-- WE ARE IN AN ERA OF SHAMELESSNESS, CRITERIA AND REFERENCE POINTS ARE DISAPPEARING - JAN ENGLERT IN CONVERSATION WITH PIOTR ZAREMBA IN PLUS MINUS RZ: “Because, you see, today teachers of ten-year-olds have problems. They don't even accept verbal information anymore, only emails, text messages. We are ceasing to hear each other. Dialogue is imperceptibly dying. I, perhaps fortunately, will not live to see the full degradation of humanism. The internet equates fools with the wise. Shame is disappearing. I built my career on constantly overcoming shame. Today we are in an era of shamelessness. Criteria and reference points are disappearing. That is why I stubbornly insist on craftsmanship, because it may be the last reasonably stable criterion.” -- I DON'T LIKE COLLECTIVE ECSTASY - ENGLERT TELLS ZAREMBA: “Only I am somewhat separate. I even watch beloved football intimately, not in a stadium. I do my own thing, I perform my duties. I never allowed myself to be enrolled in scouts, nor in the PZPR; I was in Solidarity for a while, and that's enough. Maybe I should even demonstrate, but I don't know how to march. Maybe it's an illness, I don't like collective ecstasy.” -- ENGLERT ON TELEVISION THEATER AND TVP: “Since I am involved, I will not comment. I appreciate that Television Theater produces many plays, but there is also the question of whether quantity always turns into quality. And when Jacek Kurski considers it a flagship, I remind you that the New Year's Eve concert in Zakopane with Zenek Martyniuk as the main star cost more than the entire annual budget of Television Theater. Maybe it should be this way, but high culture is clearly not a priority. Money goes to the electorate, to disco polo.” https://www.rp.pl/Plus-Minus/306279941-Jan-Englert-Internet-rowna-glupich-z-madrymi-Zanika-wstyd.html -- ENGLERT'S "SUMMER" DIRECTED BY HIM CAN BE WATCHED FOR FREE ON TVP VOD, AS DISCUSSED BY ZAREMBA WITH THE ARTIST: A comedy by Tadeusz Rittner directed by Jan Englert. "Summer" is a three-act comedy written at the beginning of the 20th century. The main theme of the work, which is ostensibly a melodrama, is the clash between dreams and reality, illusion and truth. Its characters hide more than they say, they constantly long for something better, more important, and constantly seek great love. https://vod.tvp.pl/video/lato,lato,40023831 -- THE EMPEROR IS IN BRUSSELS, WE WERE ALWAYS A REBELLION - RADOSŁAW FOGIEL IN CONVERSATION WITH PIOTR WITWICKI IN RZ: “I think the Emperor is temporarily in Brussels and is wondering what to do next. If we are to use metaphors, Law and Justice has always been a rebellion. The rebellion, after winning the second trilogy, created a New Republic. And they started, just like PiS, in a situation of 'us versus the rest of the world'. -- FOGIEL LAUGHS AT HOW THE CHAIRMAN IS PERCEIVED BY THE MEDIA: “We sort them out and extract the most important matters they concern. That's where the dog is buried. Many people, taking the chairman's media image for reality, are convinced that he can, for example, change matters with a snap of his fingers where final judgments were made years ago.” https://www.rp.pl/Rozmowy-Witwickiego/306279931-Radoslaw-Fogiel-Prawo-i-Sprawiedliwosc-zawsze-bylo-rebelia.html -- BOGDAN ZDROJEWSKI TO ELIZA OLCZYK'S QUESTION IN RZ ABOUT THE DIRECTION OF THE CIVIC PLATFORM: “One could answer this question if the direction were known.” -- ZDROJEWSKI, IN RESPONSE TO JACEK PONIEDZIAŁEK'S CRITICISM, REMINDS OF THE INVESTMENT IN THE NEW THEATER: “The artists' assessments were mostly very positive. I still receive them today. Local government officials were the most satisfied, especially from the music and education sectors. Culture, of course, was not 'dying out' but was doing exceptionally well. Moreover, Jacek Poniedziałek himself became a beneficiary of an important investment decision concerning his workplace (Warlikowski's New Theater). It is worth adding that it was an extremely complicated operation. Nevertheless, he is absolutely right in one matter: a certain neglect in social issues within the artistic community itself. However, I operated under the conditions of a global crisis and had to choose priorities in an absolutely iron order and discipline. It is even clearer today that I was right.” -- ZDROJEWSKI REJECTS THE ACCUSATION OF SUPPORTING ONLY LEFT-WING CULTURE DURING HIS TENURE: “The accusation is completely unfounded. Both the left and the right could only point out isolated cases of decisions that were politically unsuitable for them. Everyone