-- OPPOSITION ON KUCHCIŃSKI TRAVEL - "I'D LIKE TO SEE THE MARSHAL IN A TAXI, WITH BOR OFFICERS OF COURSE" - Sławomir Nitras on Twitter https://twitter.com/slawomirnitras/status/1155051096580251648?s=12 -- ARE THEY ACTUALLY BETTER THAN THEIR PREDECESSORS? - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: "Many of PiS's actions outrage the opposition, its voters, or the political center. However, the behavior of the Sejm Marshal, who used government flights with his family members, might be a serious problem for right-wing voters. It undermines the party's credibility as being better than its predecessors." https://www.rp.pl/Prawo-i-Sprawiedliwosc/190729527-Szuldrzynski-Podniebne-podroze-Marka-Kuchcinskiego-czyli-praca-pokora-i-umiar-wedlug-PiS.html -- RZ ASKS IF THIS IS ANOTHER FINANCE MINISTER WHO DOESN'T WANT TO ENDORSE HANDOUTS - as Krzysztof Adam Kowalczyk writes: "If things are so good, why has the ministerial seat from Świętokrzyska Street become a hot potato and is being hastily abandoned? In the face of the economic slowdown coming from Western Europe, will we not face a period of sharp budget tensions? Or perhaps the future head of the Supreme Audit Office, following Prof. Czerwińska, is another finance minister who doesn't want to endorse PiS's next electoral gifts worth tens of billions of zlotys?" https://www.rp.pl/Opinie/190729497-KowalczyK-Goracy-stolek-kasjera-panstwa.html -- JACEK KARNOWSKI ON THE ESTABLISHMENT'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT - IS SOMETHING STARTING TO CRACK?: "Who knows, perhaps those who think that another term for PiS will be much calmer, that this government will gain recognition - or at least passive tolerance - from a significant part of the establishment, are right? Perhaps something is really starting to crack." https://wpolityce.pl/media/456552-czyzby-wyborczej-wymykaly-sie-z-rak-kolejne-wazne-lejce -- KIDAW A OR KOWAL AT THE TOP OF KO IN KRAKOW - Dziennik Polski's lead candidate. -- THIS IS A POWERFUL LOBBY, BUT THE ATTACK BY NATIONALIST THUGS IS NOTHING MORE THAN A WISH FOR THE ANNIHILATION OF OTHERS - PIOTR ZAREMBA IN RZ: "The LGBT movement is not a handful of shouted-down outsiders. It is a powerful lobby. But the attack by nationalist thugs on a legal demonstration is nothing more than a wish for the annihilation of other people, venting frustration and bitterness." -- THESE ARE NOT FORMULAS OF MERCY - ZAREMBA ON STICKERS: "I reach for this tactical argument reluctantly, to appeal to the reason of the right – such a sticker simply repulses me, ethically and aesthetically. The term 'religion-free zone' was used during the French Revolution. The idea of a 'Jew-free zone' during World War II. These are not formulas created by proponents of treating one's neighbor with mercy." -- PIS HAS TROUBLE WITH DECISIVENESS TOWARDS EXTREME RIGHT-WING ACTIVISTS - ZAREMBA CONTINUES: "How will these collective emotions, albeit of a rather elite group, translate into the moods of ordinary Poles before the elections? I have no idea. PiS has trouble with decisiveness towards extreme right-wing activists, and the scandalous statement by the Minister of Education, Dariusz Piontkowski, that events like the parade in Białystok are unnecessary, shows that not only right-wing internet users fail to grasp the principle of freedom of assembly. This does not change the fact that it would be more convenient for the ruling camp to avoid - not the dispute with the LGBT movement itself, but such clashes." -- THE ASSOCIATION WITH A NEW RELIGION EXPLAINS MANY POLES' FEARS - ZAREMBA ON LGBT MOVEMENTS: "I do not equate this ideology - as fervent conservatives do - with communism (sometimes even an analogy with fascism appears). It does not program the entirety of public life, nor does it call for systemic changes. Nevertheless, the vision of a city filled with such flags contradicts the image of a society free from dogmas. The association with a new religion, or at least a worldview binding on everyone, suggests itself. This explains the fears of many Poles who see in this something more than a forecast of moral corrections. These concerns will need to be revisited." -- ZAREMBA ON CONSERVATIVE SENSITIVITIES REGARDING PARTNERSHIPS: "I recall a conversation I had with a group of gay men in 2013. They argued that the very idea of regulating their unions was conservative in nature. They cited the example of Great Britain, where David Cameron's Tories fulfilled this demand. Perhaps for them, it is an encouragement for greater stability in being a couple. For faithfulness. It is worth considering this seriously." https://www.rp.pl/Plus-Minus/307259910-Ruch-LGBT-Meczennicy-nacjonalisci-i-polityczne-rozgrywki.html -- JOANNA MUCHA ON THE TOLERANCE OF BANDITRY - IT'S ABOUT NOT TALKING ABOUT PiS'S REAL PROBLEMS - in an interview with Anton Ambroziak in Oko: "For 3.5 years, there has been tolerance in Poland