-- LUBLIN VOIVODE WITHDRAWS APOLOGY FOR WORDS ABOUT DEVIATIONS AND PERVERSIONS - Wiktoria Beczek in Gazeta.pl: “The Lublin voivode, Przemysław Czarnek, was sued for his words about “promoting deviations, perversions, and abominations.” According to a court settlement, he was to apologize to those offended, but the very next day he stated that “he apologizes to no one for a single word.” - The voivode probably doesn't know what he wants, he's behaving irrationally - comments Bartosz Staszewski, organizer of the Lublin Equality March, who sued Czarnek for defamation.” http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,24778380,wojewoda-mial-przeprosic-urazonych-slowami-o-dewiantach-teraz.html

-- HEAD OF THE SOCIAL INSURANCE INSTITUTION (ZUS) ON HOW MUCH LOWER WOMEN'S PENSIONS ARE AFTER THE RETIREMENT AGE REDUCTION: “After the reduction in the retirement age, we received over 750,000 pension applications within a year. The average pension granted to these individuals was PLN 2,064, of which benefits granted to men were clearly higher, by over PLN 1,000. Thus, the average benefit for men was PLN 2,724, and for women – PLN 1,695. This result is significantly influenced by the lower amount of contributions accumulated by women and their shorter work history.” https://www.rp.pl/Praca-emerytury-renty/305129954-Lawinowy-wzrost-liczby-ubogich-emerytow---alarmuje-prezes-ZUS-Gertruda-Uscinska.html

-- PEDOPHILIA AS AN ELECTION CAMPAIGN TOPIC - GW.

-- PIS LEADS BY 5 POINTS OVER THE EUROPEAN COALITION - POLL FOR RZ, AND IBRIS: “The two largest coalitions – United Right and the European Coalition – are separated by a 5-percentage point difference, and Spring takes a solid third place with just over 7% support. Kukiz'15 also has a chance to win a mandate with over 5%, while Confederation (over 4%) and Lewica Razem (2.5%) are below the threshold.”

-- ZUZANNA DĄBROWSKA ON ESSENTIALLY UNCHANGED PREFERENCES - WRITES IN RZ: “It seems, therefore, that various political events and scandals captivating public opinion have no impact on changing political sympathies.”

-- DĄBROWSKA ON CONFEDERATION'S CHANCES BUT WITH LOWER TURNOUT: “With low voter turnout, the number of supporters Confederation has gathered around it gives it a chance to cross the electoral threshold, but with high turnout – it drastically reduces it, because radical right-wing does not gain new supporters from this conflict.” https://www.rp.pl/Wybory-do-PE/190519865-Sondaz-Frekwencja-da-wygrana-w-wyborach-do-PE.html

-- PIS DECLARED ITSELF THE DEFENDER OF THE CHURCH, A LARGE PART OF THIS MOBILIZATION MAY BACKFIRE ON PIS - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: “However, since PiS has declared itself the defender of the Church and traditional values, a large part of this mobilization may backfire on the ruling party. Liberal and centrist voters, two weeks before the vote, received a strong impulse to get off their homes on election day and express their opposition to PiS at the ballot box.” https://www.rp.pl/Analizy/305129949-Wybory-do-PE-PiS-zastawilo-na-siebie-pulapke.html

-- THE PRIMATE'S APOLOGIES ARE NO LONGER ENOUGH - DOMINIKA WIELOWIEYSKA IN GW: “Tomasz and Marek Sekielski's film "Only Don't Tell Anyone" showed that the recent assurances from Catholic Church hierarchy about fighting pedophilia are empty words. (...) I appreciate the Primate's actions; among the hierarchy, he has done the most to ensure the Church finally begins to react to acts of pedophilia, and he uses a completely different language than Archbishops Gądecki and Jędraszewski. But the Primate's apologies no longer interest me. I demand answers to many questions. I pose them not only as a journalist but also as a Catholic and the mother of two 13-year-old sons.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24778448,przeprosiny-prymasa-nie-wystarcza-domagam-sie-odpowiedzi-na.html

