-- PRIME MINISTER MATEUSZ MORAWIECKI TURNS 52 TODAY. -- RAFAŁ TRZASKOWSKI'S NEW CAMPAIGN SPOT - MY HOME - On the final campaign weekend before the first round, Rafał Trzaskowski's campaign team released the "My Home" spot – a personal declaration from the candidate about his closest people and values. "Voters will see a Rafał they haven't had the chance to know yet," a leading campaign strategist told us. https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/06/20/moj-dom-sztab-trzaskowskiego-prezentuje-spot-wyborczy/ -- ANDRZEJ DUDA'S CAMPAIGN SPOT TO BE PRESENTED AT 1 PM. -- MARCIN MASTALEREK ON DUDA'S CHANCES FOR A FIRST-ROUND WIN AND PLATFORM'S OBSESSION WITH POLLS - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/06/20/ -- WHAT POLES REJECTED IN 2015 IS RETURNING; THEY HAVEN'T WON YET BUT ALREADY WANT TO SOCIALLY EXTERMINATE; THE OPPOSITION'S CAREFULLY NURTURED HATRED - JACEK KARNOWSKI: "In essence, everything that Poles rejected in 2015 is returning. It was an extremely brutal system, aggressive towards all who truly opposed it. Now that it senses an opportunity, it's showing its true nature again. They haven't won yet, but they already want to, in effect, socially exterminate. They are once again preparing to cull the pack. If they win, blood will be shed in Poland. Hatred is carefully nurtured and meticulously stoked on the opposition's side. And it is also impunity due to media, international, and judicial protection. But hatred will not win this time. Also because it revealed its face too soon." https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/505541-poziom-zastraszania-ze-strony-iii-rp-jest-wyjatkowy -- CHOOSING THIS TOPIC CAN BE PERCEIVED AS INCITEMENT AGAINST A GROUP; WHEN DONE WITH THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES OF TVP KURSKI, THE IMPRESSION IS DISTURBING - PIOTR ZAREMBA IN RZ: "Nevertheless, the choice of this topic as the main one in the campaign can be perceived as incitement against an entire group. And when it's done in the language of conspiracy clichés straight from Jacek Kurski's TVP, the impression becomes disturbing. The LGBT community considered the Family Charter signed by the president to be homophobic from the first word to the last period." -- WHEN DELUSIONS ABOUT DECRIMINALIZING SPEECH ARE WRITTEN INTO OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS LIKE THE FAMILY CHARTER, ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO ASK ABOUT THE LIMITS OF FREEDOM - ZAREMBA CONTINUES: "And yet, a controversial, even extreme, provision has crept in. 'Prohibition of promoting LGBT ideology in state institutions.' So where exactly? In parliament? In schools? We have freedom of speech, and everyone has the right to defend their vision of society in any forum. When Jarosław Kaczyński explained to right-wing voters at a rally that 'rainbows' cannot be outlawed because the European Union won't allow it, he was guided by the natural opportunism of a politician. When politicians write delusions about outlawing speech into official documents, one immediately has the right to ask about the limits of freedom. And the limits of restricting freedom." -- AN UNPLEASANT IMPRESSION ARISES, ESPECIALLY IN AN ELECTION FOR AN OFFICE MEANT TO UNITE - ZAREMBA CONTINUES: "Firstly, I'll repeat, an impression of a campaign against someone arises. An unpleasant impression, especially when we're dealing with an election for an office that should, in theory, unite. And does it bring additional votes? Not necessarily; it's easy to overdo it in this area. To overdo the aggression, to create the impression of an oppressor looking for a victim. Will it turn out that way in the end? We'll see." -- WILL A COUNTRY GRAPPLING WITH A PANDEMIC CONSIDER THIS KEY? - ZAREMBA CONTINUES IN RZ: "Secondly, and more importantly, the immediate question arises: does a country still grappling with a pandemic and fearing the crisis after its potential end, truly consider this topic key? Should Polish politics be so fixated on sex? It seemed that the cataclysm would be an opportunity for at least a serious debate about the condition of healthcare or education. President Duda is not encouraging this. This is both risky from the perspective of fighting for Poles' votes and questionable from the perspective of the common good." -- A VERY RISKY GAME - ZAREMBA CONTINUES: "And a third argument: media worldwide portraying the Polish president as a homophobe is something truly dangerous. It