-- PAWŁOWICZ AS THE RAPPORTEUR IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL TRIBUNAL CASE REGARDING COMPETENCE - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/01/29/ -- ENORMOUS MONEY AND LOBBYISTS BEHIND 'LEX SACHAJKO' - KATARZYNA MARIA PIEKARSKA IN KRYTYKA: “'Lex Sachajko' is backed by enormous money and fur lobby. It is they, along with Tadeusz Rydzyk, who create a sense of threat and false community among various groups of farmers. Meanwhile, 73% of Poles support a ban on fur farming”. -- PIEKARSKA PRAISES CZABAŃSKI'S IDEA: “Krzysztof Czabański of PiS has an interesting idea to establish an animal guard, which would be a state service under the Ministry of Interior and Administration. However, I would prefer an animal ombudsman, not just one, but something akin to district consumer ombudsmen – an institution that has proven itself. Such a district animal ombudsman would care more about animal welfare than about meat quality”. https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/ustawa-ochronie-zwierzat-katarzyna-piekarska-zwierzeta-futerkowe/ -- WARSAW AND BRUSSELS NEED STRENGTH TO BREAK THE HARMFUL STALEMATE - JĘDRZEJ BIELECKI IN RZ: “To break this stalemate, both Brussels and Warsaw would need strength, which they currently lack. On the Union's side, it is about taking stock, defining the limits of integration and the competences of community institutions, and applying new rules equally to Poland as to Germany, France, or Spain. On our side, there is a need to forge a compromise, first between the government and the opposition, and then with Brussels to save the Community, even if it displeases the hardline PiS electorate. From next week, a new task awaits Poland in the Union: defending the single market, economic liberalism, and the idea of expanding the Community, which the British have done so far. For now, however, due to the dispute over the rule of law, there will be no one to deal with this”. https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/200129238-Jedrzej-Bielecki-Najdluzsza-wojna-nowoczesnej-Europy.html -- WE ARE APPROACHING A TURNING POINT - MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI: “The European Commission is sending a Czech inspector who is so brazen and so prejudiced that she has no time to meet with all parties to the dispute. The Council of Europe (with Russia as a member) is adopting an untrue resolution on the state of democracy in our country. The domestic opposition cannot sleep for excitement, thinking they can finally hit Poland economically. Russia and Israel are trying to vulgarly falsify history. And even the dredging of the Vistula Spit bothers Brussels. Yes – we are clearly approaching some kind of turning point. Of course, not the first, not the last, but exceptionally important on Poland's path to sovereignty. We are approaching a turning point. Either we will defend Poland's chance to rise to greatness, or they will break us for several decades and significantly reduce us”. -- POLES ARE EXPANDING THEIR REACH - MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI CONTINUES: “It has regained control over the banking system (repolonization). It has regained a minimum of informational sovereignty (thanks to TVP under Jacek Kurski's presidency). It has begun to sensibly use public resources saved from predatory privatization. It has rebuilt the might of economic powerhouses like Orlen, LOT, and PZU Group. Poles are expanding their reach – 'Polish House' at the World Economic Forum in Davos, bold steps in Germany (acquisition of CONDOR airlines by Polska Grupa Lotnicza), in Brussels. Economic growth is holding steady, exports are growing, the economic structure is changing, the real (not media) prestige of the state is growing”. -- THE POLISH ARMY IS STRONGER THAN THE BUNDESWEHR – SUCH COMMENTS ARE BEING MADE IN GERMANY - KARNOWSKI CONTINUES: “And the army – there's much laughter, but comments are already emerging in Germany that the Polish Army will soon be stronger than the Bundeswehr. We also have a significant and growing American presence. We are not going to war with anyone, and may there never be one, but this has significance”. https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/484501-zblizamy-sie-do-przesilenia-albo-wielkosc-albo-redukcja -- IT IS NOT ALWAYS POSSIBLE TO SHORTEN FRONTS, WE MUST ENDURE THE PRESSURE - JACEK KARNOWSKI: “This situation frightens many. And those who say that fronts need to be shortened are right, which, by the way, the ruling camp has been trying to do for years. However, this is not always possible. There are also those who say that we must capitulate, in one way or another. Even if only to avoid living under pressure any longer. Of course, this would be a downfall from which we would not recover for a long time. In such a situation, the matter is clear: there is no point in complaining, we must endure this pressure. If we endure, if we come out of this – and we have a good chance of doing so – we will be in a higher league. Where we naturally belong”. https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/484482-te-presje-trzeba-wytrzymac-to-w-istocie-jest-test-egzamin -- ANDRZEJ STANKIEWICZ ON ONET'S ANALYSIS OF THE BIOGRAPHIES OF JUDGES ADOPTING THE SUPREME COURT RESOLUTION: “Onet journalists have analyzed the biographies of judges who, last week, adopted a controversial resolution undermining PiS's judicial reforms. It will not be easy for the leaders of the ruling camp to convince people that these are former communists or political opponents of PiS. A significant number of them received nominations to the Supreme Court from Lech Kaczyński and Andrzej Duda. Most of the judges (17) were appointed by President Aleksander Kwaśniewski. However, many judges were also appointed by Lech Kaczyński