-- 11 YEARS AGO, Prof. Bronisław Geremek died in a car accident in Lubień, Wielkopolska. -- FRAGMENT OF EWĄ MILEWICZ'S TEXT ABOUT BRONISŁAW GEREMEK FROM 2008: “When negotiations around Suchocka's government were underway, I asked Geremek about their status. The professor remained silent, cleaning his pipe with great interest. After a moment, he said: ‘Please, next question.’ And so, in silence, he cleaned his pipe through several more questions. In the end, he said: ‘Madam editor, I most enjoy answering questions I ask myself.’” -- ANOTHER FRAGMENT OF EWĄ MILEWICZ'S TEXT FROM 2008: “Geremek wasn't just about public affairs. It was evident, even on television screens, that he had a great weakness for certain women. He once spoke with a journalist, a beautiful woman, about Europe. Formally, that is, the conversation was about that topic. In reality, however, it wasn't Europe that was visible, but Geremek's fascination with the journalist. After that program, someone told Geremek that there should have been a warning on the screen: ‘Program about seduction. For ages 18 and over.’ He laughed, but didn't deny it.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,161389,23659612,polityk-historyk-obywatel-a-moze-uwodziciel.html -- PROFESSOR SAMSONOWICZ REMEMBERS GEREMEK – FRAGMENT OF RAFAŁ KALUKIN'S INTERVIEW FROM 2008: “Absolutely. His small apartment on Piwna Street was a regular meeting place for a large group for 20 years. Purely social gatherings, although the topics we discussed found their way into the security services' dossiers in the 1970s. The apartment was bugged, you see. Bronek was also a passionate cinema enthusiast. We probably went to a film or a play every week. We also used to go to the Narew river. He liked it so much there that he bought a plot of land nearby. I fear you remember Geremek from the last twenty years. And that was a different Bronek. He changed radically during martial law, after being released from internment. He began to be perceived as the intellectual voice of the opposition. It was a burden that terribly tired him.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,161389,23661619,bronislaw-geremek-na-uniwersytecie-inny-bronek.html -- WE CANNOT COUNT ON SAVING OUR HEALTH AND THE CLIMATE - ADRIANA ROZWADOWSKA IN GAZETA WYBORCZA ON THE KO PROGRAM DEBATE: “How, in this context, are we to understand that KO announced today the continuation of all social programs, added PLN 30 billion to them, and... decided to radically lower tax rates? It's impossible. A simple conclusion arises: there will be no funds for energy transformation and healthcare. If we add to this that KO intends to reduce debt (in accordance with the first point of the economic decalogue) and tighten the expenditure rule, we are sure that we cannot count on saving the climate and our health.” -- WE WILL DIE WITH THE PUBLIC DEBT COUNTER RESET - ROZWADOWSKA'S CONCLUSION ON THE KO PROGRAM: “Fortunately, when a sandstorm hits us, or water finally runs out, we will die with the public debt counter reset and with a sense of self-satisfaction that we worked hard for this death.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,155290,24988033,ko-pokazuje-program-nie-ma-dla-nas-ratunku-przed-burza-piaskowa.html -- JAROSŁAW KACZYŃSKI PRESENTS 41 ONES - PIECHA RETURNS, SZEFERNAKER YOUNGEST, ZIOBRO IN KIELCE, SZUMOWSKI IN PŁOCK, EMILEWICZ IN POZNAŃ, SCHETYNA ON PARTNERSHIP UNIONS - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2019/07/13/ -- LIBERAL DEMOCRATS ARE RUNNING OUT OF SPACE - WŁADYSŁAW FRASYNIUK IN GW: “We are dangerously quickly drifting towards an extremely conservative confessional state, where there is no room for values such as individual freedom, equality, and tolerance. To put it bluntly: in Poland in 2019, there is starting to be no room for liberal democrats.” -- OPPOSITION WITH ITS MOUTH OPEN LIKE A CHILD, THE RIGHTWARD SHIFT DOESN'T JUST CONCERN PIS - FRASYNIUK CONTINUES: “After losing the elections, the opposition stands with its mouth open like a child, a bit surprised, and a bit lost, unsure of what to do. What failed and what was lacking on the democratic side, we have said several times recently, and we hope that at least some of our voices will be heard. The opposition is once again preparing for elections, and it is clear that the rightward shift does not only concern Law and Justice politicians. Civic Platform, which has strong conservative roots, finds it much easier to find common ground with the Polish People's Party (PSL) than with left-wing movements.