-- Duda's New Proposal Regarding Debate, Trzaskowski's New Spot, Gowin on Trzaskowski as President Wanting to Overthrow the Government, Officially 13 Percentage Point Lead for Duda in the First Round, Senate Marshal and Prime Minister on the Campaign Trail Today - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/06/30/ -- THE SYMPATHY OF LIBERAL MEDIA LASTS AS LONG AS THE LEFT IS HARMLESS AND DEPENDENT - ADAM OSTOLSKI IN KRYTYKA POLITYCZNA: “Incidentally, the entire left has learned an important lesson – the sympathy of liberal media lasts as long as the left is harmless and dependent. An autonomous left, pursuing its own agenda, will not and will not have an easy time in the media. Older SLD politicians remember this, younger Lewica politicians have just been reminded of it. Running for president was not the role of a lifetime for Robert Biedroń as a politician. However, it was a significant role. Biedroń led the left through a very difficult period and sowed seeds that, if well-tended, can still give it new life.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/adam-ostolski-czy-to-koniec-lewicy-w-polsce/ -- I AM ANTICIPATING THE BEAUTIFUL GYMNASTIC FEATS OF 'SMILING POLAND' COMMENTATORS JUSTIFYING THAT BOSAK'S GUYS ARE NOT A SPECTER OF FASCISM BUT ANTI-SYSTEM VOTERS - SZCZEPAN TWARDOCH MOCKS ON FB: “With great pleasure, I look forward to how RT will, over the next two weeks, embrace the Konfederacja electorate, the majority of whom, according to IBRIS polls, intend to vote for RT. This is because I anticipate beautiful gymnastic maneuvers by the publicists of 'smiling Poland,' justifying why KB's guys are no longer a specter of fascism, but perhaps 'anti-system voters,' 'libertarians,' or rather 'disenchanted ones'?” -- FOR 15 YEARS YOU'VE BEEN REPEATING THE SAME THING - TWARDOCH CONTINUES: “If, as polls indicate, the slowly weakening AD (another president from the Freedom Union after Komorowski, hehe) wins in the second round, we will return to a situation where the most significant conflict in Polish politics is not the largely illusory conflict between PiS and KO with their constantly rotating cadres, but the internal conflict within PiS, increasingly poorly managed by the weakening hand of the party leader. Will a second term grant Duda any political agency in this war? My intuition – because nothing else – suggests no, since he couldn't even win a duel with Kurski. And to all the publicists with the slogan 'these are not normal elections,' I want to remind you that for fifteen years you've been repeating the same thing with each subsequent election, all of them supposedly unique and historic. This mantra has lost some of its credibility.” https://www.facebook.com/szczepan.twardoch -- TRZASKOWSKI IS MISSING SOMETHING, SOME SPARK, REAL TALENT - JACEK KARNOWSKI ON WPOLITYCE.PL: “Trzaskowski still has a chance to win in the second round. But at the same time, one can ask: where is this alleged freshness? Where are the new voter groups he was supposed to captivate and enchant? With Hołownia? Trzaskowski has as much as Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska would have received. So he hasn't broken through. This is important information. Trzaskowski is clearly missing something. Some spark, talent, a genuinely good connection with voters. This will be the key issue in these elections, in the final showdown. Why? Because with such mobilization on both sides, this 'something,' this magical ingredient in politics that cannot be bought, will be decisive.” -- VOTERS ARE NOT BAGS OF POTATOES - KARNOWSKI ON APPARENT VOTER SHIFTS: “Of course, Hołownia will almost certainly support Trzaskowski. Biedroń probably too. But voters are not bags of potatoes. For some reasons, they did not support the KO candidate – supposedly excellent – in the first round. And a part of them probably won't support him in the second. Of course, the same applies to Bosak or Kosiniak-Kamysz voters, but President Duda needs to gain about 2 million voters, and Trzaskowski needs about 4 million. This is a fundamental difference.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/506879-czego-trzaskowskiemu-jednak-brakuje-jakiegos-blysku -- DO WE WANT THE QUALITY OF GOVERNANCE THAT TRZASKOWSKI HAS SHOWN IN THE CAPITAL? - MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI: “We are talking about a large, wealthy city. Intelligent people live here. It's possible they are comfortable with it. That's also what democracy is about. However, when it comes to national elections, the election of the President of the Republic, a matter of paramount importance in national life, one must ask: is Rafał Trzaskowski's (Civic Platform) track record in the capital, the quality of his governance, truly what we want for our homeland? Is it truly what we can condemn all of Poland to with a clear conscience? Does a person who abandons all these problems to charm the residents of other towns guarantee the necessary gravitas in office?” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/507007-czy-na-rzady-tej-jakosci-skazemy-cala-polske -- TRZASKOWSKI SEEMINGLY ENTERED THE RACE REFRESHED BUT MUST CATCH UP FOR 5 YEARS OF HIS FORMATION'S MISTAKES - LESZEK JAŻDŻEWSKI IN LIBERTE: “Trzaskowski may have entered the final leg of the relay refreshed, but he had to make up not only for the distance lost by Kidawa-Błońska but also for 5 years wasted by his formation, which was unable to achieve internal renewal and offer new quality to voters. The mere fact that he ran a good campaign was already something unprecedented, considering what happened to Civic Platform after Tusk's governments. However, his opponent did not turn out to be as much of a political anti-talent as Bronisław Komorowski and did not allow himself to be pushed onto the defensive.” -- BOSAK MAKES IT HARDER TO LABEL KONFEDERACJA AS FASCISTS AND CRAZIES - LESZEK JAŻDŻEWSKI CONTINUES IN LIBERTE: "Krzysztof Bosak didn't hit the jackpot, but in a difficult fight, without the support of his entire formation's electorate (he didn't do much to 'woo' the conservative-liberal Korwinists), he presented himself to a wider audience as a thoughtful politician with potential, making it harder to label Konfederacja as fascists and crazies. He is also not in an easy situation before the second round – it's difficult for him to openly support either candidate, although his natural political habitat is close to the right wing of PiS and Solidarna Polska – with whom he fiercely competes for voters. The demobilization of Konfederacja voters will be a poor sign for Andrzej Duda, as they are, alongside PSL voters, the most obvious reservoir of votes in the second round.” https://liberte.pl/wybory-prezydenckie-krajobraz-po-bitwie/ -- YOUNG NATIONALISTS WILL DECIDE THE FUTURE OF POLAND - KAJA PUTO IN KRYTYKA POLITYCZNA: “The second round will be fought for the votes of Konfederacja supporters. Even significant support from the voters of the so-called democratic opposition will not guarantee Rafał Trzaskowski's victory. On the other hand, Andrzej Duda has little to lose in this regard – radical conservative slogans are unlikely to harm him. (...) Trzaskowski will try to win back entrepreneurs and Korwinists, while Duda will likely focus on fighting the enemies of the homeland. The overtures of both gentlemen to the far-right supporters in the coming two weeks will trigger the left-wing bubble on an unprecedented scale, likely.” -- HOŁOWNIA'S RESULT IN SMALLER TOWNS SHOWS VOTERS ARE LOOKING FOR AN ALTERNATIVE, BUT NOT ANTI-PIS - PUTO CONTINUES: “Duda won unequivocally (55.9%!) in rural areas (both west and east), and with a smaller margin, he also won in towns up to 50,000 inhabitants and towns between 51,000 and 200,000 inhabitants. Rafał Trzaskowski, however, won in cities between 201,000 and 500,000 inhabitants and those above 500,000. Farmers and workers, for example, voted en masse for Duda, while the middle class voted for Trzaskowski. Interestingly, Szymon Hołownia also achieved very good results in smaller towns – which would indicate that a part of the local voters are looking for an alternative to PiS, but not necessarily one that is simply anti-PiS.” -- THE CORE CIVIC PLATFORM ELECTORATE SHOULD THANK THEIR CHILDREN, BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM DUDA WOULD HAVE WON IN THE FIRST ROUND ALREADY - PUTO CONTINUES: “The core electorate of Civic Platform – older liberal voters – should therefore thank their children. Without their votes – although demographically fewer – Andrzej Duda could have won the election in the first round. A more conservative candidate than Rafał Trzaskowski from Civic Platform would also not have been able to count on such numerous support – the young are, as always, more radical and further from the center. This works both ways, although in these elections, it's more in the progressive direction.