-- MARSHAL OF THE SENATE TO DELIVER AN ADDRESS ON SUNDAY - WRITES MICHAŁ OLECH FOR 300POLITYKA:https://300polityka.pl/news/2019/12/21/jutro-wieczorem-oredzie-marszalka-senatu/ -- GLIŃSKI AT THE COMMISSION ON DECONCENTRATION: “The Minister of Culture emphasized that the draft of the relevant law has been ready for a long time but is awaiting a political decision from the ruling party. - In my opinion, we should deconcentrate the media situation in Poland as soon as possible because it does not meet European standards.” https://www.wirtualnemedia.pl/artykul/minister-kultury-chce-szybkiej-dekoncentracji-mediow-w-polsce-juliusz-braun-to-brzmi-jak-grozba# -- PIOTR ZAREMBA ON REACTIONS TO THE ŚPIEWAK CASE - WRITES ON FB - ARE YOU NOT JUDGING THIS CLASSICALLY?: “A question to those, including my friends, who have been ranting for several days that Śpiewak was splashing around, was irresponsible, and harmed with slanders. Is the court's statement about the 'PiS mafia' (I am not commenting on the merits) considered precise information or journalistic generalization? Do courts have a consistent line of rulings here, or do they decide 'at their whim'? And do you not judge each case differently – 'at your whim,' according to political and class sympathies (yes, yes)?”. -- ANDRZEJ NOWAK ON THE EXPLOSION OF THE POLISH LANGUAGE IN AN INTERVIEW WITH PIOTR ZAREMBA IN RZ ABOUT THE PROFESSOR'S LATEST BOOK: “When one reads the sources, one must conclude that this is not an exaggeration. The era of the last Jagiellons – from the late Casimir IV Jagiellon to the death of Sigismund II Augustus – is of breakthrough significance for Polish culture. It was then that our flexible language took shape. From perhaps still not entirely proficient Biernat of Lublin, through the energetic but still old-fashioned Mikołaj Rej, to the excellent, very modern Jan Kochanowski. I write about this, astonished myself, how in such a short time such an extraordinary explosion of the Polish language occurred. But here we arrive at the word 'difficult'”. -- NOWAK ON ZAREMBA'S QUESTION ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF THIS EXPLOSION: “All of Europe, encompassed by the Reformation, faced a challenge, which was division. It concerned the most fundamental matter: salvation and damnation. Division created difficulty. But it was also a factor stimulating culture, because it was the Protestants who first demanded rights for the Polish language in public life. Its role stemmed from the need for polemics: first confessional, then also political. The Polish language serves not only Mikołaj Rej's conversation with his friend, i.e., his wife, over roasted goose, but also discussions about the state, citizenship, and religion. At the same time, the dispute was real and could have led to the disintegration of the Commonwealth. Yet it overcame religious division. So, it was a 'golden age.' And Poland's uniqueness against the backdrop of Europe with its religious wars.” -- NOWAK ON ZAREMBA'S QUESTION WHY POLES DID NOT BECOME PROTESTANTS, WHICH ZAREMBA DISMISSES AS POLISH INDIFFERENCE: “Historians, including Protestants, describe what was the genesis of the rapid expansion of the Reformation in our lands: the dispute between the lord and the parish priest, more about tithes than dogmas. Of course, there was also the problem of the corruption of the clergy at the time, which was losing authority. The Sejms of the 1540s, 1550s, and 1560s regulated everything to the satisfaction of the nobility. The socio-economic thread was removed, and tension weakened. Church courts could no longer judge lords. A nobleman could speak about the Church, but not about God, as he pleased. There were excesses; one of the marshals of the Chamber of Deputies stood wearing his hat during the elevation. But the spirit of rebellion weakened.” -- NOWAK SPEAKS WELL OF THE JAGIELLONS: “Paweł Jasienica wrote about the good Piasts and the bad Jagiellons. And in my opinion, they were characterized by patient wisdom: this is the nature of Jagiełło, Sigismund the Old, at a certain stage of his life, and Sigismund II Augustus. They didn't grab swords; they debated opinions with their subjects, then citizens; they were diplomats also externally. Although Jagiełło fought at Grunwald, Casimir IV Jagiellon won the Thirteen Years' War. Sigismund II Augustus is considered not very warlike, yet wars occurred throughout his reign almost constantly. I think they performed the office of monarch well.” -- THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF THE OPPOSITION - EDWIN BENDYK in Krytyka: “If I were Joanna Szczepkowska, I would probably say that on December 19, 2019, the opposition in Poland ended. The issue is not even the absence on such an important day, but the arguments of the MPs. They were so astonishing, that perhaps they were sincere.” -- THIS IS THE OPPOSITION WE HAVE - BENDYK CONTINUES: “One can also follow the line of analysis by