-- THE SENSITIVE NARRATOR - OLGA TOKARCZUK'S FULL SPEECH: http://kultura.gazeta.pl/kultura/7,114528,25490073,przemowa-noblowska-olgi-tokarczuk-przeczytaj-caly-esej-czuly.html -- KATARZYNA JANOWSKA ON THE NOBEL LAUREATE'S SPEECH: “Everyone expected Olga Tokarczuk's speech to be political, and it was, in the noblest sense of the word. Aristotle wrote that without politics, we would be animals, and it is politics that organizes our lives. In this profound sense, her address was political. She spoke about the world dying as a result of our political, economic, and social choices. Our daily decisions are not insignificant. We are not innocent. We see the world in fragments, everything is separated from everything else, we are lonely and lost, tossed about by the decisions of others, enslaved by the feeling of being a plaything of great historical forces, our spirituality is vanishing, and we are becoming followers of simple social, physical, and economic forces – the Nobel laureate described our spiritual and social condition.” https://kultura.onet.pl/ksiazki/mowa-noblowska-tokarczuk-w-sztokholmie-komentarz-katarzyny-janowskiej/zhmkvwp -- A THEOLOGIAN READS THE NOBEL LAUREATE - WIĘŹ: “According to Olga Tokarczuk, literature has the power to ‘activate in the reader's mind the sense of wholeness, the ability to merge fragments into a single pattern.’ Has religion already lost such power? And if so, is it not because it has stopped ‘weaving a story’?” http://wiez.com.pl/2019/12/08/wolanie-o-czulego-narratora-teolog-czyta-noblistke/ -- LISTEN TO TOKARCZUK ON THE NARRATIVE, PIS - JACEK KARNOWSKI: “All of this can be reduced to essentially a simple thesis: a party that is not on the offensive is always on the defensive. A political force that does not impose its narrative loses ground. A group that is tired of fighting for every house, for every stone, and no longer has the will to go into battle, can only wait for defeat. The Nobel laureate Olga Tokarczuk, very aware and politically active, captured this well. During her lecture in Stockholm, she stated clearly: “The world is a fabric that we weave daily on the great looms of information, discussions, films, books, gossip, anecdotes. When this narrative changes – the world changes. In this sense, the world is made of words. (...) Whoever has and weaves the narrative – rules.” Nothing to add, nothing to subtract. Listen to Tokarczuk, PiS. Not in everything, but in this particular thing – absolutely.” https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/476650-pis-ie-sluchaj-tokarczuk-ten-kto-snuje-opowiesc-rzadzi -- SASIN ON THE POLISH ZELENSKY, CZARZASTY ON ANOTHER TVN JOURNALIST WITH PRESIDENTIAL AMBITIONS - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2019/12/09/ -- HEAD OF ABW DOES NOT WANT TO BE A SCAPEGOAT - WOJCIECH CZUCHNOWSKI in GW's front page: “Minister of Interior and coordinator of special services, Mariusz Kamiński, is untouchable, so the head of ABW is to pay for the blunders in recent affairs. But Piotr Pogonowski does not want to be a scapegoat. -- CZUCHNOWSKI ON THE PRIME MINISTER'S PROBLEM WITH AN UNREACHABLE COORDINATOR: “The special services have failed several times, and the most striking example is the case of the head of NIK, Marian Banaś. There is also no chemistry between Morawiecki and Kamiński for personal reasons, as the head of government does not accept the coordinator of services' working style – mainly his lack of availability. This became most apparent in the spring of 2018. After the attempted poisoning of his former agent, Sergei Skripal, carried out by Russian intelligence in Great Britain, Morawiecki was unable to contact Kamiński for several days. He then demanded Kamiński's resignation from Jarosław Kaczyński, but the PiS leader did not agree. It only ended with a stern conversation with Kamiński, who is also the party's vice-chairman and has been Kaczyński's trusted man for years.