-- WE ARE CHEERING FOR SCHETYNA TO KEEP UP WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE TIMES - SŁAWOMIR NITRAS - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/02/12/ -- MUTUAL ACCUSATIONS WITHIN PiS - AGATA KONDZIŃSKA IN GW: “The Ziobro camp wants a collision with an iceberg, the Gowin camp is muttering about concessions. Mutual accusations have begun within the ruling camp, and tensions are rising ahead of the ECJ's decision on the Disciplinary Chamber of the Supreme Court. (...) However, the dispute between coalition partners is becoming increasingly vocal within the government. – The Ziobro camp wants a collision with an iceberg, believing that this time the iceberg will shatter and the 'Titanic' will survive. Poles will rally around the President, outraged that the EU is meddling in our Polish affairs,” says a PiS politician.” -- THE CHAIRMAN IS WONDERING WHAT ZIOBRO IS PLAYING AT - CONTINUES KONDZIŃSKA: “The PiS headquarters commissioned extensive research, asking, among other things, about the assessment of changes in the justice system. – The worst thing is that Jarosław Kaczyński is hemming and hawing instead of taking a clear stance. Although the convention of Solidary Poland gives him pause, he sees that Ziobro is challenging him and appealing to PiS's core electorate. The chairman is already wondering what Ziobro is playing at,” says a politician from the ruling camp.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,25687802,pis-nie-boi-sie-milionow-kary.html -- ZIOBRO IS CONCERNED WITH ZIOBRO - JACEK GĄDEK QUOTES A POLITICIAN FROM NOWOGRODZKA STREET: “How does Nowogrodzka Street see it? We ask. What is Ziobro after? A PiS politician: – Ziobro is after Ziobro. As usual, then. Ziobro is fighting to ensure his party gets over 5%, and let Duda worry about getting over 50% in the elections himself.” -- GĄDEK ON THE RESURGENT POLEXIT: “Law and Justice has lost control of the ruling camp's narrative regarding the courts. The tone is set by the smaller, now conflicted coalition partners – Zbigniew Ziobro and Jarosław Gowin. Nowogrodzka Street wants to downplay the court issue during Andrzej Duda's presidential campaign. This could be replaced by the narrative of 'Polexit', revived by Ziobro.” -- IN THE ATMOSPHERE OF PENALTIES, THE NARRATIVE OF POLEXIT WOULD REGAIN CREDIBILITY - CONTINUES GĄDEK: “In an atmosphere of threatened penalties and financial losses, the 'Polexit' narrative would gain traction and credibility. And since the opposition has greater reserves among undecided voters than the right-wing camp, it's worse for Duda. Because although Poles don't want the Eurozone, they do want the Euro. Belonging to the West, to the EU, is an obvious component of the civic identity of swing voters.” -- GĄDEK ON PIŚ NOT WANTING TO YIELD ENTREPRENEURS TO KONFEDERACJA AND PSL: “This is a consequence of the parliamentary elections. Why? Back then, PiS, although J. Gowin's coalition partner Porozumienie was skeptical about it, brandished the promise of a very significant increase in the minimum wage, which raised concerns, especially among small businesses. PSL (proposing voluntary social security contributions) and Konfederacja (radically free-market) benefited from this. This time, Nowogrodzka Street and the Presidential Palace do not want to push entrepreneurs into the hands of the competition again.” https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,25687301,pis-dryfuje-ws-sadow-wiec-ziobro-moze-reanimowac-polexit.html -- THE SITUATION HAS SPUN OUT OF CONTROL - TOMASZ PIETRYGA IN RZ: “On the Polish side, there is no visible strategy to de-escalate the increasingly tense domestic conflict over the courts, which would break this collision course and the costly long-term dispute with Brussels. Instead, among right-wing politicians, there is a bidding war over who will strike harder at Themis, who will more precisely expose its pathological features, all accompanied by narratives about the evil EU interfering in Polish affairs. Moderate language, recently audible within the right-wing camp, has disappeared from the debate. There is no talk of compromise today. No one, perhaps apart from Jarosław Gowin, speaks of it anymore. Knockout is the only possible strategy today. This is a sign that the situation has spun out of control.” -- HISTORY TENDS TO REPEAT ITSELF - PIETRYGA ON THE ATMOSPHERE SIMILAR TO THE UNFINISHED TERM OF PiS 2005-2007: “Except that history sometimes likes to repeat itself. In the escalating spiral of conflict, common features can be found with the unfinished PiS term in 2007. The protagonists are, moreover, the same. Now, Chairman Kaczyński has declared war on pathology