-- 75 DAYS UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR. -- ADAM MICHNIK TURNS 73 TODAY! -- GOWIN CONCLUDES THE 30-FOLD TOPIC - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2019/10/17/ -- LEAVE SCHETYNA ALONE - JACEK ŻAKOWSKI IN GW: "The Civic Platform lost not because it had a poor leader, but because its substance evaporated, personalities disappeared, dreams leaked out, and meaning dissipated. (...) The Civic Platform did not lose because it had a poor leader, a bad campaign, bad spots, a weak staff, ill-conceived gifts for the electorate, or mediocre lists. All of this influenced the result, but – like Grzegorz Schetyna – it didn't fall from the sky, it grew out of the Platform itself." -- WHEN THERE ARE NO NEW IDEAS, A NEW FACE MISLEADS - ŻAKOWSKI CONTINUES: "It's easier to find a new leader than a new reason for existence. This creates the temptation, after such a defeat, to start by getting rid of Schetyna, and then 'we'll see.' But a new leader proves effective when you have new ideas, and a new leader instead of new ideas is an idea that has already led many parties astray. When there are no new ideas, a new face works in the short term, which can again backfire before the elections." http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,25316149,odwalcie-sie-od-schetyny.html -- GW ON THE FRONT PAGE ABOUT THE KIDAWAS OPERATION - as Iwona Szpala writes: "The party's leadership intends to look after the leader's interests in the field. – Talks with activists are ahead of us. They will be long and honest, meetings will be organized across the country. We want to explain that presidential elections are most important now, not settlements – says a Schetyna supporter. – We need to keep people in the party busy. Give them new challenges. This is part of a rescue strategy aimed at improving Schetyna's ratings. He has the party organized to his liking, so he probably doesn't have to worry about the loyalty of his collaborators – comments one of the important PO politicians." -- TRZASKOWSKI CANCELLED MEETINGS, FOCUSED ON CIVIC PLATFORM - SZPALA CONTINUES: "– The move started on Monday, by Tuesday it was in full swing. Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski cancelled all meetings and had talks within the Civic Platform – reveals a Coalition politician. – The same is happening in other regions, in the mayoral cities, where we have power. I would call these 'micro-configuration meetings.'" http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,25316818,wrzenie-w-platformie-chca-odebrac-wladze-schetynie.html -- THE MAJORITY OF THE OPPOSITION IN THE SENATE IS A CHANCE TO CIVILIZE POLITICS - STEFAN SĘKOWSKI IN NOWA KONFEDERACJA [PAYWALL]: "The fact that the opposition has a majority in the upper house of parliament is a chance to civilize our politics and improve law-making. Whether it will be used depends on the rational attitude of both sides of the political conflict. (...) This can be good news not only for its staunch supporters but also for those who voted for Law and Justice, not out of tribal animosity towards everything that is not identifiably 'right-wing,' but who would like to see its postulates implemented in the best possible quality and in a civilized manner. For those who are tired of hastily pushed through legal blunders by parliament, and for those who would like politicians to have to agree with each other on matters important to the state. This is an opportunity to improve legislation and civilize political culture." https://nowakonfederacja.pl/opozycyjny-senat-to-szansa-dla-polski-politycy-nie-zepsujcie-tego/ -- THIS IS A MANDATE FOR A PLURALIZED POLITICAL SCENE - PIOTR TRUDNOWSKI: "There is also great satisfaction. Because democracy won. By electing all five nationwide committees to the Sejm, Poles have given a mandate to a pluralized political scene. They want to have a choice – diverse, ideological, not overly packaged." -- YOUNG PEOPLE ON THE LEFT ARE PUSHING CYNICS AND UNPRINCIPLED PEOPLE OFF THE STAGE: "The Left returns to the Sejm with a rejuvenated representation. Full of social activists with views in many key matters completely opposite to mine, but nevertheless thoughtful, consistent, for whom they toiled in precarious NGO and university realities for long years. Gdula, Dziemianowicz-Bąk, Gosek-Popiołek, Gill-Piątek. It's good when your serious, spirited ideological