-- 300POLITYKA JOINS THE ACTION INITIATED BY FAKT to invite Poles, on Tuesday, April 7th, World Health Day, at 1:00 PM, to stand at their windows and on their balconies and applaud for a minute, together with all of Poland, to thank medical professionals. Similar actions took place on a smaller scale in various countries, including Poland, but we want healthcare workers to hear loud applause in every corner of the country on this special day. https://www.fakt.pl/wydarzenia/polska/koronawirus-brawa-dla-was-podziekujmy-lekarzom/13l1e4s -- Other participants in the action include: Onet, Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, Radio Zet, Gazeta Wyborcza, Rzeczpospolita, Interia, and others. ***** -- TONIGHT AT 7:00 PM, "INNI LUDZIE" DIRECTED BY GRZEGORZ JARZYNA: The play "Inni ludzie" based on Dorota Masłowska's book, directed by Grzegorz Jarzyna, will be available to watch online today only on the TR Warszawa theatre's Facebook profile. https://www.facebook.com/trwarszawa/posts/2856204071161251?fbclid=IwAR2c_8G9ymdpXMN1446I3lhZcOx5gjyBTJBS8CzxciWeTGJYoPnKuyj2Lg4 -- KATARZYNA JANOWSKA RECOMMENDS 5 ONLINE PERFORMANCES FOR THE WEEKEND: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCsGGyo9ZzE -- JANOWSKA RECOMMENDS, AMONG OTHERS, THE "TORMENT OF LIFE" BY HANOCH LEVIN DIRECTED BY JAN ENGLERT AT THE NATIONAL THEATRE WITH ANNA SENIUK AND JANUSZ GAJOS ON NINATEKA.PL: https://ninateka.pl/film/udreka-zycia-jan-englert ***** -- SZUMOWSKI'S ALARMIST WARNING: NOTHING INDICATES THE EPIDEMIC WILL END IN THE COMING WEEKS - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/04/04/ -- ACCORDING TO BIG DATA ANALYSIS, WE ARE CURRENTLY FOLLOWING THE ITALIAN PATH: "For now, the epidemic in Poland is developing like in Italy. It is too early to say whether the restrictions introduced by the government are sufficient to break this trajectory. However, it certainly won't help if you go for a walk on the weekend." https://biqdata.wyborcza.pl/biqdata/7,159116,25845078,zanim-pojdziesz-na-spacer-pomysl-o-wloszech.html?_ga=2.5210742.490860956.1585998043-1645292222.1527144930 -- GERMANY FOLLOWS POLAND'S LEAD AND EXEMPTS DONATIONS TO HOSPITALS FROM TAXES: https://www.bundesfinanzministerium.de/Content/DE/FAQ/2020-03-13-Corona-FAQ.html#doc352445a0-feab-4b30-ae72-ce9870f02f09bodyText20 ***** -- FURTHER CONSUMER NEEDS AT THIS LEVEL WILL NOT BE SUSTAINABLE - ZBIGNIEW JAGIEŁŁO, CEO OF PKO BP, IN AN INTERVIEW WITH MIKOŁAJ KUNICA IN BUSINESS INSIDER: "The situation has changed completely. Further consumer needs, at the level they were before the crisis, will not be sustainable. Poles' incomes are threatened. We are not yet able to precisely assess the scale of this. We still don't know which sector, which company will survive on the market and which will collapse, but with certainty, we should be very cautious with consumer loans. Both for customers when taking them out and for banks when granting them." -- JAGIEŁŁO ON THE END OF CARELESS CONSUMERISM - tells Kunica: "We are limiting the amount of cash loans. We will more closely verify the situation of people applying for such loans. The era of careless consumerism in Poland has ended. We are also tightening the criteria for assessing the creditworthiness of people applying for housing loans. We need to carefully examine whether current income sources will be stable. Today, the answer to this question has become more difficult. What will happen on construction sites managed by developers is also uncertain. Will professionals show up for work without fear? In what percentage? Let me emphasize again, the main challenge is to maintain the already granted loans." -- THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO KEEP AS MANY COMPANIES AFLOAT AS POSSIBLE: "If we manage to keep as many companies afloat as possible, then there will be less of a problem with the labor market. The first and most important thing is to take action to keep the largest number of companies in good condition. Only then, after the isolation ends, will people be able to return to work." https://businessinsider.com.pl/finanse/makroekonomia/prezes-pko-bp-zbigniew-jagiello-o-kryzysie-zwiazanym-z-koronawirusem-sars-cov-2/5rrfdg4 -- SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE - WITOLD GADOMSKI IN GW: "The current economic crisis caused by the pandemic is being compared to the one from 