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/o-przyszlosci-polski-zadecyduja-mlodzi-narodowcy-kaja-puto/ -- IN THE NEXT SEJM, A COALITION AGAINST PIS IS ONLY POSSIBLE IN THE FORM OF A CORDON - GALOPUJĄCY MAJOR IN KRYTYKA POLITYCZNA: “over 8 million dedicated PiS voters will not allow that. Whatever Trzaskowski says about the wonderful Bosak, these 8 million will ensure that PiS will be the winner in the next parliamentary elections. Indeed, PiS may no longer win an independent majority in the next parliamentary elections, but it will still be the largest political party in Poland. And to govern, it will need one small coalition partner. In such a scenario, an anti-PiS coalition in the Sejm will only be possible in the form of a so-called cordon, meaning everyone against PiS. The catch is – and this is argument number two – that such a coalition would require the consent of Lewica. And they will, of course, never agree to an alliance with Bosak and Braun. Thus, PiS will reach for either Konfederacja or PSL. If they reach for PSL, the threat of fascism will subside for a while. If they reach for Konfederacja, the risk of fascism in the Polish government will begin to materialize.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/oburza-was-tweet-trzaskowskiego-do-bosaka-oto-dlaczego-to-kandydat-po-zatrzyma-w-polsce-faszyzm/ -- KOSINIAK'S RESULT UNDERMINES HIS POSITION ON THE SCENE - ANDRZEJ STANKIEWICZ ON ONET: “The poor result of the PSL leader undermines his personal position on the political scene. This means – at least in the short term – a reduction in his chances of rebuilding the PSL into a mass party. Since taking power in the PSL in the autumn of 2015, Kosiniak has opened up to former PiS and Civic Platform politicians who didn't fit into their respective parties. Before the last parliamentary elections, he also attracted Paweł Kukiz and his group. He has rejuvenated the PSL leadership, sending into retirement politicians whose prime has passed – such as former Prime Minister Waldemar Pawlak.” -- KOSINIAK HAS NO INTENTION OF SUPPORTING ANYONE BEFORE THE SECOND ROUND - STANKIEWICZ CONTINUES: “Kosiniak is experiencing the result more deeply than all the other candidates – unofficially, it is known that he is devastated and bitter. According to our information, the PSL leader has no intention of supporting anyone before the second round. The party authorities will meet on Tuesday, and a discussion on this matter will be held. Supporting Duda is out of the question, as PiS is the mortal enemy of the PSL in the countryside, poaching voters from the agrarian party. And calling to vote for Trzaskowski? The agrarian party is divided on this issue. It may end up that Kosiniak formally supports no one, but his people will call for voting against Duda.” https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/wybory-prezydenckie-2020-depresja-szefa-psl-kosiniaka-kamysza-analiza/7mrvk0w -- MICHAŁ OKOŃSKI IN TYGODNIK POWSZECHNY COMPLIMENTS HOŁOWNIA'S CAMPAIGN STYLE AND PROGRAM: “Hołownia kept his word given in an interview with ‘TP’ when he announced his decision to run. His campaign, focused mainly on social media not only due to the pandemic, was innovative, and often it seemed that his rivals were copying his ideas. His program, centered around climate challenges, attitude towards the excluded, and self-governance, also went beyond the standards of the usual bickering. As a debutant, Hołownia also didn't make major blunders – perhaps except for the interview for Onet, which his campaign team tried to authorize in a way that exceeded standards; tears over the constitution became as much an object of ridicule as compliments for the sensitivity of a civic candidate. The tens of thousands of volunteers, the record public collection for the campaign, and the fact that Hołownia performed better than professional politicians in debates all speak volumes about the state of the party system.” -- HE HAS A MANDATE BUT IT WON'T BE EASY - OKOŃSKI CONTINUES ABOUT HOŁOWNIA: “It's hard to be surprised that, with a mandate from over two and a half million Poles, many of whom voted for the first time, Hołownia has no intention of withdrawing from politics. It won't be easy for him. If Rafał Trzaskowski does not win the presidential election, it's unlikely that parliamentary elections will be held sooner than in three years, and Paweł Kukiz's example shows that maintaining enthusiasm among the electorate is difficult even for a much shorter period. There will be no other politics – at least for now.” https://www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/holownia-ten-trzeci-163850 -- DUDA IS RELYING ON TWO LEGS - PROF. JAROSŁAW FLIS IN CONVERSATION WITH AGNIESZKA KUBLIK IN GAZETA WYBORCZA: “Duda is relying on two legs: one is