-- THE PRIME MINISTER WITH INSURGENTS, ZANDBERG SPEAKS OF A DOUBLE-DIGIT RESULT FOR THE LEFT AND MOCKS NOWACKA, LUBNAUER ON CIVIC COALITION'S OFFER TO LEFT-WING VOTERS - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2019/08/01 -- LET'S HOPE SUCH THINKING IN BERLIN DOESN'T PASS WITH ANGELA MERKEL - JERZY HASZCZYŃSKI IN RZ: “I am still haunted by the thought of how it was possible that criminals responsible for the murder of thousands of Poles, such as Heinz Reinefahrt, peacefully lived out their final days as respected citizens or admired professionals. Now the inclination to settle accounts is strong, but the perpetrators are a hundred years old, and they are not the most important ones. A sad conclusion: justice is almost always too late. We must live with this burden and try not to burden our relations with Germany, our most important partner in Europe, with it. However, knowledge and sensitivity on the other side are necessary. We must recall the words of the Chancellor from 2015: That we are so close to each other is primarily due to Poland's readiness for reconciliation and partnership with Germany, "despite unimaginable German crimes during World War II." Let's hope such thinking in Berlin doesn't pass with Angela Merkel.” https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/307319913-Haszczynski-Za-pozno-na-sprawiedliwosc.html -- TODAY HOMAGE TO INSURGENTS, TOMORROW TO FASCISTS - FRONT PAGE OF GW (Mirosław Maciorowski): “Today is the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising, and President Andrzej Duda will pay homage to the Warsaw insurgents. And in ten days, he will commemorate the Polish collaborators of the Third Reich. On August 11, he will patronize the anniversary of the establishment of the NSZ Świętokrzyska Brigade, which rejected cooperation with the Home Army and collaborated with the Wehrmacht.” -- THE SAME MEASURE FOR INSURGENTS AND NATIONALISTS WHO COLLABORATED WITH GERMANY - MACIOROWSKI CONTINUES ON THE FRONT PAGE OF GW: “Today, the President applies the same measure to insurgents who went to fight Germany and to nationalists who, in the name of anti-communism, collaborated with them. He has placed two ethosés in one row – the democratic one, which he invokes on every occasion, and the fascist one, of which he has decided to be an overt enthusiast. How can these orders be reconciled? How can we explain to people that one can simultaneously walk hand-in-hand with heroes who fought the occupier and with those who fraternized with him?” http://wyborcza.pl/alehistoria/7,162654,25047547,dzis-andrzej-duda-odda-hold-powstancom-warszawskim-a-jutro.html -- REGARDING THE KRS LISTS, THERE IS NO INTEREST, A COMPLETELY SENSELESS ARENA - MARCIN FIJOŁEK: “This does not contribute to the clarity of the rules of the game, and the fact that the judgment is not being implemented by a public administration body (the Sejm Chancellery) only heightens doubts. There is almost no interest in this (apart from political stubbornness and matters of ego), the whole issue is not a political fuel in any way, yet the matter, through its own fault, gains a second life and becomes a weapon for the other side of the dispute (not to mention the consequences in disputes with the ECJ and EU administration). A completely senseless arena is opened by one's own volition, destroying the dignity of the state and spoiling the rules of the game in the process.” -- BIGGER AMBITIONS THAN JUST POLISHING THE PLATFORM'S STANDARDS? - FIJOŁEK CONTINUES: “The second issue is Marshal Marek Kuchciński's flights. The circumstances of flights on a government plane are one thing, which require detailed explanation (a change in the law is unfortunately not enough), and the second is the matter of evasive answers previously provided to journalists by the Sejm Chancellery. Playing hide-and-seek is not something that happens between offices and ministries and the media for the first time, but if we have greater ambitions in mind than just polishing the standards of the Platform and previous teams, then a qualitative change is also needed here. Yet another point is that the position of the second person in the state (!) should be held by a person – as Ryszard Czarnecki put it – above suspicion, like Caesar's wife.” -- FIJOŁEK ON DECISIONS REGARDING KUCHCIŃSKI IN THE AUTUMN: “I would add that it would be nice if the lack of suspicion were also accompanied by a certain degree of political autonomy and greater care for the standards of public debate. But that's a reflection for potential decisions in the autumn of this