-- TOMASZ KRZYŻAK IN RZ STRONGLY ON ABP GŁODŹ'S REACTION: “And he must remember that new regulations regarding the responsibility of bishops come into force on June 1st. Does he remember? His reactions suggest he does not. I wish I were wrong, but the Metropolitan of Gdańsk will be one of the first – if not the first – against whom charges will be formulated based on the new regulations issued precisely by Pope Francis. Two reactions, two attitudes, two different faces of the same Church. One pained and concerned. Another, however, hard, proud, with head held high, pretending everything is fine when it is not.” https://www.rp.pl/Kosciol/190519861-Nie-pozwalam-powinni-uslyszec-niektorzy-ludzie-Kosciola.html

-- WE ARE MAKING OURSELVES AN ENERGY MUSEUM - PRESIDENT OF THE ENERGY REGULATORY OFFICE (URE) IN GW: “We are forcefully heading towards the worst possible scenario, which is cultivating an energy sector based on fossil fuels, and primarily coal. We are digging in and making ourselves an energy museum, which may have tourist potential, but certainly not economic potential.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,155287,24771245,krajobraz-po-katastrofie-na-rynku-energii-nie-zazdroszcze.html

-- IT IS POSSIBLE TO OVERHEAR THE SERVICES PROTECTING THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY - Jedynka DGP: “Where is the president and what are his travel plans? Which route is the prime minister taking? And what is Donald Tusk doing? With equipment worth several hundred zlotys, one can listen to the police protecting events involving the most important people in the country. We have recordings of over a hundred police reports from the security of the National Independence Day celebrations in Warsaw on May 3rd. The conversations were not encrypted or protected cryptographically. On that day, anyone with the right device could have listened to the officers. Using it is like searching for radio stations. The correct frequencies for the police, fire department, or ambulance can be easily found on the internet.” https://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/polityka/artykuly/597665,podsluch-policja-prezydent-sledztwo-dgp.html

-- GOVERNMENT BOEING READY FOR SERVICE - Maciej Miłosz in DGP: “The government Boeing 737-800 NG can now be used by the president and prime minister. The aircraft is ready to perform flights with HEAD status, meaning with the head of state or the Speakers of the Sejm, among others. For the first time in history, Polish VIPs have three new aircraft at their disposal.” https://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/polityka/artykuly/597676,rzadowy-boeingiem-737-800-ng-status-head-lata-prezydent-premier.html

-- MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS CANCELS ISRAELI VISIT: "In reference to media publications, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to deny that an Israeli delegation led by Mr. Avi Cohen-Scali, Director General of the Ministry of Social Equality, will visit Warsaw on May 13th. Due to a last-minute change in the delegation's composition by the Israeli side, which could suggest that the talks would focus on property restitution issues, the Polish side decided to cancel the visit of Israeli officials," writes the MFA in a statement. http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24778692,polski-msz-odwoluje-wizyte-izraelskiej-delegacji.html

-- CONTROVERSIES SURROUNDING THE LANDING OF A HELICOPTER WITH THE MINISTER OF INTERIOR AND ADMINISTRATION AND OPPOSITION QUESTIONS: http://szczecin.wyborcza.pl/szczecin/7,34939,24778754,minister-brudzinski-boisko-i-ladowisko-czyli-co-wydarzylo.html

-- TOMASZ SAWCZUK IN KULTURA LIBERALNA ON KRASOWSKI'S BOOK: “But since politicians are fighting to maintain their position, they do what is beneficial for them. What gains votes is beneficial. Therefore, even if politicians spend most of their time wrestling in mud amongst themselves, the pressure from other social actors determines the direction they must also move in. Krasowski rightly writes that it is not will (political) that shapes reality, but reality that shapes reality. However, he makes little use of the observation [p. 108] that when we make demands on democratic politics, resist politicians, we force politics to realize at least some social needs, and also set the boundaries of permissible power – that it is in action that social norms are shaped. Consequently, thirdly, Krasowski adopts a false premise – supported by reference to Max Weber – that he is describing society and politics in a value-free manner. Meanwhile, a skeptical stance, which under the guise of scientific objectivity and responsibility pretends to lack ethical engagement, remains fundamentally conservative at its core.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2019/05/13/robert-krasowski-o-demokracji-w-polsce-recenzja/

-- BIRTHDAYS: Tomasz Grodzki, Karol Karski, Marek Kotlinowski, Kamil Musielak, Marcin Malicki, @Edzioo.