-- MORAWIECKI TO THE OPPOSITION, IT WILL BE HARD FOR YOU TO PROVE THAT 400 IS MORE THAN 700, GAWKOWSKI PRAISES MORAWIECKI, ZIOBRO ON STICKING TO THE PRIME MINISTER'S PROMISES - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/07/22/ -- THE PRIME MINISTER, IN THE SEJM, RELIED ON A COMPARISON OF THE INITIAL TEXTS OF THE SUMMIT AGREEMENTS WITH WHAT WAS NEGOTIATED AT THE END, WHICH 300POLITYKA DESCRIBED YESTERDAY: https://300polityka.pl/news/2020/07/21/mialo-byc-wprowadzony-zostanie-ogolny-system-warunkowosci-aby-zaradzic-nieprawidlowosciom-poszanowania-praworzadnosci-jest-rada-podkresla-znaczenie-poszanowania-praworzadnosci-300polityka-widzial/ -- BETWEEN THE EXPENDITURE OF FUNDS AND THE RULE OF LAW, A THICK STEEL WALL HAS BEEN ERECTED; UNANIMITY WILL BE NECESSARY - PROF. KAROL KARSKI IN AN INTERVIEW WITH WPOLITYCE: “Since this morning, many amateur analysts of EU reality have been confusing the Council with the European Council. The Council is the institution called the Council of the EU, while in internal EU documents it is simply called the Council and is composed of ministers from the Member States. The European Council, on the other hand, is an institution composed of heads of state or government, i.e., the body that was meeting at the time this summit was held. The European Council makes decisions unanimously, meaning everyone must agree. Consequently, one can say that a thick steel wall has been erected between the assessment of compliance with the rule of law and the expenditure of EU funds. We are dealing with a situation where a certain deviation from the rules provided for in Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union has even been made. In it, unanimity without the participation of the state concerned is required for the introduction of sanctions, and here even such an exclusion is absent. This means unanimity of all, including the interested states, including the state to which such a procedure would apply. This means that Chancellor Angela Merkel will decide whether the rule of law exists in Germany. President Emmanuel Macron will decide whether the rule of law exists in France, and similarly, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki or Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will decide on this with regard to Poland or Hungary. One can say that these two spheres have been separated quite precisely.” -- INTRODUCING THIS IS PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE, UNFOUNDED PUNISHMENT HAS BEEN PREVENTED, IT COULD TURN OUT THAT FRANCE IS A STATE OF EMERGENCY WHERE CIVIL LIBERTIES ARE NOT AT THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL - KARSKI CONTINUES: “So one can say that those who pushed for such solutions have pushed the whole idea back, because not only have these conclusions of the European Council made it impossible to arbitrarily punish countries like Poland and Hungary, which have done no wrong to anyone and were to be punished simply so that others could benefit, but the idea of assessing the rule of law has been thwarted altogether, because rules have been introduced here that will cause them not to be adopted. If objective rules were introduced, it would soon turn out that France is a state of emergency where civil liberties are not at the appropriate level, where, although the state of emergency has been formally abolished, 90% of the regulations from the state of emergency law have been transferred to normal, everyday legislation, etc. One can say that those who got so carried away with this rule of law thread have done a disservice to this idea. Not only has it become impossible to apply against Poland and Hungary, but in general, the introduction of these solutions in any way, even in terms of principles, has now become practically impossible.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/510318-nasz-wywiad-prof-karski-wyjasnia-kwestie-praworzadnosci -- THE FINAL WORDING IS WEAK AND UNCLEAR, POLAND THE BIGGEST BENEFICIARY - ANNA SŁOJEWSKA IN RZ: “Poland emerges from this clash with a very good offer – we are the biggest beneficiary of the entire financial package. – We have about 125 billion euros in direct subsidies. This has never happened before. The amount reaches 160 billion euros together with preferential loans. (...) Poland negotiated the conditions for using this money until the last hours. The sharpest battle concerned the rule of law mechanism, i.e., linking the disbursement of EU funds with an independent judiciary. The final wording is weak and unclear.” https://archiwum.rp.pl/artykul/1432535-160-mld-euro-dla-Polski.html -- WE RECEIVED LARGER SUBSIDIES THAN BEFORE, BUT THE FIGHT FOR THE RULE OF LAW