could weaken his international leverage in the future. Even the US embassy is upset because an American diplomat negotiating important matters for Poland is an openly gay man. This difference in standards was not taken into account. A very risky game was undertaken. This is all the more surprising because Duda previously navigated the ideological space quite cautiously. One of his interviews for 'Wprost' was recently interpreted as a cautious contemplation of the sense of civil unions. Did he listen to the spin doctors this time? But information from behind the scenes suggests that in many detailed matters, he is stubbornly independent of his advisory team. So perhaps he only picked up on the main direction but overdid it, driven by personal emotions?" -- CIVIL UNIONS WOULD BE A DEMARCATION LINE AND AN AREA FOR COMPROMISE: "I agree with those who, even from a moderately right-wing perspective, remind us that the offensive of LGBT slogans is not the main cause of the crisis of the family or values. Moreover, I feel that sexual minorities cannot be forced back into the catacombs. They are visible, they will be visible, and that means they will demand their rights. While simultaneously seeking, not always wisely, revenge on the 'old culture,' which also means fighting against those religions that do not fully sanction the new order. Perhaps civil unions would be a demarcation line, an area for compromise." https://www.rp.pl/Plus-Minus/306199990-Dlaczego-polska-polityka-jest-zafiksowana-na-seksie.html -- IT IS DOUBTFUL WHETHER RADICALS WILL WIN; AT BEST, THEY WILL ACCELERATE SECULARIZATION AGAINST THEIR INTENTIONS - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: "That they will be to blame then, because they clearly did not oppose it. In turn, supporters of more moderate methods accuse the radicals of discrediting conservative ideas and even making it impossible to be a conservative. Because of their radicalism, they give the opposing side an opportunity to talk about a right-wing that is consumed by hatred and homophobia. As a result - according to these moderates - they only help their opponents. Which of these strategies is correct? We will find out in a few decades. What is certain is that now, in the election campaign, the right-wing has been dominated by supporters of radical methods. Therefore, either they will win and halt the wave of progress in Poland (which seems very unlikely), or, against their intentions, they will lead to even faster secularization of society." https://www.rp.pl/Plus-Minus/306199997-Michal-Szuldrzynski-Radykalowie-kontra-umiarkowani-Kto-zatrzyma-walec-postepu.html -- APPEALING TO FEARS - LUDWIK DORN ON TVN24: "And this means appealing to fears that do not have a clear party affiliation, fears whose experience transcends political divisions, because only such fears can either demobilize potential voters of the opponent who are currently wavering, or attract wavering voters to those who are instilling fear. How and with what does PiS instill fear, meaning Andrzej Duda himself, his campaign team, President Kaczyński, and above all TVPiS, i.e., the formal public television? There are two fears: sexual minorities (a threat to the family, Christianity, tradition, national identity) and Jews. Of course, these fears are linked to PO candidate Rafał Trzaskowski, because at Nowogrodzka Street and Woronicza Street, they rightly believe that only he matters." -- TO INSTILL FEAR, ONE NEEDS TO APPEAL TO AN IMAGE, AND TODAY THERE IS NONE, UNLIKE A YEAR AGO - DORN CONTINUES: "Regarding electoral fear-mongering about minorities and their protector and promoter Rafał Trzaskowski, the situation in 2020 is different, also from the perspective of the chances for effective fear-mongering. To instill fear effectively, within the image-based civilization we live in, one must appeal to something that can be shown. Over a year ago, Rafał Trzaskowski signed the Warsaw LGBT charter, which was supposed to lead to the sexualization of children, teaching masturbation to four-year-olds, and violating the rights of our traditional Polish family to raise children. Today, somehow, the PiS television is unable to show any sex educator sexualizing children in kindergarten or primary school. Since the Equality Parades were canceled due to the epidemic, it's also impossible to show any images." -- TRZASKOWSKI IS NOT GETTING PROVOKED AND IS NOT DANCING TO PIS'S TUNE - DORN CONTINUES: "For now, Rafał Trzaskowski is not getting provoked and is not dancing to PiS's tune. He is skillfully dodging. When pressed by journalists about LGBT, he replies that we have a coronavirus, a crisis, and he doesn't want to comment on substitute issues. In Opole, he referred indirectly – importantly – to his opponent's interest in LGBT. 