-- PAD ON EXCEPTIONAL RELATIONS WITH THE USA, BEATA MICHNIEWICZ TO DWORCZYK STRONGLY: IF THEY CENSOR OUR SONG AGAIN, I KNOW WHO TO TURN TO, HOŁOWNIA ON VOTING FOR TRZASKOWSKI BEING A DULDA VICTORY - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/06/25/ -- PIS IN THE SHOES OF THE PLATFORM IN 2015, ELECTION ESSENTIALLY WON, OUR BRONEK HAS 60% - PIOTR GŁUCHOWSKI IN GW: "When I read PiS portals, I have the impression that I'm holding 'Wyborcza' from five years ago, when pro-Platform publicists were coddling Bronisław Komorowski and reassuring each other that the elections were essentially won, because surely our Bronek has 60 percent support, authorities stand behind him, and foreign countries respect him, if not admire him." https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,26066539,pis-wchodzi-w-buty-platformy-z-lat-2013-2015-w-mediach-prorzadowych.html -- IT TAKES QUITE SOME GALL TO CONVINCE THAT ONLY PIS CAN ENSURE FREEDOM FOR POLES - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: "It takes quite some gall to convince that only the camp of good change can ensure freedom for Poles, after what PiS is doing on public television, after the scandal of censoring Kazik's song on the charts, which PiS politicians did not wish for because it attacked Jarosław Kaczyński." -- KACZYŃSKI, WHO HAS INCREASINGLY MORE WEAKNESS FOR TYRANNICAL METHODS IN OLD AGE, IS DELIGHTED BY TVP, WHICH USES ANTI-SEMITIC THEORIES - SZUŁDRZYŃSKI CONTINUES: "Kaczyński, who in old age has an increasing weakness for tyrannical methods, who remains silent when the police harass people protesting against the policy of his party outside his house, speaking about how freedom is in decline worldwide and only doing well in Poland. The leader of a party whose policy often boils down to inciting hatred against successive social groups – be it against elites, judges, doctors, or teachers – is delighted by TVP, which has no problem using anti-Semitic conspiracy theories during an election campaign, while dressing himself up as a defender of freedom, doesn't even look like a good joke." https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/200629636-Michal-Szuldrzynski-Wolnosc-nie-do-odrzucenia.html -- A BORING LAUDATION INSTEAD OF A GRAND ENTRANCE - ANDRZEJ GAJCY ON KACZYŃSKI - in Onet: "Instead of a 'grand entrance' that would give the race for the Presidential Palace new dynamics at the finish line of the presidential campaign, PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński delivered a rather boring laudation reminiscent of those once delivered in honor of the Komsomol chairman, which will in no way translate into increased support for the re-election-seeking Andrzej Duda. It might even harm the incumbent president." -- GAJCY WRITES ABOUT CBA INVESTIGATIONS IN STATE-OWNED COMPANIES, WHOSE RESULTS WILL WAIT UNTIL THE END OF THE CAMPAIGN: "President Duda is also not helped by the increasingly apparent conflict within his own election staff, or disputes with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who, to put it mildly, has many enemies within PiS itself. Many people in the ruling party, including Kaczyński himself, dislike what the Prime Minister's proteges are doing in state-owned companies. In some of them, investigations by the Central Anticorruption Bureau are underway, the results of which will likely wait until the end of the election race. According to our sources, there is increasingly talk within the coalition about a serious government reconstruction, which would take place in the fall. Of course, there is one condition: Andrzej Duda's victory. Without it, PiS will lose real power, as everyone is well aware." https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/wybory-2020-konwencja-pis-w-lublinie-laudacja-kaczynskiego-nie-pomoze-dudzie-analiza/zwxs585 -- WILL IT END LIKE THE KOMOROWSKI CASE? - SZUŁDRZYŃSKI CONTINUES: "But that's not the only reason I had the feeling I'd seen this before. To conclude his statement, Chairman Kaczyński was kind enough to state that Andrzej Duda leads the camp of freedom in Poland, and only his presidency will give Poles freedom. Exactly five years earlier, after losing the first round of elections, the staff of the Civic Platform candidate announced a new slogan. Do you remember it? It was: 'Bronisław Komorowski – president of our freedom.' It's interesting whether making Andrzej Duda a defender of freedom will end the same way as Komorowski's did." https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/200629636-Michal-Szuldrzynski-Wolnosc-nie-do-odrzucenia.html -- THIS IS A STRONG POLITICAL SIGNAL AND GOOD NEWS FOR POLAND - MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI: "We have a strong message