-- IF I EXPRESS SURPRISE AT HIS RESTRAINT IN RECENT YEARS, IT IS BECAUSE NOTHING WAS SPARED FOR HIM IN 1992 - Piotr Zaremba writes about Jan Olszewski in RZ: “If I express surprise at his restraint in recent years, it is because in 1992 nothing was spared for him. When he came as prime minister, he was still respected by liberals and leftists, but that disappeared without a trace. I understand political polemics, but if, for example, his former colleagues, who owed him so much, spread jokes that as a lawyer he couldn't win a court case… And which lawyer in PRL political trials could expect to win? How many such low blows were there, including accusations of an attempted coup? For me, he was someone who allowed me to understand myself. Someone who could talk about the loss of a loved one, about what it meant to him and how it shaped him. He also embodied the ethos of the Polish intellectual, the rebellious one, who entered into tactical compromises but persistently sought loopholes for freedom. A person not without his weaknesses, but inspiring admiration – for his faith in democracy, including social democracy. He also symbolized the patriotism of the best Polish workers, who held high the banner of democratic socialism. Walking through the streets of Warsaw's Praga district, where some old tenement houses or red-brick industrial buildings remain, I will look for him in his former youthful form.” https://rp.pl/Plus-Minus/302159978-Jan-Olszewski-Biografia-nieoczywista.html

-- THE OPPOSITION IS GOING TOGETHER TO THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS - report Justyna Dobrosz-Oracz and Michał Wilgocki in GW: “According to ‘Wyborcza’ information, a meeting took place on Thursday between Grzegorz Schetyna, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Włodzimierz Czarzasty, and Katarzyna Lubnauer. One of the participants in the talks assesses the chances of creating a grand coalition of PO-SLD-PSL-N at 90%. The meeting of the four leaders is a breakthrough. One of the leading Platform politicians even told us unofficially: ‘We’ve done it.’ Of course, the final decisions will be made by the authorities of individual parties. This should happen by the end of next week.”

-- CIMOSZEWICZ NUMBER ONE IN WARSAW - GW continues: “According to ‘Wyborcza’ information, Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz, former prime minister and foreign minister, could be the leading candidate in Warsaw. Cimoszewicz – like Marek Belka, Leszek Miller, or Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz – was among the group of ten former prime ministers and heads of diplomacy who appealed for a joint opposition list in the European elections. It will be open to other smaller parties such as Ryszard Petru’s Teraz, Razem, the Labour Union, or the Greens.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24461147,przelom-w-rozmowach-o-wspolnej-liscie-opozycji-do-eurowyborow.html

-- GIERTYCH THE OPPOSITION'S DIRECTOR - Andrzej Stankiewicz in Onet: “There are two fundamental types of lawyers. Some handle cases quietly and discreetly, believing it's the best way to achieve a court victory. Others, on the contrary, love applause and publicity, making the spectacle even more important than the legal proceedings. Roman Giertych is a master of the latter category. If you hire Giertych – and it's not cheap – you prioritize a spectacle over procedure, a show over legal effect. Even during the Civic Platform's government, Giertych appeared as a lawyer in the most important cases in the country – including the proceedings concerning the Smoleńsk catastrophe and the investigation into the so-called ‘waiter tapes’ from the ‘Sowa i Przyjaciele’ restaurant. Today, Giertych is additionally managing the KNF affair and representing the Austrian who was to build a skyscraper for PiS. Thanks to this, he has unique knowledge, which, when suitably leaked, gains political power. The opposition has no director? Don't be silly. Giertych is the opposition's director.”