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,25491921,za-afere-z-banasiem-ma-zaplacic-szef-abw-ale-nie-chce-byc-kozlem.html -- PIS DESPERATELY SEEKS MONEY - Leszek Kostrzewski, Piotr Miączyński in GW: “PiS will impose additional taxes on society. They will be cleverly hidden. Because the Prime Minister is doing what he has become accustomed to over years of working in banking: achieving an ambitious result in the short term.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,155287,25484067,pis-desperacko-szuka-pieniedzy-do-budzetu-cztery.html -- SZYMON HOŁOWNIA IN AN INTERVIEW TO BE PUBLISHED THIS WEEK IN TYGODNIK POWSZECHNY, ANSWERING MICHAŁ OKOŃSKI'S QUESTION ABOUT A POTENTIAL LAW TO LIBERALIZE THE PROTECTION OF LIFE: “I would return it to the Sejm for reconsideration. Not to 'torpedo' it. But to ask if the Sejm is sure of what it is doing. If it is sure, if it has the support of a part of society that will allow the law to be re-enacted, the constitution will leave no choice: the president must sign it.” -- HOŁOWNIA ON HIS WIFE AND FAMILY: “Ula is an officer. In that environment, publicity is frowned upon. Her potential participation in the campaign will certainly take place at a time when it will be possible from the perspective of the service she performs,” he assures. He also talks about how he combines traveling around Poland with being a husband and father: “Family is the most important thing to me. This cannot change. I got married at the age of 39. It made me real in a wonderful, but also charmingly uncompromising way.” https://www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/holownia-wystartuje-bez-przelewu-od-prezesa-161339 -- THIS MIX HAS A CHANCE TO WORK - ON HOŁOWNIA'S CAMPAIGN START BY JAKUB SZYMCZAK AND MICHAŁ DANIELEWSKI in OKO: “The speech was tailored in such a way as not to alienate any electorate group (except perhaps for Konfederacja voters). Everyone heard something pleasant in Hołownia's words. For Civic Coalition voters, there was an emphasis on the importance of local governments and themes where Hołownia gently criticized PiS. For PSL supporters – a calm, sermon-like tone and a call for national accord. For the Left – an emphasis on the importance of minority rights and repeatedly declared social sensitivity. Finally, for PiS voters – praise for the social transfers of the governments of Beata Szydło and Mateusz Morawiecki. This mix has a chance to work.” -- KIDAWA MAY HAVE TROUBLE WITH HOŁOWNIA - FURTHER FROM OKO: “Hołownia has a completely different temperament than Kukiz – he has the image of a polite, calm, positive person. This might suggest that Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska could have trouble with Szymon Hołownia if she wins the Civic Platform nomination. But under one condition: Hołownia must have a lot of money to run his election campaign and a very well-thought-out strategy.” https://oko.press/szymon-holownia-kandyduje-na-prezydenta-na-co-mam-czekac-porzucam-kanape-chce-zostac-strozem-wspolnoty/ -- SKEPTICAL ABOUT HOŁOWNIA'S CHANCES BY ROMAN IMIELSKI in GW: “Hołownia is a complete novice who gained wider recognition by hosting a television show. And a lack of experience in politics is not necessarily his advantage – after all, he has never been under the pressure of a tough election campaign and unscrupulous rival attacks. Thirdly, sociological studies also show that although many Polish women and men readily declare that the political scene needs a refresh and would support new faces, it usually ends with announcements.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,25491948,holownia-czyli-najlatwiej-powiedziec-startuje.html -- ADAM SZOSTKIEWICZ ON THE FACT THAT AN INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE HAS NO CHANCE: “Hołownia's positioning himself as a candidate from outside the political party establishment was more concrete. And yet, editor Kobosko could immediately tell Hołownia why, in big Western countries, presidencies are a party matter. An independent candidate has no chance. The opposition's candidate versus a party candidate has this weakness as an election campaign idea: every candidate is ultimately political. It's about politics and power here, and Hołownia has also become a political person with all the consequences that entails.” -- NO CLEAR REASON TO VOTE FOR HIM IS VISIBLE - FURTHER FROM SZOSTKIEWICZ: “Let him try, of course. He doesn't say bad or foolish things. But so far, there is no clear, distinct, and attractive answer to the fundamental question: why should voters vote for him, and why should political parties support him if he makes it to the second round?” https://szostkiewicz.blog.polityka.pl/2019/12/08/holownia-stroz-wspolnoty/?nocheck=1 -- BOGUSŁAW CHRABOTA IN RZ ASKS ABOUT HOŁOWNIA'S COMPETENCIES: “Let's set aside these suspicions. Let's stick to the candidate's intentions. So I ask him seriously: what is his experience in politics? What is his track record? How thick is his ledger of proposals and his notebook of phone numbers? What does he know about it at all, since he has never participated in it, nor even written about it? I ask brutally, because in politics, besides lofty ideals and rhetorical skills, just like in any serious profession, competencies and qualifications are needed. How thick-skinned is Szymon Hołownia to withstand the hate that will appear during the campaign? How will he deal with ridicule if he withdraws or loses? What will he say then to the people who trusted him?” https://www.rp.pl/Wybory-prezydenckie-2020/312089959-Boguslaw-Chrabota-Powazne-pytania-do-Szymona-Holowni.html -- A BORING SPECTACLE INSTEAD OF A CLASH OF VISIONS - RENATA GROCHAL in NEWSWEEK: “I consider the presidential 'primaries' in Platformę Obywatelską a waste of time, just like Saturday's debate of the candidates. (...) However, the clash of visions, of ideas for the presidency, was completely absent from this exchange of opinions. Both PO candidates are essentially offering us the same thing. Both want a presidency of agreement, of restoring the rule of law, of good relations with other countries. Jaśkowiak even gave up on taking a firm stance on worldview issues, which hitherto differentiated him from Kidawa-Błońska. He did say, however, that regarding abortion, one could discuss liberalizing the current regulations, but only if parliament wanted it (and as we know – in the current, and likely in the next parliament, there will be no majority that would want to liberalize the anti-abortion law).” https://www.newsweek.pl/opinie/prawybory-w-platformie-obywatelskiej-nudny-spektakl-zamiast-starcia-wizji/90kkqfe -- THE DEBATE WAS NOT VERY EXCITING - PAWEŁ WROŃSKI in GW: “Regarding Saturday's debate of the PO presidential contenders, one can say what Gombrowicz's 'Ferdydurke' student Gałkiewicz said. The one whom Professor Bladaczka forced to rave about Słowacki.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,25488641,debata-kidawa-blonska-jaskowiak-schetyna-powinien-byc-zadowolony.html -- PLATFORMA HAS NOT BOUNCED BACK FROM THE BOTTOM - ANDRZEJ STANKIEWICZ in ONE.NET: “If anyone thought that the presidential primaries would help Platforma Obywatelska bounce back from the bottom, then after yesterday's debate between Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska and Jacek Jaśkowiak, they should abandon their illusions.” -- PO HAS A POOR CAST - FURTHER FROM STANKIEWICZ: “I understand that Grzegorz Schetyna wrote the script and directed this pathetic spectacle just to distract the audience and keep his theater director's chair, known as Platforma. The only thing is that, at the same time, he showed how poor his cast is.” https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/newsletter-onetu-andrzej-stankiewicz-wyscig-nudziarzy-na-prezydenta/mzf0ger -- THE DEBATE WAS MEANT TO HELP BUT HARMED - ŁUKASZ ROGOJSZ in GAZETA.PL: “It was supposed to be a grand show that would capture the attention of voters and the media, but it was almost an hour and a half of repeating what everyone already knows and is well aware of. The Platforma Obywatelska primary debate, instead of helping the party's presidential candidates, significantly harmed them. The missed opportunity, however, hits the Mayor of Poznań, Jacek Jaśkowiak, harder. -- LACK OF CONCRETE DETAILS AND FRESH IDEAS - FURTHER FROM ROGOJSZ: “The point is that in this entire discussion – apart from emotions and brisk action – what was most missing was what is most important in a debate. Concrete