WAS ESSENTIALLY SACRIFICED ON THE ALTAR OF SAVING THE SINGLE MARKET - JĘDRZEJ BIELECKI IN RZ: “Moreover, apart from export profits, Germany also has political influence in Europe, which history has rarely granted it. How does Poland fit into this German game? Our economy is already so integrated with our western neighbor that we have many common interests with it. Poland's profit from the single market is close to 50 billion euros annually. The continued existence of the Union is therefore also in the vital interest of our country. At the same time, as if by ricochet, we benefited from the misfortune of the South, and although we are already a much richer country, we will receive slightly larger net subsidies from Brussels than before. However, the fight for the rule of law was essentially sacrificed on the altar of saving the single market. Time will tell whether achieving such a goal was worth it from Poland's perspective.” https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/307219912-Jedrzej-Bielecki-Niemcy-zrobily-dobry-interes.html -- TOMASZ BIELECKI WRITES ABOUT A DILUTED FORMULA: “Chancellor Merkel and the center-right Prime Minister of Latvia, Krisjanis Karins, undertook to negotiate an agreement on this matter, which requires unanimity. A diluted formula was developed at a separate meeting between Morawiecki and Orbán and Merkel, Macron, Karins, the President of the European Commission, and the prime ministers of the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Luxembourg.” -- IT CONCERNS DEFICIENCIES IN THE RULE OF LAW THAT AFFECT THE MANAGEMENT OF EU FUNDS - BIELECKI CONTINUES: “The entire idea of 'funds for the rule of law' was based from the beginning on regulations for the protection of the EU budget, which requires, among other things, an independent judiciary in every country, for example, to prosecute corruption offenses. The compromise strongly emphasizes that it concerns only those deficiencies in the rule of law that have a direct impact on the management of EU funds. Before the summit, Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn explained to us that it could concern 'changes in the judiciary that would have a direct impact on the collection of VAT, because this tax contributes to the EU budget.'” https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/swiat/1964586,1,europa-oglasza-deal-czym-zakonczyl-sie-budzetowy-szczyt-ue.read -- WE SHOULD APPRECIATE THE NEGOTIATION SKILLS OF MORAWIECKI AND SZYMAŃSKI - MICHAŁ MATLAK IN KULTURA LIBERALNA: “The negotiation skills of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and Minister Konrad Szymański should be appreciated – 125 billion euros in subsidies and an additional 35 billion in low-interest loans are a success. In a situation of serious conflict with European institutions, the prime minister is able to negotiate significant financial support for Poland. However, it is a manipulation on the part of the government to say that this achievement is greater than that of Donald Tusk's era. At that time, funds almost half as large were involved. Only the Multiannual Financial Framework, i.e., the seven-year budget perspective, was negotiated, without the Recovery Fund, which is a reaction to the pandemic.” -- THIS IS A TRIUMPH OF DELORS, THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE PROSPECT OF THE CONTINENT'S SPLIT - MATLAK CONTINUES: “In my opinion, the European Council's decision is another triumph of the somewhat forgotten father of today's Union – Jacques Delors (who, incidentally, turned ninety-five on Monday). It was he, as President of the European Commission, who designed cohesion policy as a way to equalize the level of European economies. It was Delors who invented the common currency, which in his vision was to lead to further deepening of integration (such as mutualization of debt). Finally, it was he who was a consistent defender of the Union's eastward enlargement, and the events of Tuesday morning weakened the prospect of the continent splitting. The organization, to which numerous Cassandras constantly predict its more or less spectacular fall, has once again proven that it can use crises for further development.” -- MATLAK ON THE RULE OF LAW MECHANISM: “However, there are two 'buts' – the issue of the rule of law appears in the conclusions of the European Council meeting, and it is a condition for receiving funds. The Council of the European Union (i.e., Member State ministers) is to decide on the possible withdrawal of these funds by qualified majority. This means that 15 out of 27 states, representing at least 65 percent of the EU's population, must vote 'yes'. Therefore, the mere objection of the Visegrád Group will not protect Poland from having its funds withdrawn. Although the Polish government's interpretation assumes that such a decision must then be accepted by the European Council, this is a risky interpretation. The key wording only states that 'the European Council will quickly return to this issue.' Moreover, the tightening of this provision may be a condition that the European Parliament, whose consent is needed to adopt decisions on the budget and the Recovery Fund, will set for the Council.