-- AT 6:30 PM, THE PRESIDENT WILL OPEN THE POLISH HOUSE IN DAVOS, AND TOMORROW AT 7 AM HE WILL DEBATE THERE WITH THE PRESIDENTS OF CROATIA, LATVIA, AND ESTONIA, WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM. Located on the main promenade, the Polish House will be established for the second time on the initiative of PZU and Bank Pekao. This year's interiors are intended not only to encourage business discussions and high-level meetings but also to promote Polish culture and inspire visitors.

-- WILL THE PRIME MINISTER BRING 7 BILLION PLN IN INVESTMENTS FROM JAPAN? - as reported by Gazeta: "Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who is on an official visit to Japan at the invitation of Shinzo Abe, the head of the Japanese government, expressed his conviction that he will be able to convince Japanese entrepreneurs to invest in Poland. 'After today's discussions, I am convinced that we will attract further investments to Poland worth 5-7 billion PLN, creating thousands of additional jobs,' he said during a meeting with Polish journalists." http://next.gazeta.pl/next/7,151003,25615002,premier-morawiecki-przywiezie-z-tokio-kontrakty-na-5-7-mld-zl.html

-- THE RED ARMY WATCHED WARSAW'S AGONY - THE PRIME MINISTER IN AN ARTICLE FOR POLITICO: "This Stalinist version of history is not only factually incorrect but also an insult to the memory of millions of victims of communism. In reality, it was the alliance between Nazi Germany and the USSR in 1939 that paved the way for the outbreak of World War II. The Third Reich would not have been able to rebuild its military potential without supplies of raw materials and military cooperation from the Soviet Union. It would not have been able to defeat Poland and France so easily, nor would it have had such freedom in preparing the devastating machinery of the Holocaust. The Soviet Union did not 'liberate' Warsaw, as Russian authorities claim today. The Red Army watched Warsaw's agony impassively. The two uprisings in the city – the first in the Jewish Ghetto in 1943, and the second in the entire city in 1944 – were evidence of brutal German crimes. While the residents of Warsaw waited with hope for help, Joseph Stalin never ordered the Red Army to intervene." https://www.politico.eu/article/moscows-holocaust-revisionism-world-war-russia-auschwitz-nazi-germany-soviet-union/

-- KIERWIŃSKI ON WHAT PLATFORMA UNDER BUDKA'S LEADERSHIP WILL BE LIKE - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/01/21/

-- PAWEŁ WROŃSKI IN GW ON THE STAFF PREPARING A RESPONSE TO PUTIN'S NEXT EXPECTED ATTACK: "– I wouldn't call it a staff – a politician from the president's circle tells us. However, according to our information, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Centre for Eastern Studies are monitoring Russian media. The latter institution is also preparing possible scenarios for Putin's and the Russian administration's behavior. – There is a lot of this material, we hope it will be taken into account – says our interlocutor. Historical issues are constantly consulted by Prof. Andrzej Nowak, who was, among others, a co-creator of the statement delivered by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on December 29, in which he responded to Putin's accusations. According to our information, Deputy Minister Paweł Jabłoński, a former activist of the Jagiellonian Club, is coordinating the matter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs." https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,25617920,sztab-kryzysowy-u-dudy-szykuja-odpowiedz-na-klamstwa-putina.html

-- POLAND IS PAYING FOR THE SIN OF PASSING THE COMPROMISING ACT ON THE INSTITUTE OF NATIONAL REMEMBRANCE AND OTHER MISTAKES IN PIS'S HISTORICAL POLICY - PAWEŁ WROŃSKI IN GW: "Prime Minister Morawiecki announced that Russia's propaganda attack on Poland is a result of the successes of Poland's historical policy initiated by the PiS government. There was a Greek leader who, after the Battle of Asculum, said: 'One more such victory and we are lost.' His name was Pyrrhus." https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,25616798,czolgi-polityki-historycznej-putina-rozjechaly-polska-konnice.html

