-- FOUR YEARS AGO, Law and Justice Won the Elections.

-- PIS WILL NOT ABANDON THE LAW PROHIBITING CRUEL ANIMAL FARMING FOR FURS - Wojciech Mucha and Jacek Liziniewicz for GPC: "The elimination of fur farms was not included in the Law and Justice party's program, but the PiS leader, Jarosław Kaczyński, unequivocally took a stand on this issue during the previous term. As revealed to "Codzienna," the party authorities have not changed their minds. – The leadership of Law and Justice continues to be in favor of discontinuing this type of activity, as well as any others based on the premise that Poland is a country where the protection of various rights, including animal rights, would be at a lower level than in Western European countries – Radosław Fogiel, PiS spokesperson, tells "Codzienna." He added that the animal protection law, which includes the proposed ban, will be processed in the term commencing on November 12.
https://telewizjarepublika.pl/pis-z-sercem-dla-bezbronnych,86607.html

-- PIS IS DETERMINED TO SETTLE THE MATTER ONCE AND FOR ALL - WOJCIECH MUCHA ON FB: "Together with Jacek Liziniewicz, we have established that in the next parliamentary term, Law and Justice intends to swiftly finalize the amendment to the animal protection law, which was initiated in the previous term and was not put to a vote for various reasons. Furthermore, PiS appears very determined to settle the matter once and for all. What does this mean? Primarily, it means that, as we have determined, the PiS leadership is determined to introduce regulations prohibiting the farming of fur-bearing animals – mink, foxes, chinchillas, and others. All these animals, of which millions are still slaughtered annually in Poland (production has decreased from 10 to 5 million skins”).

-- THE MATTER IS DECIDED - MUCHA CONTINUES: "So it seems that the Cassandra-like prophecies that "PiS has failed the animals" have not come true. According to our findings, the matter is decided. This is a groundbreaking piece of information, as it proves that PiS has no intention of succumbing to those who have made a steady income from animal suffering, including the dictates of the homeopathic but wealthy and vociferous lobby of breeders. For years, this lobby (contrary to all facts) has been claiming that farming and killing animals for fur is the "backbone of Polish business”.

-- THE LOBBYING OF RIGHT-WING MEDIA FOR FUR FARMERS MADE NO IMPRESSION ON NOWOGRODZKA - MUCHA CONTINUES: "This lobby has surrounded itself with right-wing opinion leaders, and recently Father Tadeusz Rydzyk himself extended a protective umbrella over it, awarding one of the largest breeders a medal "for work for the Church and the Fatherland." - Thank you also for not giving up and for breeding these fur animals. I fear that they might want to destroy this [fur farming] in Poland – the Toruń Redemptorist feared in his laudation. Fortunately, it turns out that such clumsy maneuvers do not make a big impression on Nowogrodzka."

-- RAFAŁ WOŚ ON THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE VERDICT AGAINST ŚPIEWAK - writes in Tygodnik Powszechny: "But let's not be fooled. From the perspective of the public interest, the finalization of the verdict against Śpiewak is a drama showing the real threats to our democracy. If the appeal confirms the verdict against Śpiewak, it will be a signal to all who do not accept injustice: do not try to rebel, because the same awaits you. And no one will defend you. Is this how a healthy society, in which we want to live, should look?"
https://www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/kto-dmucha-w-gwizdek-160866

-- PIOTR ZAREMBA ON THE SUPREME COURT'S CONTROL CHAMBER CREDIBLY REFUSING PIS'S REQUESTS: "In Poland, nothing has been fully completed for at least the 16th century. Rarely does one side openly destroy the other (although for the record, the Sanation governments improved election results before the war, especially in 1930). To make it more amusing, these governments are praised by both PiS politicians and many opposition leaders. It is possible that no adjustments revoking the Senate from the opposition will occur. In fact, the Supreme Court's Control Chamber will somehow legitimize itself by rejecting the claims of the PiS electoral committee. If I had to bet, I would lean towards such an outcome. Incidentally, the recalculation of votes itself does not appear to be a tragedy. However, if PiS wanted to portray itself as a ruthless player, ready to overturn democratic outcomes, it has achieved its goal. Protests should have been made immediately, or not at all."