Janusz Lewandowski, who in TokFM drew attention to the role of the genetic factor in politics. Since Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska has the presidential format in her genes, it is possible that some MPs have a different format in their genes. Well, this is the opposition we have, and for the next four years, so jokes aside, because the matter is serious. In November, I wrote in Antymatrix about the opposition's helplessness, showing a much deeper dimension of the problem than mere demoralization of MPs who have forgotten why they are in politics, and their main job is to be present in the Sejm when sessions are underway and committees are working.” -- BENDYK ON THE LACK OF ALTERNATIVE TO A CRUMBLING WORLD: “The crisis lies in the inability to propose an alternative to the crumbling world, which would involve new forms of social integration, and thus also the regaining of agency by a reconstructed society and the individuals who form it. The question is whether such an alternative is possible at all. Let's hope so. If not, let's take Grzegorz Napieralski as an example and go on vacation.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/zabraklo-poslow-opozycji-na-sesji-sejmu-19-grudnia/ -- THE OPPOSITION SHOWED ITS SUPPORTERS A BITTER TRUTH - ANDRZEJ STANKIEWICZ: “The opposition politicians, with this single vote, showed their supporters a bitter truth. That if they take to the streets only to persuade PiS to change its policy. They clearly have no reason to expect the opposition to be convinced.” https://www.google.pl/amp/s/wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/andrzej-stankiewicz-opozycja-pomaga-kaczynskiemu/q7s7rsr.amp -- ZIOBRO, WRANGLING WITH THE MEDIA, WILL CAUSE FEWER PROBLEMS - GALOPUJĄCY MAJOR IN KRYTYKA: “Perhaps precisely because of Ziobro's troubles, Jarosław Kaczyński gave him the green light. Ziobro, embroiled with the opposition and the media, will no longer cause problems and bid highly for a share of the spoils called the Republic of Poland. He will mount his judicial hobbyhorse and be satisfied with scraps, and Kaczyński will have peace in the coalition.” -- A VERY RADICAL SPRING AWAITS US - MAJOR'S CONCLUSION: “Arithmetically speaking, if Duda retains the PiS electorate, and a portion of the PSL electorate and the Confederation supporters do not stay home, then the PiS candidate will win this election in the second round. However, for this to happen, as has been the case in Poland for several years now, one must maximally mobilize one's own voters. The row over the courts will mobilize these voters just as the row over LGBT mobilized voters before the European Parliament elections. Duda will therefore sign the bill; what's more, as soon as the EU protests, he will be the first to attack it. Kaczyński's camp has learned its lesson from underestimating the Senate elections and will not make that mistake a second time. A very radical spring awaits us.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/felietony/galopujacy-major/pis-ustawa-kagancowa-sady/ -- ARE YOU MAKING A MESS OF THE SEJM, ARE YOU PROUD OF YOURSELVES? - EDITORIAL IN FAKT. -- THIS IS HOW THE AUTHORITIES PUSH THROUGH LAWS - FAKT CONTINUES. -- THE AUTHORITIES ARE NOT HONEST WITH US - KATARZYNA KOZŁOWSKA, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF FAKT: “What's more: the authorities are not honest with us. How can they be honest if they don't even want to admit who the real author of the draft is? The new regulations concerning the disciplining of judges were formally proposed by PiS MPs, but it's easy to guess that such complex matters could not have been written by parliamentarians. They must have originated, at least in part, in the Ministry of Justice. If the authorities had officially admitted that this is a government draft, they would have had to submit it to social consultations first. And there it would have emerged that judges could already be punished for a long time and that many new ideas are matters by which the executive wants to slyly gain an advantage over others. Meanwhile, the authorities have pushed another bill through the Sejm, explaining nothing to the nation.” https://www.fakt.pl/wydarzenia/polityka/katarzyna-kozlowska-komentuje-przyjecie-nowelizacji-ustaw-sadowych/qerg41v -- POLES HAVE REFUSED TO SUPPORT ANTI-REFORMERS NOT ONLY IN ELECTIONS BUT ALSO ON THE STREETS - MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI: “Nevertheless, it was decided to use judges in this battle, and they were so imprudent (fortunately, not all of them) that they entered into it. They decided to become ammunition in a fight waged by Civic Platform, The Left, and (we add) Confederation. Why? Because Poles refused to support anti-reformers not only in elections but also on the streets. The weakness of the demonstrations is no accident: celebrities, who are allowed everything, social activists fighting corrupt reprivatization, politicized