-- PĘK TO REPLACE KARCZEWSKI IN THE SENATE PRESIDIUM BIELAN ON HOŁOWNIA, WHO FEEDS ON CIVIC PLATFORM'S CRISIS SIEMONIAK ON THE DIFFICULT SITUATION WITH THE CIVIC COALITION'S CANDIDACY MILLER WAITS FOR TUSK'S RETURN, THOUGH HE VOTES FOR BIEDROŃ 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/05/13 -- MARSHAL GRODZKI'S BIRTHDAY. -- THEY DIDN'T HESITATE TO BLOCK THE ELECTION BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE LOST IT - JAROSŁAW KACZYŃSKI IN GAZETA POLSKA: “In the most radical way seen so far, it has become clear that our opposition does not recognize democratic rules. It does not respect the principles of the rule of law. They did not shy away from blocking the elections for a very simple reason: they would have suffered a heavy defeat. They used the coronavirus epidemic for this purpose. First, they claimed that voting could not take place because polling stations were an epidemic risk, and then they announced that mail-in voting was also impossible. The Senate engaged in parliamentary obstruction seasoned with their usual rhetoric, claiming that we were breaking the constitution. In short, a complete inversion of the meaning of all concepts – giving words a completely opposite meaning. Because in this matter, the ruling majority did exactly everything to meet the constitutional deadlines, to implement the provisions of the constitution, while the opposition did the exact opposite.” -- STATE OF EMERGENCY WOULD UNLEASH THE LEGAL INDUSTRY FOR COMPENSATION - KACZYŃSKI FURTHER ON THE REPRISAL AFFAIR CONTEXT: “Our action in this direction is therefore ruled out. What's more. It can be assumed with a high degree of probability that introducing a state of disaster would unleash the so-called legal industry towards obtaining compensation. Therefore, bearing in mind the privatization affair in Warsaw, where some law firms simply profited, it cannot be ruled out that this was one of the motives for the opposition and parts of the legal circles supporting them. Perhaps they saw a chance for large profits, as it cannot be ruled out that even a short-term state of emergency would provide grounds for successfully claiming compensation, not only for small entrepreneurs but, above all, for large international corporations.” -- DON'T ASK ME WHAT WAS BEHIND THEIR BELIEF IN KIDAWA'S VICTORY - KACZYŃSKI FURTHER: “But why do they act this way? Because for the majority of the opposition, democracy means their rule. And when they lose power by the voters' decision, there is no democracy. The presidential elections are the last chance for this group to regain at least some influence. There will be no elections for 3 years. And in my opinion, at some point, they believed that winning the presidential race was essentially in the bag. Polls appeared to support this. But please don't ask me what was behind the PO leaders believing in Ms. Kidawa-Błońska's possibility of winning the presidency.” -- CIVIC PLATFORM HAS NO SUBSTITUTE THAT CAN CHANGE THEIR POSITION IN A SHORT CAMPAIGN - KACZYŃSKI FURTHER IN GP: "The decision in this matter will be made in Brussels, or another place where Tusk is currently most often located. (...) If he doesn't want it, and most likely won't, then who else will they put forward? (...) Civic Platform has no substitute that can change their position in a short campaign. (...) For Tusk himself, it is probably not a very attractive prospect, as it involves a large or even very large risk of defeat.” https://niezalezna.pl/328491-wybory-prezydenckie-sa-dla-nich-ostatnia-szansa-prezes-pis-o-dzialaniach-opozycji -- PIS ELECTORATE IS SIGNIFICANTLY LESS AFRAID OF INFECTION - PIOTR PACEWICZ WRITES IN OKO O EPIDEMIC HURRAH-OPTIMISM OF RIGHT-WING VOTERS: “In an Ipsos poll completed on April 29, we asked about the fear of infection – of oneself or one's immediate family. The prevailing answer was: 'rather not.' Among all respondents who do not want to vote for PiS (choose another party or do not declare participation in the election), 27% reported fear of infection. In Kaczyński's electorate, it's half that – 13%. Among PiS voters, there is epidemic hurrah-optimism: only one in eight of Kaczyński's supporters sees the threat of SARS-CoV-2. Most often (34%), voters of the Civic Coalition perceive the risk of infection for themselves and their loved ones; other electorates – Konfederacja, Lewica, and PSL/Kukiz’15 – responded similarly (24-27%).” -- PACEWICZ ON IPSOS GIVING CONFIRMATION OF VOTER ENTHUSIASM FOR PIS VOTERS: “In the first round of elections, which were supposed to take place in May, 57% of all respondents declared their participation (and 39% announced they would not vote). Here, the enthusiasm of PiS voters to participate in the elections was even greater – it reached 88%! Even those of Kaczyński's voters who thought it was better to postpone the elections (22%) declared almost completely that they would go to