-- SZUMOWSKI ON THE THREAT OF A SERIOUS POLITICAL CRISIS, CZARZASTY URGES KIDAWA TO RESIGN FROM RUNNING, DWORCZYK ON THE NEXT STAGE IN 2 WEEKS, SASIN ON MAY 10TH BEING DIFFICULT TO REALIZE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/05/04/ -- HOMOPHOBIC SUGGESTIONS IN A GAZETA WYBORCZA ARTICLE - fragment from an article by Justyna Dobrosz-Oracz and Wojciech Czuchnowski: “The 'pajama incident' is known in the circles of Warsaw lawyers. In addition to Prof. Rzepliński, we discussed it with several other people. They told us that Zaradkiewicz's strange behavior resulted from a breakdown after a quarrel with his partner.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,25916198,tylko-w-wyborczej-niebezpieczna-przeszlosc-kamila-zaradkiewicza.html -- AT 5:15 AM, ONET PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE BY ANDRZEJ STANKIEWICZ ABOUT THE PRESIDENT'S POSSIBLE RESIGNATION…: “We have confirmed the information that the ruling camp is seriously considering the idea of the president's resignation from three independent sources. If Andrzej Duda voluntarily resigned from his post, PiS could reschedule the presidential elections at any time until mid-July. And silence the accusations of violating the law during the organization of the vote.” https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/wybory-prezydenckie-2020-pis-rozwaza-dymisje-prezydenta-andrzeja-dudy/q8b1011 -- THE HEAD OF THE NATIONAL ELECTION COMMISSION, SYLWESTER MARCINIAK, ON THE CONDITIONS FOR HOLDING ELECTIONS IN MAY - he tells Jacek Nizinkiewicz in Rzeczpospolita: “Presidential elections in May will only be possible if the legal situation is clearly regulated and there is cooperation between government and local government bodies. The consensus of political forces, which always influences citizens' trust in electoral procedures, will also be important. Let's not hide it, the biggest challenge will be time, or rather the lack thereof.” -- HEAD OF THE NATIONAL ELECTION COMMISSION ON A LATER DATE: “I believe that due to the aforementioned legal and organizational circumstances, it is not possible to hold elections on May 10th. With maximum mobilization and cooperation from everyone, adopting the principle that agreement builds and disagreement destroys, and with voters' awareness that every vote counts, elections could be held at a later date.” https://www.rp.pl/Wybory-prezydenckie-2020/305039946-Szef-PKW-10-maja-wybory-nie-moga-sie-odbyc.html -- ONE CHAMBER WORKED TOO FAST, THE OTHER TOO SLOW - HEAD OF THE NATIONAL ELECTION COMMISSION IN CONVERSATION WITH DGP: “Unfortunately, the legislative procedure was such that one chamber worked too quickly, the other too slowly. The result is a legal deadlock. We still have the provisions of the electoral code, but they are not fully in effect, because the PKW's ability to order the printing of ballots or to conduct postal voting under the code's regime has been eliminated. On the other hand, it is unknown whether the law establishing exclusively postal voting will come into effect at all.” -- HEAD OF THE NATIONAL ELECTION COMMISSION ON THE NECESSITY OF POLITICAL CONSENSUS ACROSS DIVISIONS - further in DGP: “Resolving this problem also requires political consensus across divisions. Perhaps some agreement should be drawn up, stating whether the elections are postponed, to when, and in what manner, etc. Otherwise, new disputes will erupt. And today, even epidemiologists cannot guarantee when we will be able to vote traditionally again.” -- HEAD OF THE NATIONAL ELECTION COMMISSION APPEALS TO POLITICIANS: “Therefore, my dream is that all political forces and experts meet and consider, for the good of the citizens, what to do. It is not a time for quarrels and fights. A decision must be made on whether to hold elections, when, and according to what rules they should be held during the epidemic. This must be resolved so that we can attend to people and the economy.” https://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/opinie/artykuly/7688280,kiedy-wybory-prezydenckie-szef-pkw-marciniak-wywiad.html -- DOMINIKA WIELOWIEYSKA IN HER SATURDAY ARTICLE ON WYBORCZA.PL ABOUT THE SCENARIO WITH THE CONSTITUTIONAL TRIBUNAL AND ELECTIONS ON MAY 23RD: “A few days ago, Gowin informed the leaders of the opposition parties that PiS is working on an alternative plan: they do not want to allow a vote on envelope elections at all, to avoid the risk of defeat. And they want to hold elections on May 23rd in polling stations based on the current electoral code, assuming that people in quarantine and those over 60 years of age will be able to vote by mail.” -- WIELOWIEYSKA ON THE TRICK WITH THE CONSTITUTIONAL TRIBUNAL: “There is a third problem: how to move the elections from May 10th to May 23rd? Such a possibility, which the Supreme Court in its opinion deemed unconstitutional, was provided for by the law on postal voting. But it will not come into effect because it will fail in the Sejm. So how to postpone this date? This is the most difficult point of the plan. Theoretically, one could again invent some trick with a sham Tribunal, which would rule on the matter of the Sejm Marshal's right to postpone the election date within the calendar dates. The last date is May 23rd. But that would already be a 'by force' action. However, PiS has often acted with the existing law in such a way that many eyes popped out in surprise, so nothing can be ruled out.” -- OPPOSITION DIVIDED ON ALMOST EVERY ISSUE - WIELOWIEYSKA'S CONCLUSION: “So we are in a state of suspension. It is unknown whether the Sejm will vote on pseudo-envelope elections, it is unknown what will happen on May 10th, whether this date will be postponed, or if PiS will return to the concept of elections in polling stations. The only thing known is that the opposition is now divided on almost every issue, and Jarosław Kaczyński is still pushing for elections.” -- MACIEJ ŁOPIŃSKI ON KURSKI'S HIGH CHANCES OF HEADING TVP AGAIN - he says in SE.PL: “Most likely Jacek Kurski, about whom he has a very good opinion! - Jacek managed the television effectively, I assess his presidency well. He is a very strong personality and also evokes strong emotions because of it. I've known him for many years. We are friends, and I met him as a young, brave student of 'Topolówka,' one of the high schools in Gdańsk – notes Łopiński, who believes Kurski would be a good president of the television. - If Jacek Kurski decides to compete for the position of TVP president and enters the competition, he will have a high chance of winning. He will be a very good candidate and will also be a good president, just as he was an excellent TVP president until recently – concludes Maciej Łopiński.” https://www.se.pl/wiadomosci/polityka/kurski-wroci-na-fotel-prezesa-tvp-wazne-slowa-jego-przyjaciela-aa-hhsP-qcQ6-76nx.html -- TOMASZ SAWCZUK CRITICIZES THE JUDGES' STANCE - IF SOMEONE IS NOT PREPARED FOR THE FIGHT, PERHAPS THEY HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES IN A POSITION THEY SHOULD NOT OCCUPY - he writes in Kultura Liberalna: “If someone holds one of the highest positions in the state and says they are not prepared for the fight, then perhaps they have found themselves in a position they should never have occupied. It is worth remembering that by standing on the side of the rule of law, the judges were simply fulfilling their basic duties. From the perspective of the seriousness of their functions, it makes no difference whether they 'feel like familiarizing themselves with the new,' referring to the words of spokesman Laskowski.” -- JUDGES SHOULD STAND THEIR GROUND UNTIL THE END - SAWCZUK FURTHER IN KL: “What is the conclusion? The judges of the Supreme Court should stand their ground until the end and perform their duties. They should not go into retirement now. If the executive branch violates the constitution and changes the system to an authoritarian one, voluntarily handing over 30 seats in the Supreme Court to it would be an act of such extreme irresponsibility that words fail. Either this authority is not so authoritarian, or someone is not fulfilling their duties. How can independent courts be defended if judges do not take their mission seriously? Health and life protection are fundamental matters – this is obvious and there is no need to remind anyone of it. But the current situation prompts a question to consider: what about the democratic side? Can one simply say that they are 'not prepared for the fight'? Are they ready to fight for their beliefs only when it is completely safe?” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2020/05/04/czy-sad-najwyzszy-rozlozy-czerwony-dywan-przed-pis-em/ -- THIS IS NOT THE CLIMATE FOR UNFREEZING - title in DGP. -- MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI ON THE RIGHT-WING MEDIA BORED WITH GOOD GOVERNANCE: THEY HAVE THE RIGHT, BUT PERHAPS IT'S BETTER TO FIND ANOTHER HOBBY: “I'll state this upfront: I won't name names because it's not about them and not about squabbling, but about a much more serious matter. In many conversations and texts I've read recently, I've encountered a phenomenon that I couldn't identify at first, but it became clear to me over time. Something like boredom with the good governance of the United Right for Poland is emerging. Some publicists and commentators realize that the good results of Jarosław Kaczyński's camp and the simultaneous descent into chaos of the opposition of the Third Republic era, coupled with the government of Mateusz Morawiecki's effective handling of the epidemic and its economic consequences, could be a prognosis for the duration of this team's power. At the same time, however, they feel a certain weariness with this stability. The journalistic soul would desire paradise – political chaos, new names, parties, small parties.” -- THE PRICE FOR SUCH GAMES CAN BE VERY HIGH - KARNOWSKI further: “Regardless of the motivation, it is worth asking people on the right who influence public opinion not to succumb to such emotions. These are very serious matters. The price for such games can be very high, and the losses for the country immense. Especially now – the efficiency and stability of governments will determine which nations will win and which will drop several levels due to the coronavirus epidemic. There will be no sentiment.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/498577-czesc-prawicy-medialnej-znudzona-dobrymi-dla-polski-rzadami -- WILL WE INCREASE THE LEVEL OF ABSURDITY THAT RIDICULES US TO THE WORLD? - BOGUSŁAW CHRABOTA in Rzeczpospolita: “The entire operation will be burdened with numerous flaws, there will be no end to election protests, and the legitimacy of a president elected in this way will be extremely weak. But let's not kid ourselves – the probability that this semblance of voting will take place is minimal. Who among the rulers, seven days before the election, has the courage to say it? Because it's not enough to blame the opposition and Gowin. Every thinking person understands that now, in this format, these elections should not happen. And when will they happen? In two weeks? Three months? For our own good and for the standard of Polish public life, they should take place after at least a symbolic campaign. With equal access for candidates to public activity and TVP. Will this argument be accepted? Will we increase the level of absurdity that ridicules us to the world and ourselves? I await the course of events with concern.” https://www.rp.pl/Wybory-prezydenckie-2020/305039953-Boguslaw-Chrabota-Polityczny-absurd-siega-zenitu.html -- ŁUKASZ WARZECHA ON DUDA AND THE MAY 3RD CONSTITUTION: “After 229 years, fierce debates are still ongoing: was it permissible to bend the law to push through an act that was already insignificant for a dying state and could only hasten its demise? President Andrzej Duda's comparison of the situation then to the current actions of PiS borders on no small arrogance.” https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/opinie/swieto-3-maja-warzecha-andrzej-duda-traktuje-konstytucje-3-maja-wybiorczo/hnkcv67 -- SZYMON HOŁOWNIA: A LETTER TO THE PEOPLE OF THE LEFT in Krytyka Polityczna: “The Left is not my camp, not my tradition, and not my beliefs. But leftist sensitivity is something that is close to me on many issues. (...) I appreciate the Left's consistency in presenting a clear stance on environmental protection, climate action, and animal rights. I agree with this stance because it touches upon our common matters, speaks about issues crucial for all Poles, who do not necessarily share leftist views. I am convinced by leftist texts on labor rights and equal rights for