-- NIESIOŁOWSKI ON THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST HIM, NITRAS ON REMOVING PIS FROM POWER TO EXPLAIN THE SCANDAL, NOWOCZESNA PUBLISHES A SPOT - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2019/01/31/

-- ADAM LESZCZYŃSKI ON FB RECOUNTS ANECDOTE ABOUT JOURNALISM STUDENTS NOT UNDERSTANDING THE SCANDAL DESCRIBED BY GW: “I have very good students: they think vividly and are eager to discuss. Today in my journalism workshop class, we read two commentaries on the latest scandal, sentence by sentence — Jarek Kurski from GW and Michał Karnowski from wPolityce.

Impression 1. (about Karnowski): 'He must be writing for old people.' Words like 'hucpa' (farce) and 'popłuczyny' (scum, dregs) (!) required explanation.

Impression 2. (about Kurski): The adjective 'pharaonic' caused general amusement, as did the comparison of the towers at Srebrna Street to pyramids.

Impression 3. (about the case): No one could explain what it was really about. The students read texts about it, including texts in GW. They couldn't be outraged since they didn't know what had happened. I remind you, these are journalism students – some of them are already working in the media.

Conclusion: One can, of course, say it's the readers' fault. However, I think that if a reader doesn't understand what a journalist is writing, then it's more of a journalist's problem.”

-- LESZCZYŃSKI ON MICHNIK'S APPROACH TO GIERTYCH AND ŚPIEWAK'S VICTORY: “Now I understand better why Michnik publicly absolved Giertych. The price was Kaczyński's tapes. PS. For now, I don't see anything that would sink PiS. Maybe there will be something more interesting in the second episode. And of course, congratulations to Jan Śpiewak!” https://www.facebook.com/adamles75?__tn__=%2CdC-R-R&eid=ARCiRsikY67jN-sDWojMaysEw_NLU6lHApXwZkPxU0Xp5Zhkhkl-IOMXAKj5rhLY0LdktVLmHpVLRI0j&hc_ref=ARStuEdKt1kd85jw941DvmR62h6NB0MtqnmNwRKX6BsqaxB6ieE3jqZxdqI5peKHThw&fref=nf

-- JAROSŁAW KACZYŃSKI ON FURTHER TAPES PUBLISHED BY GW: THE STORY OF THE RULE OF LAW IS A COMPLETE FAIRY TALE - ABOUT ZONING DECISIONS IN WARSAW: “So we had a plan, which was first blocked at the level of obtaining the so-called 'WZ' [zoning decision], we were informed through various channels involving important Civic Platform politicians that this construction would not be granted to us under any circumstances. This was based on the fact that some of these politicians were once Warsaw councilors. Even this gentleman, who is a Warsaw councilor, I even know, he told Mr. Kierwiński that 'you won't build this for me.' He personalized it according to (unintelligible word). And there were many such signals, and since we know how the law functions in Poland, that the story of the rule of law is a complete fairy tale, then normally we would have claims against (unintelligible word), I'm talking about the company, of course.”

-- JK ON A CAMPAIGN OF A POLITICAL NATURE - THE PARTY IS BUILDING A SKYSCRAPER: “And besides, this is the first obstacle, the second obstacle is a campaign of a purely political nature titled: the party is building a skyscraper, Asian relations, or even a statement that I am building it – and therefore (unintelligible word) I am an extremely wealthy man. We cannot afford this…”

-- KACZYŃSKI ON JAKI: HE IS A VERY INDEPENDENT POLITICIAN: “And therefore, we must abandon this undertaking. Moreover, I repeat, abandon something that is already impossible to implement at the moment, because with full certainty... Unless there was a change of government here. But I also say immediately that Mr. Jaki is not a miracle worker, so that one can predict what good he will (unintelligible word) if he becomes the president of Warsaw (unintelligible word), what he will do in various fields (unintelligible word). He is a very independent politician.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24415443,tasmy-kaczynskiego-partia-buduje-wiezowiec-drugie-nagranie.html

-- AGATA KONDZIŃSKA AND IWONA SZPALA DESCRIBE UNOFFICIAL REACTIONS OF PIS POLITICIANS IN GW: THE PRIME MINISTER DECIDED THE PRESIDENT MUST BE DEFENDED LIKE A NATIONAL TREASURE: “A politician from the PiS club: – The Prime Minister decided that the president must be defended like a national treasure. His weakening is the weakness of the entire formation. Politicians from the ruling camp, with whom we spoke, share this opinion. – How can we attack our own leader? It's known that we must defend him, because without him there will be no PiS – says one of the MPs.”

