-- MORAWIECKI DECLARES AID IN NAVALNY'S TREATMENT, CZARNECKI ON MAJOR GOVERNMENT RECONSTRUCTION, JABŁOŃSKI ON MEDIA NOT JUSTIFYING CRIMES - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/08/21/ -- LUKASHENKO REGIME GOES ON THE COUNTEROFFENSIVE - DAILY REPORT BY OKO.PRESS: "However, as reported by OKO.press reporter Maciek Piasecki, after several days of clear retreat, the Lukashenko regime has launched a new counteroffensive. 'This time, similar to last week, with the help of heavy transporters, cannons, grenades, and batons. This, by the way, has sparked a new mobilization among protesters, as the sight of battered bodies and stories of torture from those released from detention have mobilized previously indifferent individuals,' Maciek wrote for us. Photos of brutally beaten demonstrators have circulated online. Screams are heard from detention centers, where several thousand detained protesters are being held, at night. For the second day in a row, Belarusian women, standing along Independence Square in Minsk with flowers in their hands, protested against the brutality of the security forces. Meanwhile, Belarus's Minister of Defense, Viktor Khrenin, has ordered 'comprehensive tactical military exercises' in the vicinity of Grodno." https://oko.press/w-minsku-pozna-noc-ludzie-na-placu-pod-parlamentem-skanduja-spiewaja-i-domagaja-sie-zmian/ -- THE FOUNDATION OF POLICY TOWARDS BELARUS HAS REMAINED UNCHANGED SINCE THE CIVIC PLATFORM ERA AND WAS FLAWED - ANDRZEJ POCZOBUT in conversation with Nikita Grekowicz, an activist with the Free Belarus initiative living in Poland, collaborating with OKO.press - AS POCZOBUT STATES: "Therefore, the fundamental assumption of Polish foreign policy – and this isn't just about PiS, it was evident before PiS as well, during the Civic Platform era – was flawed. Belarus is perhaps the only country I know of towards which there was a complete continuity of Polish foreign policy. Usually, when power changes, the direction of policy changes, but in Belarus, it was different. The policy created by the previous government is continued by the current one. Even a deputy minister, who served under the Civic Platform, remained in his position of softening Lukashenko's image. So, today it turns out that the fundamental assumption of this policy has proven to be wrong." -- POCZOBUT ON PUTIN'S POLICY: "In my opinion, the situation is as follows: Belarus is within Russia's sphere of influence, and Vladimir Putin has no intention of relinquishing it. However, he is playing a more intelligent game than most people realize." -- A REVOLUTION OF IDENTITY IS PROFOUNDLY RESHAPING THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF BELARUSIAN SOCIETY - CONTINUES ANDRZEJ POCZOBUT: "But it should also be remembered that the events currently taking place in Belarus are a revolution of identity; they will profoundly reshape the consciousness of the entire society. National pride is growing in connection with what is happening. The whole world admires Belarusians for their ability to stand up to Lukashenko. Of course, it also depends on how all this ends, but these events will undoubtedly have a huge impact on national consciousness." -- NO EU FLAGS ARE VISIBLE AT THE PROTESTS - POCZOBUT NOTES: "Russia is also closely observing which direction this will take, looking at all these white-red-and-white flags at the demonstrations. But Russia is surely also paying attention to the fact that there are no European Union flags visible at the protests. There are no anti-Russian or even pro-European slogans; there are only slogans against Lukashenko." https://oko.press/poczobut-bialorus-nie-wyjdzie-z-rosyjskiej-strefy-wplywow/ -- FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE OF TIKHANOVSKAYA IN BELAST AT THE BELSAT STUDIO: https://belsat.eu/pl/news/konferencja-prasowa-cichanouskiej-po-polsku-na-zywo/ -- JAN ROKITA ON THE RAPID EXPANSION OF THE POLITICAL FUNCTION OF THE JUDICIARY - A SUPRANATIONAL CORPORATION WITH STRONG AND CROSS-BORDER SOLIDARITY OF ITS MEMBERS - he writes in Teologia Polityczna: "The essence of the innovation is the rapid expansion of the political function of the judiciary, which is happening before our eyes in democratic Europe. Of course, investigators and judges have always been the last resort in political clashes (to mention only the Polish Brest trial), but after World War II in liberal Europe, this function of the justice system was reduced to almost zero. However, things began to change in the 1990s, with the accelerating trend towards the autonomization of justice systems as a