-- MOSBACHER STRONGLY TO PUTIN - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2019/12/30/ -- WHY DO YOU THINK THE CONFEDERATION IS SILENT? - MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI: “Hence my one, short question: has anyone heard a serious representative of the proud national Confederation speak up about Moscow's libels? After all, among other things, they are a trampling of the memory of many National Movement activists tortured by both occupiers. They organize five press conferences a day on every other issue! And yet – I haven't heard. But perhaps there were? If not, why do you think?” https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/479746-krotkie-pytanie-w-sprawie-konfederacji-i-rosji -- BUDKA 26, MUCHA 22, ZDROJEWSKI 15, ARŁUKOWICZ 13, SCHETYNA 11 - POLLSTER SURVEY FOR SE WHO SHOULD LEAD PO:  https://www.se.pl/wiadomosci/polityka/ogromny-cios-w-schetyne-tuz-po-swietach-to-prawdziwa-kompromitacja-sondaz-aa-gCgX-rngn-sDrH.html -- THE PRIME MINISTER TELLS FAKT HE PROMISED HIS WIFE HE WOULDN'T RETURN TO HIS SMARTPHONE ON NEW YEAR'S EVE: “I plan to join my family, who after Christmas have retreated to the woods, far from the city's hustle and bustle, far from the noise. There will certainly be a glass of wine, a delicious meal, music, and dancing together. I feel like making a bonfire, singing a few songs, and telling the children a bit about Poland. We will enjoy every moment together. My wife warned me that when the children, Ignaś and Madzia, go to bed, I shouldn't immediately return to my smartphone. Olga and Jeremiasz, my older children, reproach me for not having watched a single episode of 'The Witcher' or 'Wataha' yet. Perhaps now will be the chance?” https://www.fakt.pl/wydarzenia/polityka/premier-mateusz-morawiecki-o-planach-na-sylwestra-i-podsumowaniu-roku/1e1n7nk -- BARTOSZ ARŁUKOWICZ, WHEN ASKED BY JACEK NIZINKIEWICZ IN RZ ABOUT KIDAWAY'S CHANCES, DOESN'T MENTION KIDAWAY AT ALL: “Andrzej Duda is beatable. A huge effort is needed from all opposition candidates in the first round of the election, followed by full, joint mobilization in the second round. The key to winning the presidential election lies in smaller cities, towns, and villages. We, as the opposition, cannot focus only on Warsaw, Poznań, Gdańsk, or Wrocław. We must visit Poles in their small homelands. We need to convince people not only in Szczecin but also in Darłowo, Strzelce Krajeńskie, Pisz, Wisła, or Mielec. And in Radowo Małe. These elections are winnable.” https://www.rp.pl/Polityka/312299965-Bartosz-Arlukowicz-PO-musi-znowu-zaczac-wygrywac.html -- JACEK NIZINKIEWICZ ON THE WOULD-BE PRESIDENT TUSK AND THE WOULD-BE PRIME MINISTER SCHETYNA - writes in RZ: “'Szczercze' [a reference to Tusk's book title, meaning 'Sincerely'] is full of mistakes and traces of hurried updates. Tusk wanted the promotion to coincide with the busy pre-Christmas period, allowing him to smoothly launch his campaign in the new year. But he failed. Tusk deserted. Although Poland's affairs are important to him, the risk of defeat and his family's fears of returning to homeland politics proved more important. Tusk, unlike Schetyna, did not give up promoting his book. It is an open secret that he wants to influence politics through the taken-over PO, not by his own hands, or a new grouping built on the ruins of the Platform.” -- TUSK AND SCHETYNA ARE THE BIGGEST LOSERS OF 2019 - NIZINKIEWICZ'S CONCLUSION: “Schetyna and Tusk are victims of the destruction of their own ambitions. Both achieved their greatest successes when they worked closely together. When they felt mutual threat and began to fight each other, PO also began to decline. Schetyna started making Tusk's mistakes. Like him, even before the local elections, he opted for autocracy and made many decisions within a narrow circle of colleagues. Leadership ruined Tusk's Platform and Schetyna's Platform. Both share an ability to wait and play behind-the-scenes games. Both are also the biggest political losers of the past year, as their failed books will always remind us.” https://www.rp.pl/Polityka/312299953-Nizinkiewicz-Niedoszly-prezydent-i-niedoszly-premier.html -- MICHAŁ SUTOWSKI ON THE HYPERINFLATION OF SCANDALS - writes in Krytyka: “It seems there has been a hyperinflation of scandals – once Rywingate shook the power structure in Poland; the sex scandal combined with the land scandal destroyed an important party; the tape scandal pushed the lever for elections in favor of the opposition. But Kaczyński's two towers, the prime minister's plots in Wrocław, the assistants at the NBP, or even the VAT mafia in the Ministry of Finance don't particularly move anyone, and least of all – approval ratings.” -- VOTERS VOTED AGAINST THE DUOPOLY - SUTOWSKI CONTINUES: “Anti-PiS has died, long live… Well, what? By removing the SLD from the opposition coalition, Platform negated its own narrative of recent years – that only one dispute matters in Poland, and 'all hands on deck' is the only correct strategy. Voters gladly welcomed the opportunity to vote for someone outside the duopoly, which resulted in the promising outcome for the Left, a surprisingly good result for the PSL, and a concerning one for Konfederacja. The first polls for 'a candidate outside the system,' Szymon Hołownia, also suggest that the fantasy of moving beyond the 'Polish-Polish war' has public support. What's more, disputes over women's equality or various minorities, the secularity of