-- BUDKA ON THE JUNE ELECTIONS BEING LEGAL, GRODZKI ON THE SENATE'S PACE, THE PRESIDENT WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WILL REMIND OF HIS VETO TO THE PIS LAW ON AUDIT CHAMBERS -- 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/05/27 -- UP TO NOW, THE ACCUSATIONS BY PIS AGAINST THE OPPOSITION OF DESTABILIZATION WERE UNFAIR, NOW THEY WILL BE JUSTIFIED -- PIOTR TRUDNOWSKI AT KLUB JAGIELLOŃSKI: “Information from the Senate suggests that an absurd concept is gaining popularity among the opposition, according to which the elections should be held only after the term of President Andrzej Duda expires. Although the concept does not hold water even at a basic legal level, it could lead to the resurgence of a dangerous electoral-systemic dispute. Until now, the accusations made by PiS that the opposition's only concern regarding the elections was to destabilize the country and pursue their own particular interests were unfair. Now they will be entirely justified, which PiS will undoubtedly skillfully use to improve Andrzej Duda's lagging poll numbers.” -- EXTREME IRRESPONSIBILITY -- TRUDNOWSKI CONTINUES: “Firstly – it may be about returning to the atmosphere of an electoral crisis, which is difficult to explain even by the opposition's party interests. It is simply destructive action aimed at escalating political dispute, which simply testifies to the extreme irresponsibility of those causing the entire commotion. Secondly, perhaps the new interpretation is meant to revive the narrative of a boycott and illegal elections. For what purpose? It is unclear, beyond the plausible hypothesis of increasing chaos for its own sake. Thirdly, the goal may simply be to prolong the Senate's work – so that the elections would have to be held a week or two later than PiS wants. In that case, it should be assumed that in the opposition's calculations, each additional week means greater trouble for Andrzej Duda. Fourthly, internal opposition maneuvering may be at play. Perhaps the short deadline for elections would prevent the replacement of the Civic Platform's candidate with Rafał Trzaskowski? It sounds absurd, but no more so than the emergence of a new dispute itself.” -- PIS WILL BE ABLE TO RETURN TO ITS NARRATIVE WITH TWICE THE FORCE -- TRUDNOWSKI'S CONCLUSION: “On a more complex analytical level – by starting a tug-of-war over the election date and suggesting dangerous constitutional solutions, the opposition is allowing PiS to return to its recently practiced narrative with twice the force. The opposition is irresponsible, sabotages compromise solutions, prevents elections from being held within the constitutional deadline, attempts to destabilize the state, and is driven solely by particular interests and internal rivalries – all these are now entirely justified accusations.” https://klubjagiellonski.pl/2020/05/26/powrot-wyborczej-awantury-opozycja-w-senacie-rzuca-kolo-ratunkowe-andrzejowi-dudzie/ -- ELECTIONS EVEN SOONER THAN JUNE 28 -- JACEK KARNOWSKI: “Perhaps a bit of everything. But that is less important than the conclusions drawn from this situation. Actually, one conclusion: elections must be held as soon as possible. Perhaps even sooner than June 28. The deadlines for collecting signatures and the time allocated for the campaign must be shortened as much as possible (especially since the campaign has already been ongoing for a few months). There is no other way. The opposition, which aims to overturn the state's table, cannot be a partner in this matter, as it is simply too dangerous for the foundations of statehood. There is more than enough evidence that the opposition is playing with a loaded deck, and that its most important goal is to capsize the state's boat.” https://wpolityce.pl/m/polityka/501971-wybory-musza-sie-odbyc-jak-najszybciej-nawet-przed-28-vi -- WE'VE ENTERED AN ELECTORAL WRAP AGAIN -- title in GDP. -- IF TRZASKOWSKI WAS DOING WELL UNTIL NOW, THE SENATE'S MOVE COULD HARM HIM -- MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: “Now citizens will consider the end of June a good time for elections. Attempts to drag out the electoral process could, however, turn the tables for opposition candidates. Rafał Trzaskowski's entry into the race restarted the campaign, bringing a completely new dynamic to it. Tuesday's poll for 'Rzeczpospolita' showed that although Andrzej Duda has the greatest chance of winning in the second round, his lead over potential rivals is not so large that a good campaign couldn't reduce this gap. The not-so-clear actions of opposition senators are rather sabotaging the election campaign of their candidates. If Rafał Trzaskowski was doing well until now, the move by his colleagues from the Senate could harm him today.” https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/200529455-Michal-Szuldrzynski-Obstrukcja-destrukcja.html -- THE