-- TERLECKI IMPATIENT WITH COALITION PARTNERS, KIERWIŃSKI ON THE CLUB DISCUSSING THE PROCEDURE FOR ELECTING A CHAIRPERSON, FOGIEL ON POLAND NOT BEING TREATED AS A SLICE OF THE WORLD WHERE NIGHTMARISH THINGS CAN HAPPEN - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/09/15/ -- A SMALL, DECLINING INDUSTRY - PIOTR WÓJCIK IN KRYTYKA POLITYCZNA: “Looking from the perspective of the entire country, the liquidation of the fur industry will be virtually unnoticeable – its impact on the trade balance, labor market, and public finances is negligible and will continue to decrease each year.” -- NO ONE FORCED THEM TO INVEST IN SUCH AN ETHICALLY DOUBTFUL BUSINESS - WÓJCIK CONTINUES: “We must not forget the key issue, which is the moral aspect of the undertaking in question. No one forced fur entrepreneurs to invest in such an ethically dubious practice. We are not talking about breeding domesticated animals for food production, but about keeping wild animals in cages so that a handful of rich men and women can fulfill their exaggerated consumer ambitions. Therefore, comparing mink farming to pig farming is inaccurate. For various reasons – economic, social, etc. – it is difficult to imagine the immediate liquidation of poultry or pork production in Poland. However, the liquidation of mink farms is entirely possible and will not even be significantly felt economically.” -- IT WILL COST US ALL VERY LITTLE - WÓJCIK CONTINUES: “Since we can do at least this much for animals now, there is no point in hesitating. The right often talks about values and adherence to moral standards. Well, now is the time to raise them slightly in our country. It will cost us very little. A small step for Poles, a giant leap for minks and foxes.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/branza-futerkowa-promil-gospodarki-wojcik/ -- IT WAS A PLACE FROM WHICH TERRIFYING HOWLING AND IMMENSE SUFFERING EMANATED - JACEK KARNOWSKI: Now, allow me to share a personal recollection. I only encountered the fur industry once, in the 1980s, as a child, a primary school student. A few kilometers from the town where I grew up, there was a fox farm. It was surrounded by such a high fence that nothing could be seen. Yet, it was impossible to overlook. Because it was a place from which constant, terrifying howling emanated from the animals, both foxes and dogs guarding the property. It was a place from which immense suffering radiated. A place you wanted to pass by as quickly as possible, from which you wanted to escape.” -- NEVER IN HISTORY HAS IT BEEN THE CASE THAT ONE CAN PROFIT FROM EVERYTHING - JACEK KARNOWSKI CONTINUES: “On the other hand, there are certain economic arguments. I say 'certain' because the picture is quite blurred, unclear, boosted by PR. It is certainly not an industry that determines the strength of Polish agriculture. It constitutes only a fraction of total production. Certainly, for many people, prohibiting economic activity in a profitable field is controversial, but here it is worth emphasizing that never in history has it been the case that one could profit from everything. There are fields that even libertarians would consider unworthy, shameful.” https://wpolityce.pl/spoleczenstwo/517587-dobrze-pamietam-swoj-pierwszy-kontakt-z-branza-futerkowa -- ANDRZEJ DUDA'S VICTORY WAS A FAREWELL TO BLUNT ANTI-POLISH SENTIMENT - MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI: “One can venture the thesis that Andrzej Duda's victory closed a certain chapter, it was a rejection of the vulgar Polish-Polish war proposed by Donald Tusk after 2005, it was a farewell to blunt 'anti-Polish sentiment' as a response to all doubts. It is interesting how coolly Tusk's recently renewed proposal for PO to 'jump down PiS's throat daily' was received.” -- THE ISSUE OF ANIMAL PROTECTION AND ALLEGED IDEOLOGICAL SOFTNESS IS USED, FUR FARMERS REMIND ONE OF UKRAINIAN OLIGARCHS BUYING MEDIA - Karnowski continues: “There are many such topics (like accusations of alleged ideological softness – most loudly articulated by TVN's favorites), and recently the bill on animal protection has come to the forefront. False data is presented here about the allegedly key role of fur animal farms for the Polish economy, possible consequences are exaggerated, and it is silent that the farmers themselves resemble Ukrainian oligarchs trying to influence public opinion through purchased media. I am not saying that the consequences of the bill, its individual provisions, cannot be discussed – but an extremely emotional approach is not reliable. The very idea of increasing animal protection in Poland is fully consistent with Christian and Polish sensitivity. It is worth remembering all this, because provocations and lies will be commonplace in the coming months.