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,24988751,frasyniuk-liberalom-i-lewicowcom-opozycja-pokazala-srodkowy.html -- TUSK, INSTEAD OF HELPING, ONLY MADE THINGS WORSE - MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI: “Among the many diagnoses of the reasons for the opposition's rapid descent into chaos, personal and ambitious ones dominate. Schetyna is clearly failing, Kosiniak-Kamysz has had a brush with political death, Tusk, instead of helping, only made things worse – all of this is true, it is of course important. But in my opinion, this is a consequence, not a cause.” -- KARNOWSKI ON THE COMMENTATORS' FOCUS ON "GAME CHANGERS" - IT IS A DISTURBING PHENOMENON: “By the way, the focus of commentators on all these 'game changers' is a disturbing phenomenon. We must remember every day that Polish affairs deserve a serious, substantive approach. But we must also see the real causes of the current balance of power on the political scene. The truth is that Jarosław Kaczyński, with incomparably fewer resources, has simply shamed the Third Republic's camp with the results of his government. The 'Good Change' project also turned out to be well thought out intellectually, and the opposition, confident in its superiority, has a clear problem with this.” https://wpolityce.pl/lifestyle/454887-u-zrodel-slabosci-opozycji-jest-jakosc-rzadow-pis -- THE DIRECTION IS A BIT ACCIDENTAL - PIOTR ZAREMBA IN RZ ON PSL: “The leader of the PSL, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, consistently makes a good impression. Composed, more polite than other leaders, trying to steer various discussions towards substantive issues, intelligent. A young politician, yet somehow from a slightly different era (or geographical latitude). This does not change the fact that his current option for an independent electoral bloc tinged with center-right colors gives the impression of a somewhat accidental direction. In the PSL, incidentally, perhaps the last party where the leader is chosen in open elections and held accountable after defeats, it has often been this way. Suffice it to recall the struggles between Waldemar Pawlak and Janusz Piechociński from the early 1990s. At one time, one was more 'left-wing,' and the other more 'national-Catholic,' then vice versa. At one time, one spoke more about the party's independence from a stronger coalition partner (formerly SLD, then PO), then the other. Moreover, these labels did not precisely describe either the lines of division or tactical or personal grievances.” -- WE WILL NOT BE AN OPPOSITION TO THE RIGHT OF PIS - WKK IN ZAREMBA'S TEXT: “Of course, the fear for one's own existence attracts even greater conservatives. The Right of the Republic, once Marek Jurek's party, has expressed readiness to cooperate with the agrarian party if they promise to repeal the anti-violence Istanbul Convention (PiS has not done so for four years). Kosiniak-Kamysz rejects nothing. 'If they accept our program,' he says diplomatically. But at the same time, he emphasizes: 'We will not be an opposition to the right of PiS.'” -- ZAREMBA ON THE FERMENTING MYTH OF INTERNAL RESEARCH WITHIN PSL - PERHAPS A TEMPORARY ENTHUSIASM FOR ANOTHER NOVELTY: “For now, many agrarian party members have been dominated by regret over the coalition with Civic Platform. Schetyna's stubbornness in sticking to the left was interpreted in various ways there: sometimes as his difficult character, sometimes as mythical research telling him to seek voters, thus broadening the front, rather on the left than on the right. This is sometimes linked to Professor Bartoszewski's conclusion: 'Tusk would find a recipe to reconcile all this.' It's possible that the former Tusk would have found one. The current one entered the European campaign in the company of Jażdżewski. At the same time, a myth of internal research was brewing in the PSL, which gives the 'Christian Democrats' centered around the PSL even 8 percent. It is difficult to understand what questions were asked of Poles, and even more difficult to be certain whether this is not simply an expression of temporary enthusiasm for another novelty. Let's recall, for instance, the projections for Wiosna (Spring) that were soaring a few months ago.” -- ZAREMBA ON PSL'S DEVILISH DILEMMA: “In reality, the choice between running independently with the risk of defeat, and further diluting one's own identity on lists with liberals and even leftists, is a truly devilish dilemma.” https://www.rp.pl/Plus-Minus/307119913-Piotr-Zaremba-PSL--ciagle-w-cieniu-Platformy.html -- THEY WILL CONVERT EVENTUALLY, FIRST THEY MUST FALL DOWN THE STAIRS - A PO POLITICIAN IN AGATA SZCZĘŚNIAK'S ARTICLE IN OKO: “'They will convert eventually,' a Civic Platform politician tells us after the PSL's declaration. 'They must first fall down the stairs.' Some PO activists are counting on Kosiniak-Kamysz ultimately getting scared of the risk of not crossing the threshold and announcing at the last minute that 'for the good of Poland' he is joining KO. 