-- Professor Bronisław Geremek would have turned 87 today.

-- PORĘBA ON A CONGLOMERATION OF CONTRADICTORY VIEWS VERSUS PIS - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2019/03/06/

-- PM MORAWIECKI ON A NEW ARCHITECTURE FOR DIVIDING THE FRUITS OF GROWTH - in an interview with Rzeczpospolita: “Public spending in Poland totals around 40% of GDP. In France or Sweden, it’s over 50%. Inequality is decreasing in our country, and our Gini coefficient is more optimistic than France's. This is an achievement of recent years. For me, the economy and society are one. For decades, economic inequality led to social inequality in our country, and social inequality to developmental inequality. We have stopped this vicious cycle and are more rapidly establishing a new architecture for the fair development and distribution of the fruits of economic growth. Poland cannot develop in fits and starts.”

-- “WE WANT TO GIVE POLES PEACE OF MIND ON A DAILY BASIS, A PROSPEROUS LIFE, AND FREEDOM IN FAMILY LIFE; THE OPPOSITION PROMOTES MORAL REVOLUTIONS” - CONTINUES PM MORAWIECKI: “I am convinced that our political competitors look at Europe only in terms of moral revolutions, worldview changes, and want to forcefully impose new cultural orders on Poles. This is particularly evident recently. We, however, want to give Poles peace of mind on a daily basis, a prosperous life, and freedom in family life. An important element of our philosophy and practice of governance is catching up to the European average in living standards. For the first time in 300 years, we have a chance to catch up to Italy. And we are setting the bar high: low unemployment, elimination of inequality, a solidarity-based social model.”

-- THE PRIME MINISTER ON NOT DECIDING THE FATE OF THE SUNDAY TRADING BAN TODAY: “We want everything to happen in dialogue with entrepreneurs and employees. Sometimes it is worth rethinking past actions if the social and economic consequences are different from what was expected, but I am not deciding that today.”

-- NO ALLIANCE WITH PARTIES WEAKENING THE EU - THE PRIME MINISTER: “Let’s wait for the final election results, but we will certainly not build an alliance with parties that aim to destroy or weaken the EU, that are anti-European and anti-EU. Our direction is a strong Poland in a strong Europe, in alliance with America.”

-- THE PRIME MINISTER ON THE QUESTION OF TVP: “Is that somehow different from TVN?” https://www.rp.pl/Rzecz-o-polityce/190309659-Mateusz-Morawiecki-Chcemy-dac-Polakom-swiety-spokoj-i-dostatnie-zycie.html

-- PIS EMBARKING ON THE PATH OF POPULISM AMIDST SLOWDOWN - RYSZARD BUGAJ IN RZECZPOSPOLITA: “All this in a situation where a perspective of a significant decrease in public sector revenue dynamics is emerging (slower growth, exhaustion of tax collection possibilities, and reduced EU transfers). There can be no doubt: PiS is entering the path of populism.”

-- PARTIES FROM THE CENTER OF THE POLITICAL SCENE ADOPTING POPULIST ORIENTATIONS - CONTINUES BUGAJ: “However, it is worse when – as is currently the case in Poland – parties from the center of the political scene adopt populist orientations. Then, the democratic system can easily lose its important value: the rationalization of state policy. The political class in a representative democracy then ceases to function as a rational intermediary between citizens’ beliefs and aspirations and state decisions.”

-- POLISH POLITICS TRAPPED IN POPULISM; EVERYTHING DEPENDS ON WHETHER PIS COMMITS FURTHER SCANDALS THAT THE OPPOSITION CAN CAPITALIZE ON - BUGAJ'S CONCLUSION: “Polish politics has found itself trapped in populism. One can expect that in the election campaign, the opposition will not so much criticize PiS for making irresponsible promises (after all, they themselves made them) as try to outbid them. Especially since – as everything indicates – they will not present their own program on issues of judicial reform or political system reform. Beyond rhetoric, there is no program visible in foreign policy matters (including policy towards the EU). Everything seems to depend on whether PiS commits further scandals that the opposition can capitalize on.” https://www.rp.pl/Rzecz-o-polityce/190309660-Bugaj-Populizm-stoi-u-naszych-bram.html