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/517599-rozbicie-zjednoczonej-prawicy-to-dzis-jedyna-szansa-opozycji -- THIRD TERM 2023? - MICHAŁ KOLANKO IN RZ ON PLANS TO ENTER NORTH-WESTERN POLAND WITH GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS: “PiS is slowly beginning to sketch out a plan to win these elections. One of the projects that has not only developmental but also political significance is the announced support program for former state farms (PGR) areas. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki spoke about this program in Bralin (Greater Poland Voivodeship). The program is to start this year. Neither the place nor the time of the announcement are accidental. According to our conversations, PiS wants to use this as an attempt to strengthen the bond between the electorate and the party in a strategically important region. Kaczyński's party also wants to establish a stronger presence in northwestern Poland with important government programs. New people have particularly voted for PiS in subsequent campaigns in the years 2018–2020 in this area – according to estimates from the ruling camp. Previously, these were regions where the opposition clearly dominated. As we hear, this is not the only such project that will be presented in the perspective of 2023 and PiS's fight for a third term.” https://www.rp.pl/Prawo-i-Sprawiedliwosc/309149914-Trzecia-kadencja-PiS-juz-planuje-jak-wygrac-kolejne-wybory.html -- THE LEFT RIGHTLY CRITICIZES THOSE WHO BELITTLE 500+ BENEFICIARIES; SOME OF THESE LIBERALS BORDER ON HYPOCRISY, JUST AS WHEN PO LIMITED THE 50% INCOME TAX DEDUCTION PRIVILEGE, THEY LOUDLY DECLARED THEY WOULD NEVER VOTE FOR PO AGAIN, MEANING THEY LINKED THEIR VOTE TO THEIR OWN INTEREST - DOMINIKA WIELOWIEYSKA IN GW: “The left rightly criticizes (in my opinion, not very wise) liberals who belittle 500+ beneficiaries and say they sold their votes for cash. Some of these liberals border on hypocrisy, because when PO limited the 50% income tax deduction privilege, they loudly declared they would never vote for PO again. Thus, they strictly linked their political choice to their own economic interest. So here I am on the side of the left, which calls for empathy and respect for those PiS voters who like the 500+ program.” -- THIS IS THE RESULT WHEN MARGOT BECOMES THE FACE OF THE MOVEMENT FOR LGBT RIGHTS - WIELOWIEYSKA CONTINUES: “The average PiS voter, and not only them, combines this information and thinks: in that case, do they want to adopt children? And becomes a fervent soldier of Zbigniew Ziobro's culture war – as Agnieszka Bielik-Robson wrote. This is the real consequence of Margot becoming the face of the entire movement for LGBT rights.” -- POLES WILL ELECT DEPUTIES WHO WILL VOTE FOR CIVIL UNIONS IF THE MOST HOMOPHOBIC ENVIRONMENTS PATRONIZED BY ZIOBRO ARE MOBILIZED - WIELOWIEYSKA'S CONCLUSION: “At the same time, I do not ignore the fact that it is impossible to pass laws, even on civil unions, if Poles do not elect deputies to the Sejm who are ready to vote for such a law. Poles will elect such deputies if we convince them how important LGBT rights are and if we mobilize the most homophobic environments patronized by Ziobro. This is how it works in practice in a democratic, modern state.