-- PIS IS INCREASINGLY USING ANTI-EU RHETORIC - JACEK NIZINKIEWICZ IN RZ: "Where does this change in Andrzej Duda's narrative come from? Presidential elections will be held in Poland in May. PiS is not sure of Duda's victory. The party knows that presidential elections cannot be won solely by PiS supporters' votes, so it has been decided to fight for the far-right electorate, knowing that the centrist, liberal, and left-wing electorate is beyond reach. Jarosław Kaczyński wants there to be only a wall to the right of PiS. Therefore, with his anti-EU statements, Duda is trying to capture Konfederacja's electorate. PiS MEPs in the European Parliament echoed him, speaking of an opposition that clings to the German coattails or is a new Targowica. Earlier, PiS politicians had already questioned the sensibleness of the EU. Zdzisław Krasnodębski said that the EU is a utopia and did not rule out that Poland might face the necessity of organizing a referendum on leaving the EU in the future. PiS is increasingly using anti-EU rhetoric, undermining the credibility of Poles towards the EU."

-- DUDA LIKE CAMERON? - NIZINKIEWICZ'S CONCLUSION: "Divisions may serve the president, but Poland may lose from them. David Cameron, for particular interests, pushed anti-EU rhetoric in Great Britain, which ended in Brexit. Will Poland face a similar scenario?" https://www.rp.pl/Analizy/301209905-Nizinkiewicz-Niebezpieczna-gra-prezydenta.html

-- CONFRONTATION WITH BRUSSELS COULD BE VERY COSTLY FOR PIS; PARADOXICALLY, THE ROUND TABLE MAY BE USEFUL FOR THE RULING PARTY - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: "Ignoring ECJ rulings and confronting Brussels may prove very costly for PiS. And the gag law will not solve the problem of the Polish judiciary. Therefore, paradoxically, the round table, whose proposal was described by Monday's 'Rzeczpospolita,' may be the most beneficial for the ruling party, as it could be an emergency exit from this stalemate. And most importantly, it can help avert the chaos that will grow with each day in Polish courts." https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/301209897-Szuldrzynski-Okragly-stol-czyli-wyjscie-awaryjne.html

-- DIALOGUE REQUIRES EFFORT FROM BISHOPS - ON THE CHURCH'S SILENCE REGARDING THE COURTS - TOMASZ KRZYŻAK IN RZ: "'To all people of good will, we appeal to make an effort for national agreement and to engage in dialogue in truth' – the hierarchs concluded. This document has lost none of its relevance. Practically all the theses put forward in it are reflected in what is happening around us. But now, when the dispute over the shape of judicial reform has reached a certain critical point, the Church's teachings are recalled by a mere few bishops. The rest remain silent – as if they have forgotten the letter they themselves wrote. It is difficult to fully understand. Yet, the appeal to 'engage in dialogue in truth' requires effort from the bishops as well. One does not need to take sides, but that does not mean one can sit silently." https://www.rp.pl/Analizy/301209913-Krzyzak-W-sprawie-sadow-Kosciol-stracil-glos.html

-- POLISH AUTHORITIES ARE LIKE POLAND DAILY TO WESTERN PARTNERS - ŁUKASZ PAWŁOWSKI IN KULTURA LIBERALNA: "I mention these skirmishes with English because it is precisely with the language used by 'Poland Daily' that the highest Polish authorities communicate with foreign partners. Of course, it's not that Polish politicians and diplomats cannot speak foreign languages or use them at the level of 'Poland Daily' editors. But the way of speaking is identical. It looks as if messages formulated in Polish for the Polish public are then translated into English and transmitted in their unchanged form to the foreign audience. It's no wonder that this audience reacts with surprise."