passed through my ministry office – from Leszek Miller to Paweł Kukiz, to Przemek Gosiewski or Marek Jurek. However, it is a fact that for public consumption, criticism sometimes appeared. For example, the extreme part of the SLD found the assistance in the realization of the John Paul II Museum in the dome of the Temple of Divine Providence unacceptable.” https://www.rp.pl/Plus-Minus/306279956-Bogdan-Zdrojewski-Demokratyczna-PO-byla-u-progu-wewnetrznego-buntu.html -- ZDROJEWSKI TELLS ONET ABOUT HIS CONVERSATIONS WITH KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ AND THE POINTLESS DEFEAT OF THE EUROPEAN COALITION: “I had several conversations with Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. They focused primarily on assessing the defeat in the European Parliament elections. We also discussed the situation before the autumn elections. However, there were no talks about my potential candidacy for the Sejm. Everyone remembers my consistent stance on this matter. I simply see no role for myself in that chamber and have been saying so for five years. I would also add that I am not a wavering politician; I make decisions after deep analysis and always try to be consistent with my voters. Currently, I am primarily focusing on assessing the pointless defeat in the EP elections, the not-so-good condition of the Civic Platform, the lost centrist, moderate electorate, as well as the future consequences of what happened during the May elections.” -- I OBSERVED THE PATH OF THIS CATASTROPHE, I WARNED THAT THE ONLY BENEFICIARY WOULD BE THE SLD - ZDROJEWSKI CONTINUES: “The most serious candidate is, of course, Grzegorz Schetyna. However, I would not hold him solely responsible. I observed the path of this catastrophe and its external conditions. PiS owning public media, willing company presidents, and government funds for further handouts could not be indifferent to the opposition. Nevertheless, a significant source of the defeat was also a poorly constructed coalition, as well as numerous personal errors. Already at the inception of the European Coalition, I warned that its only beneficiary would be the SLD.” -- ZDROJEWSKI ON MISTAKES IN LIST SELECTION: “It is worth noting at this point the serious staffing errors. Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz should have been the leader in Białystok, not Warsaw. Ewa Kopacz should have run from the capital, not from Poznań. Placing Leszek Miller in second place in Wielkopolska was also incomprehensible and consequently resulted in the loss of at least one mandate. In Lower Silesia, my candidacy with Janina Ochojska would have meant at least one more mandate and probably the absence of Anna Zalewska from the European Parliament (she was overtaken by Beata Kempa). And in several other constituencies, preventing specific candidates from running weakened the national result. The effect? We lost nearly two million votes and at least six mandates.” https://wroclaw.onet.pl/bogdan-zdrojewski-o-grzegorzu-schetynie-i-wyniku-koalicji-europejskiej/5d5zzqj -- ANDRZEJ STANKIEWICZ DESCRIBES THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS BACKSTAGE IN ONEST: “The key figure in this war is Andrzej Papierz, Director General of the Foreign Service, and therefore the chief HR manager of Polish diplomacy. In practice, Papierz is even more important. He is the one who actually runs the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, because Minister Jacek Czaputowicz's political position is weak. Czaputowicz deals with rather insignificant ceremonies – trips, receiving guests, official meetings, and receptions. After taking office in the autumn of 2018, Papierz began to implement his own order in diplomacy. Under his rule, former minister Witold Waszczykowski's trusted people, such as Izydorczyk, a law professor from Łódź, are marginalized within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They are being replaced by Papierz's protégés – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Maciej Lang, with whom he served together in Turkey, is to go to Tokyo. Since Papierz is a former officer of the State Protection Office, he also relies on former colleagues from the special services in his personnel decisions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.” -- STANKIEWICZ ON THE CONFUSION WITH THE RECALL OF THE POLISH AMBASSADOR TO TOKYO DURING THE EMPEROR'S VISIT: “(This was) the first foreign trip of the new heir to the Japanese throne. The Princely Couple Akishino (previously) accepted my and my wife's invitation for a private dinner at the residence on April 15th. He also claims that 'The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Imperial Court expected my participation, and the Princely Couple personally looked forward to it (which I know from them and from Princess Nobuko - the sister of the Japanese Deputy Prime Minister).' Andrzej Papierz informed us that he does not know the letter, so he cannot respond to it. