-- DUDA'S INTERNET OPERATION LIKE OBAMA'S PROJECT NARWHAL - WE WRITE ON 300POLITYCE: Andrzej Duda's campaign team conducted an internet microtargeting operation on a scale unprecedented in Poland. The combination of big data analysis and social media platforms like Facebook and video platforms like YouTube allowed for a personalized campaign as if it were a local one. https://300polityka.pl/news/2020/06/26/operacja-internetowa-dudy-jak-projekt-narwal-obamy-kilkanascie-grup-docelowych-1709-reklam-w-sieci-google-ads-i-820-na-fb-mikrotargetowana-kampania-w-internecie-o-niespotykanej-dotad-w-polsce-skali/ -- TOMCZYK DEMANDS PRESIDENT'S ASSET DECLARATION BE PUBLISHED, PAD ON 1800 EURO SALARY, TRZASKOWSKI ADMITS MOBILIZATION IS KEY, ZANDBERG ON GRATITUDE TO FASCISTS: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/06/26/ -- DETAILED CANDIDATE SCHEDULE ON THE LAST DAY BEFORE SILENCE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/06/26/polityczny-plan-piatku-ostatni-dzien-kampanii-prezydenckiej-przed-cisza/ -- ANDRZEJ DUDA DOES NOT WANT TO DISCLOSE HIS ASSETS - FACT NUMBER ONE: -- JAN ROKITA ON THE RISK OF PROLONGED STATE MISGOVERNANCE: “Tusk's patronage over this candidacy must raise particular suspicion, as the former leader of Civic Platform does not hide that his ultimate ambition in Polish politics is revenge on Kaczyński, with no chance of cohabitation. The risk of prolonged state misgovernance is the political axis around which the current elections are unfolding; for the country, there is nothing more important than having effectively functioning authorities.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/506444-wybory-wysokiego-ryzyka-oto-stawka -- LONG CAMPAIGN, OPPOSITION HAD THREE CHANCES TO DRAW CONCLUSIONS, BUT NO ONE TRIED TO FORMULATE A BETTER VISION OF POLAND THAN DUDA - JACEK LIZINIEWICZ IN NIEZALEŻNA: “Although it was long, and the opposition had three chances to draw conclusions, they are still doing basically the same thing. Even the staunchest optimist has likely stopped believing that Polish politics will become more substantive and wiser. Today, it is evident that in this campaign, no one besides Andrzej Duda has attempted to formulate a new, better vision of Poland than PiS, which would attract the masses. -- BETTER TO SAVE TWO WEEKS AND CLOSE THE MATTER IN ONE ROUND - LIZINIEWICZ'S CONCLUSION: “Therefore, it is better to save these two weeks and finally move on to serious matters. Let the government deal with the coronavirus crisis and preparations for the second wave of infections that may occur in the autumn. Let them finish the large investments they have been promising for years. Let PiS have these two years of peace, without the four-time humiliated total opposition. Let's go to the polls, close the matter in the first round, and finally deal with cucumbers.” https://niezalezna.pl/337329-chodzmy-na-ogorki -- TVP DAMAGES POLAND'S GOOD NAME - TIMOTHY GARTON ASH IN CONVERSATION WITH OKO: “I have been writing about Poland for over forty years and I constantly grapple with the widespread stereotype in the West that this fascinating, complex country is reactionary, nationalistic, and anti-Semitic. And now public television is reinforcing this stereotype itself. By constantly advocating for the defense of Poland's good name, TVP is tarnishing it. By seeking anti-Polish forces everywhere, it is in fact an anti-Polish force, seriously damaging the country's reputation in the world.” -- A COUNTERBALANCE IS NEEDED IN THE PALACE, OR WE'LL HAVE HUNGARY - ASH FURTHER: “It's not about whether undecided voters particularly like Trzaskowski, and especially his party – Civic Platform. The stake is whether there will be a counterbalance at the highest level of power in Poland that would help prevent further destruction of the rule of law, democracy, and Poland's position in the world. If Duda is re-elected, PiS will have a full three years to do to Polish democracy what Viktor Orbán has managed to do to Hungarian democracy, which is to castrate it.” https://oko.press/jesli-duda-wygra-pis-zrobi-z-demokracja-to-co-orban-czyli-ja-wykastruje-ostrzega-timothy-garton-ash/ -- GW WRITES ABOUT RESEARCH COMMISSIONED BY PZU THAT WAS HELPFUL IN THE PRESIDENT'S CAMPAIGN - HUBERT ORZECHOWSKI AND DOMINIKA WIELOWIEYSKA: “PZU commissioned and paid for research that was intended to help PiS and President Andrzej Duda in their election campaign. Behind it all is Aleksandra Agatowska, head of PZU Życie, privately the wife of Piotr Agatowski, who is steering Duda's presidential campaign – according to "Wyborcza's" information. https://wyborcza.pl/7,155287,26068647,pzu-ulatwia-kampanie-dudzie-tak-zona-spindoktora-gra-o-stolek.html -- POLISH WOMEN WILL CHOOSE THE PRESIDENT, WHICH INCREASES THE OPPOSITION CANDIDATE'S CHANCES - PIOTR PACEWICZ IN OKO: “If Duda and Trzaskowski reach the second round of the elections on July 12, as many as 8% of men (including as many as 29% of Bosak's voters) will abstain from voting, and only 2% of women. To put it in numbers – that's about half a million more Polish women than men. This increases the opposition candidate's chances. In the first round, men and women declare the same turnout for the upcoming elections (81% and 80%); of course, significantly fewer will actually vote, perhaps around 55-60% of eligible voters. In the second round, things get complicated: if Duda and Trzaskowski reach it, as many as 8% of men will abstain from voting, while this percentage among women is only 2%. To put it in numbers – that's about half a million more Polish women than men.” -- BOSAK'S AND KOSINIAK'S MALE VOTERS OFTEN STAY HOME IN THE SECOND ROUND - PACEWICZ FURTHER: “Primarily, supporters of Krzysztof Bosak from the first round (as many as 29%), and to a lesser extent, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (10%), do not want to choose between Duda and Trzaskowski. These are primarily men with right-wing, and partly far-right, views. This is also evident in the chart below: only in the electorates of Konfederacja and PSL-Kukiz’15 is there a tendency to stay home rather than choose between Duda and Trzaskowski.” https://oko.press/to-polki-wybiora-nam-prezydenta-wiadomo-kogo-sondaz-oko-press/ -- DUDA TURNED OUT TO BE TEFLON - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: “The disputes within the campaign staff and the United Right are an open secret. However, despite all these mistakes and problems, Duda has proven to be teflon, and at least in polls, he has about 40% support. He managed to use the pandemic period, when other candidates couldn't campaign, to build his position. And in the end, he put everything on the line and met with Donald Trump in Washington as the first head of state after the pandemic. The meeting didn't end with fireworks, but within his own electorate, Duda strengthened his image as a president guarding Polish interests. Therefore, after a close campaign, it is most likely Duda and Trzaskowski who will face each other in the second round, and the election campaign will start anew from Monday.” -- TRZASKOWSKI SEEMS TO BE RUNNING OUT OF BREATH - SZUŁDRZYŃSKI FURTHER: “In the last few days, Trzaskowski seems to have run out of breath. One theory suggests that he preferred to conduct a very conservative campaign at the end, minimizing the risk of a gaffe. His campaign team is reportedly convinced that everything will be fought for before the second round, so it's better not to take risks in the first. The Mayor of Warsaw has also marginalized the other candidates, who hoped to gain something by benefiting from Kidawa-Błońska's weak campaign.” https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/200629543-Michal-Szuldrzynski-Teflon-kontra-poprawnosc.html -- BOSAK THE BIGGEST SENSATION OF THE CAMPAIGN - BOGUSŁAW CHRABOTA IN RZ: “Biedroń's result will be a hope or a sobering moment for the left. There is also Krzysztof Bosak, arguably the biggest sensation of this campaign. A man with relatively balanced views, who has humanized the image of the nationalists. His potential success will be fuel for a growing force that, thanks to him, may move from the sidelines of politics to center stage. Both main antagonists, Duda and Trzaskowski, have had good campaigns. Both have motivated electorates and face a plebiscite in the second round. This will be the most important plebiscite in years regarding the future of Poland.” https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/306259881-Boguslaw-Chrabota-Przedwybory-2020.html -- LIBERTE REPRINTS APPEAL FROM NGOS LIKE THE PROF. GEREMEK FOUNDATION, WOMEN'S STRIKE, BATORY FOUNDATION, ETC. URGING OTHER CANDIDATES TO SUPPORT ANDRZEJ DUDA'S RIVAL IN A POTENTIAL SECOND ROUND: “We do not know what the result of the first round of voting will be and whether it will decide the election. However, the second round can be won through civic mobilization and broad social support. We appeal to the candidates of the democratic opposition to support one of them in the second round who will represent the values of freedom, democracy, and justice, and to call on their voters to do the same. In this way, despite existing