2007-09, but this is an inaccurate analogy. That one erupted because many large banks had problems maintaining liquidity. Central banks intervened, provided cash, and governments provided additional capital. The panic subsided, and the normal flow of money returned. The current crisis is also compared to war, which causes huge damage to the economy. This is also incorrect. Even during carpet bombings, governments tried to maintain production, albeit war-related. Unemployment? There was a shortage of labor, and many countries even imposed forced labor. This time, we have a situation that has occurred for the first time in the history of modern societies." https://wyborcza.pl/magazyn/7,124059,25844448,gadomski-koronawirus-to-nie-jest-ani-rok-2008-ani-wielki-kryzys.html -- KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ BETRAYED GOWIN - Maciej Chołodowski reports on wyborcza.pl: "There is no other way. Porozumienie will not leave the government. We must support the proposal to vote by mail in the presidential elections on May 10th, because Kosiniak-Kamysz did not keep his word to Gowin. Otherwise, Poland faces economic catastrophe, a leading politician from the United Right, from the circle of Deputy Prime Minister Jarosław Gowin, tells 'Wyborcza'." -- THERE IS NO OTHER WAY - CHOŁODOWSKI'S CONTACT IN GW: "Our contact explains, in line with the party's message: - This is the only way to hold elections at this time, even if only 5 percent of Poles participate. There is no other solution besides this and introducing a state of emergency with billions in compensation, which Poland cannot afford. Porozumienie did everything to prevent these elections, but the opposition behaved exceptionally irresponsibly, especially what Kosiniak-Kamysz did, who initially agreed to a deal with Gowin: seven years of President Duda's term without the possibility of his subsequent run. He counted on being the main opposition candidate in the presidential elections in two years, which KO and Lewica could not accept." https://bialystok.wyborcza.pl/bialystok/7,35241,25845692,koronawirus-porozumienie-poprze-glosowanie-korespondencyjne.html -- RELATIVELY THE BEST FOR THE COUNTRY IS TO LIMIT THE CHAOS AND DAMAGE THAT WILL ACCOMPANY THE CORRESPONDENCE ELECTIONS IN MAY - JAN ROKITA: "It is certainly too late for the constitutional amendment that the Deputy Prime Minister wants, and what's more, the opposition does not seem inclined to support it for now. And the government – if I understand correctly – still does not want to introduce any form of state of emergency, which Gowin has never publicly sought anyway. It is therefore possible that Gowin's group, after its spectacular defeat, will be forced to swallow their pride and vote for the "correspondence bill." Then, likely, after a frontal confrontation in the Senate, it will come into force just before election day. If this diagnosis of the situation is correct, then relatively the best for the country – from what is still possible – is to focus on limiting the chaos and damage that will inevitably accompany the presidential elections if they are indeed held by correspondence and in May. The alternative is the overthrow of the PiS parliamentary majority on this occasion by Gowin's group and the opening of a government crisis. In the situation of an expanding plague, however, this would not be a sign of excessive political prudence." https://tygodnik.polsatnews.pl/news/2020-04-04/dlaczego-kaczynski-zaakceptowal-plan-gowina/ -- THIS CLEARLY SHOWS THE LIMITS OF KACZYŃSKI'S POWER - PIOTR ZAREMBA IN POLSAT NEWS MAGAZINE: "Since the bill to change the election format to fully correspondence-based was not voted on in the Sejm on Friday, there will be no attempt to hold them in May. It is not appropriate to write this in the midst of an epidemic when completely different things matter, but it clearly demonstrates the limits of Jarosław Kaczyński's power in this parliament. Regardless of the question about Jarosław Gowin's career in the United Right after the end of his term." -- GOWIN PREVENTED POLITICAL MADNESS - ZAREMBA Continues: "More important news is that Gowin prevented an attempt at political madness. The effects of what happened can be summarized by referring to five myths of the right that are a response to recent events. These myths arise spontaneously, although they may