-- POMASKAA HAS LONG HAD HER OWN STRONG ELECTORATE - NATEMAT EXPRESSES SURPRISE AT CHANGES ON THE PO LIST IN GDANSK: "The recommendation is unexpected, as until now the second spot was supposed to go to MP Agnieszka Pomaska. In Gdansk, she has long had a very strong personal electorate. She built it up by climbing the rungs of her political career. Pomaska was first one of the leaders of the PO youth wing, twice won a seat on the Gdansk city council, and then secured a parliamentary mandate in the Gdansk constituency three times." -- WAŁĘSA HAS EXPERIENCED A SERIES OF ELECTORAL DEFEATS - NATEMAT CONTINUES: "Further controversy surrounding the changes on the KO list in Gdansk is raised by the fact that Jarosław Wałęsa has recently suffered a series of electoral defeats in Pomerania. In November 2018, in the local government elections, he was a candidate for mayor of Gdansk, but was eliminated in the first round, which was contested by Kacper Płażyński and Paweł Adamowicz. The European Parliament campaign of Lech Wałęsa's son also ended in failure." https://natemat.pl/280743,gdansk-kandydaci-z-list-ko-jaroslaw-walesa-na-dwojce -- RAINBOW-COLORED DODA AT A CONCERT IN BIAŁYSTOK - front page of the local Kurier Poranny. -- SLD CHANGES NAME TO KW LEWICA - Iwona Szpala in GW: "SLD wants to change its name to Lewica. This is a compromise that will allow them to create a joint list with Wiosna and Razem without having to face the 8% electoral threshold for coalitions." http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,25058057,juz-nie-sojusz-lecz-lewica-sld-zmienia-nazwe-i-uklada-listy.html -- A GOOD RESULT FOR LEWICA IS IN SCHETYNA'S INTEREST - KRZYSZTOF PACEWICZ IN GW: "There is only one scenario in which KO can take power and Schetyna can become Prime Minister: one where Lewica and PSL achieve good results, and PiS falls below expectations, allowing the opposition to gain more seats in total. (...) Schetyna's maneuvers towards competitors may help him strengthen his position as the leader among the losers, but they certainly move him further away from the position of Prime Minister of Poland." http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,25057971,grzegorzu-schetyno-nie-podkradaj-kandydatow-dobry-wynik-lewicy.html -- HALICKI ON THE DIFFICULTY OF GIERTYCH RUNNING WITH KO - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2019/08/05/ -- KUCHCIŃSKI ON THE WAY OUT, WILL TERLECKI REPLACE HIM? - GW's front page (Czuchnowski, Kublik, Kondzińska): "There are two scenarios. The first is that PiS will defend the Marshal, and only then will Kuchciński resign. – There is also another option: we recall him quickly on Friday. There is no debate about the Marshal's flights, only information about his successor – a PiS MP tells us, but stresses that a decision has not yet been made. The Deputy Marshal, Ryszard Terlecki, is to replace Kuchciński. – After all, he is the one who actually governs in the Sejm anyway – our source explains." http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,25058326,marszalek-kuchcinski-na-wylocie-sam-poda-sie-do-dymisji.html -- ONET CALCULATES KUCHCIŃSKI'S TRAVEL COSTS TO RZESZÓW AT 4 MILLION PLN: "This concerns nearly one hundred flights by Marshal Marek Kuchciński between March 2018 and May 2019. These are flights from Warsaw to Rzeszów and back. Onet's calculations, based on flight documentation we possess, indicate that these flights alone, in this period, cost the state budget, meaning all taxpayers, over 4 million PLN." -- ONET ON 92 FLIGHTS SINCE MARCH 2018: "The compilation we prepared based on documentation shows that from March 2018 to May 2019, there were 92 such flights. Additionally, there were six flights in other directions, although all of them touched upon the Podkarpacie or Lesser Poland regions. This makes a total of 98 flights. Opposition politicians and media reports mention over a hundred flights, which may be due to numerous cancellations and postponements by Kuchciński's associates. We have included all these changes in our compilation." https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/onet-ujawnia-ile-kosztowaly-loty-marszalka-marka-kuchcinskiego/ert748b -- 400 PAGES OF KUCHCIŃSKI'S FLIGHT DOCUMENTATION - IZABELA KACPRZAK IN RZ: "Nearly 400 pages documenting the flights of the Sejm Marshal from March 2018 to July 2019 on the Rzeszów-Warsaw and Warsaw-Rzeszów routes were received by Civic Platform MPs from the General Command of the Polish Armed Forces as part of a parliamentary intervention. Although they show how often Marek Kuchciński flew to and from Rzeszów, they did not clarify all doubts." -- KACPRZAK IN RZ ON DESTROYED KUCHCIŃSKI FLIGHT DOCUMENTATION: "Another doubt is the fact that the Air Transport Base does not have documents from before March 2018 regarding the Marshal's completed flights – they have already been destroyed. – Of course, we asked why, and based on what regulations? It turned out that this period was adopted by the command – a Civic Platform MP, Marcin Kierwiński, who is dealing with Kuchciński's flights, tells