'There is a chance for a major wave of change in Poland, this is what we are waiting for and what we all want. We've had enough of attempts to divide us, yet we are all the same, proud Poles. It's time for a just Poland, a Poland of equal opportunities, with an open hand for dialogue,' he said. Eloquent, elegant, and effective: drawing blood without leaving a mark." -- THE CONSTANT STIRRING UP OF THE LGBT ISSUE INVOLVING DUDA HAS CAUSED HIM TO TIP OVER THE POINT OF BALANCE; PEOPLE TODAY LIVE WITH OTHER CONCERNS - DORN CONTINUES: "The situation is becoming increasingly interesting because the constant stirring up of the LGBT issue involving Andrzej Duda has caused him to tip over the point of balance. The speeches of a member of his campaign team, MP Przemysław Czarnek, calling to stop talking about human rights and equality because 'these people are not equal to normal people' have contributed significantly to this. This must have crossed the tolerance limits of even a significant portion of the PiS electorate, and there was a rather embarrassing retreat involving the PiS candidate himself. After Andrzej Duda's statements in Wednesday's televised debate, it is clear that his campaign team has realized that today, PiS's fear-mongering about threats to Christianity, four-year-old masturbation, and gender neo-Bolshevism is dismissed as fairy tales by most audiences. This is because they live with other concerns: fear for their earnings, jobs, whether they'll make ends meet until the end of the month, and what will happen in six months or a year." -- DUDA IS STARTING TO RESEMBLE A TERRIFYING GRANDFATHER FRIGHTENING PEOPLE WITH THE RAINBOW MOB - DORN CONTINUES: "Andrzej Duda has started to resemble a terrifying grandfather who, to gather his family around him, frightens them with a big, terrible rainbow mob, from which only he can defend his flock. But the family isn't paying much attention to Grandpa's ramblings, because they know they live in a house in a flood-prone area and the river nearby has breached the embankment. They are wondering if only the basement will flood, or perhaps the ground floor too, how much it will cost to dry out and renovate, and where the money will come from." -- THE CONSPIRATORIAL PERCEPTION OF JEWS MAY GENERATE HOPE FOR THOSE APPROXIMATELY 400,000 VOTES - DORN CONTINUES: "As numerous studies show, in times of crisis and economic slowdown, dislike grows towards groups perceived as resourceful, cunning, and conspiring, i.e., Jews, as anti-Semites perceive them conspiratorially. Potentially broader and stronger prejudices associated with conspiratorial and secondary anti-Semitism extend beyond the electorate of the Law and Justice party and Andrzej Duda, thus appealing to them generates hope for those approximately 400,000 votes that will tip the scales in favor of the PiS candidate in the second round of the presidential election." https://tvn24.pl/magazyn-tvn24/dorn-trzaskowskiego-jak-nie-gejem-to-zydem,276,4834 -- NO ONE DISDAINS PIIS VOTERS MORE THAN PIIS POLITICIANS - PIOTR BENIUSZYS IN LIBERTE: PIIS CONSIDERS ITS VOTERS TO BE DULL HATEMONGERS: "No one disdains PiS voters more than PiS politicians. What image must the ruling party's strategists have of these people if they believe that the most effective way to mobilize them to vote for their candidate is to appeal to their lowest instincts, hatred, arousing disgust and fear? It's not the first time PiS has brought up topics related to the LGBT community in the middle of an election campaign, but never has the electoral goal of directing the debate in this direction been so clear. In the past, PiS has mobilized its voters in this very way twice. Thus, seeing the escalating crisis in Andrzej Duda's presidential campaign, they decided to organize a simple rerun. This tactic reveals the image of a party that believes its most effective electoral argument is to incite hatred of one social group towards another. PiS considers its voters to be dull hatemongers, a mindless mass that only needs to be provoked and enraged." -- THE AMERICAN EMBASSY SETS LIMITS FOR PIIS - BENIUSZYS CONTINUES: "The incitement against LGBT individuals once