for groups with a bandit character to operate without restriction. The agenda of these extremist groups and the ruling party is common: diversity is evil, foreignness is a danger. I am particularly saddened that the Catholic Church also subscribes to this rhetoric. But not entirely - as an institution. Only in its Polish variant. It is repulsive that violence is undertaken under the banner of counteracting child depravity. Environments that are tolerant and open are to be associated with danger. And these unhealthy emotions are intentionally fueled. The point is for us to talk about this, not about the real problems of Poles or PiS scandals." -- PEOPLE ARE REALLY QUOTING TVP HEADLINES - MUCHA CONTINUES: "We are up against the propaganda machine of public television, and while campaigning in Lublin Voivodeship, I heard with my own ears that people are actually reciting quotes from news headlines. Our ally is also not the Catholic Church, which has become a significant information and propaganda mouthpiece for the right-wing narrative. https://oko.press/joanna-mucha-pakt-o-nieagresji-z-lewica-wybory-sa-do-wygrania-zadne-fatum-nad-nami-nie-wisi/ -- WILL OPPOSITION BE POSSIBLE IN POLAND AT ALL IN THE FUTURE? WHO IS NOT POLISH ACCORDING TO CATHOLIC-RIGHT-WING PATTERNS - BARTŁOMIEJ SIENKIEWICZ: "So the Białystok problem is not a problem of gays and lesbians, but a question of whether opposition to authority will be possible in Poland at all in the future, legally and based on laws that are still in force. If not, Poles will find themselves in a country that has nothing to do with the broader West, but rather with a confessional republic or an authoritarian regime (which amounts to the same thing). And the rulers are gaining a truly totalitarian tool – the ability to create a uniform model of who is and who is not Polish according to their own right-wing-church standards. All those who do not fit this model will be condemned to public non-existence at best, and at worst – to being victims of organized hate rallies." -- FIRST GAYS AND LESBIANS, THEN THE OPPOSITION? - SIENKIEWICZ CONTINUES: "And here we come to the essence of the matter. Creating an atmosphere of intimidation, stigmatizing minority groups – sexual, political, or under other banners – is mortally dangerous for Poland and its future. It leads to a mechanism where the law and the constitution guaranteeing freedom of assembly and public expression of views do not function, to a mechanism of exclusion where public existence is demanded to cease. If people susceptible to the rulers' propaganda, driven by hatred towards the indicated circles, are against it, then these circles should not exercise their guaranteed rights – that is the culmination of this policy. First gays and lesbians, then the opposition, or perhaps atheists or other denominations? Or perhaps some professional group protesting too loudly against the government's policy? These techniques have already been tried against resident doctors and teachers." https://www.tvn24.pl/magazyn-tvn24/jestes-polakiem-wedlug-prawicowo-koscielnego-wzoru-albo-masz-problem,227,3903 -- SCHETYNA AFRAID OF A RAINBOW GRZEGORZ? - PIOTR PACEWICZ IN OKO: "This caution probably stems from the belief that an unequivocal declaration could expose Schetyna and the entire coalition to the accusation of 'leftism.' PiS propaganda has shown its effectiveness in promoting the absurd slogan 'rainbow Władysław' [Kosiniak-Kamysz], the leader - as he was nicknamed - of PSLGBT. Kosiniak-Kamysz succumbed to this blackmail and decided that a 'leftward turn' was the cause of his party's weaker electoral results. It is possible that Schetyna's cautious reaction is an expression of fear of similar accusations from PiS and its media." -- PACEWICZ BELIEVES PLATFORMA FAILS TO NOTICE ITS PROGRESSIVE VOTERS: "Analyzing the polls, OKO.press has pointed out that European Coalition politicians, and especially PO, are not keeping up with their own electorates, which are significantly more progressive than their leaders on issues such as LGBT rights (to a lesser extent this applies to PSL voters). Partnership unions should be introduced - believed in a February poll by IPSOS for OKO.press: 83% of PO's electorate; 80% - .Nowoczesna; 78% - Wiosna; 53% - PSL and only 28% in PiS. Even on the issue of same-sex marriage, legalization was supported by: 62% of PO's electorate; 77% - .Nowoczesna voters; 78% - Wiosna; 37% - PSL; and 15% in PiS. Schetyna's game of avoiding unequivocal support for LGBT rights risks the Civic Coalition losing progressive voters, who may drift to the SLD-Wiosna-Razem coalition." -- PLATFORMA MISSED THE CHANCE TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE - PACEWICZ'S CONCLUSION: "The drastic acts of homophobia in Białystok gave the entire democratic opposition a chance to take the initiative in the dispute over LGBT rights and human rights in