us." https://www.rp.pl/Prawo-i-Sprawiedliwosc/308049945-Jak-marszalek-Kuchcinski-podbil-niebo.html -- THE WORST SEJM MARSHAL OF THE THIRD REPUBLIC, TREATED THE SEJM LIKE HIS OWN PRINCIPALITY, IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE HE STARTED TREATING THE STATE LIKE THAT - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: "Regardless of the future fate of this politician, he will go down in history as the worst Sejm Marshal of the Third Republic. Marek Kuchciński's list of sins is long. He treated the opposition condescendingly, as if to prove his loyalty to the 'good change' with ostentatious brutality towards them. He was equally brutal towards journalists and participants in various protests. Photos of Marshal's Guard officers using force against parents of disabled people will also go down in the history of the Polish parliament. The Marshal turned the Sejm into a fortress, tightened security measures for entering its premises, and closed off corridors and passages. Since he treated the parliament building like his own principality, it was only a matter of time before he started treating the state in the same way, especially state transport." -- KUCHCIŃSKI - A PRODUCT OF THE PIS SYSTEM - SZUŁDRZYŃSKI CONTINUES: "However, it must be remembered that Kuchciński did not make himself Marshal. He is also a product of the PiS state's power system. Jarosław Kaczyński does not trust institutions that he has not staffed with trusted people. And this is the weakest link in the PiS revolution, because even the closest associates turn out to be imperfect. The most loyal of loyal companions has failed. Therefore, the PiS leader bears some responsibility for the recent scandals involving Kuchciński. It is according to his will that the second most important position in the state is held by someone like Marek Kuchciński. In a sense, the Marshal of the Sejm has also fallen victim to the system created by the PiS leader." https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/190809799-Szuldrzynski-Kuchcinski---produkt-systemu-PiS.html -- MACIEJ MIŁOSZ ON 'TUPOLISM' IN THE CASE OF KUCHCIŃSKI'S FLIGHTS - writes in DGP: "Firstly, the flights of Marshal Kuchciński and other VIPs were often ordered at very short notice. For example, in the second half of 2018, over 50 so-called flight requests were submitted for the most important state officials. Almost half were made less than 48 hours before the scheduled departure, meaning on an urgent basis. – This creates problems with planning and fleet management, standard operating procedures cannot be followed – says our source from the military. Meanwhile, the 'Instruction on Organizing Flights with Top State Officials in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland' clearly states: 'Information about a flight with top state officials is submitted no less than 48 hours before a domestic flight.' Of course, it can also be done on an urgent basis, but it was intended for emergency situations, such as natural disasters. It is hard to find so many such cases in the second half of 2018." https://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/opinie/artykuly/604346,tupolewizm-kuchcinski-loty-bezpieczenstwo-przepisy-instrukcja-head.html -- IT'S NOT THAT PIS MUST WIN - LESZEK MILLER IN A CONVERSATION WITH JACEK NIZINKIEWICZ IN RZ: "It will be difficult, but it's not the case that PiS must win. They can lose. Especially since there is a fact that could lead to worse PiS ratings. This is the 'Samolot+' program, meaning the affair of Sejm Marshal Marek Kuchciński, if, of course, the opposition plays it well. When the issue of bonuses erupted and Beata Szydło said what she said, there was a certain shift in support for PiS. It can be the same now. The PiS electorate is capable of tolerating a lot and, of course, is not sensitive to what is happening in the Supreme Court, in the Constitutional Tribunal, or how parliamentary procedures are observed, but when they see that state positions are being used for such ordinary, brazen personal gain, something happens within that electorate. Especially since there was supposed to be work, moderation, and humility. And here there is neither moderation, nor humility, nor work." -- MILLER PREFERS TUSK OVER BIEDROŃ: "I'm betting on Donald Tusk. Today, there is no more competent and experienced Polish politician who could be a great president. He knows the internal conditions, he has won elections in Poland twice. He is an international-caliber politician. An ideal candidate for president. If I had to choose between Biedroń and Tusk for president, analyzing their substantive preparation, experience, and skills, I would of course vote for Tusk." https://www.rp.pl/Wywiady-i-rozmowy/308049947-Leszek-Miller-Marek-Kuchcinski-pograza-PiS.html -- PIS WOULD HAVE TROUBLE IF THE OPPOSITION GUARANTEED THE 500+ PROGRAM - TOMASZ SAWCZUK IN KULTURA LIBERALNA: "PiS rule is not just a string of abuses and failures. But the situation where the argument of the 500+ program was at the center of public debate for a long time was unfortunate. In such conditions, PiS could treat the program as an