-- RACIST ATTACK ON ASIAN WOMAN, PERPETRATORS ARE CHILDREN - Lublin's Dziennik Wschodni on the front page. -- SZUMOWSKI ON PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DATE BEING DECIDED IN APRIL - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/03/23/ -- PROF. EWA ŁĘTOWSKA AND WOJCIECH HERMELIŃSKI FOR 300: STATE OF EMERGENCY MEANS A NEW CALENDAR AND NEW CANDIDATES: “The opinion of legal authorities is unambiguous. Both the first Ombudsman, Prof. Ewa Łętowska, and the former Constitutional Tribunal judge and head of the National Electoral Commission, in conversation with 300POLITYKA, are saying practically the same thing: ‘After the state of emergency expires and the subsequent 90-day period, the procedure starts anew. With a new election calendar and new candidate registration.’ This is a great risk of complete uncertainty not only for the ruling party but also for the opposition, as it reopens the entire electoral process, including collecting signatures and registering candidates anew. On top of that, under a state of emergency, even a ‘mild’ one – a natural disaster – the authorities gain expanded powers without oversight, and this opens up room for interpretation by the Constitutional Tribunal, which the opposition and, for example, the Ombudsman, do not have elementary trust in.” -- TUSK IN POSTPONED ELECTIONS? - WE CONTINUE TO WRITE ON 300POLITYCE: “And this is precisely about the new state of play in politics in a few or a dozen months, which Michał Karnowski called ‘a disturbance of reality.’ It is easy to imagine that Donald Tusk, who is calculating and keeping his finger on the pulse from afar, will decide that Platforma Obywatelska has completely slipped out of his hands and that, still at a young age (62), it is too early to contemplate (currently online) Oskar Kokoschka exhibitions with a glass of Malvasia in hand. It is easy to imagine a scenario where even the new Platforma, reluctant to have Tusk return, might find itself under pressure, for example, from Szymon Hołownia, who could announce his withdrawal from running if the ‘democratic front’ were to jointly field Tusk. And this would be a fundamental change in the conditions of the race for the presidency.” https://300polityka.pl/news/2020/03/21/rozwazania-o-stanie-nadzwyczajnym-i-wyborach-otwarcie-procedury-na-nowo-co-mogloby-oznaczac-na-przyklad-start-tuska-ale-i-furtka-do-ograniczenia-swobod-obywatelskich-jak-u-orbana/ -- RETURN TO PRIMAL POLITICS AND A BLOW TO THE CIVILIZATION OF PAMPERING - BARTŁOMIEJ RADZIEJEWSKI in Nowa Konfederacja: “The pandemic is not a war, but it can have deeper consequences than many armed conflicts. It signifies a return to primal politics. It strikes at the ‘civilization of pampering’ and its idea that humanity has managed to permanently shield itself from violent death.” https://nowakonfederacja.pl/koronawirus-agresor-w-palacu/ -- I WOULD PREFER THE ELECTIONS TO BE HELD SOONER THAN IN A YEAR - MAŁGORZATA KIDAWA-BŁOŃSKA in Rzeczpospolita in conversation with Jacek Nizinkiewicz: “The election date must be set for a time that guarantees their safe conduct. France has postponed the second round of local elections. Other countries are postponing elections. We cannot allow ourselves to exclude many voters and endanger their health by stubbornly adhering to the May deadline. Of course, the sooner the presidential elections can be held, the better. I would prefer it to happen sooner than in a year.” -- I WILL DEFINITELY NOT LET MYSELF BE OVERTAKEN - KIDAWA ON A QUESTION ABOUT KOSINIAK: “Regarding the first round, I am convinced that we will all fight for the best possible result until the end. I will certainly not let myself be overtaken. In the second round, the entire opposition should support a single candidate.” -- THE GOVERNMENT SLEPT THROUGH THE TIME FOR REACTION WHEN POLES WERE RETURNING FROM SKIING - CONTINUES KIDAWA: “The government underestimated the coronavirus problem when it should have started reacting. The virus was already present in Europe during the winter holidays. When Poles were returning from their holidays, no precautions were introduced. No information campaign was conducted regarding the risks associated with international travel at that time. For a long time, nothing was done in this regard at the airports. The government slept through the time for reaction. Today, Minister Szumowski is doing everything he can to catch up on lost time. It's good that he often informs about the actions taken. But it all started too late.” https://www.rp.pl/Wybory-prezydenckie-2020/303229955-Malgorzata-Kidawa-Blonska-To-nie-jest-czas-na-kampanie-i-wybory.html -- ELECTIONS IN MAY ARE NAKED VIOLENCE, NOT WITH A BATON BUT WITH A VIRUS - PAWEŁ BRAVO in Tygodnik Powszechny: “It’s quite simple: if Kaczyński and his people pushed for the presidential elections in May, these elections – although formally every ballot would be correctly counted and the results formally correct – should be treated as if they were faked, and PiS rule considered to have lost its legitimacy. Recognizing the epidemic as a great opportunity to consolidate power will not be another clever, but still legal, political maneuver by Kaczyński. It will be