-- KWAŚNIEWSKI ON NEVER IMAGINING HE'D HAPPILY VOTE FOR ZANDBERG, GOWIN ON THREATS TO THE RIGHT - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2019/08/19/ -- PIELGRZYMKI NA 300 PREMIERA PIS BILLBOARD:https://300polityka.pl/news/2019/08/19/wiarygodnosc-to-nasza-sila-dlatego-ludzie-nam-ufaja-pis-prezentuje-nowy-billboard-wyborczy/ -- LAND OF GREAT LAKES TO BECOME LAND OF TIR TRUCKS - GW: “The heart of Masuria, with Mikołajki in the Land of Great Lakes, will soon become a land of TIR trucks. 'This will be a road not for Masuria, but through Masuria,' explain the skeptics. It looks like they are losing.” -- BUILD A MASURIAN BYPASS, DON'T DRIVE OVER IT - CONTINUES GW: “This does not mean, however, that protesters do not want drivers to use better and safer roads through Masuria. On the contrary, they support the postulate that road builders should renovate the current road No. 16 through the heart of the Land of Lakes. As long as they don't destroy the landscape and nature in the process. The transit route – wide and intended for high-speed traffic – should, in their opinion, be built on the outskirts of Masuria and take a wide arc around the most ecologically valuable areas of the Land of Great Lakes. Hence the slogan of building a Masurian bypass.” http://olsztyn.wyborcza.pl/olsztyn/7,48726,25098130,s16-przez-mazury-co-bedzie-z-jeziorami-w-krainie-wielkich-ciezarowek.html -- THE PRIME MINISTER'S WIFE PILGRIMED ANONYMOUSLY TO PIEKARY ŚLĄSKIE: https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/459805-zona-premiera-anonimowo-pielgrzymowala-do-piekar-slaskich -- PO CANDIDATE VS. PSL CANDIDATE, CURRENT PLATFORM SENATOR - GW ON A RIFT IN THE SENATE COALITION: “This concerns a district that includes, among others, Kołobrzeg and Białogard in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship. In the parliamentary elections, the candidate for PO and the entire Civic Coalition there is Janusz Gromek, former president of Kołobrzeg. Whereas the PSL candidate is Grażyna Sztark, the current PO senator.” http://szczecin.wyborcza.pl/szczecin/7,34939,25098803,wybory-parlamentarne-2019-w-tym-okregu-i-po-i-psl-chca-wystawic.html -- BOTH SIDES PARALYZED BY THE CONVICTION THAT THE CAMPAIGN IS DECIDED - PIOTR ZAREMBA in DGP: “Campaign firecrackers will explode in the autumn. For now, however, the campaign gives the impression of paralysis. As if everything were already decided. It's summer, so it's hard to expect extraordinary public interest in politics. Yet, several Polish election campaigns have already taken place in the summer. This one is exceptionally lifeless. It's not that politicians aren't making their routine campaign tours. They are, but they aren't saying anything new or interesting. Both sides seem paralyzed by the conviction that the battle has been decided before it has truly begun. Paradoxically, if anyone, it is the winner of the polls, i.e., the ruling camp, that is more active and inventive.” -- THE OPPOSITION HAS NO AGENDA, IT DOESN'T EVEN WORK WITH DOCTORS AND TEACHERS: “For now, it has almost no agenda of its own. It doesn't even work with those social groups that are not close to the current government, such as teachers or doctors. It's possible it's postponing this work until autumn, but results are not achieved in this sphere with a single statement or gesture, but with a repeated refrain. KO leaders seem to consider PiS's advantage more social than political, stemming from the sentiment of individual groups and environments, thus structural and lasting for the next few months. They are not announcing it, but looking at their faces, one might assume so.” -- PIIS SHOULD ESSENTIALLY WISH FOR THE CAMPAIGN TO BE A JUDGEMENT ON ITS RULE - CONTINUES ZAREMBA: “PiS should actually wish for the campaign to transform into a grand trial of its rule. In that case, its power remains the only point of reference. However, the positive consequences of the opposition's colorfulness and multiplicity of currents disappear, as all its leaders are ultimately forced to repeat the same thing.” -- SCHETYNA DREW TUSK INTO RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DEFEAT - CONTINUES ZAREMBA: “Schetyna drew one benefit from the lost European elections. By allowing Donald Tusk to get involved, he drew him into co-responsibility for the defeat. He dispelled the myth of the great absentee, deprived him of the aura of infallibility. Today, against Tusk, the PO leader, presented as a minor power technician, doesn't look too bad. However, this is dominance in a completely barren field, in a desert or lunar landscape. It will take years for this to change.” https://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/opinie/artykuly/605418,zaremba-kampania-wybory-zwyciestwo-pis.html -- TOGETHER TO THE SENATE - GW'S LEAD ARTICLE: “Negotiations are now in their final stages. They were attended by, among others, Zygmunt Frankiewicz, the president of Gliwice, and Jacek Karnowski, the president of Sopot, as representatives of local government officials supporting the Civic Coalition, as well as Marek Balt from SLD, Piotr Zgorzelski from PSL, and Krzysztof Gawkowski from Wiosna. According to a politician from the PO leadership, only minor details remain to be agreed upon – mainly with Lewica, as talks with PSL lasted longer and there was more time for agreement.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,25098203,opozycja-razem-do-senatu-jest-oficjalne-potwierdzenie-platformy.html -- JACEK CZAPUTOWICZ IN CONVERSATION WITH JĘDRZEJ BIELECKI in Rz about solidarity with democrats in Russia and Hong Kong: “Absolutely! I stand in solidarity not only with those in Hong Kong but also with all movements aimed at restoring human rights and freedoms. Including those in Russia. My support, therefore, has a personal dimension and is also in Poland's interest. Democratic states fundamentally do not pose a threat to other states.” -- WE WILL NOT SEEK THE TRANSFER OF US TROOPS FROM BASES IN GERMANY - CONTINUES THE FOREIGN MINISTER: “We will certainly never seek that! American troops in Germany also serve Poland's security.” -- WE ARE CONSIDERING ANOTHER LNG TERMINAL DUE TO UKRAINE - CONTINUES CZAPUTOWICZ: “America provides us with security not only militarily but also energetically. For Poland, imports of liquefied gas from overseas are important. Therefore, we are considering the construction of another, this time floating, LNG terminal in Gdańsk, which could supply the raw material not only for Poland but also for Ukraine. Both the Americans and we want Ukraine to become independent from Russian gas supplies and no longer be blackmailed by the Kremlin.” -- CZAPUTOWICZ ON THE BEST RELATIONS WITH GERMANY IN YEARS: “Moderate right-wing parties still dominate there, and other pro-Polish parties like the Greens are gaining momentum. Minister Maas himself, for two days, participated with me in the commemorations of the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising. Last week, he specifically flew to New York for a Security Council session that I chaired. He began his speech by recalling the Warsaw Uprising, during which Germans killed 200,000 Poles, and traced the development of humanitarian law from such wartime events. It was a very beautiful gesture.” -- CZAPUTOWICZ ON THE CJEU: ITS RULINGS ALWAYS HAD TO BE COMPLIED WITH: “Von der Leyen is not alone, there are other countries, there is still Timmermans, who finds it difficult to admit defeat. The CJEU, on the other hand, is a completely separate matter. Its rulings have always had to be complied with, this is unrelated to Article 7.” https://www.rp.pl/Dyplomacja/308189972-Czaputowicz-Solidaryzuje-sie-z-walka-o-wolnosc-w-Hongkongu-I-w-Rosji.html -- JAKUB BODZIONY in KL on RAZEM understanding politics: “Śpiewak forgets that fighting women, LGBT people, refugees, or immigrants do not have such a luxury as he does. Moreover, during the local elections, he himself sought the support of the often extremely right-wing Kukiz 15 banner, ultimately losing to Marek Jakubiak. Śpiewak thus remained a faithful activist to his urban ideals, on the margins of politics, and Razem finally understood that in a representative democracy, the place to practice politics is in parliament.” -- THE SLD BANNER IS OFFENSIVE, BUT THE ABSENCE OF THE LEFT IN PARLIAMENT WOULD BE MORE OFFENSIVE - CONTINUES BODZIONY: “The SLD banner may be offensive. But considering the prospect of another four years without the left in the Sejm, the frog that some activists from Razem and Wiosna must swallow does not seem large. It is worth remembering, however, that the left's entry into parliament is only the first step. What the politicians of the three parties will do once they are in the Sejm and how long the unity of this bloc will last is more important.