vote.” -- PACEWICZ WRITES THAT THERE IS STILL A SERIOUS EPIDEMIC RISK: “27,000 district election commissions will be in operation (10 times more than the municipal commissions foreseen in the previous law on mail-in voting); over 200,000 people will work in them, intensely contacting each other and millions of voters (so far, there has been a lack of volunteers; in April, only 21% signed up). There will be contacts between millions of voters that are difficult to control (e.g., as part of the custom – going to vote after church). Of course, one can imagine a super optimistic scenario where the epidemic subsides in a few weeks, and Silesia will be the swan song of SARS-CoV-2 in Poland. We hope so. The analyses in this text are written in case this does not happen. The constitution would give us a safe buffer of three months after the last extension of the epidemiological threat. If we had a state of natural disaster, the elections could be announced no earlier than September. That would be safe.” https://oko.press/za-7-tygodni-do-urn-pis-ryzykuje-zdrowiem-suwerena-sondaz-oko-press/ -- DID THE PEOPLE SELL THEIR FREEDOM FOR 500+? IT'S A VERY OLD CONCEPT - ADAM LESZCZYŃSKI IN KRYTYKA POLITYCZNA: “Mateusz Damięcki did not invent complaining about 500+. And it wasn't the disgruntled representatives of liberal elites who first came up with complaining about the common people. They are simply reviving a tradition: for centuries, our elites have complained about the people selling their freedom. They always did so precisely when the people did not want to listen to them and rejected their enlightened leadership and care. It's the same today as it was over two hundred years ago.” -- WHEN THE PEOPLE HAD A DIFFERENT OPINION, THE NOBILITY PERCEIVED IT AS INGRATITUDE. JUST LIKE MATEUSZ DAMIĘCKI - LESZCZYŃSKI'S CONCLUSION IN KRYTYKA: “The elites fought for their political position. To maintain it, they needed popular support. However, the people clearly remembered the humiliations and exploitation they had suffered – it's an old-fashioned word, but it fits perfectly here and captures the essence of the matter. They thus gave their support to whoever bid higher, having no illusions about their own elites. In 1848, two years after the Galician slaughter, peasants from the province sent petitions to the parliament in Vienna asking for the restriction of Galicia's autonomy. 'We fear Polish rule, because nothing good would come of it,' they wrote with concern. The nobility, of course, never understood this and did not try to understand it, with the exception of a handful of democrats who were always a marginal minority in their social circle. Noble literature and journalism are full of depictions of good landlords who care for the people. When the people had a different opinion, it was perceived as extreme ingratitude. Just like Mateusz Damięcki.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/leszczynski-lud-sprzedal-wolnosc-za-500-to-bardzo-stary-koncept/ -- MARCIN FIJOŁEK ON HOŁOWNIA'S LEAD OVER KOSINIAK AND WHAT BURDENS KOSINIAK: “In turn, the PSL-Koalicja Polska candidate is rising in the polls and has a similar chance to Hołownia (at least for today) to break through to the second round. However, Kosiniak-Kamysz is still burdened not only by the history of 'raising the retirement age during the PO-PSL government' but also by a party label that is simply unelectable for many voters. However, the PSL leader has done a lot of work on himself in recent months, his campaign is run by competent, consistent people, and if the elections were to take place this coming weekend, it would be nuances that would decide whether the head of the peasant party would make it to the second round.” -- THE MOMENT HE STARTED BEING TREATED AS A SERIOUS ALTERNATIVE BOOSTS HIS SUPPORT - FIJOŁEK ON HOŁOWNIA: “The moment the former TVN presenter starts to be treated as a real alternative and a serious candidacy, not just another iteration of a show prepared by the media, his support gains even more momentum. The more people among the opposition voters believe that Hołownia has a real chance to make it to the second round, and perhaps even defeat Andrzej Duda, the easier it will be for the founder of the Kasisi Foundation to attract more votes. Has Hołownia already crossed this threshold? It's hard to answer this question unequivocally. On the one hand, it seems he has ceased to be treated as a mascot of this campaign (although Radosław Sikorski and PO people are trying to pigeonhole him as 'TVN's candidate'), but on the other hand, he still hasn't fully built the appropriate gravitas and presidential format. But since fate has given him a chance for a few more weeks – who knows if he won't just seize it.” -- SINCE 2015, PIS HAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY ADVANCED ON THE INTERNET - FIJOŁEK FURTHER: “Since then, however, Law and Justice has not