naked violence, but not with a baton in hand, but with a virus.” https://www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/wybory-nie-beda-ani-powszechne-ani-rowne-to-nie-beda-zadne-wybory-162706 -- WILL THE SUPREME COURT RULE THE ELECTIONS INVALID? - DOMINIKA WIELOWIEJSKA in Gazeta Wyborcza: “The judges I spoke with say it is possible that the Supreme Court will issue a resolution on the invalidity of the elections. Especially if it turns out that a very large number of people in quarantine could have influenced the final election results. Elections cannot be repeated in a given district; they must be repeated nationwide.” -- THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE SUPREME COURT MAY SEND THE ELECTION CASE TO THE CHAMBER OF EXTRAORDINARY CONTROL - CONTINUES WIELOWIEYSKA: “Someone might find comfort in the fact that the issue will perhaps be assessed by impartial judges from the Chamber of Labor, appointed in accordance with the law. One lawyer with whom ‘Wyborcza’ spoke warned not to rejoice too soon. Judge Gersdorf’s term ends on April 30th. If President Andrzej Duda appoints his nominee, he may change the decision to send protests to the Chamber of Labor and redirect it to the Chamber of Control again. This, in turn, would open the door to questioning the validity of the resolution on the elections.” -- THE DATE OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS THREATENED - WIELOWIEYSKA: “Moreover, the very election of the new President of the Supreme Court is becoming complicated. Due to the epidemic threat, the First President of the Supreme Court has postponed the date of the General Assembly of Supreme Court Judges, at which five candidates for this position are to be selected. The new date is March 31, 2020, but if the threat does not subside, it may be postponed again.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,25811282,co-sad-najwyzszy-moze-zrobic-w-sprawie-wyborow.html -- KACZYŃSKI'S MODEL: A LOT OF POWER, LITTLE RESPONSIBILITY - TOMASZ SAWCZUK in Kultura Liberalna: “All this suggests that Macierewicz should stop telling fairy tales about the catastrophe and limit himself to stating what can be established with certainty. However, Kaczyński distances himself from the responsibility for having supported Macierewicz’s irresponsible activities for many years and for allowing people to be deceived about the causes and course of the catastrophe. The conversation between Ziemiec and Kaczyński confirms the currency of the management model adopted by Kaczyński: a lot of power, but little responsibility.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2020/03/22/sawczuk-w-poniedzialek-kaczynski-nie-ma-nic-do-powiedzenia/ -- JACEK KARNOWSKI ON RESPONSIBLE LEFT-WING POLITICS: “Every move by the opposition under the banner of KO (I exclude the left wing, which is behaving responsibly) is laced with poison. It is a constant setting of traps. Take the issue of tests, for example. Today, we already know that Poland is conducting as many tests as it should, and its performance is not bad compared to neighboring countries.” -- KO WANTS TO CLOG THE SYSTEM - CONTINUES KARNOWSKI: “KO is not convinced by this. They want tests for everyone, anytime, and everywhere. So, at least 20 million, maybe more, maybe a little less, every five days. Of course, they know that this is a demand that is not only difficult to fulfill but also extremely dangerous: people will rush to health facilities and clog the system, the efficiency of which is the main battlefield today. And yet, KO continues to call for it. They are likely counting on the fact that if the government gives in, they can run around the country looking for villages where tests have not reached. And if the government does not yield to stupid pressure, they can accuse it of depriving Poles of the opportunity to be tested.” https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/492395-ko-biega-z-zapalkami-i-podpala-kraj-znow-obleja-egzamin -- VOTERS WILL HOLD THE RULING PARTY ACCOUNTABLE NOT FOR DEALING WITH THE OPPOSITION'S CARNAGE - MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI: “They will say anything, accuse of anything, promise anything. They will throw any nonsense into the discussion. There is no point in discussing too much with such an unserious opposition that plays for defeat. Engaging in this channel is unnecessary. It is even dangerous. Not so much politically, but socially – we simply don't have time to deal with bloody political fighting right now. This is not what Poles will hold the government accountable for. There is no time for nonsense! (...) As of today, Poland and Poles need not the carnage proposed by the opposition, not chaos, but a continuation of composure, hard work, and professionalism. I repeat: any other approach is a waste of every minute.” https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/492343-z-taka-opozycja-nie-ma-sensu-obecnie-za-duzo-dyskutowac -- THE MAY DEADLINE IS UNSUSTAINABLE - PROF. DUDEK in Super Express: “– I’ve been thinking about that too. I would be strongly in favor of expanding the possibility of online voting. But first – such legal changes should be prepared well in advance, not just before the elections. Adapting the system for this type of voting will take at least several months. Second – older people, who are not always tech-savvy, also participate in elections. This group is described as ‘digitally excluded.’ Organizing elections exclusively online would deprive many of these people of their right to vote. Therefore, the May deadline is definitively unsustainable. However, it is worth discussing online voting as a solution for the future.” https://www.se.pl/wiadomosci/polityka/koronawirus-odwola-wybory-prof-antoni-dudek-majowy-termin-nie-do-utrzymania-aa-PRck-2ekW-yt1d.html -- FURTHER MEASURES MAY BE NECESSARY - Tomasz Kozłowski in Fakt: “The epidemic in Poland is several weeks behind, compared to, for example, Italy or Spain. Seeing the tragedy unfolding in those countries, we have a priceless opportunity not to repeat their mistakes and to act just as quickly as ruthlessly. So far, Mateusz Morawiecki's government has shown that it is not afraid to implement strict epidemic prevention measures. However, it may turn out that further measures will be necessary.” https://www.fakt.pl/wydarzenia/polityka/tomasz-kozlowski-czy-rzad-zagra-va-banque/w1frdlq -- MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI in Rzeczpospolita recalls Kopacz's stance but states the state remains theoretical: “No, contrary to the opposition's claims, the government could not have prepared better for the plague. The problem is not the decisions made in February or March, but our mentality. Yes, the opposition is right that tests should have been bought earlier, but it’s worth remembering that Ewa Kopacz did not buy vaccines for A1H1 flu. After the fact, she was praised for her frugality because the epidemic bypassed Poland. The problem of our state is a matter of neglect since 1989, but also the strategy adopted by PiS, which preferred to give citizens money directly instead of reforming the state. Paradoxically, today our fate depends on the sacrifices of two social groups that have been treated worst by PiS – primarily doctors, but also, to some extent, teachers. Healthcare and education, dramatically underfunded for years, were not appreciated by PiS because money was needed for social transfers. The period of a good economic climate was wasted; public finances were not put in order. When the epidemic and crisis arrived, these decisions are coming back to haunt us. And the state, as it was theoretical, remains so.” https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/200329806-Michal-Szuldrzynski-Wirus-obnazyl-teoretyczne-panstwo.html -- GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL UNITY? - PROF. MACIEJ KISILOWSKI AND DR ANNA WOJCIUK in Gazeta Wyborcza: “For the opposition, entering the government could also become one of the few realistic ways to maintain real instruments of control over power. With their representatives in the Council of Ministers, the opposition will have access to full information, even if the normal work of the Sejm and Senate has to be limited. On the other hand, PiS would be strengthened by many competent and experienced politicians and experts associated with the opposition.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,25811284,wspolny-rzad-pis-i-opozycji-moze-byc-potrzebny.html -- WE HAVE THE LEAST CORONAVIRUS IN EUROPE - PIOTR PACEWICZ in Oko: “We are checking how many tests need to be done to detect an infected person. Initially, it was 42 tests, now only 22-23, and the more tests there are, the more infected people we will find. However, the comparison with 16 EU countries for which we have data is optimistic: detecting the virus with a test is still more difficult here than elsewhere. This means we have less of the virus.” https://oko.press/koronawirusa-mamy-w-polsce-najmniej-w-europie-wynika-z-porownania-liczby-testow-i-zakazen/ -- INTERVIEW IN JANUARY WARNED ABOUT THE EPIDEMIC - Wojciech Czuchnowski on the front page of Gazeta Wyborcza: “According to ‘Wyborcza’ sources, information about the epidemic was included in a note from the Intelligence Agency, for which China is one of the most important areas of operation. Like other NATO services, it investigated to what extent reports about coronavirus might be exaggerated and used for information warfare and spreading panic. Three threads emerging in the reports, which could have been inspired by services, including Russia's, were particularly analyzed: * that coronavirus originated in British military laboratories; * that the US is behind its spread, conducting an economic war with China; * that the virus is ‘adapted only to Chinese DNA,’ so it is safe for the rest of the world.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,25811338,wywiad-juz-w-styczniu-ostrzegal-przed-epidemia-koronawirusa.html -- POLL FOR SUPER EXPRESS: Andrzej Duda 43.19% Małgorzata Kidawa - Błońska 21.13% Władysław Kosiniak - Kamysz 12.96% Robert Biedroń 9.54% Szymon Hołownia 8.74% Krzysztof Bosak 4.44% https://www.se.pl/wiadomosci/polityka/sondaz-prezydencki-dla-super-expresu-bedzie-druga-tura-aa-ogn1-3PpK-4ewM.html -- BIRTHDAYS: Józef Zych, Piotr Zaremba, Hanna Zdanowska, Aleksander Bobko, Ferdynand Rymarz, Ireneusz Niewiarowski.