-- THE PRESIDENT NEEDS A CONCILIATORY IMAGE - ZAREMBA CONTINUES: "It is possible that instead of helping Andrzej Duda, it will harm his chances. He needs the image of a conciliatory leader, embracing everyone. At the same time, it will be difficult to distance him from what the ruling right-wing does and says. He has not tried to do so in recent months, nor is it probably possible from a common-sense perspective. Besides Duda's chances, there is also the reputation of the state and its actual condition. Both PiS and the opposition can present them to the rest of Europe as the "sick man." Both sides can make public life something dirty and unbearable. I consider the struggle for seats in the Senate as a preview of this, even if we forget about it soon as insignificant episodes."
https://polskatimes.pl/piotr-zaremba-starcie-o-miejsca-w-senacie-to-zapowiedz-stylu-polityki-w-nowej-kadencji/ar/c1-14530957

-- DO NOT DISMISS COOPERATION ON ANYTHING PROPOSED BY PIS: - MAGDALENA BIEJAT, DEBUTING LEWICA MP IN AN INTERVIEW WITH JAN SMOLEŃSKI IN KRYTYKA: "If a social policy project were to emerge, which we could agree on. As politicians, we must behave responsibly. And part of that responsibility is – besides showing how and why we differ – to support projects that are beneficial to the people we represent. We want to constructively build the institutions of our state. And of course, we will have a lot of disagreements with PiS due to how they treat democracy and human rights, but I believe that this is not a reason to preemptively dismiss cooperation on anything they propose."

-- BIEJAT ON PUBLIC SERVICES: "Yes – as a mother receiving 500+ and as a member of Razem, I support this social transfer, but I believe it is insufficient. This benefit serves only a part of society and only up to a certain point. I cannot buy a nursery for this 500 zlotys if there isn't one. This is a bigger problem in rural areas, but I also encountered it in Warsaw's Praga. In the Sejm, I will therefore speak loudly about the need to build high-quality public services."

-- BIEJAT ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN A LAMENTABLE STATE: "One issue is public services for parents, guaranteeing childcare up to three years of age in every municipality. This solution will also realistically enable women to return to the labor market if they wish. Another matter is public transport. This issue is not a major problem for people living in Warsaw or other large cities, but in small centers, public transport does not exist, and even if it does, buses only run in the morning and afternoon. This transport allows one to get to and from work, but one cannot go to the cinema in the evening or to the doctor in the middle of the day."

-- BIEJAT ON THE WARSAW SELF-GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS REPRIVATIZATION: "Reprivatization is a very burning issue in Warsaw – especially here. And not only because of obvious scams and the fact that people are being evicted from their homes. But the city authorities' fear of claims also affects individuals not directly harmed by the scams. In Praga and elsewhere, there are tenement houses that belong to the city and in which the city does not invest for fear that people will claim ownership, and consequently, their residents live in terrible conditions for years to come."
https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/magdalena-biejat-wywiad-jan-smolenski/

-- IF PIS WINS, THE LOSS OF THE SENATE WILL ONLY BE AN EPISODE - MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI: "If Andrzej Duda wins, the lower-than-expected result in the Sejm and the loss of the majority in the Senate will be only a minor episode. In this sense, we will learn the true interpretation of the October 13 results next May. Moreover, if Andrzej Duda wins, the vision of bloody revenge against PiS members, so cherished by the opposition and so deeply rooted in its identity, will have to be postponed for another 5 years. Because with President Duda, it is impossible to turn back time. It is not even possible to try. From the perspective of the mainstream opposition, it is more important not that PiS did not win the majority of votes, but that the path to even greater success was blocked not by total parties – i.e., PO and SLD – but by parties holding completely different positions.