differences, we can all win.” https://liberte.pl/apel-w-sprawie-ii-tury-wyborow-prezydenckich/ -- SŁAWOMIR SIERAKOWSKI BELIEVES THE VISIT TO THE USA ACTUALLY HARMED THE PRESIDENT - as he writes in Onet: “Given the falling polls, and most recently the forecasts of Rafał Trzaskowski's victory, the visit to the USA was supposed to be an ace up the sleeve. Duda pulled a dud. It is very possible that this visit cost him his chance at the presidency. (...) The style of this visit was exceptionally subservient, even for President Andrzej Duda. When asked by an American journalist if Duda inquired about transferring American soldiers from Germany to Poland, Duda replied: 'I wouldn't dare tell the President of the USA where to send American soldiers from Germany.' These words could be political suicide in the context of the election campaign. Similarly, the cancellation of Fort Trump's construction and explaining that it was about something else. We learned that Duda not only brought nothing back, but actually lost something.” https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/opinie/wybory-2020-wizyta-w-usa-miala-byc-asem-w-rekawie-duda-wyciagnal-blotke-opinia/ljwz66e -- DUDA AS PART OF TRUMP'S STAGE DESIGN - PAWEŁ WROŃSKI IN GW. -- TRUMP'S PRE-ELECTION GIFT TO DUDA - ANDRZEJ KOHUT IN KLUB JAGIELLOŃSKI: “President Duda's visit to Washington yielded no concrete agreements. Despite earlier press leaks, we only heard new declarations and assurances of lasting mutual cooperation. This suggests that the invitation was a pre-election gift from Donald Trump to the Polish president. While Duda the politician could accept it without hesitation, Duda the leader should have had doubts.” -- SUCH A CONNECTION WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION COULD PROVE TO BE A BURDEN - KOHUT FURTHER: “Meanwhile, the Polish president's visit could be interpreted as taking the US side in this intra-NATO dispute. Such an unequivocal alignment not just with the United States, but specifically with the Trump administration, could also prove to be a burden for Poland if there is a change of president in the autumn (and this scenario, given the aforementioned polls, should be taken seriously). It can also be assumed that such a pre-election gift might have come with expectations of certain concessions from the Polish side in negotiations, which could have turned out to be costly for us.” https://klubjagiellonski.pl/2020/06/25/kazdy-chcial-ugrac-cos-dla-siebie-przyczyny-i-efekty-spotkania-duda-trump/ -- THE BALLOON OF EXPECTATIONS BURST WITH A BANG - ŁUKASZ ROGOJSZ IN GAZETA.PL: “The visit to Donald Trump will not be a turning point in Andrzej Duda's election campaign. The heavily inflated balloon of expectations burst with a bang when it turned out that the meeting of the two presidents was more of a courtesy call than a breakthrough.” -- ILLUSORY GAINS - ROGOSZ FURTHER: “Counting on the overseas visit to bring additional poll points before the first round of presidential elections scheduled for June 28 may, however, be illusory. Similarly, the earlier, very strong emphasis on the LGBT issue, which a year ago brought the United Right a spectacular victory in the European elections. "Good change" seems to be operating within schematics that have worked over the past five years, delivering successive electoral victories. At the same time, the ruling party seems to have completely forgotten that the coronavirus epidemic has reset the clock in the meantime. Both politically and socially.” https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,26068647,miala-byc-wielka-bomba-a-wyszedl-maly-kapiszon-trump-nie-uratuje.html -- AN ELECTION RALLY IN DISGUISE AS INTERNATIONAL POLITICS - AGATA SZCZEŚNIAK gathered comments from the US press and think tanks: https://oko.press/populista-przyjechal-by-zrobic-sobie-fotke-amerykanskie-media-o-dudzie-i-trumpie/ -- THE HUNT FOR LGBT PEOPLE IS TO CONCEAL MINISTER SZUMOWSKI'S SHADY DEALINGS - MICHAŁ BILEWICZ IN CONVERSATION WITH MICHAŁ SUTOWSKI IN KRYTYKA POLITYCZNA: “Today, Poles have created an illusion of normalcy for themselves, but the virus is still active, and it's possible that in the autumn we will be subjected to isolation again. This is a situation of deep, fundamental uncertainty and lack of control over one's own fate. And as all research shows, in such situations, conspiracy theories become prevalent. Minister Szumowski, who was considered the 'father of the nation' just a few weeks ago, has become, in the opinion of many Poles, a dark figure connected with shady arms