and Bronisław Komorowski (13 each) and Andrzej Duda (12). The majority of the presiding judges (36) were born between 1949-1959, meaning they were already lawyers at the end of the PRL era. This group includes three judges who participated in political trials during the communist period. There is no information indicating that other older judges in this group issued political verdicts during the PRL”. https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/uchwala-sedziow-sadu-najwyzszego-kim-sa-sedziowie-biografie/0z3j7gf -- WE CAN SYMPATHIZE WITH EACH OTHER - STANKIEWICZ IN FAKT: “We can sympathize with each other – in this war, there has long been no thought given to the judicial ailments of ordinary citizens”. https://www.google.pl/amp/s/www.fakt.pl/wydarzenia/polityka/andrzej-stankiewicz-o-wojnie-o-sady/3r8pwz2.amp -- WE HAVE TWO LEGAL SYSTEMS IN POLAND - STANKIEWICZ IN TP: “Optimists – like former Deputy Speaker of the Constitutional Tribunal Stanisław Biernat – say: there is no problem, we are returning to the legal order from before PiS. It's not that easy. By not recognizing the Supreme Court's resolution, the ruling camp will also not recognize a return to old solutions – all the more so as they themselves deliberately changed them. And this means, in practice, two legal systems in Poland. Judges must now choose which one they honor. We can sympathize with each other – if we end up before the bench of Themis, we will not be able to be sure of anything”. https://www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/jeden-kraj-dwa-systemy-161832 -- HOŁOWNIA HAS MAINTAINED HIS LISTENING SKILLS - RAFAŁ MATYJA IN CONVERSATION WITH JOLANTA KAMIŃSKA ON INTERIA: “An idea for a non-partisan presidency, which can weaken social conflict and restore a sense of community. From the very beginning, Hołownia also cared about issues such as climate, social exclusion, and solidarity being present in the campaign. Our views were very close. He intrigued me because many people who achieve great careers in Warsaw lose their social awareness. Hołownia has retained that awareness”. -- HOŁOWNIA DOES NOT YET HAVE THE REACH TO CHANGE THE POLLS, BUT POLLS ARE THE LEAST OF HIS WORRIES - MATYJA CONTINUES: “The situation where Hołownia is sometimes third and sometimes fifth, because the differences with Biedroń or Kosiniak-Kamysz are relatively small, is a good starting point. The rest is a matter of the campaign. So far, it does not have the reach that could lead to a change in the polls. Most people have not yet had the opportunity to hear Szymon Hołownia speak about politics. The 2015 campaign showed how unpredictable things can happen in presidential elections. Paweł Kukiz still had 2 to 5 percent support in March. If I had to worry about various things, polls would be the last on the list today”. -- I WOULD NOT SUPPORT ANY PARTY CANDIDATE - MATYJA CONTINUES: “I also hope that many people who are not involved in politics will understand this and support a candidate from outside the parties. I would not support any party candidate in these elections because their habits burden their credibility and way of thinking, making it difficult to change the way they hold office. And we desperately need that. The emergency exit at this moment is a non-partisan presidency. This is a chance and a hope”. -- I DON'T KNOW ANY POLLSTER WHO WOULD BET THEIR LIFE THAT KIDAWA WILL BE IN THE SECOND ROUND - MATYJA CONTINUES: “Winning over undecided voters doesn't just involve attacking a competitor. Getting into conflict with opponents can be very beneficial in the first round, but it deprives you of the chance to attract voters in the second, and that would be a catastrophe. The issue of the second round is open. I don't know any pollster who would bet their life that Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska will definitely face Andrzej Duda in the second round. I believe that Biedroń, Kosiniak-Kamysz, and Hołownia all have a chance to reach it. Therefore, each of these candidates must behave responsibly enough in the first round so as not to limit their maneuverability in the second. Every candidate is playing to maintain their chance of victory”. https://fakty.interia.pl/autor/jolanta-kaminska/news-prof-rafal-matyja-wyjsciem-awaryjnym-jest-bezpartyjna-prezyd,nId,4285394 -- JACEK NIZINKIEWICZ ON SCHETYNA BEING A SHADOW OF HIS FORMER SELF - he writes in RZ: “Schetyna has been betrayed. His former comrades have abandoned him. Only Mariusz Witczak, Robert Tyszkiewicz, and Piotr Borys remain with him. He is counted on by a handful of parliamentarians and some party grassroots. Today, Schetyna is a shadow of his former self. And just a few months ago, not everything seemed lost. The lost parliamentary elections gave the opposition a majority in the Senate. The lost local elections gave Civic Platform mayors of major cities. A broad coalition was formed for the European elections. After the 2015 elections, Civic Platform's poll numbers improved, and they took over Nowoczesna”. -- KACZYŃSKI LED PiS WITH BIGGER LOSSES - NIZINKIEWICZ CONTINUES: “Four years ago, over 10,000 PO members voted for Schetyna himself, and now over 6,000 voted for Budka. The PO leader's defeats are undeniable, but with bigger losses, Jarosław Kaczyński consistently led PiS, remaining in opposition for years. However, PO is not PiS. Democratic elections for party leader in PiS are unimaginable. Jarosław Kaczyński ruthlessly cuts down the competition. Civic Platform, defending democracy, could not afford autocratic rule”. https://www.rp.pl/Rzecz-o-polityce/301289912-Jacek-Nizinkiewicz-Nowe-porzadki-w-starej-Platformie.html -- OLGA TOKARCZUK TURNS 58 TODAY. -- BOOM! AND 300POLITYKA IS 8! HA! -- BIRTHDAYS: Robert Bogdański, Sylwia Spurek, Kazimierz Działocha, Krzysztof Oksiuta.