-- MARTA OLSZEWSKA, JOURNALIST, ANTI-COMMUNIST OPPOSITION ACTIVIST, WIDOW OF PRIME MINISTER JAN OLSZEWSKI, HAS PASSED AWAY - HER DEATH WAS ANNOUNCED BY ANTONI MACIEREWICZ: https://www.facebook.com/macierewiczantoni/posts/1205144706484136 -- Photo by Zbyszek Kaczmarek/ Gazeta Polska -- JAROSŁAW GOWIN HAS RESIGNED. THE PRIME MINISTER ON THE NEW NORMAL AND RESTORING PRODUCTION CAPABILITIES: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/04/06/ -- VOTING WOULD BE COMPLETELY CONTACTLESS - WPOLITYCE QUOTES ANONYMOUS PiS POLITICIAN: "And finally, the third and last action: dropping the letter into the nearest mailbox. This will likely be some kind of suitable large ballot box. Are any major changes to the law necessary to implement this mechanism? No. Everything can be done, except for this one change to the electoral code, through regulations or existing legal provisions—our interlocutor states. Let us note—no element of the voting procedure requires direct contact with any other person. Of course, there are many problems, it's a big novelty and a significant inconvenience—but with mobilization and effort, it can be done. It is worth having a description of what postal voting would actually look like reach everyone interested." https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/494558-a-gdybysmy-jednak-zaglosowali-korespondencyjnie -- WHERE IS THE ATTACK ON POLES' SECURITY HERE? - MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI: "Poczta Polska will deliver an electoral package to every eligible voter—according to electoral rolls—to their mailbox. We fill it out and drop it into the nearest mailbox (these will likely be large boxes). Poland is already one electoral district in presidential elections, and the number of commission members is limited to the minimum. Where is the attack on Poles' security in this?" -- THE PRICE IS NOT WORTH THE PRAISE FROM CZERSKA AND WIERTNICZA - KARNOWSKI CONTINUES: "The opposition knows this. Behind the pressure to postpone the elections lies precisely this terrible trap, a plan to seize power through an induced catastrophe, and a painful price for Poland. Not worth paying even for praise from Czerska and Wiertnicza. To paraphrase a certain well-known statement, one could say: a deputy who does not understand the hell that an unending election campaign during an apocalypse brings to Poland is playing with matches. More is being decided today than many think, and it is my duty to say this clearly, to call things by their names. And this is not a personal remark, it's nothing personal. It's not about names, but about awareness of what will result from this." https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/494557-posel-ktory-tego-nie-rozumie-bawi-sie-zapalkami -- EITHER LET'S POSTPONE OR SORT IT OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE - ZBIGNIEW ZIOBRO: "This is not the time for an election campaign, so it's best to postpone it by two years or sort it out as quickly as possible, let's not drag out the campaign as if it were taking place when the government should be fully focused, and the opposition should also support us in helping Poles solve the difficult situations they face." -- THERE IS NO PERFECT SOLUTION - ZIOBRO CONTINUES: "Introducing a state of emergency, introducing a state of natural disaster, does not solve this problem, because it only postpones the elections for a few months, effectively until autumn. Autumn elections, according to many experts, specialists in epidemic issues—I emphasize, world-class experts in this field—are at the worst possible moment for the health and lives of Poles. There is no perfect solution here, unfortunately." https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/494542-minister-ziobro-przelozmy-to-albo-zalatwmy-jak-najszybciej -- THE ONLY BENEFICIARY WOULD BE THE OPPOSITION - MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI: "All in all, Jarosław Gowin's opposition meant that at a very specific time, Poles learned that the politicians of the United Right were arguing and negotiating through the nights. A significant portion of the capital associated with the relatively effective fight against the threat was wasted. The effectiveness, which was one of the reasons for the political success of the entire camp, was undermined. A great deal was risked in the name of an unclear and politically unreliable plan to block the elections. A plan that would only benefit the opposition, because Poles would also lose. It is in the country's interest to resolve the matter as quickly as possible. The sooner we do this, the better we will manage to emerge from the