-- THIS IS NOT A KILLING BLOW - FURTHER IN GW, REACTIONS OF PIS POLITICIANS ON OFF: “In the party, they are waiting for further publications, and unofficially admit that there is a problem. – This is not a crisis, but we cannot downplay it. Portraying Kaczyński as a capitalist, a businessman who deals with hundreds of millions of zlotys, is unbelievable. What weakens the impression of his power is that he was recorded, that he can be recorded so easily in his own office – says a person from the party leader's circles. – Yes, it's quite an unpleasant fact. But I'm glad the president doesn't curse on the tape – jokes another PiS politician. In his opinion, however, this is not a killing blow for PiS. – It certainly won't help us, but it won't harm us too much either – he assesses.”

-- IF ANYONE EXPECTS US TO DROP TO 10%, THEY ARE MISTAKEN - FURTHER STATEMENTS IN GW: “Another interlocutor: – This is one of those cases where PO supporters will repeat for the thousandth time that Kaczyński must go, and PiS supporters will for the thousandth time ask: but why? He wanted to pay, after all. But the matter is fishy, because an ideological politician, as Kaczyński wants to be seen, goes to his family and commissions large business ventures for millions. This is awkward, but if anyone expects us to drop to 10%, they are mistaken.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24415471,tasmy-kaczynskiego-pis-murem-za-prezesem.html

-- PROF. ANTONI DUDEK ON HOW KWAŚNIEWSKI'S PARTY TRIED TO TAKE OVER RSW'S ASSETS: “In March 1990, the Social Democracy of the Republic of Poland (a party of, among others, Aleksander Kwaśniewski and Leszek Miller, founded on the ruins of the PZPR - ed.) tried to quietly take over all these assets, but Tadeusz Mazowiecki's government showed uncharacteristic decisiveness. Within a few days, a law on the liquidation of RSW was passed. Based on it, a 7-person liquidation commission was appointed. The most famous member of this commission today was journalist Donald Tusk. It also included Andrzej Grajewski (deputy editor-in-chief of 'Gość Niedzielny') and Jan Bijak (long-time editor-in-chief of 'Polityka'). This commission received almost 200 press titles and 19 printing houses to distribute.”

-- FURTHER ON RSW'S ASSETS, PROF. DUDEK: “The biggest fight was over the takeover of 'Życie Warszawy' and 'Express Wieczorny'. On the basis of an informal political agreement, the Democratic Union environment received 'Życie...' and the Centre Agreement (the first party of the Kaczyński brothers) received 'Express'. In 1991, the commission – not unanimously at all – awarded this title to PC.”

-- IT'S A DENT IN THE IMAGE - FURTHER PROF. DUDEK: “I don't see in the material revealed so far a scandal that would sink J. Kaczyński. There is a dent in his image, but who will it matter to? To those who portrayed or believed in J. Kaczyński as a bumbling fool detached from reality – and these are not people who would support PiS, but rather critics of this formation. The strongest point so far is that the president is promising a loan from a state bank for the construction of a skyscraper.” http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,24415151,prof-antoni-dudek-rysa-na-wizerunku-kaczynskiego-nie-obali.html

-- KACZYŃSKI IN A PRIVATE CONVERSATION SAYS PIS ADHERES TO THE CONSTITUTION - Tomasz Sawczuk in Kultura Liberalna: “Did we learn anything new from the 'Kaczyński tapes'? One would like to say no. It was already known that Kaczyński is the informal ruler of Poland. The Srebrna company was also known. Kaczyński has often said in public statements that the right needs stable sources of funding. The matter would be clear if the PiS leader had shown cynicism in a private conversation, if he had said that PiS violates the constitution or wants to overthrow democracy. But there is nothing like that in the published recordings. What's more, Kaczyński says in a private conversation that PiS adheres to the constitution and admits that the party will have difficulty winning local elections. Some even claim that in the public perception, the scandal will warm up the image of the PiS leader, because his private statements are consistent with what he says publicly. Furthermore, the leader of the ruling party gives the impression of a sensible organizer who cares for his people.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2019/01/30/tasmy-kaczynskiego-bomba-kapiszon-komentarz-sawczuk/

-- THESE ARE PROBABLY THE ONLY TAPES FROM WHICH NO BON MOTS WILL BE DERIVED - SŁAWOMIR SIERAKOWSKI IN ONE T: “Another stroke of luck for Kaczyński is that he is so terribly old-fashioned. These tapes are not listenable in the same way that Sikorski, Sienkiewicz, Belka, or Rostowski's were, because Kaczyński doesn't express his opinion on any interesting topic, he doesn't even curse (and for a Polish hypocrite, that's more important than breaking the law), he doesn't drink, he only eats pork schnitzel, he's simply sleep-inducingly boring. These are probably the only tapes from which no bon mots will be derived.”