ALLEGED 20-POINT DROP FOR DUDA IS EXAGGERATION, AND DUDA HAS OVER 40%, AS MUCH AS PIS -- GALOPUJĄCY MAJOR CRITICIZES: “One of the more interesting electoral exaggerations in recent days was the excitement over Andrzej Duda's support dropping by as much as 20 percentage points. Andrzej Duda's support has not dropped that much. Simply put, an electorate that wanted to boycott the elections on May 10th due to the raging epidemic, has suddenly entered the game, and on June 28th, they no longer want to boycott the elections, even though the epidemic has not ended. Whether one likes it or not, Andrzej Duda still has strong support of at least 40 percent. The latest IBRiS poll even gives him 42 percent. Duda therefore has exactly the same support as Law and Justice. Assuming, therefore, that voters do not leave him, just as they do not leave PiS after successive scandals surrounding the authorities, Andrzej Duda needs to gain some additional 10 percentage points in the second round to win the election.” -- TRZASKOWSKI IS BEST FOR DUDA -- MAJOR CONTINUES: “Everything depends on whom Duda will 'get' to defeat in the second round. There is no doubt that Rafał Trzaskowski will be the easiest opponent. Voters of Konfederacja, but also partially those of Kosiniak-Kamysz, will simply not vote for 'rainbow Rafał', 'Tusk's helper', 'enemy of the Church', as Kaczyński's hate industry will describe him. Besides, the voter will not even have to listen to propaganda. It is enough for them to listen to the candidate himself, who has no offer for Bosak's voter and can offer very little to Kosiniak-Kamysz's voter.” -- PIS FEARS TRZASKOWSKI THE LEAST, TWO POLANDS, TWO TELEVISION STATIONS, THIS IS KACZYŃSKI'S PARTY'S FAVORITE PLAYING FIELD -- GALOPUJĄCY MAJOR'S CONCLUSION: “There will also be reports that since TVP is attacking Trzaskowski so strongly, and Pereira is writing tearful appeals to improve the campaign, it means PiS is afraid of Trzaskowski. No, PiS is not afraid. Or rather: PiS fears Trzaskowski the least. PiS is playing for polarization so that only the Duda vs. Trzaskowski duel is visible in the media, and other candidates disappear completely from the radar. And this is slowly happening. Again, we have two Polands, two candidates, two television stations, two visions, and a circular discussion about the same thing. This is the favorite playing field for Kaczyński's party; they have been winning on it for years, perhaps except for large cities, but this match will be played across the whole of Poland, not just in Warsaw.” -- THIS IS WHY THE LEFT SHOULD NOT VOTE FOR TRZASKOWSKI IN THE FIRST ROUND -- GALOPUJĄCY MAJOR CRITICIZES: “This means that if the elections were held today, Rafał Trzaskowski, thanks to the votes of left-wing people, would reach the second round, where he would lose to Duda. The tragicomedy of this situation lies in the fact that a left-wing voter rushed to vote for a candidate who, in their opinion, has the greatest chances, but this particular candidate has the smallest chances of the leading three (Trzaskowski – Hołownia – Kosiniak). Therefore, Duda should probably send flowers and chocolates to left-wing voters. (...) At this moment, the situation looks quite simple: left-wing voter, do you not want Duda's re-election? Then stop voting for the most convenient opponent for Duda and vote for Biedroń, even if his election campaign annoys you.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/felietony/galopujacy-major/najglupszym-wyborem-dla-lewicy-jest-glosowanie-w-pierwszej-turze-na-trzaskowskiego/ -- A BIRD IN THE HAND BETTER THAN ROBERT ON THE ROOF? -- JAKUB MAJMUREK IN KRYTYKA: “It will be difficult for the Left. If we were discussing parliamentary elections, the offer of the Mayor of Warsaw for a left-wing voter would be far from sufficient. However, in the context of presidential elections and the chances of winning against Duda in the second round – especially if Trzaskowski is carried by the polls – it may turn out to be a more sensible bird in the hand for left-wing electorates.” -- IT'S WORTH THE LEFT ENGAGING IN A SHARPER DISPUTE WITH PIS -- MAJMUREK CONTINUES: “Secondly, let's not pretend that 'we are fighting for victory' – such official optimism seems detached from reality. Instead, it is better to present good arguments for why it is worth counting votes in the first round. Considering how many left-wing voters will have Trzaskowski as their second choice, the differences must be clearly presented – but not in an antagonistic tone. It is worth engaging in a sharper conflict with PiS. So that TVP Info doesn't attack only Trzaskowski for the next few weeks.” -- A GOOD RESULT FOR BIEDROŃ WOULD EMPHATICALLY SHOW THAT POLAND DOES NOT LOOK LIKE THE FANTASIES OF RIGHT-WING IDEOLOGUES -- MAJMUREK CONTINUES: “A good presidential result for Biedroń would emphatically show that Poland does not look like the fantasies of extreme right-wing ideologues. That a significant part of society does not agree to policies of hatred and prejudice, to the demonization of the LGBT+ community and all other groups that deviate from what Jarosław Kaczyński and a few bishops consider 'normal'. At the same time, it will not be easy for Biedroń to become the representative of 'colorful Poland' as it might seem. Everything indicates that PiS will set up the presidential campaign in such a way that for the statistically average voter who doesn't live politics day-to-day, 'the candidate for gays and lesbians' will paradoxically be Trzaskowski, not Biedroń.