-- 37 YEARS AGO, THE COMMUNIST APPARATUS OF VIOLENCE AND LAWLESSNESS MURDERED GRZEGORZ PRZEMYK. -- PHOTO: The Execution of the Madryt Insurgents, Francisco Goya, Prado Museum. The scene of the execution is filled with symbolic elements referencing Catholic iconography. The most important figure is a man in a white shirt with arms raised. His figure is illuminated by a square lantern. This type of light source was commonly used by Baroque artists and Caravaggionists. In iconography, it served as a metaphor for God's presence or was associated with religious elements of faith. The man with arms raised refers to the figure of Christ on the cross. Stigmata are visible on his right hand. According to art historian Fred Licht, the miracle accompanied by light in the execution scene did not happen. It is merely a light source illuminating the target for the firing squad, and for the viewer, only an opportunity to witness mindless violence. The traditional spiritual role of light has been reduced to a tool of crime. Other elements referencing religious symbolism include the man's white and yellow robes, alluding to Vatican colors. The mountain visible in the background is Golgotha, and the city panorama refers to Jerusalem. The parallelism of religious symbols juxtaposed with cruelty indicates the powerlessness of the Church and its helplessness in the face of the evil that has overtaken the world. In Polish poetry, the painting inspired Victor Venerdi to write the poem “Shirts.” However, the poet does not directly refer to war but to the feeling of dread associated with death and the snow-white shirt worn by the figure visible in the foreground. According to art historian H. W. Janson: As a clairvoyant genius, Goya created a painting that has remained a terrifying symbol of our era. ***** -- TRZASKOWSKI ON THE ELECTIONS, BŁASZCZAK ATTACKS TRZASKOWSKI, KOSINIAK ON HELPING PLATFORMA WITH SIGNATURE COLLECTION IF PIS SHORTENS THE ELECTION - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/05/14/ -- ANDRZEJ STANKIEWICZ ON THE CONVICTION IN PLATFORMA ABOUT SCHETYNA'S MACHIAVELLIAN SCHEMES - writes in Onet: “In the circles of PO leader Borys Budka, there is a conviction that Schetyna's statements about Kidawa-Błońska are not accidental. — For Schetyna, she is a dream candidate. If she gets a few percent, it will also be a defeat for Budka. And that gives Schetyna hope of sidelining Borys and returning to the post of Platform leader — a member of the PO's highest authorities tells Onet.” -- DELAY IN THE SENATE TO GIVE PLATFORMA TIME? - STANKIEWICZ CONTINUES: “This is another piece of evidence that Kidawa's candidacy, as it was, remains an element of power struggles within PO. What will happen to this candidacy? The new PiS law defining the rules for this year's presidential election has just arrived in the Senate, controlled mainly by the opposition – PO. Although the ruling camp is concerned about time, much indicates that the Senate will not rush – it has up to 30 days to complete work on the project. It is unofficially known that this delay is not accidental. It is time that Platforma wants to use to carry out a candidate change.” https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/opinie/wybory-prezydenckie-wojna-w-platformie-kidawa-elementem-walki-o-wladze-w-partii/z4j4evt -- GALLOPING MAJOR ON THE RISK OF PLATFORMA LAUNCHING THE NARRATIVE OF “GIVING WARSAW TO PIS” IN THE EVENT OF TRZASKOWSKI'S CANDIDACY: “Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, regardless of his chances, is likely out. The risk of giving the capital to PiS would be a mistake that liberal voters would not forgive Platforma.” -- DUDA WOULD HAVE A HARDER TIME WITH A CANDIDATE OTHER THAN PLATFORMA'S - MAJOR CONTINUES: “That is why Duda's opponents should be crossing their fingers today for Mrs. Małgorzata's continued candidacy, but not too tightly, so that she doesn't suddenly jump above Hołownia and Kosiniak-Kamysz. If this happens, the fight in the second round will become fierce and a real chance for political balance in Polish politics will emerge. In short, the more PO messes up, the worse it is for PiS, so perhaps once, PO's indecisiveness will be useful for something.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/felietony/galopujacy-major/co-zrobi-platforma-obywatelska/ -- WE NEED 10-14 DAYS IN THE SENATE - DEPUTY MARSHAL OF THE SENATE FROM LEWICA IN DGP ARTICLE: “Certainly, commissions must be convened, which, as usual, will seek expert opinions and will likely propose amendments. We know that the Ombudsman has already asked the OSCE for an opinion, and it will be of great importance to us. I think that Senate committees could convene as early as next week, and then the announcement of the Senate session date is in the hands of Marshal Grodzki. I estimate that we need at least 10–14 days for the entire work – says Deputy Marshal Morawska-Stanecka.” https://www.dziennik.pl/artykuly/7701899,wybory-28-czerwca-sasin-grodzki-witek-senat-wybory-mieszane-pis-pkw.html -- CONDUCTING TALKS IS A MATTER OF COMMON SENSE SO THAT IT IS A CELEBRATION OF DEMOCRACY, NOT RIDICULE - KRZYSZTOF GAWKOWSKI in conversation with Agata Szczęśniak in Oko: “Conducting talks is a matter of common sense. History is watching us. Generations will judge whether we can only embarrass the state, like PiS did on May 10th, or if, as the opposition, we can rise above it. From a celebration of ridicule, into which the elections have turned, we must return to a celebration of democracy.” -- TIME CAN BE SIGNIFICANTLY SHORTENED - GAWKOWSKI CONTINUES ON SENATE WORK: “We believe it can be significantly shortened. The PSL says the same. (...) When one thinks about changing a candidate, problems arise and one thinks about a longer time for collecting signatures.” -- GAWKOWSKI ON THE JUNE 28TH DATE - THERE WERE SIGNALS FROM PIS THAT THERE MIGHT BE A CORRECTION: “This needs to be negotiated. There were signals from PiS that there might be a correction. Lewica is in favor of the campaign being as long as possible. PiS wants it to be as soon as possible because they need to strengthen Duda. We are not differing by a year, but by three weeks. For the average voter, there is no difference.” https://oko.press/trzeba-szukac-porozumienia-a-nie-isc-na-wojne/ -- JAROSŁAW GOWIN SPEAKS ABOUT A POSSIBLE JULY 5TH DATE: “The ball is in the opposition's court. President Duda's term ends on August 6th. Considering that after the elections, the Supreme Court needs three weeks to issue a resolution on the validity of the elections, in practice Marshal Witek has two dates to choose from: June 28th or July 5th. It depends on the pace of work of the opposition Senate majority whether the calendar constructed by the Marshal will give potential new candidates one or two weeks to collect signatures.” -- I AM AN ABNORMALLY CALM PERSON, I HAVE BEEN SUBJECTED TO EXTREME PRESSURE IN THESE WEEKS - GOWIN CONTINUES: “A psychologist who conducted research on first-year philosophy students told me back in my university days that I am an 'abnormally calm person.' I have been subjected to extreme pressure in recent weeks, but I have kept my nerves in check the whole time. As for Porozumienie: I am proud that we have created a democratic party where different views clash. We also had many discussions about the election date, but the atmosphere of the meeting is best evidenced by the final resolution adopted by acclamation. The party authorities have given their full support to my actions.” -- GOWIN ON THE TEST THAT "A HUGE MAJORITY" OF ACTIVISTS PASSED: “At the beginning of the session, I appealed to put aside mutual grievances. Now we have one common goal, and that is the re-election of President Duda. Recent events have put Porozumienie to a great test, and a huge majority of our activists have passed this test excellently.” https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/jaroslaw-gowin-reneocjacja-umowy-koalicyjnej-z-pis-em-jest-konieczna-wywiad-6510132379350657a -- EXTENDING THE ELECTION PROCEDURE WILL HARM THE ECONOMY - ZUZANNA DĄBROWSKA IN RZ: “However, further extending the election procedure will harm the economic situation of employees, providing the authorities with a pretext to conduct a permanent political crusade instead of confronting the projected unemployment and the collapse in the incomes of many families. This fight is not easy for the government because there is no money in the treasury. That is why nurseries and kindergartens are being opened – to save on parental benefits.” -- SHOULD WE ALL SUFFER BECAUSE OF PO'S PROBLEMS? - DĄBROWSKA CONTINUES: “Does this mean that because of Civic Coalition's problems with its candidate, we should all endure the election series until mid-summer? So that Andrzej Duda's support falls? And if it doesn't fall, then what? It is not a good idea to play for the incumbent president's poll numbers to drop, especially if one does not – for now – have a chance to compete with him. Who then are you working for, without presenting an alternative yourself?” https://www.rp.pl/Analizy/305139869-Dabrowska-Niech-juz-ktos-wygra-te-wybory.html -- JACEK ŻAKOWSKI ARGUES FOR A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT - as he writes in GW: “The consequence of abandoning the amendment will be Poland's further descent into voluntaristic authoritarianism, legitimizing itself with the pretense of legality and the semblance of a rule of law. This trend may continue regardless of the election outcome, as the opposition is infected by the ruling camp. The degeneration of constitutional culture is progressing on both sides and is becoming the norm in public perception. That is why I am appealing for the opposition to try to use the only legal means at its disposal (submitting an amendment) to postpone the elections until they can have a democratic, constitutional character (i.e., after the lifting of restrictions on civil rights resulting from the pandemic). It is unknown whether PiS will agree to such an amendment. But it must be checked. In the worst case, it will become clearer who is against the law.