of historical truth, a reminder of Poles fighting German Nazism and Soviet Communism – both presidents spoke about this. We have the emphasis on the alliance of both states and the close personal relations of both politicians, plus Trump's warm words about his visit to Warsaw in 2016. We have a joint written declaration emphasizing this alliance. We have Donald Trump's wishes for Andrzej Duda and his conviction that the Polish president will achieve a 'great victory.' READ: It's hard to get a better recommendation! Trump: I am counting on my friend, Mr. President Duda, to succeed in the elections. This is a strong political signal and good news for the Republic. This visit accurately reflects the essence of Andrzej Duda's presidency: dignity and effectiveness." -- SOME MEDIA ARE ALREADY STARTING TO LOOK FOR ALLEGED FAUX PAS AND MISTAKES - KARNOWSKI CONTINUES: "It's a shame that on the Polish stage, this is accompanied by such pathetically small comments from opposition figures aspiring to govern our homeland. It's a shame that some media immediately launch campaigns to search for alleged mistakes and blunders – in a pathetically unprofessional manner. But it's possible that it can't be any other way, that such is our fate." https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/506301-ta-wizyta-jest-taka-jak-cala-kadencja-godna-i-skuteczna -- HOŁOWNIA WILL NOT BE KUKIZ - A RAM THAT WILL DEMOLISH SUPPORT FOR THE PRESIDENT - JACEK KARNOWSKI: "In our survey, Szymon Hołownia gets 13%. However, this is less than the almost 21% that Paweł Kukiz won five years ago. If Hołownia's result ultimately turns out to be lower, perhaps not as much will depend on his decision – which has already been announced – as he thinks. And he will not be a ram that demolishes support for the incumbent president." -- IF DUDAS RESULT APPROACHES 43%, RE-ELECTION WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY CLOSER - KARNOWSKI CONTINUES: "What do these data show? What is striking above all is the general stability of both President Duda's and Trzaskowski's ratings. Therefore, we can assume that the current president will get over 40% in the first round, and the second about 30%. Single percentage points will be decisive – if Andrzej Duda's result approaches 43% or exceeds that level, and Trzaskowski does not exceed 30%, the re-election of the current head of state will be significantly closer. If this difference is significantly smaller, it could go either way." -- TURNOUT NEVER EXCEEDED 62%, WILL IT REALLY EXCEED 70% NOW? - KARNOWSKI CONTINUES: "Experts emphasize that a lot depends on turnout. Different scenarios are possible with different thresholds. Five years ago, turnout in the first round did not exceed 50%. This time, according to declarations, it will be significantly higher. But will it really exceed 70%, since it has never exceeded 62% before?" https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/506263-co-nam-mowi-najnowszy-sondaz-holownia-nie-bedzie-kukizem -- 4% OF THOSE WHO DON'T WANT TO VOTE FOR DUDA WOULD CONSIDER IT IF THE VISIT TO TRUMP ENDED SUCCESSFULLY - AGATA SZCZĘŚNIAK DESCRIBES IPSOS POLL FOR OKO.PRESS: "Conclusion: Duda won't gain much from the trip to the USA. Only 4% of respondents who do not want to vote for the president would definitely consider changing their preferences if the visit is successful. Another 9% would 'rather consider it,' but with this type of question, it's not a serious declaration; respondents are willing to answer this way 'to get rid of you.' Duda can count on convincing only a fraction of Krzysztof Bosak's voters – 9% definitely declare that they will consider the possibility of voting for Duda. For other candidates, it's a round zero. As many as 49% of respondents who said they wouldn't vote at all, and 36% of those who don't know who to vote for, declare they would consider voting for Duda. These are small groups of rather politically passive people, but if the visit's effect is to be felt anywhere, it's here." https://oko.press/sondaz-oko-press-duda-trump/ -- DOMINIKA WIELOWIEYSKA WRITES IN GW THAT IF DUDA LOSES, MORAWIECKI WILL LEAVE: "The respirator affair, heavily inflated by your newspaper, is as clear as day. There was fear that respirators would run out. All EU countries were afraid of this. And all of them reached for the same instrument: the services. The paradox is that the PiS services pointed to a company run by WSI officers – claims one of my interlocutors from the United Right. According to him, the whole game against Morawiecki and Szumowski is simply aimed at getting rid of the prime minister, but it's not certain if it will succeed, because Kaczyński knows that the special services are co-responsible for