sometimes be suggested by PiS politicians themselves. The priority was to abandon the May election date, which will be discussed further. This is what Gowin has already achieved. The bill to amend the constitution is more of a symbol. It gives the right an opportunity to exit with dignity, because the two-year extension of Duda's term is difficult for the opposition." -- THE PROSPECT OF COMPROMISE IS RECEDING - ZAREMBA Continues: "However, the prospect of madness and compromise is receding, which does not mean that what happens will be fully coherent and sensible. And Kaczyński can always change his mind. If, over the weekend, he says: let's hold the elections on May 10th, according to the old rules. That is, with people under 65 years of age going to the polling stations. And that would already be double madness." https://tygodnik.polsatnews.pl/news/2020-04-03/wybory-nie-odbeda-sie-w-maju-gowin-wygrywa-z-kaczynskim/ -- WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF TIKTOK? - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN PLUS MINUS RZ: "Most Polish TikTok users are between 13 and 15 years old. So-called young adults, i.e., those who have reached the age of majority, constitute only a few percent of users (according to last year's research). One can understand the desire to reach young voters, but only if they are voters. However, only individuals over 18 years of age can vote in Poland. So, the benefit may turn out to be smaller than it seems, especially if a politician – particularly one holding an important position, such as the President of Poland – has to infantilize their political message to reach young people." -- I AM CURIOUS ABOUT THE REASONS THAT LED THE PRESIDENT TO START HIS ADVENTURE WITH THE CHINESE SERVICE THIS WEEK - SZUŁDRZYŃSKI Continues: "And here lies a serious dilemma for politicians in a European country: isn't participating in the Chinese propaganda machine too high a price for reaching teenagers with one's message? I would be curious about the reasons that led President Andrzej Duda to announce this week that he is starting his adventure with this service. But I fear there was no analysis. That some strategist burst into the room shouting: – I have a f…ing great idea, Andrzej, we'll set up a TikTok account for you, it'll be so cutting-edge. Besides, Kidawa-Błońska has one too. – Oh, that's great. – Yeah. – So, shall we set it up? It was supposed to be f…ing awesome, but it turned out as always." https://www.rp.pl/Plus-Minus/304039991-Konto-Dudy-na-TikToku-Wyszlo-jak-zawsze.html -- Photo: Hieronymus Bosch, Ship of Fools, The Louvre. *"The horizon is filled with a green-blue glow and the sounds of a lute played by a thin and ugly nun. Along with nine other passengers, she sails on a strange ship in a completely unknown direction. The entire crew of the boat gives the impression of absolute chaos; not a single figure stands out with calmness, harmonious gestures, or a wise countenance; on the contrary, it seems that Bosch has created a company of beings here that he sketched in the alleys of the suspicious districts of the cities of his time. Each of them is a 'creature' subjected to physical and psychological deformation, almost animalistic beings, thoughtless, emotionally agitated. Who then are they? And where are they heading, not caring about the ship's course... (...) The secret owl, sitting in the middle of the crown of the mast-tree, opposes this mad journey to nowhere. Its symbolic wisdom contrasts with the lack of wisdom, and thus the foolishness of the ship's crew."* https://niezlasztuka.net/o-sztuce/hieronim-bosch-statek-glupcow/ -- ALEKSANDER KWAŚNIEWSKI CALLS FOR DIALOGUE - as he tells Piotr Pacewicz in Oko.press: "Look, how much negotiation material there is here. 30 days plus 90 days plus 30 days... Maybe it will come out to a year? Not two years? There are various options, if the authorities want to talk seriously. My recommendation is clear: engage in talks on the condition that PiS clearly states that it is abandoning elections in the midst of an epidemic. Because that cannot be agreed to." https://oko.press/gowin-kwasniewski-namawia-opozycje-na-przyjecie-mego-pomysly-kwasniewski-to-nie-jest-prawda/ -- BOGDAN BORUSEWICZ ADVOCATES FOR THE VARIANT WITH PRIME MINISTER GOWIN - as he tells Jacek Gądek on gazeta.pl: "The simplest schemes are the