women. I would find common ground with the Left on the state's implementation of the right to housing. A serious approach to the fate of people facing homelessness would also be one of the obvious common points. There are many more such points: from the attitude towards urban movements, through the need for decentralization of offices, to the historical policy around Tadeusz Kościuszko. We have the chance for a real dialogue, in which I see a broad field for natural affiliation. Politics must begin to rely on seeking similarities, not on igniting new wars.” -- HOŁOWNIA ON HOW THE LEFT CALLED HIM A CANDIDATE FOR PRIMATE: “Many of these people now see me as a political competitor. Sometimes they ironically write about me as a 'candidate for the Primate of Poland' or directly warn their ideological colleagues about me. But the Poland I dream of is a country where different political views are no obstacle to conversation, to listening to arguments.” -- THE LEFT IS NOT MY CAMP, NOT MY BELIEFS, BUT IT IS NEEDED - HOŁOWNIA'S CONCLUSION IN KRYTYKA POLITYCZNA: “Politicians often speak as if only their political camp and their supporters can solve Poland's problems. As if political pluralism were a grim necessity. I see it differently – the Left is needed because it constitutes a natural balancing factor. Because it represents the views of a significant part of the citizens, because it draws attention to matters we should remember. The Left is not my camp, not my tradition, and not my beliefs. But leftist sensitivity is something that is close to me on many issues. And although not mine – it is certainly very much needed by the Polish state and Polish politics.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/szymon-holownia-list-do-ludzi-lewicy/ -- JACEK NIZINKIEWICZ ON HOW PiS REJECTED WHAT PAD LATER PROPOSED - he writes in Rzeczpospolita: “The president himself is so determined to hold them quickly that he uses the government to gain re-election. The head of state announced an increase in unemployment benefits to PLN 1300 and a PLN 1200 solidarity supplement for those who lost their jobs due to the pandemic, which is not within the president's competence, when the ruling majority just a few days earlier rejected the Civic Coalition's amendment to the so-called anti-crisis shield 3.0, on increasing unemployment benefits. Andrzej Duda did not participate in any of the previous presidential debates, and only announced his participation in the one organized by TVP.” https://www.rp.pl/Wybory-prezydenckie-2020/305039949-Jacek-Nizinkiewicz-Walka-prezydenta-o-reelekcje.html -- PRESIDENT'S PROPOSALS ARE PLEASANT TO HEAR BUT COSTLY - PAWEŁ ROŻYŃSKI in Rzeczpospolita: “That's one side of the coin. There's another. The mentioned 'presidential' benefits, assuming they are popular, will be a huge cost for public finances, which will already record a deficit not seen in a decade. It's one thing if the elections are held on May 10th (although it's a risky idea for epidemiological reasons). However, if they are postponed, Andrzej Duda will have to keep reminding people of himself, and we will likely hear about more pleasant-sounding, but costly, presidential ideas.” https://www.rp.pl/Opinie/305039924-Pawel-Rozynski-Ryzykowna-propozycja-prezydenta.html -- PHOTO. Banksy's "Devolved Parliament", SOTHEBY'S. Sold a year ago at auction at Sotheby's for a record £8.5 million. "Devolved Parliament" is 4 meters wide and 2.5 meters high. British MPs are replaced by chimpanzees in the painting. It is one of the most popular works and the largest known canvas work by Banksy. -- ARCHIVAL ARTICLE FROM FT: INSIDE STORY OF BANKSY: “As his pranks against the establishment go, this was by far Banksy’s most sophisticated. Meticulously planned as a piece of action theatre, it enlisted perfectly choreographed social media. That has been Banksy’s authenticating medium for several years: whenever a new piece appears, Banksy will claim authorship, in true guerrilla fashion, via one digital platform or another.” https://www.ft.com/content/f62a69d2-cd45-11e8-b276-b9069bde0956 -- BIRTHDAYS: Wojciech Mucha, Ryszard Zbrzyzny, Redbad Klynstra-Komarnicki, Grzegorz Cydejko, Andrzej Kania, Piotr Tyma, Maciej Orzechowski.