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/trzaskowski-biedron-wybory-prezydenckie/ -- TRZASKOWSKI'S RATINGS ARE NOT SOARING AT ALL -- PROF. ANTONI DUDEK IN AN INTERVIEW WITH JACEK GĄDKA ON GAZETA.PL: “They are not soaring at all, however. We can talk about soaring ratings when they exceed 30%. Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska had almost 30% support until the epidemic, and today Trzaskowski doesn't even have her numbers. The polls show that the Civic Coalition has its reasonably disciplined electorate at the level of the low twenties, or perhaps even 30%. Trzaskowski is only regaining his party's electorate. We will see how much he manages to take from Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Szymon Hołownia.” -- DUDEK ON THE 20-POINT DROP -- A MYSTIFIED COMPARISON, BUT DUDA IS ACTUALLY STUMBLING -- CONTINUES IN AN INTERVIEW WITH GĄDKA: “This is one of the most mystified poll comparisons. (...) What is happening is Duda's stumble. But it is not as deep as a simple and incorrect comparison of two polls suggests: one from a month ago and the current one. Duda has lost a few points recently, but due to a series of smaller events. One can argue here what is more important: Jarosław Kaczyński's visit to a closed cemetery, the Kazik song and 'Trójka' affair, Jacek Kurski's return to TVP, or Duda's unfortunate rapping. In recent weeks, the entire ruling camp has taken actions that have caused this stumble. Despite everything, Andrzej Duda remains the favorite.” -- TRZASKOWSKI WOULD HAVE THE HARDEST TIME WINNING AGAINST DUDA -- DUDEK CONTINUES ON GAZETA.PL: “This poll aligns with intuition. It will be precisely Trzaskowski who will have the hardest time winning against Duda. The candidate who has the greatest chance of defeating Duda has the smallest chance of even reaching the second round.” -- THERE IS NO BREAKTHROUGH, DUDA WILL LIKELY WIN -- DUDEK CONTINUES: “There is no breakthrough. We are seeing a continuation of the trend we observed in 2018, when this new geography emerged. Everything is predictably heading towards Trzaskowski winning overwhelmingly in large cities, and Duda also winning overwhelmingly in the rest of Poland. In the second round, one should not expect a difference between the candidates of the order of 60 to 40 percent. Andrzej Duda will likely win, by a small margin, but he will win. Because Trzaskowski has a large negative electorate outside of large cities. Some miracle might happen – for example, a terrible performance by Duda, and on the other hand, a brilliant one by Trzaskowski in a televised debate, but that is unlikely.” -- DUDEK ON DISAPPOINTMENT WITH TRZASKOWSKI: “I thought Trzaskowski was the most capable politician in PO. I thought so until his campaign for mayor of Warsaw. When I saw how he conducted it… Yes, but the crux of the matter is different: did Trzaskowski win in Warsaw, or did the anti-PiS mood in Warsaw give him victory? Well, Trzaskowski won because PiS is hated in the capital. If a proverbial Kowalski had run from PO, he would have won too. After 1.5 years of rule in Warsaw, it is evident that he is only creatively continuing Tusk's policy of 'warm water in the tap'. I am convinced that Trzaskowski's governance in the capital will be critically assessed, and it will not be so easy for him to win another term if a serious rival appears, but not one put forward by PiS.” https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,25976141,prof-antoni-dudek-to-wlasnie-rafalowi-trzaskowskiemu-najtrudniej.html -- THE PARADOXICAL ALLIANCE OF TVP AND TRZASKOWSKI -- PAWEŁ MUSIAŁEK IN AN INTERVIEW WITH DOMINIKA WIELOWIEJSKA ON TOK FM: “What we are observing today is a paradoxical alliance between TVP and Rafał Trzaskowski, which consists of both sides criticizing each other, thereby heating up the atmosphere of polarization. The classic mechanism 'where two fight, both benefit' is at play here. Polarization is precisely what Trzaskowski needs most today to first and foremost defeat Szymon Hołownia and Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.” https://klubjagiellonski.pl/2020/05/26/musialek-nominacja-jacka-kurskiego-zaszkodzi-kampanii-andrzeja-dudy/ -- GW ON KURSKI'S