year.” https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/457252-wyroki-marszalek-troche-politycznej-jeremiady -- ŁUKASZ WARZECHA ON HOW THE PRESIDENT'S DAUGHTER FLEW TO THE USA ON HER OWN MONEY ON A COMMERCIAL FLIGHT - HE WRITES IN WP: “And yet, it is possible to observe good standards even in Polish conditions. When the presidential couple recently visited the USA, netizens began asking the president on Twitter who paid for the flight and stay of Kinga Duda, who accompanied her parents in the United States. The President replied that his daughter flew on a commercial flight using private money and her stay was paid for with private funds. Is it possible? Yes. Moreover, it should be appreciated that Andrzej Duda made such a decision not under the influence of prior criticism. He didn't have to put out a fire, as PiS is doing now in connection with Kuchciński. He simply knew how to behave, respecting taxpayers' money. It's a shame that such an attitude seems to be the exception rather than the rule.” -- RESTRICTIONS ON THE PRIVILEGES OF POWER ARE NOT BEGGING - WARZECHA CONTINUES: “In short – politicians present any criticism of their abuses as excessive, exaggerated, unfounded, and directly leading to beggary. It's convenient for them, but it's an obvious falsehood. Limiting the group of people who can use government cars or a clear prohibition for unauthorized persons – including family members – to use government transport does not mean beggary at all. Respecting public money is not beggary. If that were the case, why would the Prime Minister's regulation, concerning this matter, be changed now to be more restrictive? Of course, the question also arises why this was done only after the Kuchciński flights scandal broke out.” https://opinie.wp.pl/lukasz-warzecha-kuchcinski-nie-pomyslal-ze-robi-zle-bo-robili-tak-wszyscy-i-nikt-sie-nie-czepial-opinia-6408568551188609a -- POWER THAT FEARS DEBATE IS NOT SURE OF ITS VICTORY - JACEK NIZINKIEWICZ IN RZ: “TVP viewers will not see Grzegorz Schetyna on TVP, just as Wałęsa could not be seen on state television back then. They will not see the opposition leader in a confrontation with the ruling party's leader. And they will not learn who would win the competition on knowledge about the state in a direct discussion, who is a better leader, who is closer to Poles, and whom to trust. Today, one thing is certain: power that fears public debate is not sure of its victory.” https://www.rp.pl/Analizy/190739805-Nizinkiewicz-Debat-nie-bedzie-bo-Prawo-i-Sprawiedliwosc-boi-sie-przegrac-przez-nie-wybory.html -- END OF THE FERENC ERA IN RZESZÓW? - FRONT PAGE OF RZESZÓW'S NOWINY: “If Mayor Tadeusz Ferenc wins a parliamentary seat in the autumn elections, Rzeszów will face a real earthquake, which will conclude with early elections.” https://plus.nowiny24.pl/koniec-ery-tadeusza-ferenca-w-rzeszowie-to-bardzo-mozliwe/ar/c1-14317565 -- CIVIC COALITION LISTS WITH DISPUTES IN THE BACKGROUND - AGNIESZKA KUBLIK IN GW: “What kind of 'fresh start' did Zdanowska mean? – It was supposed to be her own list with her closest collaborators from local government, not even party activists – a politician from the Civic Coalition tells us.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,25046167,listy-ko-z-niesnaskami-w-tle-hartwich-jednak-dostanie-trzecie.html -- KRAKOW'S GW ON THE DISSATISFACTION OF THE LOCAL PLATFORM WITH THE LISTS - as Magdalena Kursa writes: “A rank-and-file PO activist tells us: – I don't understand such a distant position for Bogusław Sonik [ninth place]; he is a legend of our Solidarity, he did a huge amount of work before the European elections; for that alone, the party should have rewarded him with a better place. I am also surprised by the distant positions of Jerzy Meysztowicz [eighth], Ireneusz Raś [sixth], or Józef Lassota [seventh]. Lidia Gądek is also in an uncomfortable situation, as she has to fight for votes in districts north of Krakow, dominated by PiS, from fourth place – analyzes our interlocutor.” http://krakow.wyborcza.pl/krakow/7,44425,25047090,wybory-parlamentarne-2019-dokad-pawel-kowal-zaprowadzi-koalicje.html -- HARD TO FIND SOCIAL ACTIVISTS ON THE LISTS - Łukasz Rogojsz in Gazeta.pl: “As promised to Poles, in the upcoming elections, the Platform wants to show a slightly younger face and bring in some fresh blood. After the European elections, both its voters and activists, as well as media favorable to PO, appealed to the party leadership for this. In the autumn elections, out of 41 "number ones" for KO, eighteen are 30- and 40-year-olds. That's almost half. In