general, and the quality of democracy, but Platforma did not seize this opportunity. Because the left is organizing. Schetyna won't go to Mr. Czarzasty's party." https://oko.press/schetyna-nie-jedzie-do-bialegostoku-bo-boi-sie-ze-pis-zrobi-z-niego-teczowego-grzegorza-ko-atakuje-lewice/ -- PIOTR TRUDNOWSKI CONTEMPLATES THE LEGALITY OF COALITIONS THAT DO NOT RUN AS COALITIONS: "The entire construct of 'United Right' is based on a loophole in electoral law. In practice, Polish law distinguishes three possibilities of participating in elections: participation by a single party's electoral committee, participation by a coalition of groups' electoral committee, and participation by a voters' electoral committee, which, however, is not entitled to electoral subsidies. Theoretically, this makes sense, but the lack of precise regulations has led to the perversion of these possibilities by today's practice. The PiS-SP-Porozumienie bloc is in fact a coalition that should have a different legal personality, including a coalition agreement. It should be subject to a different electoral threshold and a threshold entitling it to obtain funds from the state budget, but it bypasses these requirements by presenting candidates from other parties on one group's lists. As a result, contrary to the spirit of the law, smaller formations not only are not entitled to a share of subsidies, but the detailed rules of cooperation between groups remain secret." -- COALITION FROM THE GREY AREA - TRUDNOWSKI CONTINUES: "Therefore, Poland is governed by a 'grey area' coalition. In practice, smaller groups are merely appendages to Jarosław Kaczyński's party. This is significant because, in the perspective of the upcoming parliamentary elections, there is nothing to prevent other groups from repeating this maneuver. This will make the exception to the codex rules become the new norm in Polish politics." -- TRUDNOWSKI ADVOCATES FOR UNIFORM THRESHOLDS: "Therefore, it seems sensible for both the electoral threshold and the threshold entitling the receipt of subsidies to be the same as for party committees. Maintaining the current legal status, this would be 3% required to receive funds from the state budget and 5% to participate in the distribution of seats in parliament. Let's leave the discussion on the optimal threshold levels for another occasion." https://klubjagiellonski.pl/2019/07/26/skonczmy-z-polityczna-szara-strefa-trzy-zmiany-na-rzecz-praworzadnosci-i-pluralizmu/ -- JĘDRZEJ BIELECKI IN RZ ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MICHEL'S ELECTION AS HEAD OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL FROM TUSK'S PERSPECTIVE: "From the perspective of Donald Tusk, and more broadly the Polish opposition, the election of Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel as President of the European Council is particularly problematic. This is because Tusk's predecessor also came from small Belgium – a clear signal that it is a less important position, which large EU countries not only do not need to control but can fill without regard for basic principles of geographical diversity. This is no accident: the office that was once intended to be the precursor to the creation of a 'President of Europe' is today meant to be weak enough not to limit the freedom of movement of the leaders of the EU member states." -- LESZEK MILLER ON THE COALITION'S CHANCES - MACRON AND TSIPRAS ALSO STARTED FROM LOW LEVELS - he says in an interview with WIADOMO.CO: "An intelligently conceived campaign, using modern instruments, offers a chance. There are examples where candidates started from a low level and won elections. For instance, the President of France, the new President of Ukraine, or the President of Slovakia..." -- MILLER ON TUSK'S SITUATION: "But if the elections ended in defeat, it would discourage him. I would use a metaphor here – a bird, even if it walks, feels it has wings. And Donald Tusk is in such a situation. Even if he lacks the determination to run, he knows he can try and he has wings that he can spread." https://wiadomo.co/leszek-miller-opozycja-nie-jest-bez-szans/ -- BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE SPOT WITH TEDDY BEARS AND A REFRIGERATOR - JACK PROTASIEWICZ RECALLS IN AN INTERVIEW WITH ELIZA OLCZYK IN RZ: "Two things did us in – the spot with the emptying refrigerator filmed by Lech Kaczyński's campaign team and the grandfather in the Wehrmacht. Michał Kamiński, who was in Kaczyński's campaign, told me – after the elections – where it came from. He met with a priest friend, they were talking about the campaign, and at one point the priest said: we're lucky that two Solidarity candidates are at the head of the presidential race, whether Tusk or Kaczyński wins, ours will win. Then Kamiński realized that if people don't see a difference between Donald and Leszek, and Donald is younger and more likeable, they have a