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,26297575,lewica-nie-ma-racji-elektoratu-pis-u-nie-da-sie-latwo-podzielic.html -- WE ATTRACTED THE YOUNG GENERATION, WE SHOULD WORK IN A MODE SIMILAR TO AN ELECTION CAMPAIGN - AGNIESZKA POMASKA IN CONVERSATION WITH TOMASZ SAWCZUK IN KULTURA LIBERALNA: “I worked on various election campaigns since 2001 and I must say that perhaps there has never been a situation where we did not win the election, but felt that in some sense we had won. Our candidate did not become president, but positive energy was unleashed in people. A lot of people who were not previously politically involved, especially young people, gathered around Rafał Trzaskowski. This was the biggest positive surprise. With a positive and active campaign, we attracted the young generation. This is certainly also a lesson for the Civic Coalition that political parties, including Platforma Obywatelska, should function on principles similar to an election campaign.” -- PREPARE NOT ONLY FOR THE CAMPAIGN IN 3 YEARS BUT ALSO FOR GOVERNING - POMASKA CONTINUES: “The Platforma Obywatelska think tank and its entire expert support should also be expanded. The formula of Civic Clubs, which were an element of Platforma's activities but also reached outwards – not only Platforma members attended meetings – needs strengthening. Professionalization of the party's functioning is also necessary. This is what we will focus on in the coming weeks. Ultimately, there is a clear goal. Preparation not only for the elections in three years, but also preparation for governing. This is the role of every political party – to win elections and, above all, to have cadres, as well as an idea of how to govern.” -- MANY PEOPLE EXPECT INVOLVEMENT FROM TRZASKOWSKI - POMASKA CONTINUES: “I agree that finding the right formula is not easy. But in the end, there is always the answer to the question of whether people want Rafał Trzaskowski to remain active in national politics, to engage young people, often minors, who came to meetings, to instill hope in them, to interest them in politics. I have no doubt that many people expect this from Rafał Trzaskowski.” -- TRZASKOWSKI HAS GONE BEYOND THE RIGID FRAMEWORK OF POLITICS - POMASKA CONTINUES: “The framework of Platforma's functioning also stems from the limitations that political parties have. A party can change, it even must, but it will always be limited by a certain formula. Rafał Trzaskowski has gone beyond the rigid framework of politics. I see a place for his activity alongside Platforma itself.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2020/09/15/rafal-trzaskowski-wyszedl-poza-sztywne-ramy-polityki/ -- KACZYŃSKI CONFUSES CAUSES WITH EFFECTS, IN IRELAND IT WAS NOT A CULTURAL OFFENSIVE BY THE LEFT, BUT THE SPECTACULAR SUICIDE OF THE CHURCH - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: “The problem is that the solutions proposed by the party leader will have the opposite effect. Kaczyński confuses causes with effects, saying that Ireland, a state that until recently was extremely Catholic, has become a 'Catholic desert with rampant LGBT ideology' due to losing a cultural war with the left. Ireland secularized so quickly not because of some offensive of the cultural left from nowhere, but because there was a spectacular suicide of the Church. Catholicism in Ireland was harmed more by shocking scandals revealing the mass scale of child sexual abuse, pervasive violence in educational institutions, the double lives of prominent clergy, etc., than by 'LGBT ideology'.” -- PIOC ACTIVISTS WITH A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE OR THE SPECTACULAR RE-WEDDING OF THE TVP PRESIDENT CAUSE MORE SCANDAL THAN LGBT PROVOCATIONS - SZUŁDRZYŃSKI CONTINUES: “The question is whether, for example, 'LGBT ideology' or the pace of life, lack of support for marriages in crisis, or the all-encompassing hypocrisy of PiS is a greater threat to the family today. Party activists with a history of violence or the spectacular re-wedding of the TVP president cause much greater scandal among Catholics than further provocations from LGBT circles. Because they come from within the nominally conservative camp. The same applies to the problem of pedophilia in the Church. But Kaczyński seems not to understand this and proposes remedies that will put Poland on the path to turbo-secularization in the Irish version. For those who value conservative values, this is fatal news.” https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/309149924-Szuldrzynski-Konserwatyzm-ktorego-nie-rozumie-Prezes.html -- IRELAND WAS NOT FLOODED BY A WAVE OF LGBT BUT BY PEDOPHILIA SCANDALS IN THE CHURCH - PAWEŁ WROŃSKI IN GW: “Presumably, the party leader knows that Ireland was not 'flooded by a wave of LGBT,' but the local Church fell into crisis due to pedophilia scandals. Similar to the Churches in the United States or recently in Chile. In Poland, there isn't a week when society doesn't learn about instances of perfidious and brutal harm to children of both sexes. For example, the recent case in Międzybrodzie Bialskie, where a well-known priest turned the parish into a harem. What does party leader Kaczyński have to say about this?” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,26298280,jaroslaw-polske-zbaw.html -- IN HOMOSEXUAL-INFESTED IRELAND, MORE CHILDREN ARE BORN THAN IN POLAND - MICHAŁ DANIELEWSKI IN OKO ON THE BASIS OF KACZYŃSKI'S ARGUMENTS: “In 2019, in homosexual-infested Ireland, as many as 12.7 children were born per 1,000 inhabitants, while in heterosexual Poland – 9.5. Therefore, if party leader Kaczyński is right that civil unions and marital equality determine a country's development or downfall, the data suggests that we should introduce them in Poland as soon as possible.” https://oko.press/kaczynski-straszy-irlandia-lgbt/ -- UNLIKE MANY COLLEAGUES, I BELIEVE THE CLIMATE PROBLEM IS NOT MADE UP - ZDZISŁAW KRASNODĘBSKI IN CONVERSATION WITH TOMASZ SAWCZUK IN KULTURA LIBERALNA: “I take that into account, of course. Unlike many colleagues, I believe that the climate problem is not made up. There are those, even in my faction, who come from the West, who think it's all humbug. They reject climate policy entirely. I believe we must remember that Europe accounts for 8 percent of global emissions. The question is: if we want to achieve these goals, how do we encourage India, China, and developing Africa to do so? They say everyone will follow our good example. I am very skeptical about this.” -- AFTER PIŚ GOVERNMENTS, BECAUSE IN EVERY DEMOCRACY POWER EVENTUALLY CHANGES, THE PHILOSOPHY OF THINKING ABOUT SOCIETY WILL REMAIN CHANGED: “Regarding the overall logic of governance, I think that if anything remains after the Law and Justice governments – something lasting, independent of who is currently in power, because in every democracy power eventually changes – it will be a change in the way of thinking about society. This is not just social policy and 500 plus. It was accompanied by a different idea of politics in the regions and about social cohesion.” -- WE HAVE COALITION GOVERNMENTS IN POLAND, ACCENTS ALSO SHIFTED IN THE CDU - KRASNODĘBSKI CONTINUES: “Sometimes we forget, and foreign observers and politicians completely overlook this circumstance, that we have had coalition governments in Poland since 2015. We all know that there are significant ideological or mental differences between Jarosław Gowin's party and Solidarna Polska. There are also differences of opinion within Law and Justice itself, which is quite natural. German parties have always had different wings. The CDU was described as Christian-democratic, liberal, but also conservative. Accents shifted.” -- INITIATIVE FOR A HARSHER FIGHT ON THE PART OF LGBT COMMUNITIES - KRASNODĘBSKI CONTINUES: “I don't know if it's an escalation. This thread already appeared during Andrzej Duda's presidential campaign. The President was once associated with Zbigniew Ziobro, but he now belongs more to the conciliatory and modernizing wing. And at the same time, like all of us, he is a conservative. The initiative to start a harsher fight is on the side of LGBT communities. These are very radical communities.” -- THE RADICALS FROM THE CDU LOST THE FIGHT, SOCIETY HAS CHANGED, IT'S NOT LIKE ZIOBRO IS DISCOVERING THE PROBLEM: “Cultural disputes are not unique to Poland – except perhaps that in many countries traditional and traditionalist communities have simply been defeated. I have many colleagues, founders of the AfD, who were truly not radicals, did not show 'fascist' tendencies. They were once simply the right wing of the CDU, part of the German political elite. They lost their fight, society changed. And here, the fight is still ongoing. It's not like Zbigniew Ziobro suddenly discovered the problem.” -- I RESPECT MY COLLEAGUES FROM THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE, BUT