crisis." https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/494439-odlozenie-wyborow-to-w-istocie-polityczne-samobojstwo -- SZUMOWSKI DIDN'T WANT TO PLAY ALONG WITH GOWIN - Agata Kondzińska, Iwona Szpala in GW: "Another believes that Gowin overplayed his hand with his idea. – He didn't realize Kaczyński's determination; he thought he could outlast him and convince him. Additionally, Health Minister Łukasz Szumowski, on whom he counted, refused to participate in this game; he will give recommendations after Easter—adds a politician from the opposition. -- CEZARY TOMCZYK SPEAKS OF ACES UP HIS SLEEVE IN THE SENATE: "If he and his MPs vote as Kaczyński wants, the Senate will not choose a fast legislative path. – The Senate has various possibilities, we have a few aces up our sleeves, but it's obvious we won't reveal them now—says Cezary Tomczyk from the PO board." https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,25847474,w-poniedzialek-decyzje-w-sprawie-wyborow-czy-pis-przeforsuje.html -- Photo: The Expulsion of the Moneychangers from the Temple – a painting by the Spanish painter of Greek origin, Doménikos Theotokópoulos, known as El Greco. The painting, which is based on the popular biblical story of the cleansing of the temple, is one of El Greco's most famous religious paintings and a groundbreaking work for the Catholic transformation of 16th-century art. It is worth noting that this is not the only version of the canvas, and the artist presented at least four subsequent versions of the composition. https://pl.painting-planet.com/wypedzenie-kupcow-ze-swiatyni-el-greco/ -- GREAT MONDAY in Christian liturgy is the second day of Holy Week, falling after Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of the octave of the celebrations of Jesus' Death and Resurrection. According to the Gospel of Mark, Jesus entered the temple on this day and began to drive out the merchants selling there, incurring the wrath of the priests. By expelling the merchants from the Jerusalem temple, Jesus cleansed the place, admonishing, "It is written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a 'den of robbers'" (Mark 11:15-18). This is a period of mourning and reflection on Jesus' death and resurrection. -- EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK OF REVELATION ON THE EXPULSION OF THE MONEYCHANGERS: *"The Jewish Passover was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all of them out of the temple, along with the sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned the tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a marketplace!”* (John 2:13-17) -- WE HAVE A 25% REDUCTION - ŁUKASZ SZUMOWSKI IN CONVERSATION WITH KRZYSZTOF SKÓRZYŃSKI ON TVN24 MAGAZINE: "We have about a 25 percent reduction. If we had done nothing, we would have 8.5 thousand diagnosed patients today. This means we don't have 8.5 thousand diagnosed cases, but 3.5 thousand. The further we move forward in time, the greater this difference will be, meaning at the peak, instead of 50 thousand, we might be talking about 10 thousand infections. However, we need to achieve a greater reduction." -- SZUMOWSKI STRONGLY RECOMMENDS SOLITARY HOLIDAYS: "I would strongly advise against traveling and organizing family gatherings. Truly, it's a huge risk. I repeat: it's a huge risk! I say this with great regret, but also with great responsibility: yes, holidays alone or only with those with whom we live. (...) We are not considering this today. But you know my recommendation. We should not travel and meet at the family table. I repeat: today, many people may not even know they have the coronavirus and are asymptomatic. But they infect others!" -- SZUMOWSKI ON THE NEED TO MOVE TOWARDS MASKS: "There is such a threat. That is why I believe that we should gradually move towards mandatory masks on the streets, in shops, at work. We have more and more asymptomatic infections. And then a mask makes sense. It is, of course, for the sick, but there are also asymptomatic sick people. So far, we have had very few such cases in Poland, which means the probability of meeting someone infected on the street or at a meeting was relatively low. Now it's getting higher and higher. We have entered a new, subsequent stage of infections." -- SZUMOWSKI ON TALKING WITH KACZYŃSKI: "Once, President Jarosław Kaczyński told me: Listen, politics is the most competitive sport. (laughter)." -- I REALLY THINK POSTAL ELECTIONS ARE GOOD - SZUMOWSKI CONTINUES: "But I said this, and everyone knows it. Two-week, three-week predictions are reliable, so truly today, thinking about what will happen... I really think these postal elections are good." -- I WILL PRESENT MY