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2019/08/19/bodziony-lewica-koalicja-komentarz/ -- MACIEJ GDULA on the reasons for PiS winning the European elections - in conversation with Michał Sutowski in Krytyka: “In my opinion, for completely different reasons than Platforma and PSL claim. Actually, for several at once. First of all, PiS politicians scared people by threatening to take away social benefits if the opposition returned to power. They also convinced them that they were the guarantor – soon – of a European standard of living, of German wages in a few years. And the last issue: Law and Justice handled the fight against the flood quite well just before the elections. In a situation of perceived threat, people favor the government if it acts correctly – and PiS didn't fail that task. The prime minister didn't say that people should have taken out insurance…” -- GDULA ON THE BLACKSMITH WHO PRAYS FOR JĘDRASZEWSKI: “That's not enough, because it turns out that without PiS, it means Poland as it was before. Paweł Kowal recently said that he prays for Archbishop Jędraszewski. We really need something more in the face of the hatred that some key Catholic Church hierarchs are trying to incite.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/gdula-jedynka-krakow-lewica-wybory-rozmowa/ -- Rz ON THE THREAT OF A NEW TEACHER STRIKE: “Teachers are not giving up protests, and sentiments among educators are radicalizing – according to a report prepared at the request of the All-Polish Inter-School Strike Committee. The document, obtained by 'Rzeczpospolita,' was prepared by scientists from the Universities of Warsaw, Jagiellonian, and Gdańsk. Opinions collected from over 7,000 teachers indicate that 41% of them consider a new strike necessary. Support for the protest increases – to 66% – if it does not involve leaving the classroom. Only 19% of teachers consider the protest completely unnecessary.” https://www.rp.pl/Nauczyciele/308189946-Strajk-nauczycieli-byc-moze-jeszcze-przed-wyborami.html -- IT WILL NOT BE EASY FOR THE RULING PARTY TO DEAL WITH THESE EMOTIONS BEFORE THE ELECTIONS - EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF Rz BOGUSŁAW CHROBOTA: “The conclusions are unambiguous. The specter of a continued strike hangs over the campaign. Teachers are frustrated, disappointed by society's reaction and the role of trade unions, but over 40% want to strike. That's a lot. Enough to seriously consider the probability of an education strike before the elections. And since the issue is important to over half of Poles, it may bring with it emotions that the ruling party will not easily handle.” https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/308189970-Chrabota-Sondaze-nie-wylapuja-emocji.html -- POLES ARE THEMSELVES TO BLAME - WITOLD GADOMSKI in GW: “PiS promised to fix the courts and prosecution, but instead introduced chaos, which allows for manual control of the courts and prosecution, as well as the Constitutional Tribunal. At the same time, it enjoys the support of almost half of the voters, even though it is gradually introducing exploitative institutions into politics – the announcement of restricting media freedom under the guise of their 'polonization,' the takeover by PiS politicians of complete control over the prosecution and secret services, which have become instruments in political struggle. The common people don't mind, so the common people (voters) will be responsible for another defeat for Poland.” -- GADOMSKI