significantly progressed, remaining at a certain level of professionalism and curiosities. Indeed, the incumbent president was eventually convinced to adopt the Q&A format (questions and answers from internet users), and Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki showed by visiting a blogger that he recognizes the need to open up to other communication channels, but despite this, these are rather isolated events, not a consistent path.” -- THE POLITICAL WEATHER IS NO LONGER SO CALM - FIJOŁEK ON THE PROSPECT OF SHIFTS ON THE SCENE: “Even if Hołownia fails, the campaign will accelerate to the point of throwing him off like a carousel at an amusement park, and he will finish in third or fourth place, and Andrzej Duda will win in the first round, it's still the year 2023, and on the horizon there will be shifts not only in the United Right camp but also in other formations. The political weather is no longer as windless as it was a year ago.” https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/499822-piec-powodow-dla-ktorych-holownie-trzeba-traktowac-powaznie -- ANDRZEJ MACHOWSKI RECONSTRUCTS THE REASON FOR THE DELAY IN PUBLISHING THE NESC RESOLUTION - as he writes in GW: “The paradox is, therefore, that the immediate publication of the NESC resolution forces the election to be held according to the deadlines for electoral activities laid down in the electoral code. And this postpones the elections to the second half of July and gives real chances for new candidates to register. The delay in publication allows PiS to hold elections without the deadlines guaranteed by the code – still in June, effectively depriving new candidates of the possibility to run. PiS, in its pursuit of unified state power, has subjugated the Constitutional Tribunal, and now it is trying to take over the Supreme Court. And it turns out that in some cases, the control of the publication speed in the Journal of Laws is the most important.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,25939264,oto-dlaczego-premier-morawiecki-zwleka-z-drukiem-uchwaly-pkw.html -- RESTARTING THE CIVIC COALITION'S CAMPAIGN IS AN EXISTENTIAL NECESSITY - MICHAŁ KOLANKO IN RZ: “A restart is necessary because giving up the presidential game only benefits Szymon Hołownia and Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, which is clearly visible in the presidential polls. It will be a difficult process, but for Borys Budka's party, it is an existential necessity. Working in its favor is the fact that the May 10 elections effectively did not take place, which PO can present to its voters as a success. Working against it is the need to explain the change, if it occurs: -- KOLANKO ON THE ANGER IN THE CIVIC COALITION CAUCUS TOWARDS SCHETYNA: “This is another statement by Schetyna about Kidawa-Błońska that has caused astonishment or – as our sources report – even fury within the Civic Coalition caucus. There is a growing conviction that the former party leader says what is convenient for him about the candidate, when it is politically convenient for him. When things were going badly, he distanced himself from the 'fatherhood' of this candidacy (April 29, Polsat News). Earlier, he said that if the elections were postponed, 'everything would open up' (March 27, RMF FM). And according to our reports, at a Civic Coalition caucus meeting, his allies at some point indicated that the Civic Coalition should participate in the elections on May 23. (...) What will be more profitable and feasible, and what not. PO must have at least a chance to make a good decision for itself so that the chances of a restart are as high as possible. And this means that no one can tie its hands. And in PO, Schetyna's subsequent words – as we hear – are increasingly perceived as deliberately endangering the party.” https://www.rp.pl/Rzecz-o-polityce/200519761-Michal-Kolanko-Platforma-szuka-restartu-swojej-kampanii.html -- ADAM BODNAR SPEAKS ABOUT THE RPO'S REQUEST FOR AN OSCE OPINION - in an interview with Jacek Nizinkiewicz in RZ: “That's how I see my role; the ombudsman is there to analyze projects on an ongoing basis. I will ask the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights for an opinion; the OSCE specializes in analyzing election-related solutions. This will influence how the world perceives us. It's hard to say now that we are a fully democratic country if we haven't been able to hold normal elections. It's a disaster. We must ensure that the international community trusts us that the elections are conducted properly.” -- BODNAR ON THE TIMING FOR THE OSCE OPINION: “I will wait two or three days to see how the situation develops. Someone might soon come up with the idea that we do have a state of natural disaster. If the scenario develops in this direction, that there are parliamentary works on this draft law and the government intends to pass it, then I will ask for an OSCE