RECOMMENDATION IN MID-APRIL - SZUMOWSKI CONTINUES: "I am speaking generally about postal elections. This is something completely different from when these elections should take place. These are two different questions. As for my recommendations regarding the possibility of conducting them at a specific time, I will keep my word—I will say it in mid-April. However, we should have the possibility of conducting postal elections for everyone, throughout Poland. Because it is possible that for a year or a year and a half, we will not be able to conduct them in the format we knew them before the coronavirus." https://tvn24.pl/magazyn-tvn24/szumowski-tak-boje-sie-jak-ktos-nie-czuje-strachu-to-jest-glupi,264,4624 -- HISTORY WILL HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: "Here arises a question, the answer to which determines not only the future of the United Right but also of all Polish politics. Will anyone in the ruling camp have the courage to oppose Jarosław Kaczyński and stop this madness? I am not calling on PiS politicians to stage a coup, but to say 'no' to the leader. His coalition partner Jarosław Gowin has already done so, but so far it has not yielded results. Will any of Kaczyński's associates in PiS have enough courage to break away from the group of yes-men who will carry out every crazy idea of their boss? History will hold you accountable for this." https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/200409638-Michal-Szuldrzynski-Kto-zatrzyma-to-szalenstwo.html -- PROF. EWA ŁĘTOWSKA QUESTIONS CLAIMS ABOUT COMPENSATION IN CASE OF A STATE OF DISASTER - as Oko.press reports: "Currently, certain circles are claiming that if a state of natural disaster is introduced, the State Treasury will have to pay millions in compensation to capitalists. However, based on the 2002 law on compensation for restrictions of civil rights due to the introduction of states of emergency, multi-million dollar compensation is not possible at all. These rumors are pure, self-serving manipulation—which I will discuss further—intended to make the very idea of formally declaring a state of natural disaster repulsive." -- ŁĘTOWSKA EXCLUDES COMPENSATION: "This is a classic solution: states of emergency require deviation from the normally applicable principle of full compensation for damages. Because states of emergency are a state of higher necessity for the state, inevitably forcing restrictions on freedoms and rights. (...) Compensation for this is not intended at all for business losses, but for requisitions of a specific asset, the use of someone else's property, etc. This 2002 law is quite general and therefore conflict-prone. Which, unfortunately, will cause hopes to rise and equally rapid disappointment." https://oko.press/prof-letowska-to-blef-ze-groza-gigantyczne-odszkodowania/ -- PAWEŁ WROŃSKI ON A POSSIBLE AMENDMENT TO THE NATURAL DISASTER ACT: "It is clear that PiS does not want elections at the peak of the economic crisis, when President Duda may be blamed for complicity in the country's lack of preparation for the epidemic. The second argument that has recently appeared on the side of government representatives: the natural disaster act was written too precisely and contains provisions for compensation. A compromise could be an amendment to it that eliminates these provisions." https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,25846746,wybory-prezydenckie-2020-mozna-je-przesunac-bez-zmiany-konstytucji.html -- KACZYŃSKI IS DETERMINED - ANDRZEJ STANKIEWICZ IN TYGODNIK POWSZECHNY: "The problems began when Gowin did not fulfill his promises. He promised Kaczyński the support of PSL for a constitutional change. This was supposed to increase pressure on PO to also support such a way to postpone the elections – without their consent, it's impossible. Only the Peasants' Party left Gowin hanging. Kaczyński was furious. Not only did he return to the idea of postal elections on May 10, not only did he put a deputy defense minister in charge of Poczta Polska, but he was also ready to throw Gowin out of the government. This shows that Kaczyński is determined to hold the elections on May 10. Neither the skeptical opinion of the Church nor the president's support for Gowin's idea changes his stance." https://www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/parcie-na-wybory-162923 -- AGATA SZCZĘŚNIAK ON THE OPPOSITION POTENTIALLY SUPPORTING KOSINIAK ON MAY 10: "Put forward one candidate. The one with the greatest chance. Today, that is Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. According to some polls, his support almost matches that of Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska. The