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the other hand, argues that 'the decision to recall the Polish Ambassador to Japan was made due to justified needs of the foreign service,' and 'the participation of the Polish Ambassador to Japan in the visit of the Japanese Crown Prince to Poland was not planned.'” https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/nastepca-tronu-japonii-w-polsce-a-w-msz-wojna/n4786zn -- THE JUDGES WILL APPLY THE ECJ RULING ON THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE JUDICIARY - EWA SIEDLECKA IN POLITYKA: “What would be the implementation of the ECJ ruling if it found the actions of the neo-KRS and the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court illegal? Firstly, by suspending the issuing of opinions – for the purposes of competitions conducted by the neo-KRS – for new judicial candidates. Secondly, by not assigning cases to judges appointed with the participation of the neo-KRS. Thirdly, by refusing to sit with them in judicial panels. And finally, judges whose cases fall under the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court should not appear for hearings or participate in these proceedings at all. This is how ALL judges should act. A judge who does not comply with the ECJ ruling will not be a European judge.” https://siedlecka.blog.polityka.pl/2019/06/28/kto-wykona-wyrok-tsue/?nocheck=1 -- OUR DEBATE CANNOT FOCUS ON ONE TOPIC FOR MORE THAN A FEW DAYS - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: “But then newer matters emerged, and once again it turned out that our public debate cannot focus on one topic for more than a few days. Even if it gets a portion of red meat, it quickly gets bored and demands fresh blood, not reheated cutlets! Take, for instance, the case of the murder of a ten-year-old girl from Mrowiny, that's a topic! Tabloids live on it, everyone whispers about it in elevators, buses, and even in the metro. Of course, until the next crime. Then no one will remember it.” -- THE DRIFTING OF THE CHURCH - SZUŁDRZYŃSKI CONTINUES: “The problem is that none of the bishops who understand the gravity of the situation are willing to take (moral) leadership in the Polish Church. Many sensible hierarchs give up their ambitions to impose any character on the Polish Church. What remains is the drifting of an increasingly amorphous structure. It's no longer just about the lack of figures on the scale of Primate Wyszyński or John Paul II. Against the backdrop of today's bland figures or those afraid to step forward, even Józef Glemp appears as a charismatic leader.” -- SZUŁDRZYŃSKI ON THE CHURCH'S LACK OF REACTION TO THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST BODNAR AND THE MORAL CONSENT TO THE LOWEST TACTICS: “Dr. Adam Bodnar, indeed, is not a man from the church's fairy tale. However, allowing a state television station, which champions Christian values, to denigrate one of the last officials independent of PiS, simply because he dared to criticize the police's day-long interrogation of the girl from Mrowiny in her underwear, as shown by all media, is to give moral consent to the lowest tactics against those who dare to criticize the authorities. However, it is easier to look for new enemies of religion and the Church than to fight for ordinary decency in everyday public life.” https://www.rp.pl/Plus-Minus/306279926-Michal-Szuldrzynski-Rozbicie-dzielnicowe-w-polskim-Kosciele.html -- VOTERS ARE WAITING FOR GOOD IDEAS BECAUSE THE PIS GOVERNMENT'S INDOLENCE AFFECTS THEM DAILY - KRZYSZTOF BREJZA IN CONVERSATION WITH AGNIESZKA KUBLIK IN GW: “Voters are waiting for good ideas because the PiS government's indolence affects them daily. All you have to do is go to the market for potatoes and listen to people outraged by high prices, or talk to any small entrepreneur who is wondering if they will have enough for the ZUS contribution, which has been raised again, after January 1st. The image of Poland as a country where money taken by PiS from thieves flows from the tap, and happy Poles can't wait to thank the chairman for it at the ballot box, is false.” -- PIS GIVES WITH ONE HAND AND TAKES AWAY WITH THE OTHER - BREJZA CONTINUES: “That's why we will show that PiS gives with one hand and takes away with the other. Soon, people will be paying more and more for life, for fees, for energy.” -- BREJZA ON THE NEW SLOGAN CARRYING THE CIVIC PLATFORM: “It will be good, effective, universal, and not overly complicated. It will carry us.