-- ŁUKASZ PAWŁOWSKI WRITES IN LIBERTE THAT POLISH AUTHORITIES ARE AS UNDERSTANDABLE TO FOREIGN PARTNERS AS THE REALITY IN BAREJA'S FILMS: "Moreover, abroad, not only statements directed at that audience are heard, but also words spoken here, in Poland. When Andrzej Duda shouts that we must 'cleanse our Polish home to the end, so that it is clean, tidy, and beautiful,' it is truly impossible to present these words in English without evoking the most brutal historical associations. And this happens at a time when Poland constantly has to fight for the memory of its difficult history. In short, Polish authorities show zero empathy in their communication with foreign entities and do not even try to see how unbelievable their translations sound from the perspective of the last 30 years of Polish history. In this sense, they are somewhat reminiscent of characters from films like 'Miś,' 'Dzień świra,' or 'Rejs' – characters who evoke smiles, and even sympathy in Poland, but are completely incomprehensible to the average foreign viewer. And this is even if we show them the film with English subtitles." https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2020/01/21/ustawa-kagancowa-morawiecki-zagranica-jezyk-zrozumienie/

-- MAGDALENA ŚRODA ON THE ZEN OF POLISH POLITICS - writes in GW: "There are reasons to congratulate: President Duda is vying to be the Zen of Polish politics!" https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,25617148,brawo-duda-wspaniala-kampania-w-rytmie-disco-polo.html

-- BALCEROWICZ DOESN'T END IN 1989 - ADRIAN ZANDBERG IN CONVERSATION WITH GRZEGORZ SROCZYŃSKI ON GAZETA.PL: "To close the topic: Balcerowicz found himself in a hellishly difficult situation in 1989, and I accept the arguments of his defenders that the man was navigating a minefield. I simply believe that it was possible to get out of this minefield more wisely, and Prof. Tadeusz Kowalik or Prof. Karol Modzelewski were right then. That's all. However, it is worth adding that Balcerowicz did not end in 1989. What he did a decade later as deputy prime minister in the Buzek government cannot be explained by the extraordinary situation 'The economy is overheated, it needs to be cooled down.' 'We must limit the growth of population income.' These are ideas from that time. They led to the collapse of finances and the pre-accession crisis. My friend from years ago lives in England because, as a result of that economic policy, there was no work for him in Poland. He works there as a programmer. Poland has lost a lot of talent."

-- THE PRL WAS NOT A MIRACLE, HONEY, BUT WE MESSED SOMETHING UP IN FREE POLAND - ZANDBERG CONTINUES: "In the best years of the Third Republic, the number of apartments handed over did not exceed that under Gierek. Back then, it was close to three hundred thousand annually, now we have barely passed two hundred. Does this mean that the PRL was a miracle, honey, and nuts? No. It means that we messed something up badly in free Poland and it's worth fixing it. We did not commit budget funds, we did not treat a roof over one's head as a public good. This is partly why, here where we are now sitting - in Warsaw's Mokotów - an apartment, built in the PRL by the way, costs a million zlotys. This is sick. If someone works in a shop or a cafe, their life won't be enough to repay such a loan."

-- DON'T DRESS UP IN THE ROBES OF VICTIMS - ZANDBERG TO THE ELITE AND LIBERALS: "In the West, the left is accused of being a snowflake, terribly sensitive about itself. I have the impression that here someone else is a snowflake who constantly expects gentleness and admiration. Dear liberals! For a significant part of these 30 years, you have had the spirit of leadership and political power. Many of you still hold economic power. These are your institutions, your media, your companies. It is with you that people work on these precarious contracts, it is from you that these impudent brats rent their poverty rooms. Don't dress up in the robes of persecuted victims, because it simply looks ridiculous."

-- ZANDBERG ON THE LEFT'S PROBLEM WITH THE PROVINCES: "And of course, it doesn't work like that. There are a thousand barriers. If you talk to people from the British Labour Party, they have the same problem with the provinces as we do. The left gathers a disproportionately larger number of supporters in large conurbations, we in Warsaw, and the Labour Party in London. This, of course, does not mean – as the right-wingers push us – that the left is voted for by some alienated elites. In Warsaw, most of our voters work in services or in the public sector. Sometimes in corporations, sometimes on precarious contracts, others have micro-businesses. Among these voters, our way of acting works, as evidenced by the results of Lewica. But we are still looking for a way to reach the countryside and small towns."

