATIONAL CONSENSUS - WOJCIECH ENGELKING IN KULTURA LIBERALNA: “The death of Paweł Adamowicz will not bring any national consensus. On the contrary, it will mark the beginning of the bloodiest stage of the war between two parties that have so far existed in a symbiosis of constant mutual combat, ensuring their existence. Now this latter has been called into question. The game of extermination has begun.”

-- ON THE ONE HAND US, THE GOOD ONES, ON THE OTHER HAND CRIMINALS - ENGELKING ON THE COURSE OF THE MAIN PARTIES' DEBATE: “If Civic Platform plays on the death of Paweł Adamowicz in such a way that every voter understands that under the slogan 'hate speech' (which is, after all, disseminated independently, without PiS coordination, by many right-wing circles, and in the case of the Mayor of Gdańsk, perhaps most strongly by Młodzież Wszechpolska) lies the Law and Justice party, PiS will not simply become a party that Platforma is different from - for unknown, non-programmatic reasons - for a large part of voters. It will become a party of criminals, responsible for the murder of President Paweł Adamowicz. And Civic Platform? In this Manichean division, it will gain its legitimation as a party whose only legitimacy is to remove PiS from power. It will not simply be Civic Platform, but the party of the good ones, who must defeat the bad ones - and the use of such moral categories will gain a universalist claim. These will no longer be just the good ones who are good because they are ours, but they will be the good ones because they are simply good, and on the other side are the bad ones, criminals, responsible for the murder.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2019/01/22/pawel-adamowicz-morderstwo-pis-opozycja-engelking/

-- TOMASZ SAWCZUK WRITES IN KL THAT THE PRESIDENT AND PRIME MINISTER SHOULD HAVE DONE MORE: “As for the ruling camp, the behavior of PiS politicians after the murder was not fully adequate to the situation. Andrzej Duda and Mateusz Morawiecki did publish tweets, but it is difficult to consider that they reacted appropriately to the significance of the event. In normal circumstances, they should have at least appeared on public television with an address to unconditionally condemn violence and calm the situation. In an optimal situation, they could have done much more. There is also no excuse for the absence of Jarosław Kaczyński, Ryszard Terlecki, and Beata Mazurek during the parliamentary minute of silence in memory of President Adamowicz. The fact that PiS did not issue an apology in this matter, assuring of the seriousness of the situation, deserves additional condemnation and suggests bad faith.”

-- PIŚ VOTERS SHOULD FORCE - SAWCZUK'S CONCLUSION: “Supporters of the ruling party may be given food for thought by the fact that in the face of political tragedy, the authorities have not softened their tone, but rather have tightened their course. PiS voters should force responsible attitudes from their representatives. We may not like each other, but this is our common country, right?” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2019/01/22/prezydent-pawel-adamowicz-mord-polityczny-komentarz-sawczuk/

-- JACEK ŻAKOWSKI HAS NO PATIENCE FOR PAD'S PLATITUDES AND WINDY SPEECH: “Forgive me for saying this directly. When such things are happening in Poland, I no longer have patience for this platitude, windy speech, babbling, chatter delivered with an artificially sad face. The situation has become too serious, the price has become too high for us to agree to it and politely pretend to believe such cheap talk. Our patience, or rather indifference, must have its limits. Therefore, I will behave like a tutor and say how, in the face of the tragedy that occurred in Gdańsk, I see the appropriate reaction of a president who considers himself president, not a bishop, rabbi, or mufti. A president who considers himself the president of the country should, immediately after such a traumatic tragedy (and more than a week has passed), consult with the leaders of the entire opposition and entrust a universally respected person with the mission of creating a team that will prepare a national program to reduce the level of aggression and hatred. Psychology, sociology, and pedagogy know such methods, which can be used from kindergartens to the Sejm and public media. After the speech in Gdańsk, Father Ludwik Wiśniewski is probably the obvious candidate.” https://opinie.wp.pl/jacek-zakowski-andrzej-duda-pomylil-pastoral-z-bulawa-opinia-6341002857855105a

-- ADAM SZOSTKIEWICZ ON DIGNITARIES BEING TREATED CHRISTIANLY AT THE FUNERAL: “The family's reasons were honestly presented: the current government camp, including President Duda himself, did nothing for the true respect of the constitution, the rule of law, and democracy. The deceased's brother, a democratically active opposition member in the PRL and Solidarity, also did not agree to President Duda's participation. So, one can say that the dignitaries were treated Christianly at the ceremony anyway. Let the right wing back off. Let them deal with the exploits of the TVP president and the PiS spokeswoman. As part of Christian penance.” https://szostkiewicz.blog.polityka.pl/2019/01/21/prezydent-duda-w-piatym-rzedzie/?nocheck=1

-- KATARZYNA KOLENDA ZALESKA WRITES IN GW THAT GDAŃSK SHOWED THE WAY TO A BETTER POLAND: “Paweł Adamowicz created a local community composed of wonderful, competent people who love their city and their residents. It is probably no longer surprising that the late president won subsequent elections. There is hope in local government officials that they will also create similar communities elsewhere, capable of opposing the evil that seeps from above. And we will build our country from the bottom up. Gdańsk once again, as in 1980, gives us a lesson in building solidarity and a state based on mutual respect.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,24385527,gdansk-wskazuje-droge-do-lepszej-i-piekniejszej-polski.html

-- KURSKI MUST STAY - AGNIESZKA KUBLIK IN GW: “– There is a strong group in PiS that argues that now, in an election year, the head of TVP should not be changed – one PiS MP tells us anonymously. – Especially since Kaczyński won't find a better president than Kurski. And this is despite the mistakes, which we all realize. What mistakes are we talking about? – Kurski entangled PiS, meaning all of us, in hatred towards the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity, against public sentiment. And against our sentiment, because this year we did not attack the Orchestra. Going to war with Owsiak and WOŚP is like going into a tank with bare hands. Pure stupidity and political recklessness – says a close associate of Kaczyński.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24385989,kurski-musi-zostac-co-przekonalo-prezesa-pis.html

-- ADAMOWICZ IN TVP'S CROSSHAIRS - JEDYNKA GW.

-- THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF RZ WRITES THAT TVP IS A TEST FOR PMM: “So as not to be unfounded, action must be taken. And this requires strength and determination. I believe that the Prime Minister will demonstrate precisely these qualities in the matter of TVP.” https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/301219911-Chrabota-Co-moze-premier-w-sprawie-TVP.html

-- THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH DOES NOT WANT TO INFORM ABOUT LESS HARMFUL CIGARETTE ALTERNATIVES - SE: “Sellers should be able to inform addicted smokers who cannot live without a puff that there are less harmful cigarette alternatives. However, the Ministry of Health does not want to agree to changes in regulations.”

-- SE ON GOVERNMENT DECISIONS REGARDING INFORMATION ON LESS HARMFUL TOBACCO PRODUCTS: “Nearly 9 million Poles are trapped in the grip of nicotine addiction. And if the law is not changed, they will continue to poison themselves in the traditional way. Polish law does not allow information about e-cigarettes and other products that are safer for health than traditional cigarettes. There are proponents of loosening regulations in Mateusz Morawiecki's government (51 years old), but the Ministry of Health categorically disagrees with changing the law. A discussion among ministers on this topic is to take place at today's government session. Experts have no doubts: Poles have the right to information about cigarette alternatives.” https://www.se.pl/wiadomosci/polityka/mamy-prawo-do-informacji-o-zamiennikach-papierosow-aa-fShp-BVwj-Ct6c.html

-- BIRTHDAYS: Barbara Kudrycka.