-- STANKIEWICZ WRITES ABOUT HIS DOUBTS REGARDING THE ENVELOPE: “However, I have fundamental doubts about the envelope. Why would Kaczyński want a bribe from the Austrian for a priest to sign permission for the investment, if it was supposed to be Kaczyński’s investment, not the Austrian’s? Moreover, the priest was just a frontman, and if he expected ‘trinkets’ – a charming term for money coined by Fr. Rydzyk – in return for his autograph, Kaczyński could have removed him from the foundation without major trouble. And above all, why didn't the Austrian inform the prosecutor's office a year ago that he was extorted for a bribe? Mr. Giertych, can you explain this to me?” https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/newsletter-onetu-andrzej-stankiewicz-giertych-prawdziwy-lider-opozycji/1ql9p5x

-- ANDRZEJ STANKIEWICZ IN TYGODNIK POWSZECHNY ON BLACKMAIL AND COVER-UPS: “If PiS had not fallen into trouble after Adamowicz’s death and Kaczyński's recordings, Bartłomiej M. would still be walking free, and Niesiołowski could pass for an opponent of prostitution.” https://www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/haki-i-przykrywki-157549

-- PIS DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO DEFUSE THE SCANDAL, PLANS PROGRAMMATIC OFFENSIVE - writes Agata Kondzińska in GW: “According to our sources, PiS sees two threats in the publication: – While earlier we expected a quick refusal to launch proceedings, it will be more difficult after the disclosure of these testimonies. Some proceedings will likely be initiated. The testimony of the Austrian's wife, who was a witness to the situation, could also be dangerous. If she testified against Kaczyński, it would be a problem – says our interlocutor from the prime minister’s circle. From the very beginning of the disclosure of the Kaczyński tapes in ‘Wyborcza,’ PiS politicians have been trying to downplay the matter. But in unofficial conversations, they admit they have no idea how to defuse the scandal. – We’ve hunkered down, watching the rockets fly over our heads, and wondering when to stick our heads out of the trench – says one of our interlocutors.”

-- PROGRAMMATIC OFFENSIVE IS PLANNED - Kondzińska continues: “A programmatic offensive is planned, which the party wants to launch with a convention in February. – New economic, tax, and social solutions are ready. Prime Minister Morawiecki is to be the face of it, and it is to lead us to the elections, first European and then national – says a politician from Morawiecki’s circle.”

-- CONSIDERING THE MADNESS HAPPENING WITH PIS, SUPPORT REMAINS HIGH - Kondzińska quotes PMM's advisor: “According to our sources in PiS, the Kaczyński tapes are not harming the party too much. – In the long term, it might turn out differently, but for now, we have no such signals. Rather, the matter is too complicated, and many Poles are simply not interested in it – says Prime Minister Morawiecki's advisor. In his opinion, ‘considering the madness that happens with PiS,’ support remains high.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24462859,tasmy-kaczynskiego-pis-nie-wie-jak-rozbroic-afere-planuje.html

-- I HAVE NO SYMPATHY FOR TRAITORS - Katarzyna Lubnauer says about Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz in an interview with Piotr Witwicki in RZ: – What do you think about Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz today?

– I have no sympathy for traitors.

– Wait, traitors. She simply changed parties.

– She was the chairwoman of the Modern Club and did everything to dissolve it. There's no other way to assess it. It was politically damaging to the entire project of a broad democratic opposition coalition as well.

– Did you talk after the parting?

– There’s no need. She chose her path. Sometimes we regret decisions made in the heat of the moment, but there’s no turning back. Moreover, there’s no parallel reality where we could check what would have happened.”

-- I AM NOT CLAIMING THAT EVERYTHING IS OK WITH MODERNITY'S POLLS - Lubnauer continues: “– First of all, we have a very volatile political scene and strong disorientation among voters. There are polls that examine the Civic Coalition and Modernity simultaneously. Coalitions that don't even exist yet are also being polled. This is how reality is being created. In one week, we have a poll that gives the same group 8% and 16%. That's a difference beyond any statistical error.

– So, everything is OK with Modernity's polls?

– I am not claiming that everything is OK.

– Then how is it?

– It could be better, but we are calmly doing our work. We are the only party that so unambiguously represents people who pay taxes diligently and build the country's development, such as entrepreneurs. And at the same time, we care about personal freedoms.”

-- BIEDROŃ'S SOCIAL PROPOSALS ARE PURE ABSTRACTION - Lubnauer: – The best way to equalize opportunities is to focus on good general education and access to public healthcare, and to improve labor law. That's what's missing. If someone, like Biedroń, proposes that the minimum wage should be significantly higher than even trade unions expect…

– ...you're not agreeing to the dictate of trade unions here?