again showed that since PiS took power in Poland, and in the US under Donald Trump (specifically, since Trump's ambassador arrived in Warsaw), the sovereignty of Polish authorities is subject to limits determined by the American embassy. Of course, I do not want the Polish president to incite against LGBT individuals; it is dangerous, and furthermore, it causes shame for one's own country. However, this does not mean I am happy that the Polish president is getting 'punished' for such things by a foreign power, obediently shutting his mouth and censoring his statements. Duda and the entire Polish government are treated as completely subservient by Washington; Duda's position is much weaker than Bolsonaro's or Duterte's, in response to whose outbursts the White House looks away. Poland under PiS is an American condominium. Seriously." https://liberte.pl/pogarda-dla-wyborcow-pis/ -- PIOTR TRUDNOWSKI NOTICES THAT "MINOR CANDIDATES" TAKE PROGRAMS MORE SERIOUSLY: "One can look at the platforms of all candidates and draw systemic conclusions. It is evident that candidates with the greatest chances of success place the least importance on their electoral programs. Rafał Trzaskowski has not published his at all, and Andrzej Duda has promised very little new. He has focused mainly on continuing to be the president he has been for the last 5 years. Candidates who are considered less serious in the debate, such as Krzysztof Bosak, Szymon Hołownia, or Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, regardless of how one assesses their proposals, have certainly done much more programmatic work to present themselves to Poles and state what kind of Poland they, as presidents, would want. Therefore, I encourage you to familiarize yourselves with these more ambitious programs; perhaps you will find something for yourselves there, and perhaps it is worth showing a 'yellow card' in the first round to those candidates who have not approached programmatic issues with sufficient seriousness." https://klubjagiellonski.pl/2020/06/19/programy-wyborcze-mowia-wiecej-niz-debata-prezydencka-w-tvp/ -- DUDA IS LOSING GROUND - LEAD OF THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN COVERAGE: "Andrzej Duda is losing ground; not only his support is falling but also PiS's. Szymon Hołownia is not giving up the fight for the second round." https://oko.press/duda-usmiecha-sie-do-trumpa-i-traci-poparcie-holownia-nie-odpuszcza/ -- I HAVE NOT SEEN A DECISIVE REACTION FROM THE RULING PARTY WHEN HATRED WAS POURED ON SILESIANS - JERZY BUZEK IN CONVERSATION WITH MACIEJ KLUCZKA ON TVN24: "Now we have a tragedy in Silesia, where there have been scandalous oversights, resulting in an increasing number of infected miners. This is unfortunately what happens when the minister responsible for mining companies, instead of supervising and reacting to the situation, ineptly tries to organize unconstitutional presidential elections using the Polish Post. As a result, people were allowed to work in the mines, even though the entire Polish economy has come to a standstill, and the demand for energy and coal has drastically decreased. I did not see a decisive reaction from the government when, in turn, hatred was poured on my small homeland, and due to a series of ill-conceived, missed decisions, mining operations are now being halted. I do not agree with such treatment of Silesia and its residents." -- POLAND DOES NOT HAVE TIME TO WAIT FOR THE PRESIDENT TO BECOME INDEPENDENT - BUZEK CONTINUES: "Poland does not have time to wait another five years for the president to become independent and to take to heart at least the principle of the rule of law. We have waited for this for five years, that's enough! That's much longer than the probationary period for new employees. It cannot be that winning a second term for the president is more important than Poland, than what is happening in Poland, than our homeland's international position, our opportunities, the unity of Poles, and community actions. President Duda has worked for five years towards one goal: re-nomination for the presidency by President Kaczyński. In my opinion, this disqualifies him in this election. Millions of Poles see it this way too." -- BUZEK ON COHABITATION WITH KWAŚNIEWSKI - AS ELECTIONS APPROACHED, HE BECAME PARTISAN AND ACTED IN THE INTEREST OF HIS OWN CIRCLE: "I assess these four years of cohabitation, especially in terms of foreign policy, joining NATO and the European