this crisis. Nevertheless, if Duda loses, Morawiecki's end as prime minister is – according to my interlocutors – rather certain." -- PIS IS AFRAID OF ANOTHER TRAILER FOR VEGA'S FILM ABOUT THE SUBURBAN AFFAIR - WIELOWIEYSKA CONTINUES: "Another threat overlooked by mainstream media is – according to my interlocutors from the PiS circle – Patryk Vega. PiS has always feared such stories circulating on the fringes of the internet because this message also reaches some of its voters. It concerns Vega's film 'Pętla' (The Loop), whose premiere is scheduled for the fall, and which deals with the suburban affair. Vega claims to have reached the real protagonists. He showed the first trailer of the film, which suggests that sex tapes of politicians really exist. There is a suggestion that it concerns ruling politicians. What does the campaign fear? That before the second round, Vega, who desperately wants to prove how much influence he has on politics, will release another trailer directly implicating PiS, and there will be too little time to prepare an adequate counteroffensive. For now, the director is consistently building up the atmosphere around his documentary." -- IT PAYS FOR KONFEDERACJA FOR THE RULING RIGHT TO DISINTEGRATE - WIELOWIEYSKA CONTINUES: "Will PiS succeed in convincing Bosak to support Duda in the second round? If so, the price would have to be high. Konfederacja does not benefit from Duda's victory. His defeat could mean the disintegration of the United Right. And the disintegration of the PiS camp is an opportunity for Konfederacja to strengthen." https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,26063758,w-sztabie-dudy-wrze.html -- AFTER YEARS OF SADNESS IN THE CIVIC PLATFORM, TRZASKOWSKI HAS A GOOD CAMPAIGN - JACEK GĄDEK in GAZETA.PL: "Rafał Trzaskowski has – after years of sadness in the Civic Platform – a good campaign, and circumstances favor him. The epidemic has drawn attention to the collapse of healthcare. In a crisis, people lose jobs and money. Even the cancellation of the Equality Parade in the capital plays into his hands. The campaign is short, so Trzaskowski, who is weakly rooted in national politics, has little time for missteps, although he has already made some." -- GOVERNMENT IN THE CAPITAL IS REACTIVE, THE PRESIDENCY IS STILL IN ITS INITIAL PHASE - GĄDEK CONTINUES: "Today, Trzaskowski is a local government official, the president of Warsaw, although he himself was not enthusiastic about running for this position, and his duties include dealing with waste disposal fees, pedestrian crossings, places in kindergartens, and a thousand other matters. His governance in the capital is reactive, and after 12 years of Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, there is no new quality visible in the City Hall. His presidency of Warsaw, although still in its initial phase (only 1.5 years in), is not brilliant, and is even rated average within the Civic Platform itself." -- SIMPLE COMMUNICATION: NO BEATING AROUND THE BUSH, SPEAKS DIRECTLY - GĄDEK ON TRZASKOWSKI AND HIS ABILITY TO REFLECT AFTER MISTAKES: "This gaffe is the biggest so far. It shows that such mundane matters as the retirement age have never been at the center of his attention. Trzaskowski effectively handed sharp ammunition to Andrzej Duda's campaign staff, and Duda branded the Civic Platform candidate as a 'pampered darling of Warsaw salons' who didn't remember that he had even voted on a matter important to many people. However, credit must be given to Trzaskowski and his staff that they immediately reflected and corrected the mistake to minimize losses. Trzaskowski himself openly admitted after a few hours that in 2016 there was indeed a vote on lowering the retirement age, and he voted 'against' at the time. – I will say one thing: I know how to draw conclusions and listen to citizens – he emphasized. This is a value: simple communication – no beating around the bush, but speaking directly." https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,26063259,jesli-trzaskowski-moze-wygrac-to-wlasnie-teraz-nim-wygasnie.html -- PIS'S PROMISES ARE AN INVESTMENT IN A PRESIDENT WHO WILL SIGN EVERYTHING - JOANNA SOLSKA in POLITYKA: "In the current campaign, Andrzej Duda is not explaining himself to voters for unfulfilled promises, as if he himself had forgotten them. He is promising other gifts that parliament quickly passes: the tourist voucher, the solidarity allowance with a very short, only three-month validity period. Those who lose their jobs after August 31 will no longer be entitled to it. This does not mean, however, that his party takes him more seriously. For PiS, in the language of this party, Duda's promises 'are not a cost, they are an investment' in