-- THE END OF THE TOTAL OPPOSITION - KARNOWSKI CONTINUES: "Secondly, PSL achieved a great success not because it remained in a fraternal embrace with the total opposition, but because it drew conclusions and moved in a different, calmer, more conservative direction. And since this paid off, it will likely continue in that direction. October 13 was therefore not a harbinger of the end of PiS. It was a harbinger of the end of the total opposition. And more broadly – the end of anti-PiS in its current form. This assault on democracy failed, and it will not succeed. And yes, PiS may lose, but not from total blows. They lost."
https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/470006-opozycja-sie-cieszy-ze-zatrzymala-pis-a-jest-odwrotnie

-- KURSKI'S SINS ARE ACCUMULATING - A PiS POLITICIAN IN JACK GĄDEK'S ARTICLE IN GAZETA.PL: "A PiS politician says: - Jacek Kurski's sins are starting to accumulate. Reports of his death have been exaggerated many times before, but now is a time when he actually has a few things on his conscience, and it shows. There are growing voices criticizing him, saying that TVP's blind optimism and radicalism are simply harming us by lulling our voters. For now, however, "Kura" is safe. Theoretically."

-- GĄDEK CONTINUES ON PROMOTING ZIOBRO'S ALLIES ON TVP: "And secondly: he aggressively promoted Zbigniew Ziobro's people, who are now fiercely negotiating with Nowogrodzka for increased influence in the government. The harder Ziobro demands more power from the PiS leader now, the greater the irritation at the thought of promoting his people on public television. Ziobro can make demands because he has as many as 17 MPs."

-- GĄDEK ON WARNINGS FROM SASIN: "Similarly, Deputy Prime Minister Jacek Sasin said on TVN24 that PiS must "analyze its communication with society" and find an answer to the question, "why some Poles vote against their own interests." This was a signal to Kurski that he is not untouchable."

-- KURSKI WOULD EVEN DANCE ON "DANCING WITH THE STARS": "A PiS politician says: - If Kurski receives an order from Jarosław Kaczyński, he will execute it. If he received instructions from Nowogrodzka, he would not only tone down TVP but would even appear on TVN's "Dancing with the Stars." This is why Kurski, despite everything, still holds a fairly strong position. TVP's role in the presidential campaign will be very significant, and "Kura" will do what Nowogrodzka tells him."
http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,25342093,cel-nr-1-dla-pis-wygrana-andrzeja-dudy-jestesmy-gotowi-na.html

-- SŁAWOMIR SIERAKOWSKI OVER BOROWSKI FOR SENATE MARSHAL: "Borowski is also a moderate, conciliatory politician, and fundamentally independent of any political force. He was already the Marshal of the Sejm, and at that time he became one of the most respected politicians by Poles. Ideologically, he should be agreeable to both KO and SLD, provided SLD is not too resentful and has forgotten about Borowski's rebellion and the founding of SdPL. However, Włodzimierz Czarzasty's party constantly emphasizes the need to forget all the bad things from the past, and its banner reads: "Let's choose the future." I don't know who the politicians will decide on, but among the available candidates for this position, Borowski seems the most sensible."
https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/sierakowski-kto-powinien-byc-marszalkiem-senatu/618gtg0

-- RZECZPOSPOLITA ON THE FRONT PAGE ABOUT THE CONNECTIONS OF BANAS'S COLLABORATOR WITH THE VAT MAFIA: "One of Marian Banaś's closest collaborators from his time at the Ministry of Finance allegedly led a VAT mafia. He is currently in custody on this charge. This is an unprecedented case – officials holding prominent positions in the Ministry of Finance, who pursued tax fraud, were allegedly involved in it themselves, robbing the state of VAT. "Rzeczpospolita" has established the background of this scandal. It is not impossible that if the case had surfaced in August, before Marian Banaś's nomination as head of NIK, it could have ended his career. The West Pomeranian Department of the National Prosecutor's Office in Szczecin and the Central Bureau of Investigation of the Police have been conducting a major investigation for two years into VAT fraud committed by a criminal group led by high-ranking, former Ministry of Finance officials. So far, 15 people have been charged in it, including two subordinates of Marian Banaś from his time in the ministry, and the head of one of the largest tax offices in the country."
https://www.rp.pl/Sadownictwo/310249888-Przestepczy-skandal--w-resorcie-finansow.html