dealers, an egoist arranging contracts for his family or friends. All of this provides ideal fodder for anti-government conspiracy theories. To cover them up, PiS has pulled out of the hat the conspiracy of the LGBT ideology against the Polish family and Jews against Polish property. The times are unfortunately such that, as long as they don't overdo the intrusiveness of their messages, they may convince many people outside their electorate with this content.” -- THE MESSAGE ABOUT LGBT IS LIKE CHEMICAL WEAPONS; EVEN IF ITS EFFECTIVENESS IS UNDENIABLE, CIVILIZED SIDES DO NOT USE THEM EVEN IN WAR - BILEWICZ FURTHER IN CONVERSATION WITH SUTOWSKI: “If we were to adopt the perspective of a scrupulous political advisor who doesn't consider the social consequences of a campaign? Yes, I would say it's a rational strategy, although it certainly brings 'dirty votes,' something like money from diamond or cobalt mines, to use a business analogy. And in a military context, I would say that this message is like chemical weapons – even if its effectiveness is undeniable, civilized sides do not use combat gases even in war.” -- BILEWICZ ON THE PHENOMENON OF COLLECTIVE HOSTILITY: “The language of hatred spreads quickly to other groups. We observed this during the hunt for refugees in 2015, which was followed over the next two years by fanning animosity towards subsequent, very different minority groups. Although the media at the time scared people with refugees, in our research, we saw a deterioration of attitudes towards all other minorities and an increase in hate directed towards various 'outsiders.' Inciting a campaign of hatred against one group, in this case LGBT people, will over time affect Jews, Ukrainians, and Roma as well. This phenomenon, observed throughout Europe, which Beate Küpper and Andreas Zick called the collective hostility syndrome. Based on research in 10 countries, including Poland and Hungary, they showed that prejudices against different groups are highly correlated and are symptoms of a deeper structural problem. One can be prejudiced against Jews and Arabs at the same time…” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/michal-sutowski-michal-bilewicz-nagonka-na-lgbt-antysemityzm-kampania-wyborcza-wywiad/ -- RAFAŁ TRZASKOWSKI STATES HE IS THE ONLY ONE WHO HASN'T ATTACKED OPPOSITION CANDIDATES - in an interview with Agata Kondzińska and Iwona Szpala in GW: “I do not intend to respond to the provocations of political rivals, including those from the opposition. I believe we should support each other rather than attack. Not once in this campaign have I referred to Biedroń, Hołownia, or Kosiniak-Kamysz, because they are not adversaries in this fight. My opponent is Andrzej Duda.” -- I WAS THE ONLY ONE TALKING ABOUT PI'S ACCURATE DIAGNOSES - TRZASKOWSKI FURTHER IN GW: “I am the only politician who talks about PiS's accurate diagnoses, about us learning from electoral defeat. As a political community, at one point we were too detached from the problems of Poles, we stopped understanding them. Through conversations and analyses, I am able to change my mind. I assess the 500 plus program differently, as well as raising the retirement age. I am also able to say that Lech Kaczyński was a strong, independent President of the Republic of Poland – unlike Andrzej Duda. This is not a socio-technical maneuver on my part, but an attempt to establish contact with people who have not voted for us so far. Conflict is inherent in politics. What has seeped from it into people, into homes where it's sometimes impossible to even sit at the same table – the sickness of Polish democracy – is dangerous. Let politicians continue to argue, but we must return to Poles what they have lost through them – normal conversation, a sense of community, the meaning of the word 'together'.” -- TRZASKOWSKI ON HIS OPERATING MODE WITH THE PI'S GOVERNMENT IN CASE OF ELECTION VICTORY: “– The ruling party can weave whatever they want into the 'shield' because today we don't have an independent president. It's about pushing everything through by force, overnight, by surprise. PiS knows that Andrzej Duda will not veto such practices. With me, the conversation will be short: you want sensible solutions in the 'shield' that are needed, not always popular? Fine, then give us the bill. I will sign such a bill. But if you try to attach provisions to sensible solutions that have nothing to do with the 'shield' and are also highly controversial, then there will be a veto. A normal, partnership-based conversation. If the government decides to go into total war with me, that will be the government's decision. I will certainly not make such a decision.