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24945955,wyprujemy-sobie-zyly-i-wygramy.html -- ON THE OCCASION OF DOROTA WODECKA'S CONVERSATION WITH সংস্কৃতি MAJCHROWSKI, HE TALKS ABOUT WHERE HE GETS HIS IMAGE OF SZUKALSKI FROM: “I haven't seen it yet. I bought the painting at Desa in Warsaw many years ago. I wrote about it. One of the chapters of my 'Sketches on the History of the Polish Right in the Second Polish Republic' was devoted to the Szczep Rogate Serce, which he founded.” -- MAJCHROWSKI ON THE LACK OF OSTENTATION IN PROMOTING MINORITY RIGHTS: “First of all, in Krakow, there was never any mention or proposal to sign the LGBT charter. It was a Warsaw issue with a political background. We are taking other actions for equality. A team will be appointed to deal with the issues of residents' equality, because in today's times, none of us have any doubts that we are equal regardless of our views or sexual orientation. Let me also remind you that when the mayors of Poznań or Warsaw banned Equality Marches, they took place in Krakow.” -- MAJCHROWSKI ON HIS SUCCESSOR: “I will groom someone during this term. I have a choice, because I employ a lot of young people in the office. The youngest director is probably 30 years old. As a rule, women in directorial positions are just over thirty, have children and difficult maternal histories behind them, although not always. One of them will become a mother in a few weeks. But she is guaranteed a return to the office after her maternity leave. I once had two female vice-mayors out of four vice-mayors. Currently, we have a ratio of one to three.” -- MAJCHROWSKI PRAISES ADAMCZYK: “I assess the situation rather soberly – and I hope fairly. I cannot forget that for years under previous governments, we fought for the S7 route, and everyone ignored us. I traveled, social delegations traveled, and it was like talking to a brick wall. I don't care whether Andrzej Adamczyk is from PiS or not, but he is the first minister who has taken care of the roads in Krakow and its surroundings.” -- MAJCHROWSKI ON THE RISK ASSOCIATED WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS RUNNING FOR THE SENATE: “Yes, but if they perform a few local gestures like the 500+ program, the candidate from the party they are affiliated with has a good chance of winning. So, it's a risky concept, and if presidents want to run in the upcoming parliamentary elections, they must accept the risk that Poland might win, but their city might lose.” -- YOU CAN'T JUST REFER TO PIO, FOR NOW I DON'T SEE A PROGRAM - MAJCHROWSKI'S CONCLUSION: “I believe that PiS gained so many supporters and came to power because it was a party that presented a concrete program. We can agree with it or not, but they were concrete solutions. You can win by creating an equally concrete program, not by only referring to what PiS is doing. For now, I don't see such a program.” http://wyborcza.pl/magazyn/7,124059,24942233,jacek-majchrowski-nie-bede-naparzal-sie-z-rzadem-mam.html -- HERE, RESPECT FOR VALUES IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT - ELŻBIETA ŁUKACIJEWSKA IN CONVERSATION WITH DOROTA WODECKA IN GW: “Firstly, I never flaunt my faith publicly, because it is a private matter, but since I come from Podkarpacie, it is known that it is an integral part of my life's journey. And secondly, here, respect for values is more important than infrastructure development, which is why voters do not accept criticism of the Church as an institution.” -- ŁUKACIJEWSKA ON THE COALITION WITH SLD: “Or they asked how to reconcile the left, which is completely pro-abortion, and the PSL, which in part is for banning abortion altogether. So what are you ultimately for as a group? What do I choose? Such a difference of opinion within one coalition caused some voters not to go to the polls.” http://www.wysokieobcasy.pl/wysokie-obcasy/7,53662,24940665,mamo-walcz-nie-mozesz-pozwolic-zeby-koledzy-tak-z-toba.html -- BIRTHDAYS: Piotr Mucharski, Katarzyna Matusik-Lipiec, Andrew MacDowall, Martyna Majchrzak, Paweł Moras, Aleksandra Stanek, SUNDAY: Paweł Szrot, Czesław Śleziak, Mirosława Kątna, Agnieszka Jucewicz, Adam Andruszkiewicz.