the top positions of the KO lists, we also have three local government officials – Tadeusz Ferenc (Mayor of Rzeszów), Joanna Jaśkowiak (Greater Poland Voivodeship councillor), and Riad Haidar (Lublin Voivodeship councillor). However, it is difficult to find social activists at the top of the lists, who were supposed to be the Civic Coalition's trump card.” -- THE PLATFORM STILL HAS DRAWING POWER - ROGOJSZ CONTINUES: “The Platform has once again shown that despite the years and increasing mileage, it can still attract interesting names from outside politics. We are talking, of course, about the well-known football commentator Tomasz Zimoch ("number one" in Łódź) and Paweł Kowal (although he is returning to politics after a several-year break as "number one" in Krakow). Both candidacies have been positively received by Platform voters. Kowal's candidacy is also positively assessed by many people who are not affiliated with the Platform in any way but look favorably upon the "good change." This bodes well for taking a certain number of votes away from PiS, at least in the capital of Lesser Poland.” http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,25047098,po-pierwsze-partia-po-drugie-podtapianie-dawnych-sojusznikow.html -- THE PARTY POINT OF VIEW HAS PREVAILED - analysis by Piotr Pacewicz and Agata Szczęśniak in Oko: “As many as 99 out of 123 "first, second, and third" positions on the KO electoral lists have already been in the Sejm, Senate, or EP (80%). 28 people are the core elite of the Platform. We counted only four social activists outside the party framework. Women make up 43%, but only 34% in the "first" positions, which is typical for PO and .N. The average age is typical, 50 years. The party point of view has prevailed.” -- NOWOCZESNA HAS 11 PEOPLE ON THE LISTS, ZIELONI 3, NOWACKA 2 - OKO CONTINUES: “Among the 123 names, there are 16 candidates from the three coalition partners of the Civic Platform. Nowoczesna has 11 candidates. Witold Zembaczyński received the "number one" spot in Opole, Katarzyna Lubnauer is "number two" in Warsaw; Zieloni received three spots, including an unusual "number one" for KO in Zielona Góra for Tomasz Aniśko, who pushed the esteemed local PO leader Waldemar Sługocki, a member of both PO-PSL governments, to second place. Małgorzata Tracz, co-chair of the party, received "number two" in Wrocław; Inicjatywa Polska has two spots, including "number one" in Gdynia for Barbara Nowacka.” https://oko.press/listy-ko-silnie-upartyjnione-80-proc-bylo-juz-w-parlamentach-spolecznikow-doliczylismy-sie-czworo/ -- INTERIA DOUBTS SCHETYNA'S WORDS ABOUT SOCIAL ACTIVISTS: "We will open 20% of the spots on the lists, leave them, assign them to people from the civic opposition, from non-governmental organizations" - Schetyna announced. Currently, there is no indication that as many as one in five KO candidates will be representatives of civic movements or non-governmental organizations. For example, in Krakow, among the 10 announced names, there is not a single such person – they are simply KO politicians plus Paweł Kowal.” https://fakty.interia.pl/polska/news-niepartyjna-koalicja-obywatelska-co-zostalo-z-zapowiedzi-sch,nId,3123986 -- JACEK ŻAKOWSKI ARGUES THAT CALLING HOMOPHOBES FASCISTS BUILDS THE POWER OF FASCISTS: “I myself experience such opinion-reinforcing labeling. Since I have been called a leftist, I wear my leftism like a medal and treat it as a commitment. The same may apply to a thug who likes to beat someone up for entertainment, to a homophobe, an anti-Semite, a racist, or another xenophobe. If good people hadn't told them they were fascists, they might never have thought of becoming them. Since they are already labeled as fascists, they may seriously investigate who they are and where to find others like them. Even if, apart from one or another phobia, they have little in common with fascism, they will join it to overcome loneliness. Because, as is known, birds of a feather flock together. And surely we don't want to provide more followers to real fascists and build the power of a nascent fascist party.” -- A FASCIST IS A FASCIST, A HOMOPHOBE IS A HOMOPHOBE - ŻAKOWSKI CONTINUES: “That's why I stand by my guns. A fascist is a fascist, a homophobe is a homophobe, a racist is a racist, and a thug is a thug. Sometimes these may manifest similarly. But if we want to live in a slightly better world, it's not worth succumbing to appearances.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,25043528,faszysci-i-wszystko-jasne.html -- BIRTHDAYS: Irena Woycicka, Jan Tomasz Gross.