judges – this has disillusioned many, even the staunchest supporters of the opposition. The current state of the judiciary, the observed involvement of judges in politics, cannot be defended, and Poles know this now.” https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/478692-rachityczne-manifestacje-w-obronie-sadownie-sa-przypadkiem -- THE INDIFFERENCE OF THE PEOPLE IS THE DEFEAT OF THE CASTE - JAN KARNOWSKI: “The judges have not come to their senses. Instead, they have made moves directly threatening to our statehood: they decided that they can replace the president in deciding who is a judge and who is not. They also decided that they can ignore the constitutional powers of parliament and the Constitutional Tribunal. The wrath of the people predicted by Stanisław Janecki is not yet visible, but something is visible which is ultimately an even greater defeat for the 'caste': indifference. This includes those who, just two years ago, took to the streets to 'defend the courts'.” https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/478642-moze-frekwencyjna-klapa-uswiadomi-sedziom-ze-przegieli -- AGATON KOZIŃSKI ON FUEL FOR THE CONFEDERATION: “In this sense, the government majority is between a rock and a hard place. Any concession in the bill that allows diluting the risk of using the 'Polexit' slogan in the election campaign will immediately provide fuel for the Confederation. Conversely, a lack of concessions will cause this slogan to resonate strongly. There are still many different scenarios for how this matter will end – including it being put on ice until the campaign. However, the axes of division that have become apparent in this context clearly show how Polish politics will be shaped in the spring. Until the presidential elections.” https://opinie.wp.pl/kozinski-kazdy-chce-cos-politycznie-ugrac-przy-okazji-ustawy-dyscyplinujacej-sedziow-opinia-6459028923656321a -- SZYMON HOŁOWNIA ON THE PROPHECIES OF POLISH POLITICS - TALKS TO GRZEGORZ WYSOCKI IN GW: “Here – every tweet is a prophet. I remember two years ago some people swore that the left would definitely not enter the Sejm. From five years ago, we all remember the thesis that President Komorowski would only lose if he ran over a pregnant nun while drunk and on a crosswalk. I remember those who swore on all that is holy that Duda was merely a figurehead and had no chance. Therefore, I calmly accept all these laments that 'why is he running, he will weaken the candidate of the righteous party, and he won't win anyway.' Whether he wins or not will be decided in May by 30 million Poles.” -- HOŁOWNIA ON HIS RESEARCH: “After two years of my own reflections, last summer I decided to start talking about it, and then to research it thoroughly. I repeat: I understand the cognitive dissonance of my colleagues accustomed to thinking about politics only within party grooves, but dressing me in the shoes of the second Kukiz, the third Tymiński, and the fourth Prof. Religia will not advance the discussion about Poland.” -- HOŁOWNIA AGAINST BASING FOREIGN POLICY ON A SINGLE ALLIANCE WITH THE USA: “My program will have two axes. One is the matters that are required of the president, i.e., the system of government, foreign affairs, and defense. We approach this very seriously. The mess that PiS, with President Duda, has made of healing the courts, turning a patient with a cold into a patient with pneumonia, requires a firm but also very precise reaction from the president. Similarly, regarding basing our foreign policy on de facto only one – albeit very important – alliance, with the USA. Similarly with defense – the security of Poles in the 21st century is a topic that will certainly not be exhausted by creating light infantry and historical academies in honor of the past.” -- HOŁOWNIA ON SIMILARITIES BETWEEN HIMSELF AND DUDA WHEN ASKED ABOUT ALTAR BOYS: “Except that one of these 'altar boys' will not break Articles 10 and 173 of the constitution, which speak of the separation of powers and the independence of courts. He will not continue the policy of indolence and politicization of the problem of our natural environment being depleted. Incidentally, did you know that the Polish constitution also speaks about this (yes, the one from the 90s)? Article 74 states: 'Public authorities shall pursue a policy that ensures ecological security for present and future generations'.” -- WHAT BINDS US IS THAT WE ARE CATHOLICS: “There is, of course, something that binds Andrzej Duda and me – the fact that we are both Catholics, quite involved, though often understanding the role and place of the Church in the world differently. And I think we both care about Poland. But my decision to run is, after all, a critical review of this presidency.” -- HOŁOWNIA REPEATS HIS ARGUMENTS FOR A VETO ON THE LIBERALIZATION OF THE LAW ON THE PROTECTION OF LIFE: “But not because I do not intend to respect the will of the parliamentary