-- JOLANTA BRZESKA'S DAUGHTER ON BEING BELITTLED BY THE COURT: 'I am extremely outraged. I had the impression that the court wanted to detain us yesterday. We waited a very long time for the hearing. Instead of 12:45 PM, the hearing actually started at 4:00 PM. As if the court was waiting for fewer of us, tenants and the public, to be present. I had the impression that the judge who presented the case did so in an exceptionally peculiar manner. At one point, he stated that he would not explain anything because the people gathered in the courtroom would not understand it anyway. We were treated like plebs. After all, it is the judge's duty to present the case, and it doesn't matter if someone understands it or not. The judge only addressed the lawyers of Mr. Marek M. and Mr. Kochalski.' https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/469735-szokujace-kulisy-wyroku-wsa-ws-reprywatyzacji-nabielaka -- KACZYŃSKI, MORAWIECKI, AND GLIŃSKI AT MS. BIELECKA'S SALON - FAKT ON THE FRONT PAGE: https://www.fakt.pl/wydarzenia/polityka/salonik-bieleckiej-spotkanie-na-szczycie-na-prywatce-u-przyjaciolki-kaczynskiego/nsj481s -- GOVERNMENT OF NOVEMBER 12 - FOGIEL CLAIMS - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2019/10/24/ -- CBA ENTERS WARSAW CITY HALL REGARDING THE CZAJKI AFFAIR - reported by RMF. -- IT'S WORTH BETTING ON KOSINIAK, I WILL SUPPORT HIM - ALEKSANDER HALL IN RZ: 'Hope lies in the second center and its leader. I mean the renewed PSL and its leader Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. There are great chances that a serious center-right will be built in Poland, resistant to the authoritarian and revolutionary impulses of the current government. I am convinced that it can become a truly very significant force, especially since it has a talented and righteous leader. It is worth betting on him. I will support him. Kosiniak-Kamysz's party will take voters with right-wing views from PiS who do not want constitutional stretching and breaking, nor a systemic revolution leading to authoritarianism. PSL will also take supporters of the bland or left-leaning PO.' https://www.rp.pl/Publicystyka/310239905-Hall-o-wyborach-prezydenckich-Po-bitwie-przed-kolejna.html -- ANDRZEJ MACHOWSKI ON CONCLUSIONS FROM ELECTORAL MATHEMATICS - writes in GW: 'PiS has hit its ceiling, KO is in a coma, PSL has revived, Lewica has the wind in its sails - these are the conclusions from the analysis of the 2015 and 2019 election results.' -- PIS IS THE ONLY ONE SHOWING NET PROFIT - MACHOWSKI IN GW: 'As can be seen, PiS is the only party that shows a net profit when compared with any other grouping. Well over 1.5 million voters from other parties in 2015 have moved under PiS's wing, which represents an increase of over 10 percentage points compared to PiS's 2015 result.' -- KO LOST THE MOST - MACHOWSKI CONTINUES: 'At the opposite pole is Civic Coalition. It lost almost 440,000 voters to PiS (a loss of almost 3 percentage points compared to PO and N's combined 2015 results); over 300,000 voters to Lewica (a loss of 2 percentage points); over 200,000 to PSL (a loss of 1.4 percentage points).' -- RUMORS OF PSL'S DEATH GREATLY EXAGGERATED - MACHOWSKI CONTINUES: 'PSL could echo Mark Twain by saying that rumors of its death were greatly exaggerated. It received good support among new voters, strengthened at the expense of KO (already 52% of PSL voters are city dwellers), took some voters from Lewica, and although its balance with PiS is negative, it fought a very close battle with them (as the only one from the opposition). Kosiniak-Kamysz will probably not waste this.' -- LEWICA IS REBUILDING - MACHOWSKI'S CONCLUSION: 'Lewica lost what it had to lose right after the 2015 elections. In 2019, it began to rebuild its position. The decision for a joint list allowed it to fight very effectively for new voters. It gained momentum. If Czarzasty, Zandberg, and Biedroń continue as one crew, Lewica can go even further.' http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,25340166,wybory-kto-z-nich-wyszedl-obity-a-kto-sie-wzmocnil.html -- MORAWSKA STANECKA AND CZARZASTY FOR DEPUTY MARSHALS - KRZYSZTOF GAWKOWSKI IN GW: 'Gabriela Morawska-Stanecka should be a deputy marshal. I would also be pleased if Włodzimierz Czarzasty were a deputy marshal of the Sejm, and I will persuade him, but it is his decision.' http://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,25340546,gawkowski-po-ma-wojne-buldogow-pod-dywanem-na-pewno-skorzysta.html -- ANDRZEJ STANKIEWICZ ON THE OPPOSITION'S PROBLEM IN THE SENATE BASED ON AN INTERVIEW WITH SENATOR JACK BURY: 'Did you think the only trouble with the Senate is the tug-of-war between the opposition and the authorities? That's an important problem, but - I assure you - not the only one. Even if the opposition takes control of the upper house of parliament, it will still be a fragile coalition, which opposition leaders will worry about almost at every vote. Why? Due to ego.' -- SENATORS ARE PRIMADONNAS - STANKIEWICZ CONTINUES: 'A significant portion of senators