problem. And they intensified the campaign." -- PROTASIEWICZ ON HOW SCHETYNA DECLARED HIMSELF DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER IN TUSK'S GOVERNMENT ON TVN24: "The first snag occurred after the 2007 election victory. Tusk agreed with the PSL that there would only be one deputy prime minister in the coalition government, from the PSL, i.e., Pawlak. Schetyna really wanted to be deputy prime minister, but Tusk only offered him the position of Minister of Interior and Administration. I heard that Schetyna then went to TVN 24 and announced on air that he had received an offer to become Minister of Interior and Deputy Prime Minister, and accepted both." -- PROTASIEWICZ ON SCHETYNA'S PEOPLE IN COMPANIES: "So that he could coordinate the actions of ministers, and most importantly, the Minister of the State Treasury, i.e., Aleksander Grad. One day, Jan Krzysztof Bielecki asked Tusk why key State Treasury companies were being staffed with strange people. For example, the head of KGHM became Michał Krutin – a high school friend of Jarosław Charłampowicz, Schetyna's parliamentary office director. And the head of PGE became, I believe, the former head of Adidas in Poland, who previously supplied uniforms to the Śląsk Wrocław club, managed by Schetyna." -- TUSK REALIZED SCHETYNA HAD ASSIGNED HIM THE ROLE OF THE BRITISH QUEEN - PROTASIEWICZ CONTINUES: "Shortly thereafter, articles began to appear stating that Prime Minister Tusk was likeable, but it was Chancellor Schetyna who ruled the government with an iron fist. Then Tusk realized that Schetyna had assigned him the role of the British queen, who reigns but does not rule. And thus, tensions arose between them, which I was unaware of until 2009." -- THEY WANT TO LOCK ME UP IN JURATA - PROTASIEWICZ ON TUSK'S WORDS: "A few months later, we are talking again, and Donald asks me if he should run for president. I reply that we should get revenge for the grandfather in the Wehrmacht. And he says: they want to lock me up in Jurata, put a TV there with sports channels, bring red wine, as long as I don't interfere." -- PROTASIEWICZ RECALLS HOW SCHETYNA DID NOT SHOW UP FOR A MEETING AT TUSK'S: "Then the campaign became tense because PiS was breathing down our necks, and Donald received information that Schetyna was talking with Grzegorz Napieralski from SLD and Waldemar Pawlak from PSL about a three-party coalition, but with a new prime minister, i.e., himself. However, Donald won those elections. The day after the elections, Schetyna – as the Marshal of the Sejm – had a meeting scheduled with Tusk for the morning, but he did not come to the Chancellery of the Prime Minister. I was there too. – You see – Donald said. – He was supposed to be here, we were supposed to talk about the future of Poland and Platforma, and he went to Komorowski, and they are probably scheming. That's when Tusk decided that Schetyna would become an ordinary MP. However, Rafał Grupiński managed to get him the chairmanship of the Sejm's Foreign Affairs Committee, and thus the 'cave' (the office of the committee's chairman - ed.) was born." https://www.rp.pl/Plus-Minus/307259927-Jacek-Protasiewicz-Emigracja-moralna-polskiej-inteligencji.html -- MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI ON JUDGES - IN THE CONTEXT OF THE DURCZEK CASE: "It's high time for some reflection. Perhaps it's worth considering cooperation, dialogue with those who want to reform the Polish justice system? Perhaps the attitude suggested to a large part of your community by Michnik's team is leading you astray? Perhaps the entire judicial system, so splendidly wrapped in the EU flag, is closer to the Putin model than you would like to admit?" https://wpolityce.pl/spoleczenstwo/456697-drodzy-sedziowie-poczytajcie-komentarze-o-sprawie-kamila-d -- RYSZARD TERLECKI IS GLAD THERE WILL BE NO DERISORY PRL MUSEUM - as he writes in Dziennik Polski: "Disputes over the PRL Museum, planned for Nowa Huta, have been ongoing in Krakow for years. The original project, which assumed a mocking history of Polish communism, thankfully failed, but no serious concept has been developed in its place. Currently, the Nowa Huta Museum operates there and is part of the Museum of Krakow. This idea might be valid, but consequently, the matter of establishing a museum of PRL history remains open. It is obvious that this is a task for the Polish state and institutions that will implement the assumptions of Polish historical policy, not the fantasies or ambitions of local authorities for whom history counts from the beginning of their term." https://plus.dziennikpolski24.pl/w-krakowie-tocza-sie-klotnie-o-muzeum-prl-projekt-ktory-zakladal-przesmiewcza-historie-polskiego-komunizmu-na-szczescie-upadl/ar/c15-14303305 -- BIRTHDAYS: Wiesław Władyka, Grzegorz Kajdanowicz, Stanisław Gorczyca, Jacek Tomczak, SUNDAY: Kazimierz Michał Ujazdowski, Piotr Maślak, Katarzyna Wężyk.