electing such a president who will sign everything that is good for the party. And he will gladly play the role of a promotional carrier of its program." https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/kraj/1961136,1,piec-lat-dudy-co-obiecal-i-co-z-tego-wyszlo.read -- THE LEFT SHOULD ACHIEVE A BETTER RESULT THAN THE FAR-RIGHT - MICHAŁ SUTOWSKI in KRYTYKA: "The Polish left is playing for three things at once in these elections. The optimum (i.e., the best possible outcome) is to remove Andrzej Duda from the Presidential Palace, achieve a better result for its candidate than Krzysztof Bosak, and convince voters that there are still more left-wing votes in Poland than the Left's candidate's result suggests. It is the far-right that will be the greatest rising force in the coming years, with whom we will fight for the souls (minds, attitudes, whatever you call it) of young and middle generations. It has every chance to feed politically on the expected economic crisis; it would also pursue the most catastrophic policy for Poland if it were in power or had significant influence on that power. It is indeed anti-EU, extremely xenophobic and homophobic, Darwinian and misogynistic, anti-science, and denies the anthropogenic nature of climate change. In addition, it is visually effective and credibly appeals to many real social frustrations and fears, but even more effectively – to the 'inner pig in man,' as they said before the war, i.e., the worst human instincts. That is why – a sad matter – Bosak's potentially better result than Biedroń's would be a powerful blow to the left's image, but also a bad sign for the political future." -- THE PALACE IN THE HANDS OF THE OPPOSITION IS A CHANCE TO CIVILIZE DIALOGUE - SUTOWSKI: "Unlike PiS propaganda claims, the Presidential Palace won by the opposition is a chance to civilize social dialogue instead of authoritarian chaos. On June 28 and July 12, we can save the very possibility of conducting left-wing politics in Poland – even if only a very moderate liberal within the bounds of the law sits under the chandelier." https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/wybory-prezydenckie-lewica-komentarz-michala-sutowskiego/ -- RAFAŁ TRZASKOWSKI, WHEN ASKED BY THE JAGIELLONIAN CLUB ABOUT NATIONAL SUPER-PRODUCTION, RECALLS THE FIGURE OF WOJCIECH KORFANTY: "It is not the role of the state to tell artists what films to make. The role of the state is to create the best possible conditions for them to create. There is no shortage of figures in Polish history whose biographies are ready-made script material. As a viewer and cinephile, I would be happy if one of the young Polish directors tackled telling the story of Wojciech Korfanty – a Polish and Silesian patriot, a forgotten father of Polish independence, the founder of the first Polish Christian-Democratic party. But this is just my personal opinion and will certainly not be the subject of any suggestion from me as an official." https://klubjagiellonski.pl/2020/06/24/trzaskowski-dla-klubu-jagiellonskiego-szukajac-ciec-budzetowych-trzeba-ograniczyc-rekordowa-liczbe-ministrow-10-pytan/ -- HOŁOWNIA ON KOŚCIUSZKO: "The Polish national hero to whom I am particularly attached, and who also played a great role in the history of not only our nation, is Tadeusz Kościuszko. I had the honor of laying flowers at his monument on May 3rd, and it was one of the most important and moving moments for me in the current election campaign. Kościuszko symbolizes the best in our history – the fight 'for our freedom and yours.' The fact that the heroes of his uprising were: Colonel Berek Joselewicz, a Jew; Wojciech Bartos, a peasant foot soldier; and Jan Kiliński, a shoemaker from Warsaw, elevates him to the rank of a symbol. Upon hearing that participants of the latest wave of protests in America had painted his monument, I thought that Kościuszko, who was an opponent of slavery and discrimination, would certainly have gotten off his pedestal and joined the protesters if he could have. I have no doubt that a good film about Kościuszko could attract interest not only in Poland but also in other European countries and America." https://klubjagiellonski.pl/2020/06/24/holownia-dla-klubu-jagiellonskiego-nalezy-wstrzymac-wielkie-inwestycje-jak-przekop-mierzei-wislanej-czy-budowa-cpk-10-pytan/ -- KOSINIAK ON BARTOSZEWSKI: "It seems to me that in these times, when any ethos of a politician has collapsed, and public debate has been dominated by aggression and hate speech and the institutional dissemination of fake news by some circles, it would be worthwhile to show another side of politics, another attitude, which was pursued by one of the most honest politicians and patriots of our era. Therefore, I