opinion. Creating such an opinion takes several or a dozen or so days. If there were modifications at the Senate level, this opinion would probably also take them into account to accurately reflect the actual situation.” https://www.rp.pl/Rzecz-o-polityce/200519764-Adam-Bodnar-PiS-ogranicza-teraz-wolnosc.html -- PROF. RZEPLIŃSKI ON CHALLENGING THE ELECTIONS TO STRASBOURG - he says to Dominika Wielowieyska in GW: “If he doesn't do it, then there are several experienced non-governmental organizations that monitor the course of the electoral process, and they can challenge the election results in Poland to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The Constitution of the Republic does not explicitly state that every citizen has the right to free elections. But many of its provisions lead to this. Furthermore, the European Convention on Human Rights, ratified by Poland, states in Article 3 of the Additional Protocol of March 20, 1952: 'The High Contracting Parties undertake to hold free elections at reasonable intervals by secret ballot, under conditions which will ensure the free expression of the opinion of the population in the choice of the legislature.' Given so many violations of standards, the complainants have a chance to win this case. I am ready to join such a complaint because one cannot be passive towards the actions of the authorities that violate the procedures of constitutional democracy.” -- IN STRASBOURG FOR SEVERAL YEARS - RZEPLIŃSKI FURTHER IN GW: “The process would probably be long, several years. A verdict recognizing that Poland violated the right to free elections in these elections would therefore have symbolic significance. For those who have already devastated the system of constitutional institutions of the Republic of Poland, it will be of no consequence anyway. They will continue to systematically trample on the enactment of law, its application, and will approach the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as the judgments of the Constitutional Tribunal or the Court of Justice of the European Union, as they please. Simply put: a free-for-all.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,25939118,rzeplinski-wynik-wyborow-prezydenckich-do-trybunalu-w-strasburgu.html -- MICHAŁ KOLANKO ON THE SENATE OPPOSITION'S DILEMMAS - he writes in RZ: “After the bill is sent to the Senate, crucial decisions await the opposition politicians. Especially for the Civic Coalition. The Senate can accelerate work on the bill so that it returns to the Sejm before June 12. Even before Tuesday's session, Civic Coalition politicians indicated that such an approach was possible. The election date set by Marshal Witek based on the new law will also 'set' all other deadlines in the new campaign, including the time for potentially collecting signatures for new candidacies – if there are any. On Tuesday late afternoon, Deputy Senate Marshal Bogdan Borusewicz indicated that the Senate would still need time for expert analyses.” https://www.rp.pl/Wybory-prezydenckie-2020/200519759-Sejm-Ekspresowe-prace-nad-zmianami-w-prawie-wyborczym.html -- ANY EPIDEMIC STATE WILL LAST UNTIL 60-80% OF THE POPULATION IS INFECTED - expert dr Michał Możdżeń in conversation with Michał Sutowski in Krytyka Polityczna: “Definitely yes, because our model is based on the assumption that the epidemic will fluctuate and that we must come to terms with the fact that some epidemic state will persist until 60-80 percent of the country's population is infected, or a vaccine is invented and we achieve herd immunity. The goal is to reach this point at the lowest possible cost.” -- THE EXPERT EXPLAINS WHY MOODS ARE IMPORTANT - WHEN THEY WORSEN, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RESTRICTIONS WILL DECREASE - Możdżeń further with Sutowski: “Our model includes a total of six such areas. The first is healthcare, understood as the ability to 'handle' the epidemic. The second area focuses on the situation of businesses. However, this should not be reduced solely to the economic situation of companies, hence the third area is the situation of employees and the labor market in general. The fourth is public mood – we want to make the public and decision-makers aware that what people think about the epidemic and this whole situation in general has significance beyond just image. After all, when moods worsen significantly, the effectiveness of restrictions will decrease. And we are all responsible for the effective implementation and maintenance of restrictions. The fifth element, important from the perspective of the imposed restrictions, is the extent to which public finances are resilient. Because the situation of lockdown and the introduction of anti-crisis shields – quite generous, for which the government should be praised – will quickly generate pressure on the state's borrowing capacity.” -- MOŻDŻEŃ ON THE PYRAMID OF THREATS: “It looks like this: mass events are one. Two is the activity of schools, kindergartens, universities, and cultural institutions, i.e., relatively large gatherings of people. Three is border traffic, four – public transport. Five are public meeting places, such as restaurants, bars, clubs, and galleries. Then, in sixth place, are the activities of manufacturing companies. Seventh are private means of transport and meetings, and finally – eighth – direct contact rules between people, i.e., social distancing.