KO candidate is close to losing her position as deputy leader. Is this realistic? Political parties usually do not want to give up on fielding their own presidential candidates, because the struggle for power is their raison d'être. However, today such a move would be justified by the extraordinary situation. It would allow the Civic Coalition, whose candidate is losing support, to save face. Within Lewica, we hear that such a scenario is on the table, although it would be a last resort. This is because it is a scenario burdened with very serious drawbacks. The opposition would still be participating in pseudo-elections, where the threat of fraud is enormous. Andrzej Duda might still win, because today the thesis that 'PiS will do everything to make him win' means 'really everything.' Including, for example, the controlled 'loss' of some ballot papers, e.g., from western Poland." https://oko.press/albo-wybory-10-maja-i-jeden-kandydat-opozycji-albo-rozmowy-z-gowinem-analizujemy-za-i-przeciw/ -- PATRYK JAKI ON HOW CORRESPONDENCE VOTING WAS SUCCESSFUL IN GERMANY - tells Jacek Nizinkiewicz in RZ: "The best solution is correspondence-only elections. I have elderly grandparents, I'm afraid to send them to large groups of people, but if they received a ballot at home, there would be no problems casting a vote. If everyone receives a voting package at home, we will be surprised when it turns out that the turnout is higher than in traditional elections. This is exactly what happened in Bavaria. This system is a tool for more effective participation, and consequently—for strengthening, not weakening, democracy. In this system, everyone has the right to vote without risking going to the polling station and contacting large groups of people, and the state maintains its continuity of mandate. If someone says today that this is too complicated an operation for our state, then let's just fold the flag and go back to the old ways: 'Germany, lead the way.' If Poland has ambitions to cope in various threat situations, including military ones, it must cope with this situation. Few people also know that Poczta Polska is a strategic company from the perspective of state security precisely because, in threat situations, it is the only one with a patent for quick access to all households in Poland simultaneously. And a pandemic is precisely an exceptional situation. I also do not hide that I am irritated by the arguments that it was possible in Germany, but not in Poland. This discredits our homeland and shows contempt for it. Either we treat Poland seriously, or it is not our country, but some colony given as a fiefdom for the games of big players in the EU." -- EUROPEAN MARSHALL PLAN, NOT WIND TURBINES AND ELECTRIC CARS - JAKI CONTINUES: "This is evident now, during the pandemic, when the best-performing companies in our country are foreign ones like Biedronka, Lidl, Auchan, etc., which export a large part of their profits abroad. That is why stories about special aid for Poland should be put in the category of fairy tales for the naive. The EU, if it wants to rise to the occasion, must change its priorities. The EU budget is large, but a lot of funds go to ideological projects, like the so-called Green Deal. Today, responsibility for the future of Europe requires taking most of the money from unnecessary projects and creating a European Marshall Plan, which, on the one hand, will quickly help build hospitals with equipment and respirators, and on the other hand, will start saving companies that are collapsing every day. This is what Poland and Europe need today, not wind turbines and electric cars." https://www.rp.pl/Wywiady-i-rozmowy/200409633-Patryk-Jaki-Wybory-prezydenckie-10-maja-to-nie-kaprys-PiS.html -- THEY SOLD MASKS INSTEAD OF GIVING THEM TO MEDICAL STAFF - Jacek Harłukowicz on GW's front page: "In mid-February, when the government already knew about the impending pandemic, the state Strategic Reserves Agency sold off almost 63,000 specialized protective masks for pennies, which are now lacking in hospitals. (...) The masks were sold by ARM for PLN 10 each. At the same time, they cost PLN 300-400 online! All were snapped up instantly. (...) – In a situation where we are using swimming masks for work, when paramedics often receive goggles that are useless because they fog up and you can't see anything through them, when there is an absolute shortage of everything, we would accept them with great gratitude—one doctor from central Poland tells 'Wyborcza'." https://wroclaw.wyborcza.pl/wroclaw/7,35771,25847474,panstwowa-agencja-rozsprzedala-za-grosze-specjalistyczne-maski.html -- BIRTHDAYS: Maria Zuba.