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2020/07/22/unia-europejska-zadluzam-sie-wiec-jestem/ -- AND SO IT MUST END WITH UNANIMOUS ACCEPTANCE - DOROTA ŁOSIEWICZ ON WPOLITYCE: “The provisions mean a strengthening of Poland's position, which two years ago was defenseless against the European Commission's attempts to arbitrarily decide which states are governed by the rule of law and which are not. The European Commission wanted to reduce the European Council to a screen for its own political actions. After the last summit, these ideas lay in ruins. The European Council will return to the matter. Yes, but unanimity will be required, not a reversed qualified majority, which the European Commission dreamed of. Therefore, based on the provisions formulated in this way, there is currently no danger of a decision being made by qualified majority on the budget sanctions mechanism. Any decision made by qualified majority must be accepted by the European Council, and this acceptance must, of course, be unanimous. In this way, Poland and Hungary have slammed the door on purely political, arbitrary, discretionary pressure, stemming from the choice of a particular government and president by Poles, on us, and perhaps on other countries.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/510332-dlaczego-polska-i-wegry-moga-mowic-o-sukcesie -- VOTES IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION DO NOT NECESSARILY PUSH AWAY THE PROSPECT OF SIGNIFICANT LEFT-WING PARTICIPATION AFTER THE NEXT ELECTION - RAFAŁ MATYJA IN KRYTYKA POLITYCZNA: “Even the habit of meticulous analysis of election results cannot compel me to address what happened to Biedroń. Nothing can be inferred from his result in Wilanów or in Słupsk. We will learn nothing by tracking the flow of voters, analyzing the percentage of Left voters who went to Rafał Trzaskowski or Szymon Hołownia. Votes for them were simply a more sensible idea for the presidential election and do not necessarily push away the prospect of significant left-wing participation in government after the next election. For this to be possible, a new strategy is indeed needed, but one drawn up not based on the last three months, but at least several terms ahead.” -- MATYJA ON THE IDEA OF THE LEFT AS A PUBLIC SECTOR PARTY: “The easiest way would therefore be to create the Left as a public sector party, a party of teachers and civil servants, a significant part of medical and social welfare personnel, public transport workers, etc. Even now, the Left is a force that seeks its programmatic identity more in improving the quality of public services than in increasing social transfers. (...) The Left could therefore be a party of successful transformation of this sector. Successful primarily because it is carried out not against it, but by utilizing its existing potential. Moreover, in line with its own beliefs, it could defend the thesis that the ultimate beneficiaries of improved public services will be the poorer people. A public sector party does not, of course, have to be a force that disregards economic growth factors. It can have its own vision of capitalism corrected by better respect for employee rights than at present, by programs to counteract exclusion, and also – by the already well-described correction strengthening the provinces at the expense of the largest metropolises.” -- THE LEFT CAN INTRODUCE A NEW STYLE IN THE SEJM - MATYJA CONTINUES: “The new parliamentary club of the Left stands at a crossroads today: will it succumb to the rules of parliamentary rivalry in its practices, or will it bring a different style to this chamber? A different dynamism, free from party routine. Observation of the past year does not provide grounds for a clear forecast in this matter. However, observing what has happened to many groups that contested bad parliamentary habits inclines one towards excessive caution rather than underestimating the threat of new MPs slowly becoming similar to the rest of the Sejm. The key to maintaining distinctiveness, however, will not be phenomena occurring in the Sejm itself, but the broader character of the grouping.” -- THE LEFT, WHICH