competition pushes out a few cynics and unprincipled people. It will be interesting. -- ETERNAL ORPHANS OF PO-PIS WILL FINALLY NOT WASTE THEIR VOTES - TRUDNOWSKI ON PSL: "The competition for power is also growing. The Polish People's Party (PSL) is emerging from the countryside and reaching the cities. It is breaking free from the trap of polarization. It stands on the ground of moderately conservative values. Thanks to cooperation with Paweł Kukiz, it adds a whole range of systemic and pro-civic postulates to its program, which we at the Jagiellonian Club have been fighting for for a long time. Referendum day, deglomeration, passive voting rights, justices of the peace. The eternal orphans of PO-PiS, though as always through gritted teeth, for the first time in a long time cast a vote that was not wasted." https://publicystyka.ngo.pl/lekcja-z-wyborow-warto-robic-polityke-warto-budowac-mosty-felieton-trudnowskiego -- POLITICS RETURNS TO WIEJSKA STREET - PIOTR WITWICKI IN WP: "This way, the times when PiS had full control over the voting process are ending. The coalition partners are really strong and can start being capricious. The express mode is also a thing of the past, and not just because Stanisław Piotrowicz will be gone. The Senate can slow down the proceedings of any project. Something will matter again in Parliament. A representative of the nation who is late for a vote can change the fate of the country. This will be a truly interesting Parliament." https://opinie.wp.pl/piotr-witwicki-wyniki-wyborow-parlamentarnych-2019-wielka-polityka-wraca-do-sejmu-opinia-6435742453573761a -- THE CIVIC PLATFORM'S LACK OF IDEOLOGY WILL BE AN INCREASING PROBLEM FOR IT - JAKUB BODZIONY IN KULTURA LIBERALNA: "These studies also show that after four years in opposition, the Civic Platform does not evoke positive emotions, and the majority (!) of its voters vote for it because they do not want PiS rule. The PO's lack of ideology will backfire on it, which will certainly be exploited by the PSL, presenting itself as the new Polish Christian Democrats, and the Left, which has a clear stance on social issues and has brought several young, charismatic representatives to parliament. Schetyna, in his nearly four years leading the PO, has not managed to defeat PiS. Moreover, we have also seen that he will not represent the liberal agenda associated with sex education, women's rights, and minorities. Without personnel changes and a definition of its ideological profile, the Civic Platform will be an increasingly unnecessary party, weakening along with its leader." https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2019/10/17/spor-o-przyszlosc-platformy-obywatelskiej-bodziony-komentarz/ -- PATRYK JAKI ON THE PRIVATE STATE OF ELITES - TELLS অভিজ্ঞতা JACKOWI NIZINKIEWICZOWI IN RZ: "Fundamental changes are lacking in the Third Polish Republic, which after the transformation period, some not without reason called 'PRL plus.' In Poland, a group of people, partly from the Solidarity elites and partly from the PRL elites, created a 'private state' for themselves, which they consumed at the expense of the rest of society. They amassed great wealth, and the guarantor of maintaining this state of imbalance became several areas of the state dominated by them, namely the media, culture, education, including higher education, and the judiciary. It was this system that was and is the cause of the state's weakness. And today we must ask ourselves to what extent we have managed to make changes in these four areas." -- THE LEFT RETURNS TO THE SEJM BECAUSE THE FLAG IS BEING REPLACED WITH A RAINBOW FLAG AND A LEFTIST SOCIETY IS BEING CREATED - JAKI CONTINUES: "We must answer the question why, despite objective successes: economic growth, falling unemployment, huge social policy successes, massive social transfers to millions of Poles, foreign policy successes (visa exemption to the USA, Wojciechowski) – and the weakness and ridicule of the Civic Coalition – the majority of people still choose opposition parties? And the strengthened Left returns to the Sejm. In my opinion, among other reasons, because we are not getting to the root of changing the foundations of the Third Polish Republic, because before our eyes there is a process of hostile indoctrination and socialization of society – replacing the white-red flag with the 'rainbow' flag, a liberal-conservative