-- NEUMANN ON BIEDROŃ: CUTE PUPPIES BARK LOUDLY BUT WON'T DEFEND THE HOUSE - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2019/02/14/

-- A SUCCESSFUL POLISH DIPLOMATIC MANEUVER, AN ALLIANCE WITH AMERICA WITHOUT CONFLICT WITH THE UNION - RZ's top story.

-- JĘDRZEJ BIELECKI WRITES IN RZ ABOUT THE APPROACHING WARMING OF RELATIONS WITH FRANCE: “By engaging alongside America in organizing the Warsaw conference, Poland did not cross the ‘red line’ that, in Brussels' eyes, would be an appeal to break the nuclear disarmament treaty with Tehran, which the USA did in 2015. For now, there is no threat to the warming of relations between France and Poland that is emerging after two years of crisis: at the end of February, Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire will visit the Vistula, followed by President Emmanuel Macron.” https://www.rp.pl/Dyplomacja/302139917-Szczyt-warszawski-Polska-nie-zlamala-europejskiej-solidarnosci.html

-- MAREK ŚWIERCZYŃSKI ON THE FACT THAT DESPITE LACK OF OFFSET, HIMARS ROCKETS ARE GOOD NEWS - writes in Polityka: “But we base our defense on NATO and cooperation with US forces, and they know how to supply HIMARS and similar MLRS systems with data. After JASSM and JASSM-ER aerial missiles, and NSM coastal missile batteries, HIMARS launchers are another of the once-promised and sometimes mocked ‘Polish fangs’. The fact that they will not be supplied by Polish industry will not change their deterrent and defensive significance when they finally enter service with Polish artillery. It is worth ensuring that laments, complaints, and doubts do not overshadow the positive news that the first step towards introducing a truly formidable system into Poland has just been taken.” https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/kraj/1782332,1,awantura-o-himars-a.read?src=mt

-- FAKT'S TOP STORY - FOR WHAT PURPOSE DID KACZYŃSKI VISIT ZIOBRO? “Tuesday afternoon. Chairman Jarosław Kaczyński (70) leaves his office on Nowogrodzka Street. After a few minutes, his car disappears behind the gate of an elegant tenement house on Aleja Róż. As Fakt has established, Kaczyński met there with Zbigniew Ziobro (49). For what purpose? What was so important that the PiS leader visited Ziobro now, rather than Ziobro visiting Kaczyński?”

-- KANTHAK STATES THEY DISCUSSED, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE ANTI-USURY LAW: “Ministry of Justice spokesperson Jan Kanthak claims the conversation concerned 'two draft laws'. – The first concerns criminal prosecution not only of individuals but also of companies when the law is broken – he says, listing the cases it applies to. He adds that the second draft involves the introduction of 'anti-usury regulations.'” https://www.fakt.pl/wydarzenia/polityka/przylapani-ziobro-i-kaczynski-prowadzili-rozmowy/snml85g

-- KACZYŃSKI AND THE DOCUMENTS OF TWO TOWERS - Wojciech Czuchnowski and Iwona Szpala in GW: “Jarosław Kaczyński instructed his cousin Grzegorz Tomaszewski to acknowledge receipt of the documentation for the work on the 'two towers' project of the company Srebrna. Over a dozen binders confirmed that the Austrian businessman had taken concrete actions in this matter.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24456136,tasmy-kaczynskiego-prezes-pis-kazal-pokwitowac-dokumenty-dwoch.html

-- THE TAPE SCANDAL IS A POOR IMITATION OF A POLITICAL CABARET - writes Michał Karnowski: “The tape series, which was not taken very seriously from the beginning, has clearly transformed into some kind of poor imitation of a political cabaret. (...) To attack someone in the media, to try to unleash some unknown scandal, and then to use the fact that the attacked person explains what really happened as an argument for their guilt – that's the height of skill. But let's not get stressed, because the conclusion from all these antics is quite clear: this tape saga is probably coming to an end. The lawyer, GW, and TVN are eating their own tail in this matter.”

-- MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI ON GIERTYCH DIRECTING THE OPPOSITION: “Even greater recognition for Mr. Roman Giertych. It's interesting, by the way, how easily this lawyer-politician builds his name on the Platform's material, how much he can take from Mr. Schetyna's pot, how easily he takes control of the entire opposition bloc. He dictates topics, the agenda of events, and the emotions of the day. Great recognition. It's another matter how the entire opposition will fare in the long run, because I fear it will be similar to how the League of Polish Families fared under its leader, and how Jarosław Kaczyński himself fared in coalition with that formation. But let's leave that aside, perhaps they agreed on it, it's none of our business.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/433855-gw-tvn-i-mecenas-zjadaja-juz-w-sprawie-tasmowej-wlasny-ogon

-- WOJCIECH CIEŚLA ON ANDRUSZKIEWICZ'S FAKE FACEBOOK ACCOUNTS: “According to Newsweek's interlocutors from the National Movement, the current Minister of Digitization himself used (and perhaps still uses) fake accounts online. – Everyone knows that he appeared on Facebook under various guises – says one politician. Activists point to one of the profiles, which they believe to be fake, created using the details of Kamil Sawicki (the full account name in Facebook's nomenclature is kamil.sawicki22). Instead of a profile picture, Kamil Sawicki uses a photo of a sunset over fields. Kamil Sawicki dislikes immigrants, praises a photo of two skins trampling the European Union flag ('As you can see, tradition obliges, hehe').” https://www.newsweek.pl/polska/falszywe-konto-adama-andruszkiewicza/9z818w8