identity-based, moral, closer to Konfederacja, and the other is economic, closer to the traditional left-wing electorate. And this, of course, requires straddling the fence.” -- FLIS ON PIS MISPLAYING THE GAME: “Within PiS, there is a deep conviction that they are not only on the brighter side of the force – everyone thinks that about themselves – but also on the more numerous side of the force. And that raising identity-and-moral issues and animosity towards Warsaw, all of this world of haughty modernity, will be enough to win over the majority. This is not at all certain. The result of 43 to 30 should give Duda a colossal advantage, but because President Kaczyński played the game of PiS versus the rest of the world, we now have 43 to 57 for the rest of the world. Of course, Trzaskowski is by no means the natural choice for this rest of the world.” -- THE POLITICAL STIRRING OF SMALLER TOWNS IS A BONUS FOR PIS - FLIS CONTINUES IN GAZETA WYBORCZA: “And this is one of the main bonuses that PiS has received in recent years: the political awakening of residents of small towns who, until now, did not participate in national elections because they believed it was a game for the smart alecks from big cities. Because all these smart alecks said that since the turnout there is higher, it is a better and smarter Poland. Very many Poles voted in smaller municipalities, more than in local elections. It's possible that higher turnout cannot be achieved there anymore.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,26083888,prof-flis-sa-miejsca-w-ktorych-wyborcy-sklonni-sa-zmienic.html -- TRZASKOWSKI IS LIKE KWAŚNIEWSKI, HE CAN MASK AGGRESSION, DUDĘ IS EASIER TO THROW OFF BALANCE - PROF. ANTONI DUDEK IN CONVERSATION WITH GRZEGORZ SROCZYŃSKI IN GAZETA.PL: “The president finds it much easier to play the role of a reviewer; he can act brilliantly. Kwaśniewski was the Polish champion in this discipline, sending 28 vetoes to the Buzek government, and all were delivered so sweetly that public opinion considered them obvious. No one did it as sweetly as Kwaśniewski, and Trzaskowski reminds me a bit of him. He has another similar trait that might help him win: he can mask aggression. President Komorowski and Lech Kaczyński both had problems with this – the latter immensely so. And Wałęsa surpassed everyone in this regard. However, Kwaśniewski, who could be very ruthless, covered it up excellently. Trzaskowski may not be as good at it, but he is closer to this personality model. We'll see how he fares in the debates before the second round. They will be primarily about who can provoke whom. And I have the impression that it is easier to throw Duda off balance than Trzaskowski.” -- DUDEK'S INTERESTING TAKE ON THE HISTORY OF STATE PARTISANIZATION: “Anger is growing among the younger generation due to low governance standards and the extreme politicization of Poland. And here's a symmetrical insert: it wasn't Kaczyński who politicized the country; PiS stepped into the shoes of Civic Platform, and in turn, Civic Platform stepped into the shoes of SLD. These shoes were increasingly hobnailed each time, stomping harder each time, but I have been observing these phenomena since the 1990s. I'll give you an example from the twilight of SLD rule. There was a Minister of Health, Łapiński, who, incidentally, destroyed the health insurance funds. He later fell out with SLD, left, and for a moment was in a small party called the People's Democratic party of Roman Jagieliński. Łapiński described in his memoirs that as SLD began to sink, he participated in some coalition negotiations to have Jagieliński's small group of MPs support the government. And at one point, one of the MPs from the Lublin Voivodeship demanded the appointment of... three cleaners in the provincial office, which shocked even Łapiński. Almost 20 years have passed, this system is well-developed and all-encompassing, and it hinges somewhere in President Kaczyński's office, who, of course, doesn't deal with cleaners, but if someone wants to become the head of a state-owned company, they have to visit the office at Nowogrodzka Street and receive a blessing. And this must cause outrage among young people who dream of something more transparent and meritocratic.” -- PEOPLE IN THE PROVINCES STILL FEEL THAT PIS PROTECTS THEM, KACZYŃSKI AND KURSKI DESTROYED CIVIC PLATFORM'S IMAGE - DUDEK CONTINUES: “People in the provinces still feel that PiS protects them, and Civic Platform is the dark force. Kaczyński and Kurski achieved one undeniable propaganda success, namely, they