believe that a film should be made about the life and civic, political, and professional activities of Professor Władysław Bartoszewski – a man whose life and service to Poland, in line with the maxim 'It is worth being decent...', depicted on the big screen, could become a kind of 'antidote' to the current state of public debate and a certain sobering up for some irresponsible politicians." https://klubjagiellonski.pl/2020/06/24/kosiniak-kamysz-dla-klubu-jagiellonskiego-ratowanie-miejsc-pracy-pilniejsze-niz-pomoc-bezrobotnym-10-pytan/ -- THE PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES A 14TH PENSION WHILE SOON HE WILL ANNOUNCE THE 17TH, BUT DOESN'T SAY HOW TO ENSURE BETTER GERIATRIC CARE - ŁUKASZ PAWŁOWSKI FROM KULTURA LIBERALNA in ONET: "If someone earns, for example, 2,000 PLN, has two children, and receives 1,000 PLN from the state for this reason, their income increases by 50 percent. So, it is a noticeable difference. Moreover, in my book, I am not calling for withdrawing from these social programs. I am only appealing for the rulers to also deal with something else. For example, President Duda is already announcing a 14th pension, and soon he will probably announce the 17th, 20th, and 25th, but he doesn't talk about how to provide better geriatric care for pensioners. I know that it is more difficult and politically less 'sellable,' but in the long run, it would be a better solution for everyone. By the way, I would like to reassure politicians and remind them that there have been those who have won elections by promising better healthcare (e.g., Barack Obama in the USA) or better education (e.g., Tony Blair in Great Britain)." -- THIS CREATES A WORLD OF THE RICH AND THE POOR - PAWŁOWSKI CONTINUES: "So people will start living in two different worlds. One will be the world of public services, which the less affluent will use, and the other will be the world of the richer, who will have private services. Eventually, the social contract, which is based on a certain solidarity, will be violated. If there is no solidarity and this social contract does not fulfill its promise, then some people will start asking: is it worth it for me? Perhaps let's abolish public schools, state healthcare, lower taxes as much as possible, and let everyone fend for themselves? I fear we might go in that direction." https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/dr-lukasz-pawlowski-pis-nie-jest-partia-solidarnosci/h9myjvl -- PHOTO. FINDING THE BODY OF ST. MARK, Jacopo Tintoretto, Pinacoteca di Brera. One of three paintings forming a cycle created for the secular confraternity of the Scuola di San Marco in Venice. The other works were St. Mark Saving a Saracen and The Transportation of the Body of St. Mark. -- INVALUABLE DR. GRAŻYNA BASTEK ON TINTORETTO: "Finding the Body of St. Mark" and "The Theft of the Body of St. Mark" are perhaps Tintoretto's most visionary paintings. In "The Theft," Venetian merchants Buono da Malamocco and Rustico da Torcello, during a violent storm, carry the saint's body out of the city and are likely heading for the port. A storm rages across the sky, merchants and their assistants carrying the miraculously preserved body of the Evangelist wade through a flooded square, while the city dwellers, painted like disembodied ghosts, hide from the storm in the porticoes of palaces; one of them collapses violently and almost "falls" out of the painting. In the center of the piazza, a strange, spiraling shadow looms, perhaps a vortex filled with lightning? "Finding the Body of St. Mark" and "The Theft of the Body of St. Mark" are excellent examples of Tintoretto's anti-illusionism. Individual elements and figures in both compositions are lit separately. Furthermore, the "luminous" figures do not affect the color or tonal relationships of the objects and figures nearby. The lighting in many of Tintoretto's paintings is neither naturalistic nor even rational. It comes from various sources that would be difficult to find a physical explanation for. All these elements: strong chiaroscuro, unreal spaces, distinct brushstrokes, dynamic lines, expressive human figures, which contemporary critics called extravagance and capriciousness – constitute a world born in the painter's imagination, his artistic vision. This clear, programmatic anti-illusionism decisively breaks the tradition of Venetian painting cultivated in Venice by Tintoretto's predecessors." https://www.dwutygodnik.com/artykul/1737-drzenie-gwaltowny-pedzel-tintoretta.html -- 5 years ago Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska was elected Marshal of the Sejm. -- BIRTHDAYS: Wojciech Mojzesowicz, Róża Szułdrzyńska, Janina Sonik, Andrzej Aumiller, Piotr Tomański.