society with a leftist one. The world of values of society is mostly shaped by liberal-left media and leftist universities. And the sad punchline of this process was the statement by the rectors of Polish universities that criticism of LGBT ideology must be punished." -- THE RIGHT WILL HAVE NOTHING TO LOOK FOR IF IT DOES NOT REACT TO SOCIALIZATION - JAKI CONTINUES IN RZ: "If the right does not react to these fundamental processes, then after this term, in four years, several million more people will complete the 'socialization' process – the right will have nothing to look for in the Sejm. If it wants to return to power, it will have to become the Left itself, like the British Conservatives, who missed the process of hostile indoctrination and socialization of society and then had to change their program: accept same-sex marriages and adoptions by them. And now (since 2020) they are introducing mandatory gender lessons in schools." -- JAKI ON THE PINK OFFENSIVE: "On the principle: either you adapt, or forget about promotion. In extreme cases, it turns into harassment, as, for example, in the case of an IKEA employee fired for criticizing LGBT propaganda. I will not agree to this! Even if I had to leave politics. I will not commit the sin of silence, the pink offensive on Poland. A lack of decisive action in these matters will strengthen both the left and right wings." -- JAKI ON NIZINKIEWICZ'S QUESTION WHETHER PMM SHOULD REMAIN PRIME MINISTER: "Among well-cooperating and mutually respectful coalition partners, who care not about personalities but about values and Poland, there is always time for a friendly conversation. In our opinion, the best candidate for prime minister has always been President Jarosław Kaczyński – a person with vast knowledge, experience, and success in Polish politics. It was President Kaczyński who was the main architect of the United Right. As the election results showed, we are facing – to put it mildly – not the easiest time, and therefore, for the good of the cause, we must make considered and optimal decisions." https://www.rp.pl/Polityka/310169887-Jaki-Kaczynski-najlepszy-na-premiera.html -- NIK PRESIDENT IS PERFECTLY SUITED TO BE A SCAPEGOAT - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: "PiS decided that the head of NIK must be forced to resign. The catch is that he has very strong constitutional backing and is very difficult to dismiss. And if he refused to resign, Jarosław Kaczyński's party would fall into its own trap. This is a particularly important problem today, when post-election analyses are underway. Indeed, PiS is the winner, it achieved a historic result, but one cannot fail to notice some disappointment within the party. Questions are being asked why the support was not higher, and the search for culprits has begun. The head of NIK is perfectly suited to be a scapegoat." https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/310169919-Szuldrzynski-Prezes-NIK-ciazy-rzadzacym.html -- RAFAŁ MATYJA ON ANTONI DUDek'S BOOK - IN NOWA KONFEDERACJA: "The conclusions Antoni Dudek draws from his analysis of the first governments of the Third Polish Republic are far from the black-and-white scheme in which the sides of the political dispute describe the founding period of the Third Republic. I am not a good reviewer of Antoni Dudek's works. I read his book about Bolesław Piasecki with bated breath. But somehow it fell into general oblivion. The first edition of 'Outline of the Political History of Poland,' from 1997, seemed to me merely a collection of obvious facts. But it was this book – and its subsequent editions – that I later considered a 'must read' for every political science student, and in the courses we ran in Nowy Sącz, a significant 'Dudek test' was one of the most serious barriers to overcome in the first year." https://nowakonfederacja.pl/antoniego-dudka-przewodnik-po-detalac/ -- WHAT WILL BE THE SUBJECT OF TOKARCZUK'S NEW NOVEL - NATALIA SZOSTAK IN GW: "She also revealed that when she is at her home in Krajanów near Nowa Ruda, 'everything whispers to her.' – And I have to describe it. I have received a gift from this land and consider myself a person favored by receiving these stories for free, that they constantly flow to me." http://wyborcza.pl/7,75517,25310463,o-czym-bedzie-nastepna-powiesc-olgi-tokarczuk.html -- BIRTHDAYS: Adam Michnik, Rafał Woś, Justyna Suchecka.