APPOINTMENT BEING ILLEGAL -- as written by Agnieszka Kublik: “But RMN and the supervisory board forgot that the company's statute provides for a management board of a maximum of three members. The law from the spring of this year abolished the limit on the size of the management board, but the statute was not changed. This can be done by the company's general meeting, i.e., the Minister of Culture (the statute still mentions the Minister of State Treasury), in agreement with the RMN. But the ministry did not do this. - The government simply missed it - comments one of the Council members.” -- KURSKI IS PRESSURING PACZUSKA -- KUBLIK CONTINUES: “According to our unofficial information, the management board wants Marzena Paczuska to resign herself. Kurski himself is reportedly pressuring her. It was he who wanted Paczuska suspended in March. He argued that working with her was difficult and that she was passing information to the president. Paczuska became the first head of 'Wiadomości' as soon as Kurski settled in at Woronicza. But then they quarreled, and Paczuska had to leave.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,25974769,kurski-powolany-legalnie.html -- MICHAŁ LASKOWSKI ON THE FEAR OF BEING A FIG LEAF -- in an interview with Krzysztof Sobczak on prawo.pl: “One can assess it this way, that it was meant to be proof of the President's democratic and open approach to this decision. That is why I had a feeling that I was supposed to act as a fig leaf. That is why I had doubts whether I should act in such a role. However, everyone convinced me, judges, but also many other people, to accept this nomination. And in the end, I was convinced. I was also somewhat in a no-win situation, because the alternative would be to give up another position where something can still be done. Because another election would probably have to be held, and it is unknown how it would turn out. Most of the judges of my chamber did not want that and persuaded me to take on this role.” -- LASKOWSKI ON WAITING FOR THE CJEU RULING: “I don't have excessive faith, of course, but perhaps the circumstances will help a bit. Such as the soon-to-be-expected ruling of the Court of Justice of the European Union, from which may arise the need to do something with the Disciplinary Chamber and the remaining 'new' judges, appointed with the participation of the new KRS, as well as with the National Council of the Judiciary itself, so that its judicial part is elected by judges. If the political authorities do not want to confront the EU, space may arise for some sensible changes. If it went in that direction, perhaps this division into 'two supreme courts' would gradually fade. But I don't know if that is realistic.” https://www.prawo.pl/prawnicy-sady/michal-laskowski-nowym-prezesem-izby-karnej-w-sadzie-najwyzszym,500596.html -- POLICE: THE BEATING HEART OF THE PARTY -- lead story in GW: “Fines of 10,000 PLN for a poster with the inscription 'Constitution', batons and gas against protesting entrepreneurs, detentions and harassment with summons – these are the methods the police use to intimidate opponents of the authorities.” -- SZUMOWSKI AND THE ILLEGAL LOAN -- Przemysław Jedlecki and Judyta Watoła in GW: “The company Simplicardiac, in which the health minister's brother holds shares (through Szumowski Investments), received a 1.2 million PLN loan from the National Centre for Research and Development against the law. (...) - Consequently, in a situation where there is no provision from which it follows that NCBR has the authority to provide financial support in the form of a loan - there are no grounds for concluding a loan agreement. Such action is considered illegal – we read in the post-audit report.” https://katowice.wyborcza.pl/katowice/7,35063,25976603,siec-braci-szumowskich-nielegalna-pozyczka-z-ncbr.html -- A STORM IN THE ISLANDS LIKE KAZIK'S WRATH -- title in GW about the case of Johnson's advisor, Dominik Cummings. -- PHOTO. The Slaying of the Lernaean Hydra, by Francisco de Zurbarán, Prado Museum. The Slaying of the Lernaean Hydra – a painting by Francisco de Zurbarán, part of a series of ten works depicting the Labors of Hercules. They were commissioned for the Buen Retiro Palace. According to myth, Hercules had to perform twelve labors for the hostile King Eurystheus for killing his wife and three sons. The second labor was the slaying of the Lernaean Hydra. Hercules, along with his nephew, went to Lerna, where the monster lived by the bank of the river Amymone. The strongman lured it out of its den with burning arrows. When the Hydra appeared outside, Hercules began to smash its heads with a club, but for each smashed skull, a new head appeared. -- BIRTHDAYS: Halina Nowina Konopka, Andrzej Zoll, Piotr Nowina-Konopka, Stanisław Ożóg, Bartłomiej Szrajber, Roman Graczyk, Krzysztof Matyjaszczyk, Konrad Berkowicz, Andrzej Skworz.