in the courts, diligently waged by Zbigniew Ziobro. In 2005, PiS won the elections under the slogan of fighting corrupt networks, of which the same Minister of Justice was a zealous implementer. Media targeting of pathology, symbolized by Doctor G., MP Sawicka, prosecutor Kaczmarek, or Barbara Blida, deterred initially favorable voters in 2007. They had enough of living in a state of emergency. They rejected such a way of exercising power. Today, after 13 years, PiS finds itself on a similar path. The permanent, increasingly brutal conflict with judges and the EU for five years now may effectively discourage tired voters.” https://www.rp.pl/Opinie/302119904-Tomasz-Pietryga-Konflikt-o-sady-przejeli-dzis-radykalowie.html -- TOMASZ BIELECKI WRITES FROM BRUSSELS ABOUT A REAL THREAT TO FUNDS: “More important than the debate itself are the declarations preceding it by key MEPs regarding new ways to safeguard the rule of law in the EU, primarily the 'money for rule of law' principle. 'I expect the discussion on linking funds and the rule of law to continue. It is difficult to justify why the EU should finance projects in countries where there are no independent courts,' said Manfred Weber, head of the center-right European People's Party group (the largest faction in the European Parliament), at a press conference.” -- PARLIAMENT WILL NOT SUPPORT THE DILUTION OF THE RULE OF LAW AND BUDGET ISSUES - CONTINUES BIELECKI: “The 'money for rule of law' reform will also be part of a single negotiation package at the summit along with the seven-year budget, which requires unanimity from all countries. Poland and Hungary, of course, oppose the project linking funds to the assessment of the rule of law, and it is very likely that attempts will be made to bargain 'more or less cohesion funds for consent to the rule of law mechanism' or for its dilution, to make it less severe. On the other hand, the draft budget for 2021-27, once unanimously agreed upon by EU countries, must be approved by the European Parliament. And the latter, as indicated by declarations on Tuesday, would be very reluctant to support such a dilution.” https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/swiat/1942020,1,fundusze-ue-za-praworzadnosc-debata-o-sytuacji-w-polsce.read?src=mt -- MEN WITH THE CHARM OF A GOOD BOY - AGATA SZCZĘŚNIAK IN REFLECTIONS ON THE GENERATIONAL SYMBOLISM OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: “The dominance among candidates of men around forty with the charm of a good boy is striking. This is true for both the democratic opposition candidates and the entire field. Within this group, the age difference between the youngest, Bosak, and the oldest, Duda, is barely 10 years. (...) They have vague recollections of the PRL, memories of childhood or adolescence, mostly not related to politics, but to the cultural and social backdrop. In the 1990s, they went through high school and university, and unlike their slightly older peers, they did not experience the consequences of the rapid regime change which, especially in large cities, offered the chance for a brilliant career if one knew English reasonably well and had some cunning and luck.” -- KIDAWY'S CAMPAIGN TEAM NOTICES THE GENERATIONAL ASPECT OF THE CAMPAIGN - CONTINUES SZCZĘŚNIAK: “Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska's campaign team notices this generational aspect of the presidential campaign. During the last Civic Platform convention, the candidate consciously distanced herself from her younger rivals, paraphrasing Andrzej Celiński's old bon mot about 'sweaty men in pursuit of power': 'I'm tired of rooster fights and young gentlemen who are constantly nervous and afraid for their future,' she said at the Civic Platform convention on February 8, 2020. She described herself as an experienced, serious housewife who would air out the place, clean it, look under the carpets, and replace old furniture and appliances with new ones.” -- WE MAY HAVE EITHER THE YOUNGEST OR THE OLDEST PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE THIRD REPUBLIC: “In the last parliamentary elections, voter turnout among those aged 40-49 was as high as 75.7%, and among those aged 30-39 – 60.3%. Therefore, the political fate of the 40-year-old candidates will be decided by their peers. The presidential elections will also be a test of whether the need for generational change in Polish politics, proclaimed by many observers and commentators, is also a need of the voters. Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (a slim chance) and Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska (a strong chance) have a shot at reaching the second round. Thus, in May, we may have the youngest (39 years old) or the oldest (63 years old) president in the history of the Third Republic.” https://oko.press/prezydenckie-starcie-pokolen-mlodzi-chlopcy-kontra-pani-domu-generacja-okraglego-stolu-odchodzi-w-cien/ -- MARCIN FIJOŁEK ON THE PERSONAL INTERFERENCE IN THE OPPOSITION'S CAMPAIGN: “The tug-of-war behind the scenes of campaign teams and local structures is in full swing. Sometimes only more dust fumes emerge from under the rug, as happened today when Kosiniak-Kamysz nudges Kidawa-Błońska on the issue of appealing for a debate, using the popularity of Donald Tusk among opposition voters. And it will only get more interesting at the subsequent turns of the election campaign. Sometimes the most important matters happen not in television studios, but somewhere in the background. It is worth noticing this. The only question is whether all these incidents do not confirm one thing: that in reality, this campaign is a competition between the ideas and policies of President Andrzej Duda and PiS, and a great alliance of all others – in various versions, with different sensitivities, sometimes different views, but overall with one common denominator that neutralizes any potential differences.” https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/486470-na-zapleczu-kampanii-przeciaganie-liny-trwa-w-najlepsze -- DOCUMENTS SHOW INEFFECTIVE CBA ACTION AND LACK OF IRREFUTABLE EVIDENCE - ANDRZEJ STANKIEWICZ AND ONET AUTHORS ANALYZE REVEALED MATERIALS: “Onet journalists analyzed materials from the investigation into the concealment of assets by Jolanta and Aleksander Kwaśniewski. The revealed documents are supposed to prove that the famous house in Kazimierz Dolny belonged to the presidential couple, even though an acquaintance of the Kwaśniewskis was officially the owner. However, the documents also show that the Central Anticorruption Bureau (CBA) acted ineffectively and did not obtain strong evidence for this. The documents do confirm that the operation against the Kwaśniewskis is not a CBA success. Had Kamiński's men had irrefutable evidence of guilt, the Kwaśniewskis would have faced criminal proceedings and tax investigations long ago. The revelation of key operational documents is a blow to the investigation against the Kwaśniewskis and seals its failure. But this is a conscious decision. Kamiński stopped believing that anything would come of this investigation. He decided, therefore, to defend himself with secret materials against the accusations of Agent Tomek that he fabricated illegal assets to catch the Kwaśniewskis for political reasons.” https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/cba-ujawnia-dokumenty-ws-willi-kwasniewskich-co-w-nich-jest/cg77tpv -- THE EPISCOPATE HAS A LOT TO LOSE AND PREFERS NOT TO PROVOKE ZIOBRO - DOMINIKA WIELOWIEYSKA IN GW: “Why is the Church silent about the authorities' demolition of the independent judiciary? Because it has a lot to lose and prefers not to provoke Zbigniew Ziobro. (...) The hopes that Franciszek's document gave to some now look like comical naivety. The Nunciature does not respond to our questions, and the results of investigations in the dioceses should have been sent to its office. The prosecutor's office and courts could request documents from ecclesiastical investigations. And this is the sensitive point. As the case from Chodzież has already shown, Archbishop Gądecki and the hierarchy are hostages of Zbigniew Ziobro. Therefore, criticism of his actions in the judiciary could seriously harm the Church as an institution.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,25687429,episkopat-zakladnikiem-ziobry-odszkodowania-za-pedofilie-jak.html -- WHEN THE COLLAPSE OF THE COURTS BECOMES NOTICEABLE TO PEOPLE, THEY WILL SAY IT'S LIKE WITH THE COLORADO BEETLE IN THE PRL - EWA SIEDLECKA: “The next four years of rule by PiS, its coalition partners, and their justice system 'reforms' have just begun. When the collapse, which for now is felt mainly by overworked judges and court staff, becomes dramatically noticeable to court clients, state television will likely report that it is the result of the laziness of the 'extraordinary caste,' which, instead of judging, is engaged in 'defending its privileges,' politicking, and plotting against Poland's sovereignty. Just as in the PRL, poor potato harvests were blamed on American imperialists scattering the Colorado beetle in the state farm fields.” https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/kraj/1941824,1,ziobro-bedzie-dalej-reformowal-sady-az-do-zapasci.read -- PiS WAS NOT BOTHERED BY WHISTLES AT KOMOROWSKI - JACEK NIZINKIEWICZ IN RZ: “PiS criticizes