-- ONLY THE FORMATION OF A 4-PARTY COALITION GIVES A MAJORITY TOGETHER WITH WIOSNA - PIOTR PACEWICZ ON OKO.PRESS: “This confirms Biedroń's thesis: only the formation of a four-party coalition, together with Wiosna, would stand a chance of ousting PiS from power. If we assume that Civic Coalition, expanded to include PSL and SLD, would gather 31% (the sum of the four parties' poll ratings), the projected seat distribution would be as follows: KO + PSL + SLD – 182 seats; PiS – 169 seats; Wiosna – 71 seats; Kukiz – 25 seats Wolność + RN – 12 seats”.

-- BIEDROŃ'S ENTRY IMPROVES THE DEMOCRATS' RESULT BUT ONLY TURNS INTO A SEJM MAJORITY WHEN PO, N, SLD, AND PSL FORM A SINGLE LIST - CONTINUES PIOTR PACEWICZ: “Even accepting the IBRiS poll with some approximation, it is evident that Biedroń's entry improves the democrats' result, but it only turns into a Sejm victory when PO, N, SLD, and PSL form a single electoral list. Both polls therefore show that two opposition forces can be an effective way to counter PiS, but they must be two, not more. If the opposition parties ran separately, there is a risk that Wiosna could push smaller democrats (SLD and/or PSL) below the electoral threshold, and PiS could win a majority as in 2015.”

-- BIEDROŃ MUST PLAY A DOUBLE GAME OF MAINTAINING HIS SEPARATENESS AND STRENGTHENING THE CARNIVAL ATMOSPHERE PROF. KRÓL WROTE ABOUT - CONTINUES PIOTR PACEWICZ ON OKO: “Taking Biedroń's aspirations at face value, we must assume that he must play a kind of double game. On the one hand, he must play for his separateness, emphasize that his program is bolder, more modern, and European. He must also utilize his charisma as much as possible and strengthen the carnival atmosphere. On the other hand, he should be careful not to cross the line of open hostility towards his future – as he declares – allies. In particular, adopting a 'symmetrical stance,' according to which PiS and PO are equally bad, and Wiosna will sweep both of them off the political scene, would be a risky strategy.” https://oko.press/koncert-sprzecznych-zyczen-biedronia-marzy-o-pokonaniu-pis-ale-sojusznikom-wymysla-od-zgranych-plyt/

-- THANKS TO BIEDROŃ, TRUE PUBLIC DEBATE HAS RETURNED - KRZYSZTOF PACEWICZ IN GW: “Some of these problems are fundamental, others are not. However, the fact is that thanks to Biedroń, a true public debate has returned to the pages of the most important media, as well as to the public consciousness. Because the permanent squabble over who betrayed whom in Magdalenka or why Olszewski's government fell has as much in common with functional democratic dispute as dissecting the details of Robert Lewandowski's failed transfer to Real Madrid. True public debate is, after all, a discussion about the future of our common state, about our forests, air, schools, hospitals, power plants, and also about our rights: those of women, minorities, the elderly, and the disabled.”

-- IT IS TIME FOR PLATFORMA TO RETURN TO ITS CONSERVATIVE-LIBERAL VALUES - KRZYSZTOF PACEWICZ'S CONCLUSION: “I understand the frustration of PO politicians, who are losing their more left-leaning voters to Robert Biedroń. They can no longer beat the drum of 'the only anti-PiS' and expect that this will be enough to win the elections. On the other hand, Platforma can only benefit from the revival of public debate. After all, a dozen or so years ago, they won by proposing a liberal-conservative vision of a European, modern Poland that respects tradition, a Poland where hard work is rewarded with a dignified and good life. It's time for them to stop being just anti-PiS and return to those values.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,24455853,biedron-naprawia-sfere-publiczna-w-koncu-rozmawiamy-o-weglu.html

-- BIEDROŃ'S POSTULATES ARE A EUROPEAN STANDARD - Adriana Rozwadowska in GW: “An attempt is underway to push Wiosna's worldview to the far left. However, it is time to demystify the words that still pass with difficulty through the throats of parliamentary opposition politicians: abortion, civil partnerships, separation of church and state. These are not subversive demands. They are a European standard.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,24449946,radykalne-swiatopogladowe-postulaty-biedronia-europa-by-sie.html

-- MP MULARCZYK'S HATE SPEECH - Ewa Ivanova in GW: “MP Mularczyk is a lawyer by profession. For defamation and violation of basic ethical principles, he should answer before the disciplinary ombudsman and court.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24456171,mowa-nienawisci-posla-mularczyka.html

-- PERSECUTION AFTER INCITEMENT ON TVP - GW's top story: “Two people lost their jobs, the others are receiving dozens of insults - this is the effect of 'Wiadomości' publicizing the images of protesters outside the TVP headquarters.” http://warszawa.wyborcza.pl/warszawa/7,54420,24456259,obelgi-i-szykany-po-nagonce-w-tvp.html

-- BIRTHDAYS: Luiza Zalewska-Karłowska, Grzegorz Schreiber, Bożenna Bukiewicz, Jacek Cholewiński.