-- THE SHERIFF WITH A RUSTED STAR - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI in RZ: "Even more jarring for this narrative might be the story we are describing in today's "Rzeczpospolita." It turns out that one of the important officials who returned to the Ministry of Finance after 2015 (he also worked there during the first PiS governments) has been charged with creating a criminal group... for VAT fraud. A man who was the deputy head of the Department of Customs, Tax Control, and Gaming Control at the Ministry of Finance has also been charged in the same case. This story significantly complicates the image of the scoundrels from PO who created an Eldorado for VAT criminals, and the exemplary sheriffs from PiS, on whose side is pure good. Reality has diverged from the political narrative."
https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/310249890-Szuldrzynski-Szeryf--z-zardzewiala-gwiazda.html

-- A PO POLITICIAN IN GAZETA.PL ARTICLE STATES THAT IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO SAVE PLATFORMA: "Another Civic Coalition politician: - I fear that it is two or three years too late for a change of chairman and to save the Platform Obywatelska or Civic Coalition project. Schetyna has terribly worn out our electorate with himself, by conducting politics for his own party interests, and by constant moral blackmail, saying that if you don't vote for us, you support PiS. Already during the local government campaign, people told us to take him away and hide him somewhere because they've had enough of him. Now it's even worse because not only voters but also activists are tired of Schetyna."

-- THE RESULT DESPITE THE CAMPAIGN, NOT THANKS TO IT - A PO POLITICIAN CONTINUES IN GAZETA: "The result of the Civic Coalition was achieved despite the campaign, not thanks to it. In many areas, at many levels, this campaign was a mockery – admits a MP from the "young faction." – The party must draw conclusions, learn from mistakes. If we had conducted a good campaign, we would have won not only in the Senate but also in the Sejm – adds another MP from the younger group. Another adds: The leader is judged by effectiveness, i.e., by the number of election victories. Schetyna hasn't won any, and that means something is wrong, that something needs to change if we want to get back in the game."

-- PAWEŁ OLSZEWSKI PERSUADES TOWARDS BUDKA: "Borys is a dynamic, creative, and effective person. He also knows how to cooperate with people. With full conviction and satisfaction, I will support him in the elections for club leader – assures MP Paweł Olszewski. Many leading Platform politicians with whom we speak express similar sentiments. Budka is most strongly supported by the aforementioned "young faction," which most loudly demands changes in the party. However, potential support for the PO vice-chairman is much broader."

-- A PO POLITICIAN STATES THAT SCHETYNA KNOWS HOW TO TALK TO THE STRUCTURES: "Schetyna is an old-school player. Few people know how to talk to the structures like he does. He knows he needs to go, spend time, pay attention, have a drink of vodka, joke around. Who among these young people will play it like that? Budka? He won't touch a drink because he'll say he has a marathon or his wife will scold him for it – lists our interviewee."
http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,25345654,schetyna-to-nie-jakis-pierwszy-lepszy-leszcz-z-lapanki-bedzie.html

-- FOR THE SENATE COMMOTION, PIS MAY PAY WITH DUDY'S DEFEAT - DOMINIKA WIELOWIEYSKA in GW: "For the Senate commotion, Law and Justice may pay with Andrzej Duda's defeat in the spring presidential elections. (...) The game to regain the Senate for PiS is a wild ride along the boards. The kind Jarosław Kaczyński loves. But this time, he seems to have felt too confident and may pay a very high price for it."
http://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,25343260,kaczynski-zdrowo-przelicytowal-kwestionujac-wyniki-wyborow.html



-- LUBAUER SUPPORTS BUDKA, MULLER ON THE PARTICIPATION OF PIS COALITION PARTNERS IN THE GOVERNMENT - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2019/10/25/

-- PENSIONERS WILL RECEIVE LESS THAN PIS PROMISED - GW front page: "In the election campaign, PiS promised that every pensioner would receive a minimum of PLN 70 gross increase. Now it turns out that this is too expensive for the budget."
http://wyborcza.pl/7,155287,25340918,przed-wyborami-pis-obiecal-hojniejszy-system-waloryzacji-emerytur.html

-- BIRTHDAYS: Stanisław Kalemba, Krzysztof Piesiewicz, Romuald Szeremietiew, Małgorzata Niemczyk.