-- ZANDBERG ON THE SITUATION WHERE THE CEO EARNS 500 TIMES MORE THAN AN EMPLOYEE: "In the West, there is a discussion about the idea of limiting extreme pay differences within companies. For example, that the salary of the CEO should not be higher than 30 times the average salary in the company. Because the situation where the CEO earns 500 times more than an employee is indeed quite sick. No one is 500 times more productive, nor do they work 500 times harder. Moreover, management staff usually do not manage their own assets, but those entrusted by shareholders, so they risk nothing. They benefit from a kind of group privilege: with dispersed shareholding, no one seriously controls them."

-- WE CAN REMEMBER KACZOR WITH NOSTALGIA SOMEDAY - ZANDBERG FURTHER WITH SROCZYŃSKI: "Meaning that PiS will fall, some economic slowdown will finish them off, or internal contradictions will tear them apart – and the tendency towards authoritarianism will not only remain but will intensify. That a mix of iron fist rule and social Darwinism will come, probably with the blessing of business. Economic problems or employee protests may bring the PiS members to their knees. And a Pinochet-like right-wing in such a situation will simply use force. Look at Konfederacja, listen to the young wolves from Gowin. An alliance of such forces would be a catastrophe for Poland. We can then remember Kaczor with nostalgia." http://next.gazeta.pl/next/7,150860,25615002,adrian-zandberg-czy-prl-to-byl-cud-miod-i-orzeszki-nie-ale.html

-- RYSZARD PETRU TELLS FAKT ABOUT LIFE OUTSIDE POLITICS: "I created it for myself. Along with my team, I run a consulting and transaction business, which translates into earnings significantly higher than parliamentary ones. In addition, one can finally plan a few weeks ahead, live healthier. The world is more predictable in business, the weekend suddenly becomes a weekend, because there are no weekends in politics – something happens every day. One must be on constant alert, with continuously changing parliamentary session times, even the famous night sessions. Politics provides a powerful dose of adrenaline, but much less money."

-- PETRU ON AVOIDING FALSE PEOPLE: "There were victories and there were defeats. Every stage in life must be a lesson for the future. One of them is not to surround yourself with false people. Those whose only goal is to wait for your mistake, not to play as a team."

-- FRAGMENT OF A CONVERSATION WITH PETRU ABOUT MIDLIFE CRISIS: "– You are 48 years old. That's still a midlife crisis. What do you do then? – Buy a Porsche? – Oh, did you buy a Porsche? – No. – And holidays? When are you flying to Madeira? – That was fake news. I've never been to Madeira. – Did you catch up on reading? – I am catching up. – What would you recommend? – From books, 'Flights' by Tokarczuk, from movies, 'Cuba Libre'. https://www.fakt.pl/wydarzenia/polityka/ryszard-petru-w-koncu-moge-sie-wyspac/7zy8s7f

-- 400 ARTICLES BY 3 FICTITIOUS AUTHORS ON WP - VIRTUAL MEDIA INVESTIGATION: "The portal Wirtualnemedia.pl found that on Wirtualna Polska (in the WP Finanse and WP Wiadomości sections) and on Money.pl, approximately 400 texts have been published since the second half of 2018, attributed to the fictitious names of three journalists: Krzysztof Suwart, Krzysztof Major, and Konrad Wojciechowski. The first name was by far the most frequent – it appears in about 210 texts on Money.pl, about 60 on WP Finanse, and over 40 on WP Wiadomości. In the latter, many of Suwart's articles concerned current economic and political events." https://www.wirtualnemedia.pl/artykul/na-wirtualnej-polsce-400-tekstow-trzech-fikcyjnych-dziennikarzy-zachwalano-firmy-panstwowe-i-prywatne#

-- BIRTHDAYS: Paweł Arndt, Dawid Wawryka, Stanisław Handzlik.