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/model-zarzadzania-restrykcjami-koronawirus-wychodzenie-z-restrykcji-michal-sutowski-michal-mozdzen/ -- AN ACQUAINTANCE OF THE MINISTER FOOLED THE MINISTRY - title in RZ. -- GW ON THE SERVICES WARNING SZUMOWSKI: “The purchase of useless masks for PLN 5 million, revealed by 'Wyborcza', is circulating in the media, and the opposition is demanding resignations. Our sources: The Ministry of Health was warned that the Central Anticorruption Bureau was interested in the affair. (...) We received information about a possible leak from the Central Anticorruption Bureau from two sources connected with this service. They indicate that the investigation into the purchase of masks from an acquaintance of Łukasz Szumowski and his brother Marcin is a spin-off of the CBA operation concerning the latter's business. In passing, the agents allegedly stumbled upon a trace of the 'mask transaction,' which was mediated by Marcin Szumowski.” -- GW ON SZUMOWSKI'S EXPLANATIONS: “However, the text messages published by us show that the minister's brother was closely following the course of the transaction, and thanks to his acquaintance with the Szumowskis, Łukasz G. was quickly received at the ministry by Cieszyński and signed a lucrative contract. Szumowski also claimed that our article about the purchase of useless protective masks for PLN 5 million without verification contained 'half fakes.' He did not elaborate.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,25939708,wyborcza-ujawnia-afera-z-maseczkami-za-5-mln-zl-i-przeciek.html -- I WOULD BE SURPRISED IF SOMEONE ELSE THAN JUDGE MANOWSKA BECAME PRESIDENT - JUDGE MICHAŁ LASKOWSKI in conversation with Małgorzata Gałczyńska in Onet: “Well, I'll say this. I would be very surprised if someone other than Małgorzata Manowska became the First President.” -- MANY INDICATIONS SUGGEST THE ELECTION WILL BE CONDUCTED IMPROPERLY - LASKOWSKI FURTHER: “In my opinion, this election should not be respected. Many indications suggest that it will be conducted improperly. However, the president should answer this question before appointing a new First President. Will he answer? I don't know.” -- THE NEW FIRST PRESIDENT WILL FIND HIMSELF IN THE SITUATION OF THE KRS - LASKOWSKI FURTHER: “Presumably, a First President elected in this way will find himself in a similar situation in Europe as the new National Council of the Judiciary (KRS) is currently in, which the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary intends to exclude from its ranks.” -- LASKOWSKI ON DOCUMENTING THE EVIDENCE FOR THE SUPREME COURT (SN): “Madam editor, Mr. Zaradkiewicz brought a pendrive to the Assembly on Tuesday with recorded statements of some judges, which he then quoted. Everything is recorded, registered... The chairman undoubtedly prepares thoroughly for the meetings in terms of documentation. He also demands that questions to candidates for the First President of the Supreme Court be asked in writing and signed by specific judges. The question arises, what is this for and what is it intended to serve? This surprised me, this meticulous documentation. It looks a bit like gathering evidence.” https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/sn-wybiera-kandydatow-na-i-prezesa-wybor-moze-byc-niewazny/tnppcy3 -- EWA SIEDLECKA ON THE ACE IN THE SLEEVE OF OLD JUDGES: “Returning to the ace in the sleeve. Judge Wróbel wrote further: 'In accordance with the Constitution and the unambiguously worded Article 17 § 1 point 1 of the Act on the Supreme Court, the right of the General Assembly of Judges of the Supreme Court is indeed: a) to elect 5 candidates for the position of First President of the Supreme Court b) and to present them to the President of the Republic of Poland. These are two separate competencies and two separate rights of the General Assembly of Judges of the Supreme Court. The realization of the latter competence requires the adoption of a resolution by the entire General Assembly to present the 5 elected candidates for the position of First President of the Supreme Court. The resolution must be adopted by a majority of votes. Therefore, if the candidates elected, even in a manipulated procedure, do not find the support of the majority of the members of the General Assembly in the final resolution vote, the election will have to be repeated anyway.'” -- SIEDLECKA ON THE