details. New ideas. Fresh ideas. Instead, there was an abundance of generalities, 'talking around the issue,' and avoidance of clear declarations (unless it concerned putting President Andrzej Duda before the State Tribunal). This was most evident in areas that are currently key for Poles and which Platforma wants to address, but doesn't quite know how – healthcare reform, environmental protection, technological revolution, effective public policies.” -- PLATFORMA IS STANDING STILL - FURTHER FROM ROGOJSZ: “This was more or less the case throughout the debate, because that's what Platforma is today. It wants to have its cake and eat it too. To be at the forefront of economic, cultural, and social changes, but at the same time defend the status quo that is dear to many of its urban voters. To criticize PiS and severely hold the 'good change' accountable, but without alienating the Church and the right-wing electorate. To give Poles a new quality, new energy, and new ideas, but at the same time play as conservatively as possible so as not to offend any social or professional group. In a word, to be a party for everyone and for no one. To be the Platforma of 2011, which, by standing in the center, attracts votes from both the left and the right. Except that it's 2019, not 2011. Times have irrevocably changed, as have Poland and the political landscape in our country. And after the debate of candidates for candidate, this was not evident.” http://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,25489104,jedna-debata-i-dwoje-przegranych-ale-jacka-jaskowiaka-bedzie.html -- IN RZ, ARTUR BARTKIEWICZ ON THE MEDIOCRE KIDAWA: “Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, who on December 14 will likely be anointed by PO as the presidential candidate and cast in the role of the opposition's last hope for victory over PiS in the current election cycle, presented herself as decidedly mediocre. In her words, one looked in vain for fire, passion, a will to fight to the death against PiS. What we heard was quite predictable and quite banal: Kidawa-Błońska wants to be the president of all Poles, wants to talk with everyone, wants a better future, knows that the past is important, doesn't want to exclude anyone, etc. In other words, things should be good, not bad. A beautiful program, though not very concrete.” -- KIDAWA MAY BE SAFER - FURTHER FROM BARTKIEWICZ: “Secondly, the high level of generality of the views presented by Kidawa-Błońska and the lack of a clear agenda in a potential second round of the presidential election will likely be an advantage in gathering around her all those voters who would want the first term of President Andrzej Duda to be his last. In contrast, the clearly centrist Jacek Jaśkowiak could demobilize, for example, the PSL electorate.” https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/191209477-Artur-Bartkiewicz-Kidawa-Blonska-Sila-i-slabosc-banalu.html -- THE CONSTITUTIONAL TRIBUNAL WILL DROWN IN ITS OWN SWAMP - EWA SIEDLECKA: “In the summer, the last judge not elected to the Tribunal by PiS will leave. And among those elected by PiS, an under-the-carpet struggle is already underway. The Tribunal, which now handles one-third of the cases it handled in 2015, and has practically stopped considering them openly, will drown in its own swamp. PiS has carried out its 'good change' here to the end.” https://oko.press/siedleckiej-osobiste-pozegnanie-z-trybunalem-pograzy-sie-we-wlasnym-bagnie/ -- THE LEFT WILL FORCE LIBERALS TO REDEFINE THEMSELVES - TOMASZ SAWCZUK in KL: “The return of the Left to parliament has caused the so-called liberal camp to redefine itself. It is no longer enough to say that liberals are anti-PiS.” -- SAWCZUK ON BIELIK-ROBSON'S UNBEARABLE TONE: “This paternalism, unfortunately typical of representatives of the journalistic mainstream in the Third Polish Republic, is toxic in the democratic public sphere and should forever be consigned to oblivion.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2019/12/09/liberalizm-jaki-znamy-bielik-robson-lenkowski-lis-sawczuk/ -- BIRTHDAYS: Stefan Jaworski, Tomasz Sianecki, Anna Zaleska.