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,26068870,trzaskowski-wybieram-przyszlosc.html -- JAKUB BODZIONY NOTICES THE DISLIKE OF THE ALT-RIGHT FOR DUDA - as he writes in Kultura Liberalna: “This seems to be a manifestation of a broader phenomenon. It is visible, for example, in reactions on Facebook groups associated with Konfederacja, as well as on the Wykop portal. A significant portion of its users represents an electorate that leans towards the alt-right. Potentially, these are people who will decide the outcome of the second round of the presidential elections. On both these forums, posts that could be summarized by the sentence: 'In the second round, I will vote for anyone, just to spite Duda and PiS,' have gained popularity.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2020/06/26/bodziony-w-piatek-kampania-dudy-jak-slaby-mem/ -- FASTER VAT REFUNDS, FUND FOR SMALL CITIES - BUSINESS INSIDER ON TRZASKOWSKI'S PROGRAM: https://businessinsider.com.pl/wiadomosci/program-wyborczy-rafala-trzaskowskiego-szybsze-zwroty-vat-i-10-tys-zl-na-remont/90r7gtw -- NATIONAL PRODUCTION ABOUT CAPTAIN PILECKI - KRZYSZTOF BODAK IN RESPONSE TO ONE OF THE KLUB JAGIELLOŃSKI QUESTIONS: “Among films produced for the domestic market, following the wave of war and 'monumental' films, it would indeed be beneficial to recall the colorful biographies of Polish artists (e.g., Ferdynand Ruszczyc or Zbigniew Herbert), inventors (e.g., Ignacy Łukasiewicz), travelers and missionaries (e.g., Paweł Strzelecki, Ignacy Domeyko, or Michał Boym). Even without straying from political-historical themes, it would be possible to create a 'lighter' film and present, for example, the incredibly colorful life of Bolesław Wieniawa-Długoszowski. However, if we are talking about a truly high-budget film produced for foreign markets, on which no Polish film has yet achieved truly global success, it is difficult to find a better cinematic scenario than the life of Captain Witold Pilecki. There is potential here to create a truly good and captivating film, while simultaneously fulfilling the goals of Polish historical policy.” https://klubjagiellonski.pl/2020/06/25/bosak-dla-klubu-jagiellonskiego-konieczna-jest-rozbudowa-systemu-prorodzinnych-ulg-podatkowych-10-pytan/ -- JUPITER PAINTING BUTTERFLIES, Dosso Dossi, Jupiter, Mercury and Virtue, 1524, Royal Castle in Wawel. Dosso Dossi was a Renaissance painter from Ferrara, a representative of the Ferrarese school of the 16th century. The action of the composition takes place on a cloud. Mercury, standing behind Jupiter as he paints butterflies, places a finger to his lips, thereby signaling to Virtue, kneeling behind him, not to disturb the painter. The direct inspiration for the painting Jupiter, Mercury, and Virtue was Leon Battista Alberti's poem Virtus (Virtue), published around 1430. The painting appears quite mysterious, and thus incredibly fascinating. Since the artist depicted the ancient Roman god during the act of creation – painting – the apotheosis of painting immediately comes to mind, as if Dosso Dossi himself showed painting as a divine occupation. Let us pause for a moment over Alberti's dialogues. Alberti addressed the issue of morality (virtue) and fortune (fate). In Dosso Dossi's painting, the moment of Mercury stopping Virtue and silencing her so as not to disturb Jupiter in his task is depicted. The father of the gods creates ephemeral butterfly wings using colors directly from the rainbow. Dossi's mastery is clearly visible here: one of the butterflies is painted so illusionistically that it seems to be beyond the canvas, almost flying into space. In the 17th century, the painting was in Venice in the palace of Duke Lodovico Widmann; in the 19th century, it belonged to the Barbini family, and then to the Viennese collector Daniel Penther. It was purchased by Karol Lanckoroński in 1888. Lost during World War II, it was sent by the Americans to Vienna. In 1999, an Austrian court recognized the Lanckoroński family's rights to the painting, and the work returned to its rightful owner. It was transferred in 2002 by Karolina Lanckorońska and the Lanckoroński Foundation to the Royal Castle in Wawel. https://niezlasztuka.net/o-sztuce/jowisz-merkury-i-cnota-czyli-dosso-dossi/ -- BIRTHDAYS: Marcin Przydacz, Nelli Rokita, Piotr Adamowicz, Krzysztof Ziemiec, Paweł Wojtunik, Krzysztof Łapiński, Mieczysław Baszko, Paweł Nadrowski, Natalia Radulska, Aleksandra Klimont, Ilona Antoniszyn.