supranational corporation with strong and cross-border solidarity among its members." -- THE CORPORATION HAS BEGUN TO GRANT ITSELF POWERS FOR A KIND OF OVERSIGHT OVER THE COURSE OF DEMOCRATIC POLITICS - CONTINUES ROKITA: "This corporation has begun to grant itself powers for a kind of oversight over the course of democratic politics, with the passivity, or even approval, of other public life participants. When in 1998, Spanish judge Garzón managed to arrest General Pinochet during his travels, one could hope that such an expansion of judicial power could contribute to a better world. But a warning sign should have been the way Italian judge Di Pietro turned the political scene there upside down. Although in both those famous cases, it was not yet entirely clear to what extent the left-wing Garzón and Di Pietro were truly determined in prosecuting murders and corruption, and to what extent they had already entered a new role as arbiters of the direction democratic politics should now take." -- CAN WE ALLOW JUDGES TO DECIDE POLITICAL DISPUTES, OR SHOULD PROSECUTORS OR COURTS DECIDE THE ADMISSIBILITY OF THIS OR THAT POLITICAL CONCEPT? - CONCLUSION BY JAN ROKITA: "All of this only superficially looks like a silly game with the judiciary. In essence, it concerns a fundamental question that is increasingly pressing upon European democracies. Can we allow investigators and judges to resolve political disputes, which are natural in a free society? Or, to put the problem more broadly: should modernized liberal democracy consist of prosecutors or courts deciding on the admissibility of this or that political concept? And incidentally, also determining which politicians will be allowed to run for public office and which will be forbidden by a verdict." https://teologiapolityczna.pl/jan-rokita-politycy-w-roli-przestepcow-felieton -- NIEDZIELSKI'S APPROACH TO THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM WAS RATED QUITE HIGHLY OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS - PAWEŁ WALEWSKI ON TYGODNIK POLITYKA PORTAL: Adam Niedzielski is an expert in financial management and strategic management, which, at least theoretically, is not associated with healthcare. However, in practice, his approach to the functioning of this system was rated quite highly at the National Health Fund (NFZ) over the last two years. It has been a long time since a non-physician became the Minister of Health in Poland, but this particular individual has already made a name for himself among doctors as the head of the institution financing their work and overseeing them, so they should not be surprised by his rather decisive way of holding office." -- HE IMPROVED THE IMAGE OF THE NFZ AMONG PATIENTS AND MEDICAL PERSONNEL WITH GOOD RESULTS - CONTINUES WALEWSKI: "It is evident that after Łukasz Szumowski's departure, the Prime Minister did not want to risk by handing over the Ministry of Health portfolio to any of the doctor-politicians associated with various factions within PiS. He opted for a person who, until now, simply worked hard (and when he wasn't working, he was running – he is known for his fondness for physical activity), attempting – it must be admitted – to improve the NFZ's image among patients and medical personnel with considerable success." https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/kraj/1968388,1,czego-sie-spodziewac-po-nowym-ministrze-zdrowia.read?src=mt -- JUDYTA WATOŁA ON NIEDZIELSKI PROMOTING THE SUGAR TAX AS HEAD OF NFZ: "As head of the NFZ, Niedzielski was relatively little involved in substantive changes. However, the Fund, under his management, began to promote a healthy diet, a sugar tax, and create guides for efficient hospital management. When the epidemic problem arose in March, the NFZ allowed for chaos. It gave no specific instructions to hospitals and clinics on how to treat patients. There were no guidelines on which treatments could be postponed and which should be continued regardless of the coronavirus threat. It was unclear where to go to the dentist. The Fund even allowed some oncology hospitals to suspend admissions." https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,26227404,adam-niedzielski-nowym-ministrem-zdrowia-to-ekonomista-lansujacy.html -- LISTENED TO POLITICAL OPPONENTS AS HEAD OF THE COMMITTEE - WŁADYSŁAW T. BARTOSZEWSKI CITED IN GAZETA WYBORCZA ON THE NEW FOREIGN MINISTER: "As chairman of the foreign affairs committee, he should show himself as someone who also listens to political opponents. - He will certainly be a minister who can talk to representatives of any country - believes MP Władysław T. Bartoszewski from the PSL-Kukiz'15 club, a member of the foreign affairs committee." https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,26227348,kim-jest-zbigniew-rau-nowy-minister-spraw-zagranicznych.html -- MINISTER OF CULTURE WARS, MACIEREWICZ PALES IN COMPARISON TO ZIOBRO - JAKUB MAJMUREK in Krytyka Polityczna: "Officially rewarding local governments for homophobia is a new level of absurdity in Polish politics. Even Antoni Macierewicz's greatest exploits pale in comparison to Ziobro's actions. (...) Looking at all these actions by Ziobro, the question arises: 'Where is the Prime Minister?' Where is someone who could genuinely lead his own cabinet and bring a disobedient minister to order? Even Antoni Macierewicz's greatest exploits from a time when he seemed irremovable pale in comparison to Ziobro's current actions." -- IF THE ADMINISTRATION IN WASHINGTON CHANGES, WILL IT NOT BE A PROBLEM FOR MAINTAINING ZIOBRO'S COURSE? - CONTINUES MAJMUREK: "However, as we know, he eventually crossed the line too many times, and the president, several people in the government, and according to the media, perhaps also our allies from the United States, forced his departure. Will it be similar with Zbigniew Ziobro? Especially if the administration in the White House changes in January, American allies may have a problem with a coalition partner of Kaczyński who leads homophobic crusades. It's impossible to say today, but for the future of Morawiecki and the United Right, there is no more important question." https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/ziobro-minister-wojen-kulturowych/ -- ZIOBRO IS FORCEFULLY GOING AFTER WHAT HE WANTS - ZUZANNA DĄBROWSKA in Rzeczpospolita: "Zbigniew Ziobro is forcefully pursuing his agenda. He is cutting out Morawiecki's people wherever he can, financially supporting municipalities fighting LGBT, and blocking the election of the Ombudsman. This is because only destabilizing the situation during a three-year electoral quiet period can bring him political gains. The Minister of Justice knows that his position in politics for years may depend on how much he can achieve now, when there is no election campaign. Now, no one can accuse him of harming the entire camp. In contrast, he is completely invisible, especially against the backdrop of the offensive by the head of Solidarna Polska, Jarosław Gowin, leader of Porozumienie." https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/308209929-Dabrowska-Rekonstrukcja-konstrukcji.html -- CRISIS CAUSED BY AN ILL-CONSIDERED DECISION BY CLUB LEADERSHIP - ANDRZEJ HALICKI in conversation with ZUZANNA DĄBROWSKA in Rzeczpospolita: "No one is laughing when we have a crisis. It was certainly caused by an ill-considered and unconsulted decision by the club's leadership. Many parliamentarians offered very strange explanations. And yet, the expedited procedure for this bill is also one of the reasons for the criticism of what happened. Even a good decision, if implemented too quickly, incomprehensibly, and at the wrong time, is a fatal decision. The problem also arose from poor internal communication within the club. And the club's collegium is responsible for this situation. There haven't been any meetings of the national board for a long time." -- HALICKI COMPLIMENTS THE SENATE ARRANGEMENT AND ATTRIBUTES IT AS SCHETYNA'S SUCCESS: "This primarily took place during the meeting of the regulations committee, which dealt with it and prepared the text. However, there should have been a broad debate on this topic: in clubs, in parties, with the participation of citizens. The lack of such a conversation was quickly verified by the Senate's decision, which rejected the bill. It is also evident how much weight the Upper House carries today, as a result of a broader agreement within the opposition. Incidentally, prepared by Grzegorz Schetyna." -- THE CLUB'S COLLEGIUM MUST BE REPRESENTATIVE - CONTINUES HALICKI: "Borys Budka holds both the positions of chairman and club leader. He himself announced that this was a temporary solution. Therefore, I think he will propose another solution. But it must be remembered that it's not just about the chairman, but about the entire team, the club's collegium. It must be representative, but also well-communicated with the rest. Because those who are currently in it have failed intuition." https://www.rp.pl/Platforma-Obywatelska/308209920-Andrzej-Halicki-Wladze-klubu-zawiodla-intuicja.html -- SOVEREIGNTY IS EASIER TO DEFEND BASED ON A LARGE CONGLOMERATE - RAFAŁ WOŚ in Tygodnik Powszechny: "The first dimension of the issue is purely strategic. CEO Obajtek frequently refers to Lech Kaczyński and his efforts to regain 'energy sovereignty' for Poland. This is not empty rhetoric. Such sovereignty is indeed easier to defend based on a loyal conglomerate than a network of smaller, competing economic entities. Those who have been unable to provide their citizens and economy with access to cheap energy know how much the aforementioned sovereignty is worth. Typically, they have gone down in history as bad and incompetent leaders." -- MOST INNOVATIONS ARE BORN IN THE LARGEST COMPANIES - CONTINUES WOŚ: "The second layer concerns the real profits that a large energy player can bring to the national economy. For example, higher dividends for the State Treasury resulting from so-called economies of scale (in economics, the large can usually do more). Or the ability to stabilize the economy with the support of conglomerates (for example, during a crisis). In addition, there is a revitalizing innovative impulse for the economy – it has long been known that it is large companies (and not the small and medium-sized enterprise sector) that are where most innovations are created. This is because investments in research and development are largest there and are utilized most effectively." -- WOŚ ON MEGAORLEN: "The third argument for creating a 'MegaOrlen' is (chronologically the most recent) the necessity of the energy transformation of the Polish economy. One can talk for hours about renewable energy or abandoning coal. On the other side of ritualistic incantations about environmental responsibility, we will eventually always encounter the question: how on earth can this be carried out in a country like Poland? What can be done to avoid ending up with expensive technology imports from abroad or even ceding the market to wealthy Western or Eastern corporations? The answer is simple. To effectively carry out such a transformation on our own terms, we need an entity capable of making appropriate (and significant) investments. Orlen wants and can be such a player." https://www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/czy-trzeba-nam-czebola-164570 -- A SITUATION BENEFICIAL FOR KGHM - ONE OF THREE GLOBAL COMPANIES IN THE SECTOR OUT OF OVER A DOZEN THAT INCREASED PRODUCTION DURING THE PANDEMIC - Rzeczpospolita: "Despite the pandemic, KGHM has maintained its 2020 budget assumptions, which were formulated before the epidemic situation. According to the management board, favorable conditions on the copper market support the company. - In the third quarter, copper prices are favorable for KGHM. The key to rebuilding demand is greater optimism in the Chinese economy and maintaining the level of industrial production. Importantly, the pandemic has also halted some global projects, affecting reduced supply on the market - explains Marcin Chludziński, CEO of KGHM. Demand will continue to grow, and we are trying to prepare for it. Therefore, we plan to continue our investment projects - he adds. He emphasizes that KGHM is one of only three global companies in the sector out of over a dozen that increased production in the first half of 2020 during the pandemic." https://www.parkiet.com/Surowce-i-paliwa/308219984-KGHM-Popyt-na-miedz-ma-sie-dobrze.html -- TEOLOGIA POLITYCZNA ON THE DEATH OF PROF. WALICKI: Prof. Andrzej Walicki belonged to the select group of Polish intellectuals whose works on the history of ideas and Russian thought constituted a global canon of scientific literature, setting standards of academic rigor for generations of researchers. During his decades-long academic career, he dedicated a significant amount of attention to the philosophy of Polish Romanticism, Russian socio-political thought, and 19th and 20th-century ideological currents: Messianism, nationalism, and Marxism. His important works include, among others: The Idea of the Nation in Polish Enlightenment Thought, Marxism and the Leap to the Kingdom of Freedom. The History of the Communist Utopia, or Poland, Russia, Marxism. Until the end of his life, the professor was an active and ideologically independent participant and commentator on public life. He was, among other things, one of the signatories of the Letter in Defense of Philosophy, which in 2013 opposed the process of removing philosophy as a field of study from subsequent university institutions." -- ARCHIVED CONVERSATION BETWEEN MAREK CICHOCKI AND PROF. WALICKI: https://teologiapolityczna.pl/assets/numery_tp/tp4/rozmowa_walicki.pdf -- MARIA KACZYŃSKA WOULD HAVE CELEBRATED HER 78TH BIRTHDAY TODAY.