best. Only in this way, with Prime Minister Gowin, can we remove PiS from power. I have been saying this for a long time, but in closed political circles. Now is the time to say it publicly." -- GOWIN'S TRANSITION WOULD SOFTEN THE DIVISIONS - BORUSEWICZ Continues: "If Jarosław Gowin decided to become the Prime Minister of the current opposition, it would greatly soften the sharp divisions in Polish politics." https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,25843307,borusewicz-tylko-z-premierem-gowinem-mozemy-odsunac-pis-od.html -- CORRESPONDENCE ELECTIONS IN AUGUST ARE THE BEST - MARCIN FIJOŁEK: "Is the idea of correspondence elections taking place in August (or late July) ideal? No, it's an imperfect solution, but – as it seems – the best one on the table (after the prior introduction of a state of natural disaster for a certain period). Within these few months, legal and administrative loopholes can be prepared (in an emergency mode, but still respecting elementary procedures), voters can be convinced that this formula is safe, effective, and as important as elections at polling stations. In such a scenario (if it is realized), minimal responsibility for the stability and professionalism of the state would be maintained. If the opposition rejects (and it will reject) the idea of changing the constitution, and Jarosław Gowin is not tempted (and will not be tempted) by proposals from a part of PO, this is likely the solution that will come about." https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/494233-wybory-w-sierpniu-scenariusz-niedoskonaly-ale-najlepszy -- MICHAŁ WOŚ ON HOW A YOUNG PERSON CAN BE AFFECTED BY CORONAVIRUS - says in an interview with Piotr Witwicki in RZ: "The fever was serious, and the shortness of breath intensified. It was difficult to breathe deeply and catch my breath. When I walked half a floor up the stairs in the hospital, I felt like I had after a serious run, and my condition isn't bad. It was basically no physical exertion, and I was gasping like after a run. Tests later showed that my saturation was indeed falling." -- DO NOT MINIMIZE - WOŚ STATES: "The virus multiplies, and people later have to use ventilators. And if the lungs are completely insufficient – use cardio-surgical machines, i.e., artificial lungs, which sustain life. I know of a situation where someone noticed too late that a giant pneumonia was developing. Fortunately, the increasing symptoms were stopped in my case. I will say this again: do not underestimate the symptoms. And also, thanks to all those who are on the front lines: nurses, orderlies, doctors, and paramedics. I myself underestimated the strength of this virus; I thought that a young organism would cope quickly without support. On the first day, I felt relatively good. When the symptoms started to increase, I realized there was no joking around." https://www.rp.pl/Plus-Minus/304039998-Michal-Wos-Noc-pod-tlenem-wirus-to-nie-zarty.html -- THE RULERS REWARD PRIMITIVISM, THE OPPOSITION IS NO BETTER - PROF. PAWEŁ ŚPIEWAK in an interview with Plus Minus RZ: "In Poland, this short-sightedness of the political elite is more visible because the ruling party ennobles primitivism and stupidity, and does so in the name of a national revolution, the so-called elite replacement. This is dramatic. I would note that the opposition is no better when it comes to long-term concepts. The result is that there is no alternative to the current team. Every time I talk to sociologists or Europeanists, I feel that there are many wise people whom the political elites of neither side want or know how to listen to." -- I WOULD PREFER GRODZKI TO RUN - PROF. ŚPIEWAK Continues: "Of course, I would also prefer Tomasz Grodzki from PO to run for president instead of Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, but since it has turned out this way, we must stick to previous agreements. From PiS, I would also prefer Andrzej Duda not to run for president, but for example, Łukasz Szumowski, who appears to be a serious person, has a sense of responsibility, and adheres to professional ethics. But what can we do? Party machines are too powerful for anything to change." -- TUSK IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN BANG HIS FIST ON THE TABLE AND CALL MADNESS - ŚPIEWAK Continues: "I cannot take seriously the people who are currently in the