DOES NOT ELIMINATE ITS RADICALISMS - MATYJA CONTINUES: “The strategic choice of the Left – one that counts in terms of several terms – should consist of three elements: binding its fate to the idea of strengthening the public sector and a broad, multi-stream ideological formula that does not eliminate radicalisms but also offers opportunities to attract people who are linked to the Left by only part of its ideological message. The third element would be the creation of a platform for building a political force not on a narrowly understood party apparatus, but on a pluralistic and attentive to the role of social impact network of activists. A platform, let us add, that is different from the prevailing political culture here. It is easier to make such a correction after a defeat than after a 'so-so' result. If Biedroń had received 7 or 9 percent, the Left might have simply missed the opportunity for a strategic correction.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/lewica-partia-udanej-transformacji-sektor-publiczny-rafal-matyja/ -- WHY DO WE NEED A LEFT-WING ORDO IURIS? - WITOLD MROZEK IN KRYTYKA: “Therefore, the Left must quickly think about how to try to replace Bodnar in this difficult and regular work. It should take advantage of what activists like Dr. Jakub Szlachetko are already doing, who, in accordance with local government procedures, helps to counteract resolutions of hatred. Importantly, grassroots work is not enough – effective strategies for communicating it are needed, a regularly repeated message, not just one conference. Extreme right-wingers in suits loudly proclaim their real or alleged successes. There are a few lawyers on the left – we need a left-wing Ordo Iuris.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/witold-mrozek-dlaczeg-potrzebujemy-lewicowego-ordo-iuris/ -- THE DISPUTE OF THE DOMINANT PARTIES DOES NOT ATTRACT YOUNG PEOPLE AT ALL - PIOTR GÓRSKI FROM RES PUBLIKA NOWA IN POLITYKA PORTAL: “At the opposite pole are voters under thirty. Among them, support for representatives of PO and PiS was lowest in the first round (just under 45% of voters, which is just under 30% of all voters). The distribution of support among the strongest candidates was also the most even: Trzaskowski – 24.5%, Szymon Hołownia – 23.9%, Krzysztof Bosak – 21.7%, Andrzej Duda – 20.3%. It should not be forgotten that in the Sejm elections in the autumn of last year, the Left was supported by 18.4% of people aged 18–29, and now Robert Biedroń received only 5.7% of the votes of this age group. In terms of socio-political sensitivity, the flattening may therefore be even greater. It is clearly evident that the dispute between the two largest parties does not attract young people, it does not absorb them or engage them. When this match between these two teams is played, they don't go to the stadium, they don't even turn on the TV, they don't buy pay-per-view broadcasts, let alone subscriptions. They don't like this series, they don't identify with its characters and their problems.” https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/kraj/1964528,1,mlodzi-porzucaja-polityczny-duopol-jakiego-sporu-potrzebujemy.read?src=mt -- EWA SIEDLECKA ON THE EXTRAORDINARY APPEAL IN THE CASE OF KURSKI'S SON: “The case in the prosecutor's office has been finalized by a legally binding decision, but what is the institution of an extraordinary appeal for? The Prosecutor General can file an appeal to the Extraordinary Control Chamber of the Supreme Court against any legally binding procedural decision, including those of the prosecutor's office. Thus, an opportunity opens up for Ziobro, who has always been sensitive to the fate of crime victims, especially victims of pedophilia. Will he be equally sensitive this time?” https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/kraj/1964672,1,sprawa-syna-jacka-kurskiego-prokuratura-powinna-ja-oddac-sadowi.read?src=mt -- RZ ON THE PROBLEM WITH CHOOSING BODNAR'S SUCCESSOR: “According to the schedule, after the end of the session, which began this week, the Sejm will only convene again on September 16 and 17. This will happen after the expiry of Bodnar's five-year term, which ends on September 9. If PiS wanted the new Ombudsman to be elected by the Sejm by then, it would have scheduled a session for the second half of August. This is because candidates for the new ombudsman can be nominated up to 30 days before the end of Bodnar's term, i.e., until August 10. The right to do so belongs to the Marshal of the Sejm or a group of 35 MPs. PO spokesperson Jan Grabiec tells 'Rzeczpospolita' that an abruptly called Sejm session cannot be ruled