'Before the European elections, Kosiniak-Kamysz slammed the door three times,' says a Platform politician. However, he does not hide his irritation at the agrarian leader's sharp negotiation style.” -- PLATFORM WILL TAKE INDIVIDUALS FROM WIOSNA, EXCEPT FOR BIEDROŃ - SZCZĘŚNIAK CONTINUES: “'We know that two blocs are not a bad solution,' a PO politician tells us. 'But who would build the left-wing bloc? SLD will not agree to a coalition, and Razem will not agree to run on SLD's lists.' In the corridors of the Forum, rumors dominated that SLD would remain. Especially since Włodzimierz Czarzasty 'does not set conditions, but negotiates.' If that were to happen, the Razem party would be left out in the cold. And Wiosna? We hear from PO politicians: 'It's not a party, it's a social movement.' However, Platform is ready to take individual people from Biedroń's party onto its lists. Presumably, except for him himself.” -- FOR NOW, KO IS MOBILIZING ITS OWN RANKS - SZCZĘŚNIAK CONTINUES: “Because for now, KO is showing that it is ready to fight alone. And it is primarily mobilizing its own ranks.” -- KO'S SLOGAN IS A DISCORDANT NOTE - SZCZĘŚNIAK CONTINUES IN OKO: “However, the main slogan is a discordant note: 'Heal Poland.' This means that Poland is sick. Poland, meaning whom? It was probably meant to refer to PiS and the state it is building, but it sounds as if Poles themselves are sick. And that no longer sounds like a message of love.” -- SZCZĘŚNIAK ON THE SIGNIFICANT ABSENCE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS: “The modest participation of local government officials was puzzling. 'They are busy,' a PO politician told us. That's a poor explanation. However, the absence of politicians like Rafał Trzaskowski, Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, or Hanna Zdanowska is surprising. After all, KO wants to draw energy from local governments; they are the most positively associated faces of the opposition.” https://oko.press/schetyna-rzadzi-trupa-cyrkowcow-koalicja-obywatelska-szuka-pomyslu-na-siebie-i-polske/ -- SCHETYNA'S "SIX" IS GOOD NEWS FOR PIS - ŁUKASZ ROGOJSZ IN GAZETA.PL: “The 'Six of Schetyna,' announced at the Civic Coalition's Program Forum, is sensible and responsible in many aspects, and moreover, forward-looking. But can one win against Law and Justice in this way, which cares about the 'here and now' by physically giving Poles money in their hands? -- 24 HOURS IN POLITICS IS A LOT - ROGOJSZ CONTINUES: “24 hours in politics turns out to be an eternity. Still on Friday morning, Grzegorz Schetyna announced that there would be no place in the Civic Coalition's campaign for topics like abortion and partnership unions. On Saturday morning, the legalization of partnership unions was included in the 'Six of Schetyna,' the KO's program base for parliamentary elections. The aforementioned 'Six' consists of the following thematic areas: freedom and democracy, Poles' earnings, healthcare, the situation of the elderly, education, the environment.” -- HONEY TO THE HEART OF PIS - GAZETA CONTINUES: “On the other hand, it is honey to the heart of PiS politicians, who fight for the votes of Poles by giving them tangible benefits in the short term, forgetting about medium- and long-term challenges or deliberately not addressing them. As brutal as it may sound, PiS has adopted a more effective way of gaining support because it appeals to wider masses of voters. Moreover, it builds a sense for many Poles that the state has given them something, that it cares about them, that they are not left to fend for themselves.” -- WILL THIS BE ENOUGH? ONE CAN HAVE FUNDAMENTAL DOUBTS - CONCLUSION IN GAZETA.PL: “While talking about meetings with voters, Schetyna emphasized that a significant lesson is learned from them: it is not enough to be merely anti-PiS. It took the opposition only four years to arrive at this realization, but as they say, better late than never. However, looking at the program presented by Civic Coalition, the question arises: will it be enough? One can have legitimate doubts.” http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,24990315,szostka-schetyny-to-dla-pis-dobra-wiadomosc-opozycja-postawila.html -- FRAGMENT OF WOJCIECH CZUCHNOWSKI'S TEXT ON THE TAPE AFFAIR IN GW: “And the CBŚ? The role of the police elite is more mysterious. When the ABW arrested Łukasz N. – the waiter to whom Falenta had entrusted the recordings – he refused to cooperate. He only 'opened up' to CBŚ police officers. They protected him during the investigation and even during the trial. Why such trust from Łukasz N. in the police? Much suggests that he had been cooperating with the CBŚ much earlier and, before the Falenta incident, had 'serviced' wiretaps at the (no longer existing) Lemongrass restaurant, which was frequented by politicians, businessmen, and criminals.