are primadonnas who cannot be disciplined like MPs. Please look at what the newly elected senator from Lublin, elected from the Civic Coalition lists, says in an interview with Onet journalist Sebastian Białach. Something like: 'This opposition is so-so, maybe I'll join their club, maybe I won't.' Oh, and here's another quote: 'I will never agree to party discipline.' Previously, Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, former Minister of Justice in the PO government and President of the Supreme Audit Office appointed by that party, threw similar tantrums. And yet, the opposition has a two-vote advantage over PiS in the Senate. Two votes, including those of Messrs. Bury and Kwiatkowski.' https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/newsletter-onetu-andrzej-stankiewicz-wielki-foch-w-senacie/ybjn7gs -- NOT TO BE TOTAL OPPOSITION - NEW SENATOR FROM LUBLIN JACEK BURY IN CONVERSATION WITH ONET: 'The most important thing for me is one thing - I want to be a responsible opposition, not a total opposition. The formula of total opposition is completely incomprehensible and has no future. Moreover, it is very convenient for the ruling party. We have often heard PiS talk about the opposition, saying they only shout and make a scene. Why? Because they are against everything. By choosing such a formula for evaluating the authorities, extremely important matters from the perspective of the country's future, such as laws that threaten order, self-government, and citizens, get lost in the flood of trivial matters. The average Pole will not discern from this flood of information what is important and what is not.' -- BURY ON RESPONSIBLE OPPOSITION: 'I would rather make them realize that the rhetoric and communication style with voters needs to change. The voters' results show that what has been done so far is ineffective. PiS has been ruling alone for its second term. The Senate has been regained. Now reflection should come. One cannot assume from the outset that everything is bad. If there are good proposals, I will consider them. I propose adopting the formula of responsible opposition. I will try to convince them of this.' -- BURY ON POSSIBLY NOT JOINING THE KO CLUB: 'During the campaign, I repeatedly emphasized that I am running on the Civic Coalition list without being a member of any party. Thanks to KO, I received technical support and the opportunity to conduct an effective campaign. However, we never agreed that I would be a member of the club after the elections.' -- I WILL NOT AGREE TO DISCIPLINE - BURY CONTINUES: 'If I find myself in the KO club, it will be under one fundamental condition. I will never agree to party discipline. If someone tries to force me to vote against my convictions, I will immediately leave such a club.' https://lublin.onet.pl/senator-jacek-bury-opozycja-nie-moze-byc-totalna-wywiad/6c034rh -- RZECZPOSPOLITA ON SENATOR BURY - ACCUSED OF CONNECTIONS TO A SECT: 'One of the senators who will be sitting in the Sejm for the first time is Jacek Bury from the Civic Coalition. He is a well-known entrepreneur from Lublin but has little political experience. He is also a co-founder of a community accused of being a sect. This refers to the New Covenant Church in Lublin (KNP), whose members describe themselves as biblical Christians. It is led by Pastor Paweł Chojecki, known from the internet television Idź Pod Prąd. For years, the nationalist Marian Kowalski was a regular commentator on the television.' https://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/polityka/artykuly/611089,pawel-chojecki-kosciol-nowego-przymierza-jacek-bury.html -- TOMASZ PIETRYGA APPEALS IN RZ FOR PUBLIC COUNTING OF VOTES: 'Public proceedings when considering electoral protests are an absolute rarity. However, the current political and social tensions and attempts to question the credibility of the court hearing the protests justify using this exception more than ever before. The Supreme Court should unequivocally order absolute transparency at all stages of the proceedings. Only in this way can it protect the Polish electoral system, as well as the appellate judicial system, from accusations of loopholes, or even accusations of foul play.' https://www.rp.pl/Opinie/310239879-Tomasz-Pietryga-o-protestach-wyborczych-Sad-Najwyzszy-powinien-zarzadzic-absolutna-jawnosc.html -- PIOTR TRUDNOWSKI ON POLES REJECTING BOTH TOTAL POWER AND TOTAL OPPOSITION: 'The conclusion is simple. Poles rejected both the model of total power and total opposition. They do not want the rulers to do whatever they please, without regard for competitors and public opinion. They do not want the opposition to be satisfied with condemning everything the authorities do outright, but to have a thoughtful, ideological offer played out 'on many pianos.' -- TRUDNOWSKI ON REBUILDING THE CULTURE OF STATE CONSENSUS: 'This is a situation that calls for an appeal to all politicians to attempt to rebuild a culture of consensus – pro-state, pro-democratic, and pro-community. Developing mechanisms to increase the