-- PIOTR SKWIROWSKI POSTULATES RATIONALIZING THE 13TH PENSION - as he writes in Rzeczpospolita: “Rationalization of spending. Addressing it wisely. Where it is needed. Additional pensions could therefore be granted to those with low benefits. Jarosław Kaczyński will surely manage without the thirteenth pension. Among the prescriptions for improving public finances and the pension system, economists have for years listed the elimination of privileges. The government lacks the courage for this. However, excluding military or mining pensions from the pool eligible for the thirteenth benefit would yield savings. The same could apply to individuals who, in addition to ZUS benefits, receive pensions from abroad. The government must seek such savings. They are painful, but it is becoming increasingly clear that the budget blanket is too short.” https://www.rp.pl/Ubezpieczenia/303059912-Zracjonalizujcie-13-emeryture.html&template=restricted

-- THE END OF POLAND WITHOUT A DEFICIT - Dziennik Gazeta Prawna's lead story: “The roadmap presented by Prime Minister Morawiecki for implementing the promises from the so-called Kaczyński's 'fivesome' leads us towards a permanently higher deficit. A change in fiscal policy is becoming a fact. The head of government announced that the laws extending 500 plus, 'pension plus,' and local transport subsidies are to be passed before the European elections.” https://gospodarka.dziennik.pl/news/artykuly/592829,piatka-kaczynskiego-pis-potyka-fiskalna-morawiecki-deficyt-dziura.html

-- GRZEGORZ BRAUN ATTACKS PIS - in an interview with Super Express: “It is hard to deny the accuracy of such diagnoses. The very fact that the PiS-controlled Warsaw lost the elections in Gdańsk by default raises the question of whether those who hold power today even want to use it. What use are people who have apparently already decided that Gdańsk is abroad and didn't even try to fight politically there?”

-- BRAUN: WE ARE AIMING FOR EXCELLENT ELECTION RESULTS: “First and foremost, I encourage my colleagues and supporters to build a new party that will support our Confederation with Korwin, Liroy, and the nationalists, which is now aiming for excellent results in upcoming campaigns.” https://www.se.pl/wiadomosci/polityka/grzegorz-braun-koalicji-z-pis-z-gory-nie-wykluczam-aa-ywGg-FkCA-akXa.html

-- ACCORDING TO WP, MAREK JAKUBIAK WILL JOIN THE ALLIANCE AROUND KORWIN AND THE NATIONALISTS: “According to information from Wirtualna Polska, Marek Jakubiak – a former Kukiz'15 politician, founder of 'Federation for the Republic' – will join the recently formed coalition 'Konfederacja KORWiN, Braun, Liroy, Narodowcy' (Confederation KORWIN, Braun, Liroy, Nationalists).”

-- MAREK JUREK, ACCORDING TO WP, IS OUT OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RACE: “Marek Jurek – who ran on the PiS list in the 2014 EP elections (garnering nearly 70,000 votes from 5th place in the Warsaw district) – also failed to reach an agreement with Paweł Kukiz. Ultimately – we hear – Jurek, once a leading conservative of the Law and Justice party, who left the party years ago due to a dispute over abortion rights, will likely not run at all in the European Parliament elections. This could mean the end of his political career. In an optimistic scenario – a suspension of it, at least until the parliamentary elections in the autumn. Unless… Father Rydzyk's political circle puts forward a list in the EP elections.”

-- WP ON THE TRIUMVIRATE KUKIZ, TYSZKA AND PALADE: “Someone familiar with the behind-the-scenes talks: – Paweł treated Jurek like a boy, not to say worse. I feel sorry for the guy, because Jurek is a truly valuable person. However, the triumvirate of Tyszka-Kukiz-Marcin Palade [polling expert – editor's note] operates brutally and heavy-handedly. Jurek didn't stand a chance with them.” https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/wybory-do-pe-i-hamletyzowanie-markow-jurek-rezygnuje-ze-startu-jakubiak-dogaduje-sie-z-korwinem-6356249314477697a

-- MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI ON DOUBTS WHETHER BIRGFELLNER ACTUALLY POSSESSES SO MANY RECORDINGS, WHAT WAS SAID: “Much indicates that the stories about tens of hours of recorded conversations with various people were confabulation, intended to cause paralysis in the attacked camp. In reality, Birgfellner most likely started recording very late, when he was already certain that extracting money through family connections would not succeed. And today, he is the one facing the biggest problems. Not only in the eyes of a large part of public opinion, but also legally, the whole matter is increasingly reducing, in my opinion, to an attempt to fraudulently obtain undue money from the Srebrna company. This is my thesis. Of course, I may be mistaken; perhaps this provocation is not over yet. I state this clearly, but this is how I see it today. I emphasize: I am not making any accusations here, this is just an analysis.” https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/436719-afera-wokol-tasm-birgfellnera-wyglada-na-probe-wyludzenia

-- THE TAPES ARE CRUSHING KACZYŃSKI - GAZETA WYBORCZA'S LEAD STORY ON A CBOS POLL: “PiS officially dismisses the 'Kaczyński tapes,' but a CBOS poll shows that 21% of 'good change' voters stated that Jarosław Kaczyński behaved inappropriately by conducting business negotiations at his party's headquarters. Nearly 60% of CBOS respondents believe the tapes cast the PiS leader in a bad light. This opinion is held even by 21% of PiS voters. Among the electorate of PO, it's as high as 95%, Wiosna – 88%, PSL – 82%, and Kukiz’15 – 45%. Very similar answers were given to the question of whether Kaczyński's 'discussions with an Austrian businessman are assessed by you as inappropriate.'” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24520227,tasmy-gniota-kaczynskiego-wg-cbos-nawet-wielu-wyborcow-pis.html

-- ROMAN IMIELSKI IN GAZETA WYBORCZA ON POLES LOSING TRUST IN THE CHAIRMAN: “The PiS chairman allowed himself to be candid behind closed doors. On Saturday, he argued on RMF FM that 'he has nothing to reproach himself for.' However, I have bad news for you, Mr. Chairman: according to a CBOS poll, the majority of Poles have quite a lot to reproach you for regarding the tapes involving you.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24520244,panie-prezesie-mam-dla-pana-zla-wiadomosc-polacy-przestaja.html

-- SUPER EXPRESS COMMENTATOR MIROSŁAW SKOWRON TO CIVIC PLATFORM REGARDING TEACHERS: “And I must mention another unhealthy situation. Civic Platform, pretending to deeply care about teachers. During your rule, they also lacked creditworthiness. When in power, you had one stock phrase for teachers: abolish the Teachers' Charter. Which was the only thing that, despite poor salaries, still kept most people in this profession. Civic Platform, it's better for you to return to 'defending the constitution,' otherwise teachers and the media will start recalling your own ideas…” https://www.se.pl/wiadomosci/polityka/miroslaw-skowron-szef-dzialu-opinie-o-strajku-nauczycieli-choroba-ktora-trwa-od-lat-aa-Vm1N-4jqB-F5Tr.html

-- KACPER PŁAŻYŃSKI UTILIZED AID FOR THE UNEMPLOYED TO ESTABLISH AN OFFICE - POMORSKA GAZETA WYBORCZA: “According to information from 'Wyborcza,' Gdańsk PiS councilor Kacper Płażyński recently registered as unemployed at the District Labor Office in Gdańsk and then applied for funding to start a business. The condition for receiving the money was precisely registration as unemployed, as the aid is provided for professional activation for individuals facing difficulties finding work. The funds were granted to Płażyński after he lost the presidential election in Gdańsk.” http://trojmiasto.wyborcza.pl/trojmiasto/7,35612,24518538,kacper-plazynski-jako-bezrobotny-dostal-20-tys-zl-na-aktywizacje.html

-- PIS - PRIDE AND MONEY - BILLBOARD BY THE LEADER OF KOD IN THE CENTER OF SZCZECIN: http://szczecin.wyborcza.pl/szczecin/7,34939,24520561,wielki-napis-pis-pycha-i-szmal-nam-sie-nalezy-na-budynku.html

-- BIRTHDAYS: Kamil Durczok, Marek Ziółkowski, Tomasz Lis, Beata Gosiewska.