majority, but because I want to check if such a majority in society supports it, so that the risk of another civil war on this issue is minimized. I have been through too many Polish abortion wars, I have seen too many squabbles like: you give us some law with one vote, and then we give you back with one vote. Abortion involves human tragedies; it is not material for party bickering.” -- HOŁOWNIA ON RELATIONS WITH BODNAR: “I often talk to my dear and wise colleague, the Ombudsman Adam Bodnar. He, it seems, does not share my faith. Does that mean I don't consider him a representative of my rights too? Of course not! Ask me about my ideas for the presidency; why are you grilling me about faith?” https://wyborcza.pl/magazyn/7,124059,25534677,szymon-holownia-krzyz-w-sejmie-nie-bedzie-mi-przeszkadzal.html -- DUDA WILL LOSE THE ELECTION - SAYS PROF. JACEK RACIBORSKI TO AGNIESZKA KUBLIK IN GW: “Sociological forecasts are very accurate, but only a month before the vote. Now I only have intuition: Duda will lose. Unless very serious mistakes are made in the anti-PiS camp. If Kidawa is managed perfectly, comes out with an offensive program – meaning she will set the line of programmatic conflicts, present a captivating overall project for people, and the campaign team finally starts working professionally – then the chances that a graduate of my Institute of Sociology will become President of the Republic of Poland are really high.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,25527995,prof-raciborski-o-wyborach-prezydenckich-duda-przegra-ale.html -- AGATA KONDZIŃSKA ON THE PRESIDENT'S 600 FIELD VISITS - WRITES IN GW: “People from the domestic visits office at the Chancellery of the President are already planning Duda's next trips – so that he can complete the journey he began five years ago, during the election campaign, and visit all 380 powiats. During Bronisław Komorowski's term, two officials worked in the office; today there are six coordinators. A pile of invitations on the desk. - It's not like we only go where PiS governs. We have visited people from Your Movement, PO, PSL, and independents, because such a visit is treated as a promotion of the region, and national politics takes a back seat – says an official who has worked at the Chancellery of the President since 2009 and has supervised domestic trips since 2012.” -- KONDZIŃSKA ON HOW VISITS ARE ARRANGED: “He is prepared; a whole team of people takes care of it. Two weeks before the meeting in the town Duda will visit, SOP officers and Chancellery employees arrive. They choose the location, set the program: who he will meet, who is the host, how much time he will spend there, information about the region, its history, and current affairs. There are also curiosities from the field; sometimes Duda finds them himself online. In Kulesze, even though the official campaign has not yet begun, he says: - If something is not going well, please report it, and I will try to fix it. No one is infallible. And that is why I am asking very much for your votes.” https://wyborcza.pl/magazyn/7,124059,25533837,andrzej-duda-i-jego-600-wizyt-kazdy-uscisk-dloni-ma-sie.html -- MARSHAL OF THE SENATE REPLIED TO THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION:https://twitter.com/profGrodzki/status/1208319882380677120 -- PIOTR ZAREMBA ON DEMONS: “Demons” is one of the most important novels for me. And perhaps for humanity too. Several quotes have entered the world's bloodstream not by chance: 'If God does not exist, what captain am I?', 'Shoes or Shakespeare?', etc. I have seen enough adaptations in my life to further appreciate the power of Fyodor Dostoevsky's story – as the basis for good dramaturgy. It so happens that I recently recalled 'The Tale of Stavrogin,' a television theater version from 1997, made by the master Krzysztof Zaleski. -- ZAREMBA CONTINUES ON DEMONS AT THE DRAMA THEATER: “The very fact that Dostoevsky saw a greater threat in the 'destroyers' than in the old order is a challenge. But this plot has its own logic. Especially since the nature of the described conspiracy, rather potential, mysterious, unclear, allows for some abstraction from political specifics. The image of political illness is overlaid with a portrait of the crisis of the Russian provincial intelligentsia's soul; this, in turn, is the customs and psychological part of the work. All these threads converge in the person of Stavrogin, a nihilist more moral than ideological, although bordering on conspiratorial activities, rather in the role of a witness than a perpetrator. Incidentally, there are many reflections here on the role of religion and morality in the life of an individual. Some of them fit the 20th century better than the era in which the author lived.” https://polskatimes.pl/biesy-w-teatrze-dramatycznym-na-trojke-z-plusem-recenzja-piotra-zaremby/ -- BIRTHDAYS: Jakub Szulc, SUNDAY: Piotr Witwicki, Malwina Gadawa, Tomasz Nowak.