political spotlight. Either we are dealing with complete cynical hipsters, like Jarosław Kaczyński or Ryszard Terlecki, or with a rather lost and helpless opposition. It is a serious misfortune that Donald Tusk withdrew from the elections. And thus from creating a political environment around himself. He is the only politician who seems to understand what European responsibility entails, the only one who can bang his fist on the table and accurately say that something is madness. The fact that he withdrew under the pretext that he is unelectable was an unwise excuse, and the consequences of this decision will be painful for the opposition." -- PROF. ŚPIEWAK ON GREEK DEMOCRACY DURING THE EPIDEMIC DESCRIBED BY THUCYDIDES: "I often think back to the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens, during which the plague broke out in Athens. Thucydides saw how, for most Athenians, all values lost their meaning, the rules of decency disappeared, but there was also talk of a threat to democracy. We know, however, that the Greeks, despite illness, hunger, and war, maintained democratic order, and in my opinion, we must adhere to this principle." https://www.rp.pl/Plus-Minus/304039983-Pawel-Spiewak-Wladza-posmakuje-autorytaryzmu.html -- GRZEGORZ DOBIECKI ON THE LATEST RUSSIAN ITALIAN CAMPAIGN: "Russia will demand American gratitude, expressed, for example, through friendly mediation in the oil conflict between Moscow and Riyadh. And ideally – in the form of lifting sanctions for Crimea and Donbas. The Italians will come forward with this initiative even faster. This will be the effect of the latest foreign military intervention carried out by Putin's army: the Italian campaign. Yes, sending Russian medical teams there was a thoroughly military-political operation. Almost a foothold acquisition on Europe's southern flank." https://tygodnik.polsatnews.pl/news/2020-04-03/swiat-skoronizowany-nowy-lad-ze-starymi-problemami/ -- ADAM KRZEMIŃSKI ON POLAND AND HUNGARY IN THE PANDEMIC SITUATION: "The Sword of Damocles hangs over Poland and Hungary precisely in times of epidemic, when countries will be condemned to solidarity and EU aid." https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/swiat/1951474,1,niemieckie-media-orbn-i-kaczynski-siali-w-ue-wiatr-teraz-zbieraja-burze.read -- EDWIN BENDYK ON BLACK SWANS - says to Michał Sutowski in Krytyka Polityczna: "And on top of that, another thing that we easily forget due to the pressure of the current moment. The economic recession was expected regardless of the coronavirus epidemic; one only needs to listen to what was said at the last summit in Davos. Bloomberg even earlier, in its forecast from early January, published a list of possible events for 2020 that could trigger a crisis. The pandemic was not predicted, but many factors causing the system to crack were identified, led by disruptions in the oil market, which indeed appeared before the coronavirus." -- BENDYK ON THE SWEDISH EXPERIMENT: "The Swedish experience is also interesting and non-obvious – they are playing very aggressively, abandoning the "freezing" of society, contrary to the rest of the continent and other Nordic countries. If they succeed, it will be a fascinating experiment. And then there is the German strategy, which was born in pain due to systemic issues and difficulties in coordinating actions at the federal level. If Germany manages to manage the crisis well and endure, it would be an argument that the country with an advanced industrial base coped best." -- BENDYK ON INSTITUTIONALIZED IRRESPONSIBILITY: "The actions of this government are an example of what Jerzy Hausner called – not referring specifically to PiS, but to the system of power in Poland – the consolidation of "institutionalized irresponsibility." The PiS government is the most perfect expression of this process, because the country is governed by a person who is not responsible for anything. He pursues his political passion without bearing criminal or constitutional responsibility." https://krytykapolityczna.pl/swiat/sutowski-bendyk-kryzys-cywilizacji-energia-klimat-pandemia-wywiad/ -- 31 YEARS AGO, the Round Table Agreement was signed. -- BIRTHDAYS: Mikołaj Wild, SUNDAY: Teresa Bogucka, Marcin Krupa, Przemysław Humięcki, Tomasz Lejman, Edyta Mydlowska-Krawcewicz, Magda Dobrzańska-Frasyniuk, Michał Kabaciński.