ON WHY NATIONS LOSE: “Daron Acemoglu (for years one of the most cited economists in scientific literature) and James Robinson wrote a book: 'Why Nations Fail.' In Poland, it was published in 2014 by Zysk i S-KA publishing house. It is one of the most important books published in recent years. By the way, I wonder if PiS activists have read it. The owner of the publishing house ran on this party's list last year for the mayor of Poznań. Nations that manage to create inclusive institutions in politics and the economy win.” http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,25092776,lud-nie-jest-bez-winy.html -- MACIEJ MIŁOSZ RETURNS TO THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF CEK'S SEIZURE BY MISIEWICZ: “The aim of Bartłomiej Misiewicz and his people taking over the NATO Centre of Excellence for Counter-Intelligence (CEK) in December 2015 was to gain control over an institution still led by officers of military intelligence from the Civic Platform government era. Later, documents were found there concerning, among other things, the Smoleńsk tragedy and cooperation with the FSB. DGP analyzed the case files of the CEK seizure.” https://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/wydarzenia/artykuly/605395,bartlomiej-misiewicz-cek-fsb.html -- GW PRAISES... GLINSKI: “Polish musicians are increasingly making waves internationally. And thanks to Minister Gliński, it can be even better. 'For previous ministers, music meant Penderecki and Chopin, and the rock-jazz-pop sector had little chance of applying for support. It was Minister Gliński who launched the 'Creative Sectors Development' program, which supports export initiatives not only in entertainment music but also in games, film, and design,' says Marek Hojda, director of MExP. The annual budget of the office, funded by donors and partners, including other collective management organizations (STOART, SAWP), is around PLN 1.2 million annually. This includes MExP administrative costs, so this money is a drop in the ocean of needs. But they say a drop carves stone…” http://wyborcza.pl/7,113768,25096794,o-polskich-muzykach-w-swiecie-coraz-glosniej-a-dzieki.html -- THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE CONFIRMED THE DISAPPEARANCE OF PIOTR WOŹNIAK-STARAK - FAKT WAS THE FIRST TO REPORT THE ACCIDENT: “Accident on Lake Kisajno (Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship). On the night from Saturday to Sunday, at least two people ended up in the water. Both had previously been on a motorboat. One of them managed to get to shore. The police searched for the second person all day. A helicopter from the provincial command was deployed for the search. Fakt learned that Piotr Woźniak-Starak (39) was supposed to be on the boat. This information was confirmed by the prosecutor's office. The police searched for the missing person mainly along the shoreline of the Starak family's property on Lake Kisajno.” https://www.fakt.pl/wydarzenia/polska/piotr-wozniak-starak-mial-wypadek-na-mazurach/mf6l7pn -- GAZETA.PL ON THE STARAK FAMILY'S MASURIAN ESTATE: “The entire incident took place near the Starak family estate in Masuria, in the town of Fuleda. The luxurious fortress belongs to Piotr's father, Jerzy Starak, who owns a large pharmaceutical company. The property covers over 200 hectares and is styled as a Cossack settlement. The entire area is very heavily guarded. Just behind the first inconspicuous fence, there are motion sensors that activate cameras placed throughout the property if needed. These transmit the image to a guard who monitors the large area. Another fence is two meters high. The property is also patrolled by guards on quads, motorcycles, and horses.” http://www.plotek.pl/plotek/7,154063,25098739,piotr-wozniak-starak-zaginal-niedaleko-rodzinnej.html -- DUŻY FORMAT REPORT ON THE PEDOPHILIC BEHAVIOR OF KRZYSZTOF SADOWSKI: http://wyborcza.pl/duzyformat/7,127290,25092943,on-mial-61-lat-a-my-12-dziewczyny-z-zespolu-tecza-po-latach.html -- BIRTHDAYS: Maciej Łopiński turns 72, Dawid Wildstein, Marzanna Zielińska, Grzegorz Wszołek.