– Biedroń knows it's unfeasible. These social proposals are pure abstraction, with no economic backing. Their implementation would mean that many entrepreneurs would go bankrupt, and people would lose their jobs. I recently spoke with a beautician who runs her own business and employs staff. She feels the skyrocketing ZUS contributions and that no one cares about entrepreneurs like her. People talk about citizen's pensions, but not about how to find the funds for them.” https://rp.pl/Rozmowy-Witwickiego/302159975-Katarzyna-Lubnauer-Dla-Nowoczesnej-to-nie-pierwsza-wiosna.html

-- MARCIN MAKOWSKI CRITICALLY ON THE STATE'S SLOWNESS AND THE LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM OF GW JOURNALISTS - writes on WP: “Why, on matters so important and with accusations of such gravity, do not only state services but also journalists become parties to a political dispute? Is it really impossible to do the same thing more professionally, more substantively, more reliably? This harms the clarification of the investment background on Srebrna, and the matter certainly deserves such clarification.” https://opinie.wp.pl/makowski-w-sprawie-srebrnej-emocje-zastepuja-rzetelne-wyjasnienia-i-warsztat-dziennikarski-opinia-6349741722773121a

-- WITHOUT ANY FORMALITIES - Jakub Majmurek on WP: “The public might wonder if the arrangement around Srebrna, structured as it has been since the 1990s, hasn't allowed Kaczyński to control the company without formally holding any position? In a similar way that total power in PiS allows the party leader to effectively control the state governed by the party. Kaczyński's complete control over the party also means that PiS and Srebrna are in a kind of personal union and can act synergistically to build the power of the President's political circle. It's possible – as Jarosław Kaczyński and his supporters claim – without breaking any regulations.” https://opinie.wp.pl/majmurek-jaroslawa-kaczynskiego-trzy-dekady-bez-zadnego-trybu-opinia-6349823075899009a

-- PAD, PMM, KOSINIAK, AND BIEDROŃ LEAD THE TRUST POLL: “President Andrzej Duda enjoys the greatest trust among Poles of all politicians – according to a poll for Onet. The head of state is trusted by 42.1% of respondents. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki came second, followed by PSL leader Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. The head of government is trusted by 40.5% of respondents, while the head of the Peasants' Party has 39.9% of respondents. Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz is the politician with the largest positive difference between the number of those who trust him and those who don't – it amounts to 11.1% in his favor. Overall, only Kosiniak-Kamysz and Robert Biedroń, who is fourth in the poll (37.3% trusting), have more trusters than non-trusters (in the case of the Spring leader, the lead of trusters is 4.2%).” https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/andrzej-duda-liderem-zaufania-spolecznego-sondaz-ibris-dla-onetu/7wd873w

-- ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, KACZYŃSKI WILL HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING - Sławomir Sierakowski on Onet: “One way or another, he will have to say something. The priest accused of taking a bribe (now a former priest), whom Kaczyński and other founders invited to sit on the council of the Lech Kaczyński Institute, will also have to say something. The priest has disappeared, and no one knows where he is.”

-- THIS LOOKS LIKE THE BEGINNING OF HIS TROUBLES - Sierakowski continues: “It is not without significance that Kaczyński showed extreme naivety. It was precisely for naivety that voters punished PO. The very fact that the most important people in the state allowed themselves to be recorded was compromising. Today, the ‘Kaczyński tapes’ are as compromising for Jarosław Kaczyński, or even more so, because everyone in Poland knew him until now as an omnipotent politician. But it looks like this is just the beginning of his troubles. Now it will be the voters, not Jarosław Kaczyński's politicians, who answer the question of whether the accusation of inciting to bribery is a ‘damp squib’.” https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/sierakowski-kaczynski-musi-potwierdzic-albo-zaprzeczyc-opinia/6qhgrlj

-- DID KACZYŃSKI DEMAND 50 THOUSAND FOR THE PRIEST? - title in SE.