-- POLES MAY NOT NOTICE THIS - FURTHER SIERAKOWSKI: “Another not very comforting fact works in Kaczyński's favor. That is, that although the matter is indeed scandalous and means an explicit violation of the law (a party cannot conduct business), Poles may not even notice it. We are not a nation that approaches the law with principles. The social and political history of Poland is a history of bending or breaking the law (from the famous liberum veto, through circumventing the partitioning powers' laws, to contesting the law in the PRL). A Kaczyński voter who learns that he was scheming how to build a skyscraper for his beloved party saving Poland from the villains of the Civic Platform will rather cheer him on. Few people know that the law prohibits parties from engaging in business activities at all.”

-- NO DETONATION NEEDED, IT'S ENOUGH IF THE TAPES COST PIS ANOTHER PERCENT OR TWO - FURTHER SIERAKOWSKI: “Even if on the day the Kaczyński tapes were revealed, PiS politicians tried to downplay the matter in every possible way, the day before they reacted with panic for a reason, rushing to Nowogrodzka Street in a disciplinary manner. Kaczyński's tapes themselves are unlikely to be a breakthrough, but they will come at a cost. They are piling up on PiS's head along with a whole stream of scandals and embarrassments, as well as the assassination attempt in Gdańsk. I am not sure if Kaczyński's image in the eyes of his voters can be significantly harmed in any way. But in the eyes of a percent, two, or maybe even five, it might be a little. And yet, such percentages will be decisive. This is what gives the tapes political significance. No detonation or breakthrough is needed here. It's enough if the tapes cost him another percent or two, without which he will lose power.” https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/tasmy-jaroslawa-kaczynskiego-komentarz-slawomira-sierakowskiego/ly7vfmt

-- CZESŁAW BIELECKI ON THE TAPES BURDENING WARSAW AUTHORITIES: “This is not a scandal at all. It's spinning wheels or frying political jam for the opposition – believes Czesław Bielecki, a well-known architect and former candidate for mayor of Warsaw. – The law is selectively enforced by the city authorities. Jarosław Kaczyński said something obvious and known to everyone on the tapes. The local government authorities of the capital can be so biased that each time one has to wonder if one has any way to obtain an administrative decision – he states.” https://www.rp.pl/Nieruchomosci/301309904-Tasmy-Kaczynskiego-Srebrna-w-wuzetce-zamknieta.html

-- THE SCANDAL DIED IN EMBRYONIC STATE - BOGUSŁAW CHRABOTA IN RZ: “In short, the scandal died in an embryonic state. Two things remain. The civil lawsuit filed by Birgfellner against Srebrna for incurred losses, and the purely ethical issue, i.e., the evident mixing of politics and business by President Kaczyński. The president combines the roles of party leader and person conducting business activities. However, within non-party structures. Does Polish law prohibit this? Let the experts comment.” https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/301309926-Chrabota-Niech-pierwszy-rzuci-kamieniem.html&template=restricted

-- RAFAŁ TRZASKOWSKI TELLS JACEK NIZINKIEWICZ IN RZ ABOUT THE GREED AND GIGANTOMANIA OF PIS: “I don't rule it out, because the city hall, before I became mayor, wanted to issue such a permit. But according to the applicable law and principles, for a 30-meter building. That's also a very tall building. But the point was to earn tens of millions. Because that's what PiS and its greed are about: a building where a foundation in memory of Lech Kaczyński could be located, where some money could be made, would not be enough. The goal was to create gigantomania.”

-- FURTHER TRZASKOWSKI ON THE TAPES: “The PiS leader behaves like a seasoned businessman and simply doesn't want to earn sensible money. He wants to earn giant money. It is needed to build certain symbols and become completely independent of state budget financing. And, as I understand it, to build the PiS empire, to strengthen its power.” https://www.rp.pl/Polityka/190139910-Trzaskowski-Jaroslaw-Kaczynski-chce-zarabiac-gigantyczne-pieniadze.html

-- SE ON THE ACCUSATION OF STEFAN NIESIOŁOWSKI… “The three businessmen detained by the CBA are Bogdan W., Wojciech K., and Krzysztof K. All three will be taken to the Łódź prosecutor's office, where charges will be pressed against them. But the background of the case is shocking. As 'Super Express' has learned, MP Stefan Niesiołowski, from the PSL-European Democrats club, is implicated in the case. He allegedly helped the businessmen detained by the Central Anticorruption Bureau in supplying coal dust and phosphorite to plants belonging to a state-owned company. MP Niesiołowski allegedly secured multi-million zloty contracts for the businessmen, and they were to repay the politician by organizing and paying for sexual services for him. These services allegedly occurred about 30 times. We have called MP Stefan Niesiołowski numerous times, but he did not answer.” https://www.se.pl/wiadomosci/polityka/tylko-u-nas-afera-z-niesiolowskim-chodzi-o-uslugi-seksualne-aa-sCuA-Yg9d-dgCU.html