insurance policy and respond to every criticism with two words: '500 plus.' The assessment of the entire PiS government was sufficient if the ruling party managed to do one important thing – and the opposition could not cope with it. The opposition's acceptance of the 500+ program has three advantages. First, it allows us to acknowledge that the program has improved the lives of many people. Second, it allows social policy to be treated as a form of normal state activity, so citizens can believe it will be continued, in one form or another. Third, it allows the symbolic discussion of 500+ to be considered concluded and outdated. Thanks to this, one can look at the PiS government in a more complete way and hold the ruling party accountable on other important social issues." https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2019/08/05/rzad-pis-cztery-lata-komentarz-sawczuk/ -- NON-HETERONORMATIVE PEOPLE ARE PERSECUTED IN POLAND - EWA SIEDLECKA: "The political authorities have been inciting hatred against LGBT people for several months (this abbreviation can also dehumanize, I use it reluctantly). The church authorities in Poland have been excluding and stigmatizing them for years. Now they have gone a step further: they dehumanize and call for a fight against them. There is no doubt: non-heteronormative people are persecuted in Poland by the church and state authorities. Defense through appeals and protests, through calls for solidarity – that's one thing. But it's worth turning to the law. Independent courts and impartial judges are the classic weapon of a citizen against oppressive power. And judges in Poland – for now – have defended their impartiality." -- PRINCES OF THE CHURCH ARE NOT ABOVE THE LAW - SIEDLECKA CONTINUES: "Princes of the Church are not above the law. Archbishop Jędraszewski is not a sacred cow. Power does not treat citizens equally. But citizens should treat power equally." https://siedlecka.blog.polityka.pl/2019/08/04/arcybiskup-nie-jest-swieta-krowa-czyli-pozwac-biskupa/ -- MARCIN MELLER IN CONVERSATION WITH MARCIN FIJOŁEK IN SIECI - WE ARE BEING TAKEN TO THE CLEANERS: "I have no idea, but perhaps it's more about avoiding certain issues; these are often trifles, environmental matters, small gestures. To be honest: my subjective feeling is that for four years we – the broadly understood 'other side' – have been getting the short end of the stick. It's also a question of whether after the autumn, if PiS wins, they will relax, or step on the gas and head towards Budapest. If the liberal 'good-change' Gowin announces media deconcentration, it's a signal for us: 'We're coming for you, those of you who have survived.'" -- THE PENDULUM WILL SWING BACK SOMEDAY - MELLER CONTINUES: "One thing is obvious to me: we will probably lose these upcoming elections, but eventually the pendulum will swing back, and power will change. And I have a feeling that no one in this country, in my country, realizes this. I will be the first to defend against crazy solutions, but I have a feeling that an anti-church pendulum will eventually swing, compared to which Zapaterism is a minor issue. And from a purely pragmatic point of view, PiS should be lowering the level of emotions and division today, and the ball is now on your side." -- WE HAVE MOST PEOPLE WITH A NEUTRAL ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE WORLD, WHILE FOR YOU THE WORLD IS AN ARENA OF SHARP IDEOLOGICAL STRUGGLE - MELLER CONTINUES WITH FIJOŁEK: "I read an interview with Manuela Gretkowska in last weekend's 'Wyborcza' and thought that if I were a supporter of the 'good change,' I would want to read this nonsense every day. It's as if you gathered all the stereotypes of a person out of touch with reality from Warsaw, who harbors contempt for 90 percent of the people around them. Unbelievable. But these are not examples that capture the essence of the state of mind on our side. I think the significant difference is that most people here have a generally neutral attitude towards the world, on the principle of 'live and let others live as they wish,' while for you, the world is an arena of sharp ideological struggle. And that's the problem. Let's also be honest: most people reach for media to confirm their emotions and intuitions. If you reach for 'Sieci' or 'Newsweek,' it's usually to – apart from pathological individuals like us who read everything – get arguments that confirm your own worldview." https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/457756-nasz-wywiad-meller-musimy-nauczyc-sie-ze-soba-rozmawiac -- DGP ON THE FRONT PAGE ABOUT ACCIDENTS INVOLVING URBAN SCOOTERS: "Not even a year has passed since these two-wheeled vehicles appeared on the streets of our cities, and according to a DGP survey, hundreds of people have ended up in hospitals with injuries. Doctors warn that it may get worse as the market develops." https://zdrowie.dziennik.pl/aktualnosci/artykuly/604342,elektryczne-hulajnogi-wypadki-szpital-ranni-pacjenci-urazy.html -- 8th anniversary of Andrzej Lepper's death. -- BIRTHDAYS: Genowefa Tokarska, Wojciech Brochwicz, Ireneusz Zyska.