managed to demolish Civic Platform's image in the eyes of the vast majority of poorer Poles. And indeed, in their eyes – especially those living outside big cities – this party is synonymous with, if not theft, then incompetence and arrogance of power. Trzaskowski, as blood from the blood and bone from the bone of Civic Platform, is to become president? Well, no. Let Jędrek – whoever he is – continue. And I think this emotion is still slightly stronger than the other one, that another term for Duda means the final dismantling of Polish democracy, the rule of law, and even Poland's presence in the EU. But I wouldn't bet my own money on that.” https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,143907,26080786,prof-dudek-siedzimy-na-bombie-kaczynski-bedzie-mial-pokuse.html -- YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE BECOME MORE ENGAGED - BARTOSZ BRZYSKI IN KLUB JAGIELLOŃSKI: “The high turnout in these elections fits into the general upward trend we have seen in recent years. The high turnout in the 18-29 age group, which exceeded 60% and was higher than the turnout in the over-60 group, is noteworthy. The fact that young people have begun to engage more actively in public life is a good prognosis for the future.” https://klubjagiellonski.pl/2020/06/29/brzyski-wybory-pokazaly-ze-mlodzi-zaczeli-mocniej-angazowac-sie-w-zycie-publiczne/ -- THE LEFT DID NOT STAND FIRMLY BEHIND BIEDROŃ - JACEK GĄDEK IN GAZETA.PL: “The Left did not stand firmly behind him. Aleksander Kwaśniewski struggled to utter declarations of support for Biedroń, and Jolanta Kwaśniewska did not hide that she would vote for Rafał Trzaskowski immediately. Leszek Miller declared that he would vote for Trzaskowski in the runoff 'with pleasure'.” https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,26082484,najwieksi-przegrani-kosiniak-liczyl-na-niespodzianke-ale-nie.html -- IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF AWAKENING, IT IS DIFFICULT TO GAIN NEW VOTERS - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: “Not only because PiS has pursued a confrontational policy towards other parties for five years, but also because of the behavior of the audience gathered at Andrzej Duda's election night event. When he mentioned his competitors, congratulating them on participating in the election – clearly flattering their electorate – those gathered in the hall booed, whistled, roared 'This is Poland,' implicitly denying their competitors Polishness. This behavior is the result of five years of training that PiS has provided its sympathizers. In such an atmosphere, it will be difficult to win over new voters. It is not out of the question that the debate between Andrzej Duda and Rafał Trzaskowski could decide the outcome of these elections. But it is a risk for the incumbent head of state. Trzaskowski, who is chasing him, can afford to bet everything on one card. And Duda's mistake could cost him the office of President of the Republic.” https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/306299921-Szuldrzynski-Debata-wyloni-prezydenta.html -- DUDA COULD NOT AFFORD LECH KACZYŃSKI'S GESTURE - JACEK NIZINKIEWICZ IN RZ: “Quiet, ladies and gentlemen, without him, this strike wouldn't have happened – that's how President Lech Kaczyński silenced those who booed Bogdan Borusewicz from Civic Platform during the 28th anniversary of August '80 commemorations. Andrzej Duda could not afford a similar gesture when, during the election night event, as Rafał Trzaskowski's name was mentioned, PiS supporters booed the mayor of the capital, shouting: 'This is Poland!'. Andrzej Duda proved to be an unobservant student of President Kaczyński.” https://www.rp.pl/Analizy/306299912-Nizinkiewicz-Prezydent-zmienia-maske.html -- SCHETYNA GOT HIS DAUGHTER MARRIED - FAKT: https://www.fakt.pl/wydarzenia/polityka/slub-corki-grzegorza-schetyny/x5qr3rj -- PHOTO. WILLIAM TURNER - DEVIL'S BRIDGE, ST. GOTTHARD PASS, TATE The painting "Devil's Bridge" (Teufelsbrücke) at St. Gotthard Pass. The bridge itself was built over the gorge's entrance after 1200 AD. In those times, it was an engineering feat comparable to the construction of Gothic cathedrals. On the steepest section of the pass, rock steps called scaliones or Schollen were carved, and wooden platforms were installed at overhangs. The hospice at the top of the pass was named after St. Gothard (Bishop of Hildesheim) and by the year 1300, it was already a regular communication route. -- BIRTHDAYS: Mirosława Kątna, Czesław Śleziak, Adam Andruszkiewicz, Agnieszka Jucewicz.