-- GHOST PRIEST, PIS POLITICIANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRI-CITY DO NOT RECOGNIZE HIM - Magdalena Rubaj in Fakt: “Who is Fr. Sawicz and where did he come from in this case? He joined the Institute's council on May 8, 2017, one year after the death of one of its founders, Archbishop Tadeusz Gocłowski. It was Gocłowski who made him the executor of his will – Fr. Sawicz was Gocłowski’s chaplain from 2008 until his death. We visited the parishes where he was supposed to serve in recent years. At the Parish of the Queen of the Most Holy Rosary in Gdańsk-Przymorze and St. Urszula Ledóchowska in Gdańsk-Chełm, several people remembered his surname. No one recognized him in the photos he is likely to be in. PiS politicians connected to the Tri-City do not recognize him at all. – I'm hearing this surname for the first time – Hanna Foltyn-Kubicka, a long-time friend of the Kaczyński family, told Fakt. – I have no idea who he is – echoed Janusz Śniadek, a long-time head of PiS structures in Pomerania, and previously the head of NSZZ “Solidarność.” https://fakt.pl/wydarzenia/polityka/tasmy-kaczynskiego-koperta-z-pieniedzmi-dla-ksiedza/xd5kkb7

-- RYDZYK HAS TURNED HIS BACK ON PIS - headline on SE's front page.

-- A NEW CONSERVATIVE PARTY ENTERS THE GAME - writes Radosław Gruca in Fakt: “The Piotrowski-Rydzyk duo could be attractive to pro-life movements supporting PiS but disappointed by the failure to introduce a ban on so-called eugenic abortion. The new party has a chance to gain support from circles fighting for the protection of unborn life and critical of 'leftist' Europe.” https://fakt.pl/wydarzenia/polityka/powstala-nowa-partia-miroslawa-piotrowskiego-ulubienca-o-rydzyka/8c4cgbh

-- JAN WISHED FOR MACIEREWICZ TO RETURN TO GOVERNMENT - Jan Olszewski's wife reveals his last wish in SE: "They were very close friends, and in recent times Antoni Macierewicz (71) would talk about high politics with Jan Olszewski (+88) in his apartment until one in the morning. That's why when Macierewicz faced dismissal from the Ministry of National Defense, Olszewski was very sad. – Jan really wanted Antek to return to government as Minister of National Defense. He considered him an excellent minister – confides Marta Olszewska (87), wife of the deceased former prime minister, to us.” https://se.pl/wiadomosci/polityka/zona-jana-olszewskiego-ujawnia-marzyl-by-macierewicz-wrocil-do-rzadu-aa-1C5a-ep5H-GUMi.html

-- MIDDLE EAST CONFERENCE - EIGHT BLOWS IN TWO DAYS - ŁUKASZ ROGOJSZ in Gazeta.pl: “Even before the conference on the Middle East, it was clear that the Polish side would have a hard time gaining anything. However, no one expected that the summit organized by our authorities in Warsaw would bring Poland so much damage on so many levels.” http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,24462444,osiem-ciosow-w-dwa-dni-konferencja-w-warszawie-poslala-polske.html

-- THE CONFERENCE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SUCCESS, BUT INSTEAD, WE ARE EXTINGUISHING ANOTHER FIRE - ŁUKASZ WARZECHA on WP: “The Middle East conference in Warsaw was supposed to be a success, but instead, we are extinguishing another fire. The guests instrumentally used us, and some simply insulted us.

-- NARRATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE MEDIA HAVE RARELY DIFFERED SO MUCH: “The narratives of the authorities and some of its supportive media (and, to make matters funnier, also unsupportive ones) and a significant group of right-wing voters have rarely differed so much. Officially, we could read and hear that Poland is in the game, and the choice of our country as a place for discussion about the situation mainly in Iran indicates our importance. Meanwhile, the right-wing internet was boiling with anger.” https://opinie.wp.pl/warzecha-konferencja-miala-byc-sukcesem-pozostal-niesmak-i-nocna-wojenka-z-izraelem-opinia-6349672534935169a

-- HOW NOT TO DO DIPLOMACY - Witold Sokała on Nowa Konfederacja: “The Middle East conference is another proof that Polish diplomacy is seriously ill, and the ability of our current 'political elites' to take care of the country's strategic interests is highly questionable. (...) What threatens us most today is ‘freezing your ears to spite your grandmother,’ meaning getting offended at the United States instead of the incompetent domestic politicians. Therefore, as a motto for new Polish politics, I suggest a parody of a slogan remembered from the rightly past regime: ‘America – yes, distortions – no.’ To implement this plan, however, I propose finally hiring professionals.” https://nowakonfederacja.pl/jak-nie-robic-dyplomacji/

-- THE TRASH OCTOPUS OF PIS ACTIVISTS - writes Fakt: “Bogatynia in Lower Silesia was ruled for years by an organized crime group composed of... local politicians and PiS activists! They made illegal millions from waste. This is according to the National Prosecutor's Office. The financial eldorado in waste management flourished between 2012 and 2018 but was eventually curbed by the Central Bureau of Investigation of the Police. According to investigators, the criminal procedure involved the former mayor of the city, Andrzej G. (54), expelled from PiS in 2017 for an grassroots attempt to organize ‘Lech Kaczyński Remembrance Days.’ The second well-known detainee is Sławomir Z. (42), head of the PiS structures in Zgorzelec and a close associate of Deputy Minister of Education Marzena Machałek (59).” https://fakt.pl/wydarzenia/polska/wroclaw/bogatyniaafera-smieciowa-z-udzialem-lokalnych-politykow-pis/dqnl2l7

-- JAROSŁAW KACZYŃSKI WILL ALWAYS BE A MODEL OF HONESTY - says Ryszard Czarnecki in an interview with SE: “Jarosław Kaczyński has been in Polish politics for decades. No one has ever accused him of dishonesty. The leader of Law and Justice is like Józef Piłsudski, with whom one could disagree, but one could not accuse him of seeking any personal profit. It is similar with Jarosław Kaczyński – for the last few decades, he has been a model of honesty. It was like that, it is like that, and it will always remain so. Regardless of this shameful hunt that has been taking place in recent weeks, which is spearheaded by ‘Gazeta Wyborcza’ and other media, as well as politicians of the total opposition.” https://se.pl/wiadomosci/polityka/wazna-deklaracja-ryszarda-czarneckiego-jaroslaw-kaczynski-zawsze-bedzie-wzorem-uczciwosci-aa-iYSP-c6M9-UkR6.html

-- VALENTINE'S DAY FOR POLITICIANS, THE PRIME MINISTER BOUGHT FLOWERS, AND MICHAŁ KAMIŃSKI UNDERWEAR - SE: “Despite the workload, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki (51) did not forget about Valentine's Day. On this special day, he went to a florist and bought his beloved wife Iwona a beautiful, large bouquet of 15 red roses. Such flowers, as is known, signify sincere and lasting passion! The wife of PSL-UED MP Michał Kamiński (47) also received a Valentine's Day gift. But not roses, but… underwear. Anna Kamińska was so delighted and happy that she unwrapped the gift in the park, to which her husband took her for a romantic walk. Of course, there were also Valentine's kisses, hugs, and passionate declarations. And afterwards, the couple was clearly hungry and decided to stop by a pub, where they enjoyed, among other things, hummus.” https://www.se.pl/wiadomosci/polityka/jak-politycy-obchodzili-walentynki-premier-kupil-kwiaty-a-kaminski-bielizne-aa-Nbfk-uNS3-d9qp.html

-- BIRTHDAYS: Radosław Fogiel, Błażej Spychalski, Aleksandra Pogassi, Stanisław Skarżyński, Danka Dobrzyńska, Dorota Arciszewska-Mielewczyk, SUNDAY: Ludwik Turko, Marek Beylin, Cezary Kucharski, Krzysztof Kosiński, Wojciech Jakóbik.