methods of fighting Andrzej Duda, yet attacked Bronisław Komorowski in this manner. (...) PiS politicians were not bothered when President Komorowski was called 'Komoruski' at the Smolensk monthly commemorations, when he was accused of Lech Kaczyński's death, or when he was shouted at during his speeches: 'WSI agent' and 'traitor.' PiS MP Zbigniew Kuźmiuk saw nothing wrong when, during the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising on Military Powązki Cemetery, whistles were directed at Komorowski, among others: 'Such a manifestation of opposition must appear there too. Whistles and shouts are an obvious social reaction.'” https://www.rp.pl/Rzecz-o-polityce/302119906-Jacek-Nizinkiewicz-Gwizdac-na-prezydenta.html -- JACEK KARNOWSKI BELIEVES KIDAWA SHOULD CUT TIES: “Apologies alone are not enough. She must go further: she must unequivocally distance herself from such methods. By shaking hands with the Kodziarze and congratulating them on their action in Puck, she has taken responsibility for every subsequent incident, every subsequent attack. Now, every further insult directed at the president will be her insult. https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/486468-kodziarze-wykrzykujacy-ty-ch-wprawili-ja-w-euforie -- THESE ARE ACTIONS LIKE YANUKOVYCH'S POLITICAL TECHNOLOGISTS - MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI ON THE WHISTLES: “This plan is disgraceful, it is an attack on Polish democracy, on the right of Poles to a normal election campaign. It is an attempt to escalate the worst aspects of Polish politics. Finally, it is a complete opposite of Mrs. Kidawa-Błońska's own promises of a unifying, calm, and substantive campaign. It is hard to find a greater case of cynicism, a more open denial of one's own slogans. These are actions straight from the East; this is how Russian political technologists operate, for example, and this is how politics was conducted in Ukraine under Yanukovych. Polish democracy must defend itself against this. The first step must be to force the Civic Platform candidate and the party to apologize, and the second is to force them to cease such activities.” https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/486455-polska-demokracja-musi-sie-bronic-przed-agresja-bojowek-mkb -- PiS PEOPLE ROBBED THE PCK - JACEK HARŁUKOWICZ ON GW'S FRONT PAGE. -- WILL POLAND SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY OFFERED BY MACRON - RAFAŁ WONICKI IN KULTURA LIBERALNA: “Therefore, in a short time, we will see what actually emerges from this new leadership formula proposed by Macron. Certainly, the French president has opened up an opportunity for Warsaw to return to the EU game. However, knowing our government's current efficiency in pursuing its own goals in EU policy, there is a high risk that this opportunity will be wasted. And instead of improving Poland's position in the EU, we will witness its further political marginalization.” -- POLAND'S STRENGTH WOULD INCREASE, BUT THE GOVERNMENT'S LACK OF IDEAS FOR ITS ROLE IN RELATIONS BETWEEN PARIS AND BERLIN STANDS IN THE WAY - CONTINUES WONICKI: “Proposing Poland to reactivate talks within the Weimar Triangle could prove to be a fruitful tool for strengthening our country's position in the EU. In this situation, it depends on diplomatic actions and the determination of the government in Warsaw whether this will happen and whether we will be able to realistically take advantage of Macron's proposal. Poland's strength would certainly increase if it began to play the role of mediator between Paris's progressive ideas and Berlin's conservative policy. However, this is not so simple. The current government's lack of ideas for its role in relations between Berlin and Paris certainly stands in the way. The aforementioned different assessment of the threat from Russia is also a problem. Such a large potential of conflicting interests will not be overcome by Macron's assurances of a beautiful shared past between Poles and French people formulated at the Jagiellonian University.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2020/02/12/polska-francja-relacje-macron-unia-europejska/ -- SASIN'S STRONGER POWER - ANDRZEJ KUBLIK IN GW: “Deputy Prime Minister Jacek Sasin is preparing legal changes that will facilitate government control over state-owned companies and will favor mega-corporations. Will the new regulations facilitate the expansion of the PiS faction, whose face is Orlen's head Daniel Obajtek?” https://wyborcza.pl/7,155287,25686395,sasin-przeorze-prawo-handlowe-powstanie-lex-obajtek.html -- BIRTHDAYS: Jan Kidawa-Błoński, Marek Magierowski, Michał Krupiński, Szymon Gutkowski, Rafał Baniak.