Union, positively. Unfortunately, as the next elections approached and it became clear that the SLD – the president's political base – would win, partisan mechanisms kicked in. I believe that it was precisely in the interest of his political group, rather than the well-understood interest of the state, that the president vetoed several key laws. This concerns, in particular, the law on reprivatization, the absence of which we painfully feel to this day. It also concerns the law on financing local governments, the absence of which allows for the transfer of government tasks to local communities without transferring funds from the central budget. This has also worsened the situation of counties." https://tvn24.pl/magazyn-tvn24/jerzy-buzek-trzeba-przerwac-te-niekonczaca-sie-historie-lamania-zasad,276,4842 -- TRUMP WOULD PREFER SOMEONE FROM A COUNTRY MORE IMPORTANT TO AMERICA, BUT THE POLISH PRESIDENT IS ALSO A VALUED GUEST - TOMASZ ZALEWSKI ON TYGODNIK POLITYKA PORTAL: "Trump would most likely prefer to host a representative of a country more important to America than Poland; in June, he hoped for a meeting with Angela Merkel at the G7 summit, but the German chancellor declined, citing the plague – the summit did not take place. But the Polish president is also a valued guest, as he will boost Trump's mood, who fondly recalls his 2017 visit to Warsaw, where he was welcomed enthusiastically, unlike in Paris or London. However, it is unknown whether the media coverage of this visit will spoil his mood. It is to be expected that, apart from Fox News, other, less friendly media outlets will remind him that he is receiving a politician with the reputation of a nationalist and homophobe, moreover, from a party emphasizing inflexibility on the issue of restitution of Jewish property, which the diaspora highlights as a manifestation of anti-Semitism. The first signal was the statement by the Democratic chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Eliot L. Engel, urging Trump to cancel the meeting." -- DUDA'S DEFEAT WOULD BE A BLOW TO TRUMP - ZALEWSKI CONTINUES: "Duda's potential defeat would be a blow to Trump, as it would be presented as a signal of the reversal of the trend of growing support for the populist right worldwide, a receding of the wave that brought the New York mogul to power. Trump, to put it mildly, has gaps in his knowledge of the world, but he understands what concerns him. Intuitively or superstitiously, he picks up on signs of danger – or success. As in 2016, when he reacted enthusiastically to Brexit – it was likely then that he first believed he could win." https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/swiat/1960908,1,po-co-trumpowi-wizyta-dudy-co-chce-zyskac.read -- WILL TRIGGERING A CULTURE WAR TIP THE SCALES? - BEN STANLEY: "It should be emphasized that the forecasts are based solely on the declarations of decided voters. Approximately 7% of those planning to vote have not yet decided whom to vote for in the second round. Although Duda's situation seems difficult at the moment, winning over the undecided majority could be the difference between defeat and victory. The question is whether triggering a culture war is the right way to achieve this goal." https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/kraj/1960778,1,stanley-dla-polityki-w-drugiej-turze-trzaskowski-juz-remisuje-z-duda.read -- MANY VOTERS WILL DECIDE AT THE LAST MINUTE - HEAD OF KOSINIAK'S CAMPAIGN MAGDALENA SOBKOWIAK IN CONVERSATION WITH JACEK GĄDKA ON GAZETA.PL: "It's getting more interesting. The election result could be a big surprise. The campaign was unusual, and the candidates changed. Many voters will decide on the last day or only at the ballot box." -- TVP IS HELPING KOSINIAK - SOBKOWIAK CONTINUES: "In TVP, especially in "Wiadomości," there are many slanders. Unfortunately, we then hear about them at campaign meetings. We must remember that TVP reaches a significantly larger audience than commercial channels. TVP's destructive power is immense. Jacek Kurski is fulfilling his political mission. However, analyzing what is happening on TVP's airwaves, we know that the greater the attack, the better the polls for Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz." https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,26046252,magdalena-sobkowiak-sila-razenia-tvp-jest-ogromna-ale-im-wiekszy.html -- PIOTR PACEWICZ TALKS WITH A SZYMON HOŁOWNIA VOTER IN OKO.PRESS ABOUT WHAT CAUSED THEIR FASCINATION WITH THE CANDIDATE: "A settled businessman aged 55 experiencing political euphoria? 