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24989155,kto-bardziej-skorzystal-na-tasmach-falenty-rosjanie-czy-pis.html -- CZUCHNOWSKI ON THE FACT THAT NO ONE INVESTIGATED THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF KULCZYK'S DEATH: “Kulczyk informed the Polish government and the ABW about these plans, asking for a kind of 'counterintelligence protection' for the undertaking. An employee designated by him regularly provided the Agency with information on the progress of the talks. In return, Kulczyk hoped that the services would prevent Russian provocations, which he feared. Jan Kulczyk's death buried the entire project. Its natural causes were never questioned, nor were any premises found that someone contributed to it. But no one looked for them either. From my sources, the ABW simply acknowledged the opinion of Viennese doctors.” -- KULCZYK'S DEATH COMPLETES THE PUZZLE - CZUCHNOWSKI CONTINUES: “There is one more matter. On July 29, 2015, Jan Kulczyk, the richest Pole and a magnate in the energy market, among others, died in Vienna. This figure cannot be fitted into any part of the matryoshka, but his death – resulting from complications after a standard medical procedure – completes the entire puzzle. At that time, media sympathetic to PiS began publishing another series of wiretaps.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,24989155,kto-bardziej-skorzystal-na-tasmach-falenty-rosjanie-czy-pis.html -- PROF. MARCIN KRÓL WRITES IN GW THAT LACK OF ENGAGEMENT IS DAMAGING: “There is no determinism in history, because if there were, the idea of human freedom would make no sense. Then nothing would depend on us, and yet now everything depends on us. We must condemn with all our might those who propagate the theses that nothing is clear-cut, that there are many shades of gray, that it could be worse. These are again valid views in ordinary times, but not now, now they are ordinary saboteurs, enemies of change who panic at the thought that the Coalition of Hope will deprive them of the opportunity for a grumbling tone. There is no longer 'on the one hand and on the other' or 'to a certain extent.' There is only a choice between hope and diabolical hopelessness.” http://wyborcza.pl/magazyn/7,124059,24988794,marcin-krol-symetryzm-jest-dobry-na-dobre-czasy-dzis.html -- DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH JANUSZ CIESZYŃSKI ON MORAWIECKI'S GOVERNMENT BEING MORE EFFICIENT THAN A CORPORATION: “The Council of Ministers led by Prime Minister Morawiecki seems more efficient to me than the corporations I have worked for.” https://www.rp.pl/Plus-Minus/307119914-Janusz-Cieszynski-Polacy-ufaja-swoim-lekarzom.html -- THE LAST SANDWICHES IN THE THIRD REPUBLIC - KRZYSZTOF ŁAPIŃSKI RECOUNTS AN ANECDOTE INVOLVING MICHAŁ KAMIŃSKI in an interview with Eliza Olczyk in RZ: “We'll see in the autumn whether he will run. And I remember how in 2005, just fifteen minutes before the presidential election results were announced, when we already knew the exit poll results and knew that the late Lech Kaczyński had won the election, Michał Kamiński, encouraging us to take advantage of the catering ordered by the headquarters, exclaimed happily that there were still fifteen minutes left to eat the last sandwiches in the Third Republic.” http://archiwum.rp.pl/artykul/1407449-Samo-haslo-to-za-malo.html -- JACEK GĄDEK ON BORUSEWICZ'S STUBBORNNESS WHO DOES NOT WANT TO BE THE LEADER OF A SEJM LIST IN POMERANIA: “For a year, they have been badgering him to be the 'locomotive' to the Sejm and free up a spot in the Senate. But he is desperately clinging to remaining a senator. If he cannot be persuaded and remains stubborn, he will have a guaranteed start in the Senate,' one of the Civic Platform politicians tells us. For the opposition in the upcoming elections, a realistic goal is not so much to take power, but to deprive Law and Justice of a self-sufficient majority in the Sejm, therefore every vote for – cast for opposition candidates for MPs – is important to them. 'Borsuk' has a secure mandate, regardless of whether he runs for the Senate or the Sejm. However, by running for senator, he gains votes for himself, and by running for MP, he also gains them for the party.” http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,24987111,zamieszanie-w-po-ws-lidera-w-jej-mateczniku-w-partii-dziwia.html -- July 14, 2006 – The government of Jarosław Kaczyński was sworn in. -- BIRTHDAYS: Jarosław Marek Rymkiewicz, Sylwester Latkowski, Tomasz Marciniuk. SUNDAY: Michał Zaleski, Michał Andrzej Olszewski, Krystyna Klosin.