SITUATION LIKE WITH PRZYŁĘBSKA'S ELECTION: “And so, exactly the same thing will happen as happened a few years ago during the election by the General Assembly of Judges of the Constitutional Tribunal of the successors of President Andrzej Rzepliński and Vice-President Stanisław Biernat. There too, the 'old' judges refused to vote for the resolution to present the candidacies of Julia Przyłębska and Mariusz Muszyński to the president. In this situation, the acting president of the Constitutional Tribunal, Przyłębska, did not put the resolution to a vote at all and sent only the candidacies to Duda. She broke the Act on the Constitutional Tribunal. Despite this, the president appointed her and Muszyński, which to this day is a reason for questioning the legality of their nominations. Many indications suggest that history will repeat itself, and the legitimacy of the new First President of the Supreme Court will be questioned.” https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/kraj/1956294,1,konklawe-w-sadzie-najwyzszym-kto-ma-asa-w-rekawie.read?src=mt -- KONKRET24 ON THE SMALLER OVERALL NUMBER OF DEATHS: “As the data shows, in April this year, there were even 3,079 fewer deaths in Poland than in April 2019 (33,613) and 4,105 fewer than in April 2018 (34,639). This is also less than in 2017 (by 1.5 thousand less), 2016 (by 1.3 thousand), and 2015 (by 4 thousand). The total number of deaths in the first four months of this year is also lower than in previous years during this period.” -- FEWER ACCIDENTS - KONKRET24 FURTHER: “Data from the Traffic Bureau of the Police Headquarters shows that in March this year, there were more than a third fewer accidents on Polish roads than in March 2019. In April, the number of accidents year-on-year decreased by more than half. This contributed to a decrease in the number of fatalities in accidents by about one-third. In March, it was 60 people, and in April, 76 people fewer than in the previous year.” https://konkret24.tvn24.pl/zdrowie,110/jak-epidemia-wplynela-na-statystyki-zgonow-w-polsce-analiza-konkret24,1015645.html -- PHOTO. The Blinding of Samson – a painting by the Dutch painter Rembrandt, Städel Museum, Frankfurt. Samson was one of Rembrandt's favorite subjects. He depicted him in various episodes described in the Old Testament, often interpreting them in his own individual way. The Blinding of Samson is one of the artist's greatest and most dramatic Baroque paintings. Rembrandt painted it for Constantijn Huygens as compensation for the delay in completing paintings for The Passion. The artist chose the moment when the Philistines, after Delilah cut Samson's hair, pounce on the strongman, bind him, and blind him. Rembrandt combined several episodes in one scene. The scene takes place in a dark room, lit only by light coming through an opening resembling more an entrance to a cave or tent than a chamber. In the foreground, Samson is seen lying down, trying to free himself from his bonds and still fighting his tormentors. His tense muscles are visible on his arms struggling with an assailant located under the giant's body, and his clenched fist being bound by another Philistine is visible. The third tormentor stabs the giant's eye with a dagger; he holds it very awkwardly, by the blade instead of the hilt. This detail, indicating the Philistines' haste, lends the scene even greater chaotic dynamism. Samson's face shows pain, the insane pain of a betrayed Samson whose eyes are being gouged out by the enemy, when he was betrayed by his lover. -- HERBERT'S NOTES ON REMBRANDT: https://herbertguru.wordpress.com/tag/oslepienie-samsona-przez-filistynow/ -- HERBERT AND REMBRANDT'S RIDDLE - RZ: “Herbert's archive is located in Warsaw, at 21 Promenada Street, where the author of 'Pan Cogito' lived until his death in 1998. Carefully labeled boxes with documents stand in a high row stretching across the entire room, which was once the poet's study. Archivist Henryk Citko hands me two folders. Inside, in plastic sleeves – Herbert's manuscripts. - Please be sure to maintain the order of the documents - Citko warns. - Everything can be significant. I place a stack of white A4 sheets on the desk. The first one is covered with beads of letters: 'Writing about Rembrandt is a suicidal endeavor. The memory of the eye cannot retain several hundred paintings.'” https://archiwum.rp.pl/artykul/590365-Zbigniew-Herbert-i-zagadka-Rembrandta.html -- HERBERT ON REMBRANDT IN BARBARIANS IN THE GARDEN: (...) If I had to choose a motto for the entire book, I would quote the following sentence from Malraux: "On the same evening that Rembrandt is still drawing – all the famous Shades and the shades of cave artists follow with their gaze the wavering hand that will prepare for them a new existence beyond death or their new sleep." https://www.znak.com.pl/autor/Zbigniew-Herbert -- BIRTHDAYS: Tomasz Grodzki, Karol Karski.