the state, as well as criticism of the holes in the 'Polish welfare state,' favor more distinctive parties rather than the generally correct, liberal-moderate, European Christian democracy of the center, which the Civic Coalition probably wants to be perceived as today.” -- A FEEBLE AND UNINTERESTING DUEL THAT ONLY SERVED TO POSTPONE SETTLEMENTS WITHIN PO - SUTOWSKI ON THE PRIMARY ELECTIONS IN PO: “Unfortunately, broad trends are one thing, and the screeching mediocrity in and around our Sejm is another. Examples? Take the primary elections in the Civic Platform – the largest opposition party, instead of orchestrating a political spectacle to promote the best candidate to fight Duda, conducted it mainly so that the party leader could more easily keep his seat. The feeble and uninteresting duel between Jaśkowiak and Kidawa-Błońska served to postpone settlements within PO, not to build the image of a future president. Not to mention the actual battlefield experience for potential candidates.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/sutowski-podsumowanie-polityczne-2019/ -- PIS IS SUSPICIOUS OF ZIOBRO'S PARTY, WHICH COULD AFFORD A COSTLY CAMPAIGN - ANDRZEJ STANKIEWICZ IN ONET: “Such a shift in influence within the United Right has increased mistrust between all parties. PiS politicians look suspiciously at Ziobro, who could afford a gigantic, costly campaign for his people, even though Solidarna Polska receives no public funds. In turn, Ziobro's supporters feel marginalized by the alliance between Morawiecki and Gowin.” -- TUSK IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE OPPOSITION - STANKIEWICZ CONTINUES: “Then Tusk tested his chances in the presidential elections – it turned out that no one mobilizes the PiS electorate like him. That's why he gave up the presidency, but to take on the informal role of opposition director. There is no doubt that Tusk will use all his strength and means to bring about a restructuring on the opposition side and Andrzej Duda's defeat in the presidential elections. He has already snubbed Grzegorz Schetyna, speaking of the need for changes at the top of the Platform. Although Tusk officially praises the PO's presidential candidate, Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, he still looks favorably upon the candidacy of the PSL leader, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. Furthermore, Tusk's people are seen – or want to be seen – around Szymon Hołownia. Tusk will be a key figure of the opposition in the coming years. And there will be much more of him than when he was the President of the European Council.” -- THIS IS NOT THE END OF PIS HEGEMONY, BUT BREATHLESSNESS - STANKIEWICZ CONTINUES: “There is no point in predicting the end of PiS's hegemony. But it is certainly possible to say that the ruling party has become breathless. It was precisely such a year – of unprecedented PiS success and opposition defeat in the spring, followed by a clear PiS crisis and strengthening of the opposition in the autumn. Therefore, the 2020 presidential elections – crucial for Poland's future – are still an open card. No one can be certain of victory.” https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/kraj/najwazniejsze-wydarzenia-polityczne-w-2019-r/bmkfp2n -- PIOTR PACEWICZ ON THE LEFT OPENING A NEW ARENA IN PARLIAMENT: “OKO.press maintains distance from politicians; we were disappointed by their inability to utilize the potential of civic movements in the parliamentary election campaign, their politicking. But we appreciate that with the emergence of the Left in the Sejm, an arena for normal politics is opening up, real disputes are returning, and a vision of two blocs is emerging, which, engaging in a real political dispute without populist nonsense, will compete for Polish minds.” -- WILL A PATRON LIKE TUSK BENEFIT CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY? - PACEWICZ CONTINUES: “Donald Tusk, who – as our survey showed – likely had no chance for the presidency, is claiming patronage over Polish Christian democracy. It is another matter whether such an external patron will benefit the future center-right. And whether and how the Left will develop further.” https://oko.press/remanent-2019-rok-zamachow-nadzieja-matka-madrych-osobiste-podsumowanie-pacewicza/ -- VISITS TO NOWOGRODZKA DON'T BOTHER THE PRIME MINISTER - AGATA KONDZIŃSKA IN GW: “Morawiecki takes into account Nowogrodzka. He visits the PiS headquarters at least twice a week. Once at the beginning, for a meeting of the political committee presidium, attended by party authorities, and a second time for a meeting with Jarosław Kaczyński to report on his intentions. – During Beata Szydło's government meetings, it happened that ministers called Nowogrodzka for instructions on how to vote – recalls one PiS politician. These visits do not bother Morawiecki, because as head of a bank with Spanish capital, he already had to report upwards. – He's a corporate killer – his allies say.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,25551713,premier-morawiecki-sie-umacnia-radykalizuje-i-otwiera-na-ludzi.html -- BAUER IS LOOKING FOR A BUYER FOR INTERIA - MARCEL ZATOŃSKI IN PB: “The owner of RMF FM and numerous magazines wants to sell its internet division. There should be no shortage of interested parties.” https://www.pb.pl/bauer-szuka-kupca-na-interie-978634 -- BIRTHDAYS: Bogusław Chrabota, Bartosz Arłukowicz, Sylwester Tułajew, Tomasz Głogowski.