I GENUINELY DON'T FEEL THERE HAS BEEN AN IMPROVEMENT IN QUALITY IN THE JUDICIARY - KRASNODĘBSKI CONTINUES IN CONVERSATION WITH SAWCZUK: “The point is not to replace the current compliant, politicized, ideologized judges with 'ours.' The issue is the efficiency of the courts, and we will evaluate this reform based on that. Has efficiency increased recently? I have doubts about that. (...) I respect my colleagues from the Ministry of Justice, but I genuinely do not feel there has been an improvement in quality in this regard. Although perhaps this is my ignorance.” -- DOES ANYONE KNOW OF A CASE OF A RULING ISSUED IN RECENT YEARS UNDER POLITICAL DIRECTION - KRASNODĘBSKI CONTINUES IN KL: “Often during discussions with colleagues from abroad in their media, especially German ones, I ask them only one question: 'Can you give an example of an outrageous, biased ruling that flagrantly and egregiously violated human rights, issued in the last five years under political direction?' I would like to ask you the same question.” -- COMPARISONS TO TURKEY AND BELARUS SHOULD PROMPT EVERYONE TO PROTEST; AFTER ALL, THE RULING IN THE BOŃEK CASE IS AN EXAMPLE OF A SWING IN THE OTHER DIRECTION - KRASNODĘBSKI CONTINUES: “I think that comparing Poland to Belarus and Turkey is what should prompt every Pole and patriot, regardless of their views, to protest very seriously. Such things do not happen in Poland. I can cite the ruling in the Zbigniew Bońek case as an example of a swing in the other direction. And we could multiply such examples, where courts issue controversial rulings.” -- IF THAT HAPPENS, I WILL PROTEST TOGETHER WITH KULTURA LIBERALNA - KRASNODĘBSKI TELLS SAWCZUK: “But you already announced in 2015 that a one-person dictatorship reigns in Poland. And there are still no examples of it. If in 20 years all courts are subordinate to one party and you can provide the examples I'm asking for, then we'll agree that I will demonstrate against it together with 'Kultura Liberalna'.” -- WE SHOULD CHANGE THE MEDIA LAW, REALIZING THAT IT WILL BE CONTROVERSIAL AND CAUSE TENSION - KRASNODĘBSKI STILL IN KULTURA LIBERALNA: “I believe there should be a change. I don't know if it will happen, but it should. An anomaly in Poland is the far-reaching participation of foreign capital in the media. I believe that what 'Fakt' did during the presidential campaign is outrageous. We should make a change, realizing that it will be controversial and cause tension. (...) You were the one who said Orlen would buy a newspaper. We know the recent fate of 'Rzeczpospolita.' I wrote for that newspaper for 12 years. I don't think the quality of that newspaper has improved as a result of the transformations so far. Perhaps now there is a chance for that.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2020/09/15/porownywanie-polski-do-krajow-autorytarnych-to-absurd/ -- TOMASZ BIELECKI ON HUNGARY'S THREAT TO THE EU - writes in Polityka: “The problem is that the summit's conclusions are a political commitment of the 27 EU countries, but they do not have legally binding force. The decision on the finances from the EU budget and the Recovery Fund, set at the July summit, still requires formalization through the unanimous consent of the ministers in the Council of EU (and the consent of the European Parliament), as well as – regarding contributions and financial guarantees for the Recovery Fund – ratification by all 27 countries, most of which require the consent of their national parliaments (this is the case, among others, in Poland and Hungary). Budapest has already warned that it intends to wait with the approval of its guarantees for the Recovery Fund until the rule of law regulation is finalized. This means it will try to force a dilution of the 'money for the rule of law' principle through blackmail. Poland has not used such a threat in Brussels so far, but it is cheering on Hungary.” https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/swiat/1971310,1,kolejne-czerwone-linie-przekroczone-debata-o-polsce-w-brukseli.read? -- BIRTHDAYS: Marcin Mastalerek, Grzegorz Osiecki, Dorota Macieja, Tomasz Jastrun, Magda Żakowska, Adam Giersz, Janusz Krasoń, and: Prince Harry and the author of Stan Gry.