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,162657,25941749,wroccie-do-poprawki-nie-wiadomo-czy-pis-sie-zgodzi-ale-trzeba.html -- WPOLITYCE ON THE BEHIND-THE-SCENES OF MORAWIECKI AND SASIN'S EVENING MEETING: “There were many jokes about this, as well as laughter about the media 'information' that there was some war at the top between them. All of this is nonsense, as is the reporting of Deputy Prime Minister Sasin's alleged desire to be 'dismissed' by Jarosław Kaczyński. 'Rzeczpospolita' specializes in various such gossip, but whoever believes it will be greatly mistaken.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/500176-tylko-u-nas-wieczorne-spotkanie-morawieckiego-i-sasina -- PIS ARRIVES AT THE CASINO IN A PORSCHE AND LEAVES BY TAXI - JACEK ROSTOWSKI IN CONVERSATION WITH TOMASZ SAWCZUK IN KULTURA LIBERALNA: “PiS is a formation of political and economic gamblers. Sometimes they have a good run, and then that good run ends. The PiS government is like an addicted gambler who drives to the casino in a Porsche and leaves by taxi. No one could have predicted this particular crisis, but the fact that the foundations of the world economy after the last crisis of 2008 are quite fragile, and that another crisis is quite possible – that was evident.” -- POOR MANAGEMENT OF HEALTHCARE WILL HAVE DRAMATIC ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES - ROSTOWSKI TELLS SAWCZUK: “Fear of contagion, and then fear of job loss… Therefore, I am convinced that the key element in fighting the current economic crisis is really efficient management of the medical and epidemiological situation. Because if people feel that this situation is well managed, they will be less afraid of the epidemic. And then the economic consequences will be less severe. I believe this is where the biggest problem has appeared today. After the initial period of the epidemic, when the government's actions made a good impression on some, even if it used an axe rather than a scalpel, it is increasingly apparent that the management of healthcare leaves much to be desired. There are gigantic problems with tests, which are fundamentally important for limiting the spread of the contagion. For a long time, there were shortages of masks and protective equipment. How long did it take before the rule was introduced that medical personnel can only work in one institution? In addition, there is a lack of good separation in hospitals, due to which people are afraid to go for normal procedures. Unfortunately, I could multiply these examples. We are seeing very poor management of healthcare – and this will have dramatic economic consequences.” -- ROSTOWSKI ON PIS DE FACTO RESIGNING FROM EU STRUCTURAL FUNDS: “We could, like PiS, de facto resign from European structural funds, as well as the investments that come with them – accept that we are organizationally unable to implement them. It is largely thanks to this white flag raised in the battle for Poland's development that PiS has an easier situation in public finances. But the effect of our actions at that time was twofold: first, there was a powerful stimulus impulse, and second – we endowed Poland with this magnificent network of motorways and express roads, which is behind the great drop in unemployment, by eliminating structural and regional unemployment. Why was unemployment so low three months ago? Because every point in Poland, every town, has good access to the huge European market. And in every such town, you can build some factory or Amazon warehouse. That was our strategy.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2020/05/12/pis-to-partia-gospodarczych-hazardzistow/ -- ADAM STRZEMBOSZ: ELECTION OF THE FIRST PRESIDENT OF THE SUPREME COURT FOR A SHORT TERM - writes in GW: “In 1956, rehabilitation proceedings began against judges convicted by secret sections. However, the verdicts of judges from the ministry were omitted. It was considered that they did not have the character of a verdict because a judge not affiliated with any court cannot adjudicate. The analogy is simple – persons from the Disciplinary Chamber are not affiliated with any court. They include individuals with less than the highest qualifications, close to the Ministry of Justice. According to the ECJ ruling, three combined chambers of the Supreme Court ruled that judges appointed at the request of the new National Judicial Council, especially those sitting in the Disciplinary Chamber, do not have the attribute of independence due to the manner of their appointment. Their credibility is undermined. Therefore, when the rule of law is restored in Poland, the election of the first president of the Supreme Court must be annulled, and the procedure must begin anew.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,162657,25943523,to-wybor-na-krotko.html -- BIRTHDAYS: Piotr Ikonowicz, Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, Kamil Zaradkiewicz, Andrzej Person, Jarosław Pietras, Barbara Włodarczyk.