'I react emotionally, criticism can turn off for me. But not in this case. What is happening around Szymon Hołownia has the same strength that 'Solidarity' had in the 80s - we're finding out what drives Hołownia's supporter. - After a few days spent in front of the screen, I decided to go to a campaign meeting. In Otwock, I was finally convinced, delighted. My wife and I went to Gdynia. Incredible energy. You can get infected. - And what exactly captivates you? - Undoubtedly, he is a charismatic person. My reaction is not exceptional; it's a common phenomenon among his voters. - For me, his emphasis on ecology and our future related to it is important. He has the courage to say directly that quick and significant changes are necessary." https://oko.press/pytamy-wyborce-porwanego-przez-holownie/ -- A SENSITIVE NARRATIVE TAILORED FOR A CONSCIOUS PRESIDENCY - PIOTR TRUDNOWSKI ON HOŁOWNIA'S PROGRAM AND SENSITIVITIES: "The greatest strength of Szymon Hołownia's program is the fact that, more deeply than his opponents, he has considered the actual institutional position of the president and what Poles expect from a president. His programmatic proposals, in principle, though not without exceptions, are an attempt to solve important problems of the Polish political community by seeking, in each case, the greatest common denominator among Poles with different views, sensitivities, and party preferences." -- THE MOST CONCRETE AND MATURE REFLECTIONS ARE FOUND IN THE CANDIDATE-CELEBRITY - A PARADOX - WRITES TRUDNOWSKI: "We are dealing with a paradox: in this campaign, perhaps the most programmatic specifics and mature reflections on the political community can be found precisely in the candidate who simultaneously embodies a certain media-celebrity 'post-politics.' Although Hołownia has not managed to free himself from the shackles of the 'political correctness of the Third Republic salon,' he has still brought many good diagnoses and intriguing intuitions to the debate. It's a shame that in the campaign so far, few of them have had the chance to break through beyond the circle of committed Hołownia sympathizers. But this is primarily a criticism of the media and us voters, who are interested in other things, not the candidate himself." https://klubjagiellonski.pl/2020/06/19/szymon-holownia-pigulka-programowa-czula-narracja-skrojona-na-miare-swiadomej-prezydentury/ -- WITH THE VOTES OF THE CIVIC PLATFORM, I LOST THE FIGHT FOR THE RIGHTS OF LGBT PEOPLE - ROBERT BIEDROŃ IN CONVERSATION WITH OKO.PRESS: "Of course, some of us are taken in by their rhetoric when they stand on the podium and say, 'We are open, tolerant.' But we check and ask which side you are on: 'Are you for marital equality?' They respond: 'Well, no, for equality, of course not, maybe civil unions. After the elections, let's start a discussion.' And then elections pass, and the issue remains unresolved. I have fought many times for the rights of LGBT people, and with the votes of PO, I lost. If we want equality of rights in Poland, we need to vote for the left. Let's not fool ourselves that any of the right-wing candidates will solve things that the left can solve in the world." -- THE BIGGEST THREAT IS THAT THE RIGHT-WING WILL RULE FOR THE NEXT 15 YEARS - BIEDROŃ CONTINUES IN CONVERSATION WITH OKO.PRESS JOURNALISTS: "The most real threat is that the right-wing will rule for another 15 years. They exchange power and don't have time to deal with people. That's the problem. They are so busy with who called whom vulgar rabble, or a worse sort, that they don't have time to go a step further and consider why such a situation is happening at all." -- ELITES TRIED TO PUSH PEOPLE PROTESTING AGAINST WICKEDNESS INTO THE CLOSET - BIEDROŃ CONTINUES: "One can, of course, latch onto equality and tolerance, but one must implement this equality and tolerance, not bury one's head in the sand. It's a waste of time to focus on the Civic Coalition; there are many more interesting topics. But what I saw in recent days was outrageous to me. When PiS politicians and President Duda were persecuting LGBT people, political, journalistic, and cultural elites tried to push people protesting against this wickedness into the closet. They said it wasn't the right moment. A certain female editor wrote that equality parades are obscene and that we are to blame ourselves. And this was not an editor from right-wing