rights of the opposition and minorities will result in better laws and better decisions, because they will be made consensually. Moreover, in this exceptional situation, both sides will benefit from the empowerment of the parliamentary minority.' -- TRUDNOWSKI ON THE JAGIELLONIAN CLUB'S PROPOSAL FOR A NEW DEMOCRATIC PACT IN BOTH CHAMBERS: 'Today's situation – a different majority in the Sejm and the Senate – clearly shows that such regulations are needed. Both sides of the political dispute may experience how bad it is for the 'minority' to be ignored by the 'majority.' https://klubjagiellonski.pl/2019/10/23/co-dalej-z-sejmem-i-senatem-proponujemy-pakt-demokratyczny/ -- TIME IS WORKING FOR PAD - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: 'Time is working in favor of PiS and Andrzej Duda. He has been campaigning for four years, has visited almost all districts, and is not slowing down. The opposition, if it doesn't want to give up on these elections, has no time to wait. And if Andrzej Duda's campaign is not to be a walk in the park for re-election for the current president, then candidates from each of the three opposition blocs should declare their candidacy now and start pre-campaigning - which means primarily fighting for their own recognition.' https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/310239892-Szuldrzynski-Co-moze-zaklocic-spacer-prezydenta-Dudy.html -- THE GALLOPING MAJOR ON THE OPPOSITION'S HYSTERIA REGARDING THE RECOUNTING OF VOTES: 'If there is one thing to be most warned against now, it is the unnecessary opposition hysteria. It is highly inadvisable, especially at the stage of filing requests for recounting votes. Firstly, because every voter can file an electoral protest (the opposition also does so), even the most absurd one. Secondly, it is by no means a questioning of democracy, but quite the opposite - it is its essence. Thirdly, if shouting about the lack of democracy begins now, then in light of the opposition potentially filing electoral protests, public opinion will understand nothing at all. Fourthly, if the court rejects PiS's protests, the opposition will be left with its hysteria like Himilsbach with English. Therefore, it is worth refraining and waiting a moment. And if the worst-case scenarios come true, then not only will it be necessary to shout, but simply to take to the streets.' https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/po-co-pis-owi-awantura-o-przeliczenie-glosow-w-senacie/ -- GAZETA.PL ON THE MERGER OF WIOSNA AND SLD AND RAZEM'S DECISIONS ON A JOINT CLUB: 'It is only a matter of time before Wiosna and SLD merge into one, new formation. According to Gazeta.pl, this should happen before the end of the year. The closer the first session of the Sejm gets, the greater the chances that the Together party will enter the United Left club. According to Gazeta.pl, the chances of a joint club are indeed increasing. Discussions on this topic are ongoing. This weekend (October 26-27), the National Council of the Together party will be held. During it, party activists are to be informed about the possibilities facing the grouping and which of them are most favorable.' -- ANASZEWICZ CRITICIZES WIOSNA'S ACTIONS: 'Wiosna gave a second life to the dying SLD. This is a big mistake. The unification of both parties will only deepen this mistake. SLD will continue to exist because it has structures, money, and experience in politics, while Wiosna will simply end programmatically and organizationally and be absorbed.' http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,25337915,wiosna-polaczy-sie-z-sld-zapewne-jeszcze-w-tym-roku-rozmowy.html -- MICHAŁ SUTOWSKI ON THE NECESSITY OF HIGHER TAXATION OF THE WEALTHIEST - WRITING IN KRYTYKA, CONTRARY TO GOWIN: 'Poland must unleash resources it does not currently utilize and generate new ones. From the professional activation of people from post-agricultural regions to the elderly; from investments in accessible education to relieving women of care work; from industrial policy serving to shift Poland up production chains to a major energy transition. All of this will require - beyond social consensus, which is difficult to achieve today - enormous funds. They cannot be gathered without higher taxation of wealthier individuals, high income earners, but above all, those with assets. It cannot be done without the conviction that the reward for living in Poland and creative work should be rather a standard of living and universally accessible services than low taxes and contributions. I have doubts whether the next United Right government will have enough imagination for all this - because it must seek approval most urgently from the lobby of big business. This is roughly what can be inferred from the otherwise sensible decision to abandon the increase in ZUS contributions for the wealthiest.' https://krytykapolityczna.pl/gospodarka/trzydziestokrotnosc-emerytury-skladki-gowin-duda/ -- 28TH ANNIVERSARY OF SUPER EXPRESS. -- BIRTHDAYS: Jacek Amsterdamski, Mira Suchodolska, Leszek Sikorski.