out.” https://www.rp.pl/Polityka/307219909-Adam-Bodnar-zostanie-na-dluzej.html -- THE GDYNIA DECLARATION IS AN ANSWER TO THE THREAT FROM HOŁOWNIA - JAROSŁAW KUISZ IN RZ: “It is plainly visible that the Gdynia Declaration is also an answer to the threat from Szymon Hołownia's social movement. One thing unites the opposition politicians today: they are (again!) trying to capitalize on the aversion of a considerable part of their compatriots to political parties. According to CBOS polls from 2018, Poles trust political parties the least – over three-fifths of respondents (63%) do not trust them. Trzaskowski's and Budka's words can be interpreted as readiness to rebuild structures, but also to change the label. The ground has been prepared. Recently, PO has been hiding behind various variations of 'Coalition,' sometimes 'European,' sometimes 'Civic.'” https://www.rp.pl/Rzecz-o-polityce/307219918-Jaroslaw-Kuisz-Cmentarz--dla-partii.html -- JACEK KURCZEWSKI NOTES A CHANGE IN POLES' ATTITUDE TOWARDS DIVORCE: “Attitudes towards abortion and other worldview issues remain controversial. Comparing data from 1996 and 2020, there has been little change in matters such as reluctance towards abortion on demand or approval of contraceptive education (84% for education in 1996 and 75% in 2020). In some matters, I have noticed a significant change, for example, in the right to divorce. In 1996, 57% of respondents approved of it, and now this number is as high as 92%. In most cases, there is no significant difference between PO or PiS voters. When I created a scale of attitudes, I found liberal worldviews in both electorates. There is a part voting for their worldview, but there is also a part voting for a stable life and social situation improved in recent years.” https://www.rp.pl/Rzecz-o-polityce/307219916-Jacek-Kurczewski-Wciaz-marzymy-owolnosci.html -- PHOTO - The Harvesters, a painting by the Dutch painter Pieter Brueghel, painted in 1565, housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Pieter Bruegel was nicknamed the "peasant" due to the frequent depiction of peasant life in his works. What fascinated the master most was their close contact with nature, or rather their dependence on it. This theme was already present in medieval manuscript illumination in the form of cycles of months and their typical seasonal tasks. In 1565, Bruegel took up this theme, creating a series of 6 paintings commissioned by Nicolaes Jonghelinck: Hunters in the Snow, A Gloomy Day, The Harvesters, Haymaking, The Return of the Herd, Winter Landscape with Bird Trap. Pieter Bruegel the Elder introduced several significant changes to the art world. He captured the then-developing genre painting and proved the aesthetic value of landscape. He oscillated between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, but most often went beyond the established patterns. During his travels, he encountered the works of the Italian Renaissance, which, however, did not have a significant impact on his work. He remained an artist faithful to the Dutch painting tradition, becoming – alongside Bosch – one of its most original representatives. https://niezlasztuka.net/o-sztuce/pieter-bruegel-starszy-malarz-pospolstwa/ The dominant colors in the painting are warm hues that convey the atmosphere of summer – including shades of yellow, intended to create a feeling of warmth emanating from the summer landscape. The ripe wheat field has been partially cut and gathered into sheaves. In the foreground, a group of peasants has taken a break from harvesting and is picnicking in the shade of a pear tree. Behind them and to their left, work is continuing: a couple is gathering wheat into sheaves and tying them; three men (two in the foreground, the third in the background) are cutting stalks with scythes, and women are walking along a path in the field, carrying sheaves of grain on their shoulders. The scene also unfolds in the distance, where there is a valley enlivened by scenes of rural life, another huge wheat field, and a bay with the movement of several ships. The peasants picnicking in the foreground use grain stacks as benches and, in addition to pears from the tree, consume bread and milk from bowls. Opposite them, a man is sleeping in a position of complete isolation, which is a repetition of Bruegel from his painting The Land of Cockaigne, housed in the collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. In a humorous way, two peasants eating are looking at us, suggesting that we might be being watched, and they are spectators. -- BIRTHDAYS: Małgorzata Gosiewska, Michał Dworczyk turns 45, Krzysztof Kubów, Krystyna Skowrońska, Michał Ogórek, Paweł Kowal, Anna Wójcik, Karolina Sas-Vanzi.