media." -- LIBERALS LACK COURAGE; THEY PRETEND TO BE ON OUR SIDE - BIEDROŃ STILL IN OKO.PRESS: "In moments of testing the Polish right-wing opposition, neo-liberals lack the courage to stand on the right side. They lack the courage to implement changes. Such a moment occurred during the black protests. Now, too, we are at a moment of trial. Trzaskowski could find the courage and say: I will not allow anyone, ever in the future, to use stereotypes or prejudices against any social group. And therefore, I will stand in defense of equal LGBT rights. If it's equality, then it's equality, and I will be for same-sex marriages, I will be for regulating all the rights that are missing today. Then the right-wing would take a step forward. But they maintain the status quo. They pretend to be on our side, but when you need their support, you hear that you should hide in the closet." https://oko.press/biedron-duopol-po-pis-gniecie-prawa-osob-lgbt-i-kobiet-wywiad/ -- THE CHURCH HAS BEGUN TO TRANSFORM INTO A COLLECTION OF CONSTANTLY SHATTERED FACTIONS - PIOTR ZAREMBA ON POLSAT NEWS: "The Church has begun to transform into a collection of constantly shattered factions. Nevertheless, this did not essentially concern the relations between bishops. If discussions arose among them, they were conducted using subtle allusions and unspoken meanings. And here, suddenly, a blow to the face. Noise, shouting!" -- UNDERMINING THE AUTHORITY OF AN ENTIRE INSTITUTION - ZAREMBA CONTINUES: "The result is a further undermining of the authority of the entire institution. Janiak, in the name of defending it, unceremoniously destroys it. Because it requires the existence of various taboos. Apart from the complaints against the primate that he is being attacked and that he has entered into an agreement with the 'enemies of the Church,' the Sekielski brothers, the Bishop of Kalisz announced that the Episcopate had immediately rejected the proposal to establish a church foundation to help victims of molestation by clergy. He was to change his mind because Archbishop Wojciech Polak said something different to the media. Thus, we have both the revelation that the bishops did not want to take a step back on the issue of pedophilia, as well as the accusation of manipulating the voting result." -- PEOPLE OF TRADITIONAL VIEWS NO LONGER NEED PRIESTS - ZAREMBA'S CONCLUSION: "This is, of course, one of the many causes of the wave of secularization - in Poland, which remains a relatively conservative country in terms of views. In any case, more conservative than the West. We now have the phenomenon of believers not returning to churches after the pandemic. People, even those with relatively traditional views, no longer need priests. And it is entirely unknown what the consequences of this will be for social life." https://tygodnik.polsatnews.pl/news/2020-06-19/kosciol-czyli-zbior-rozedrganych-frakcji-zaremba-o-sprawie-biskupa-janiaka/ -- PHOTO: El Greco's Ecstasy of Saint Francis, Property of: Diocesan Museum in Siedlce -- NIEZLASZTUKA.NET PORTAL ON THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE POLISH EL GRECO: How did it happen that for 40 years, a painting by one of the greatest painters in art history hung in a parish church in Kosów Lacki? Well, the beginnings of its history in Poland, as far as we know, date back to 1927, when it was purchased in a Warsaw antique shop as a name-day gift for Father Franciszek Dąbrowski and hung on a nearby estate in Tosia. The painting then moved to Kosów and for 40 years hung modestly in the church, slightly damaged by the ravages of time, with its upper left corner torn, so dusty that it was difficult to recognize the exact colors of the depiction. Its fate changed in 1964 when two researchers from the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ms. Izabella Galicka and Ms. Hanna Sygietyńska, arrived in Kosów for inventory purposes, and they were the first to notice the unassuming work. They were not fooled by appearances, recognizing the master's hand in this painting. https://niezlasztuka.net/o-sztuce/historia-jedynego-obrazu-el-greco-zbiorach-polskich/ -- BIRTHDAYS: Mateusz Morawiecki, Leszek Skiba, Bianka Mikołajewska, Marek Mazurkiewicz, Grażyna Ciemniak, Zofia Popiołek, Mirosław Sekuła, SUNDAY: Adam Zagajewski, Rafał Zakrzewski, Krzysztof Żuk, Krzysztof Pusz, Wojciech Filemonowicz, Mateusz Pacewicz, Edyta Hołdyńska, Andrzej Owczarek, Damian Kwiek, Wawrzyniec Smoczyński, Krzysztof Iszkowski.