-- 80 DAYS TO THE END OF THE YEAR. -- FRENCH REINSTATE THE WEIMAR TRIANGLE - JĘDRZEJ BIELECKI IN RZ: “The talks on Thursday are intended to be a prelude to a summit of the leaders of Poland, Germany, and France. We will have to wait even longer for a meeting in this top-level format: since spring 2013. Emmanuel Macron wanted to organize it on July 14th in Paris. On that day, Poland was to be the guest of honor at the parade on the Champs-Élysées, Andrzej Duda was to walk alongside the French leader along the most famous avenue in the world, and then participate in consultations also with Chancellor Angela Merkel. The plans were thwarted by the pandemic. But the French are not giving up. – We want to organize the summit as soon as possible next year. We are looking for a symbolic date, a symbolic place worthy of this event – sources in Paris tell „Rzeczpospolita”. The Weimar Triangle was initiated in 1991 by the then head of German diplomacy, Hans-Dietrich Genscher. Thus, 2021 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of this format.” -- PARIS HAS ACCEPTED THE NEW ROLE OF CENTRAL EUROPE - CONTINUES BIELECKI IN RZ: “This line is continued by Paris. Even more so, as the re-election of Andrzej Duda showed that PiS will remain in power longer. Last week, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian went to Bratislava for the Globsec forum to meet with his counterparts from the Visegrád Group (the sick minister Rau was represented by Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk) – a signal that Paris has accepted the new role of Central Europe. At the same time, Head of the National Security Bureau Paweł Soloch received the Director General of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Philippe Errera.” -- MACRON NEEDS SUCCESS IN THE EU - BIELECKI'S CONCLUSION IN RZ: “Macron also wants to create conditions for the success of France's presidency of the Union in the first half of 2022. This is a crucial moment for the president, who will be running for re-election in May. Given the country's difficult economic situation and high unemployment, the president, who according to „Le Figaro” can count on the favor of only 32% of his compatriots, will desperately need foreign policy successes then. Even at the cost of reconciliation with the disliked authorities in Warsaw.” https://www.rp.pl/Polityka/310119971-Trojkat-Weimarski-reaktywacja.html -- ABW AND IPN RECOVERED SECRET SB DOCUMENTS FROM A FORMER HIGH-RANKING OFFICER: “IPN prosecutors recovered over 100 secret SB documents from the years 1970-90, which were illegally held by a former PRL intelligence officer. Among the recovered materials – in a joint operation with ABW – are documents concerning PRL agents outside Poland and SB activities during martial law.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/521549-akcja-ipn-i-abw-odzyskano-ponad-100-tajnych-dokumentow -- DWORCZYK ON THE STATE OF CATASTROPHE: NOTHING CAN BE RULED OUT, BUT WE ARE NOT CONSIDERING IT, KRASKA ON THE BOTTLENECK WITH MEDICAL PERSONNEL AND YEARS OF NEGLECT - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/10/12 -- THE DDM RULE SHOULD BE DRESSED IN STRONG REGULATIONS AND TRANSFORMED FROM CIVIL CAPRICE INTO CIVIL DUTY - JAN ROKITA on wPolityce: “Dangerous powerlessness. 'Restrictions may provoke rebellion or at least widespread civil disobedience.' There is no one in Poland who advocates for closing factories, transport, and schools again. But there are no economic contraindications to dressing the DDM rule (distance, disinfection, mask) promoted by politicians and doctors in strong regulations and transforming it from civil caprice into civil duty.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/521530-niebezpieczna-bezsilnosc-zmarnowany-kapital-zaufania -- STATE OF CATASTROPHE AS A BLACK SCENARIO - TOMASZ ŻÓŁCIAK AND GRZEGORZ OSIECKI in DGP: “The capacity of the healthcare system and the mobilization of medical staff are the biggest challenges for the government. The introduction of a state of natural disaster is being considered. – A state of emergency? It may be announced this week, maybe in two to three weeks, or not at all – admits a DGP interlocutor from the government. Something that PiS has avoided like the plague so far is now being treated as a real scenario. – The criterion will be a large number of cases that will threaten the capacity of the healthcare system – confirms another of our interlocutors.” -- DGP ON FIELD HOSPITALS: “Last week, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki did not rule out the introduction of a state of emergency. Provided that 'the situation continues to escalate.' Although our interlocutors clearly emphasize that this is currently one of the possibilities being considered, not a planned scenario. Furthermore, our findings indicate that creating field hospitals, for example in hostels or dormitories, is also being initially considered.” https://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/wydarzenia/artykuly/7845829,koronawirus-covid-19-rzad-stan-kleski-zywiolowej-premier-ministrowie.html -- ANTI-COVID ACTIVISTS ARE LIKE PACIFISTS ALLIED WITH THE USSR - PIOTR LISIEWICZ in GPC: “Anti-COVID activists are reminiscent of pacifists protesting against the Vietnam War. In their own micro-world of the noble, because killing is bad, on a macro scale – allies of the Soviets. The shouts in the micro-worlds of anti-COVID activists about some new contradiction they've discovered in officials' decisions are pathetic. And the inability to connect facts – what is the psychological significance of masks, how a harmless trip to the Tatras connects with the harmful overcrowding of Krupówki. And that now the fight is to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. Whoever has no idea about macro-scale management should wear not a muzzle, but a gag! And without illusions: just as in the 1960s, so here Moscow is watching. The protests are coordinated by a pro-Russian, therefore anti-Polish, group. Between the two, there is always an equal sign.” https://niezalezna.pl/357120-antycovidowcy-jak-pacyfisci -- WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A GAMBLER IN POLITICS - JAN ROKITA ON THE PRACTICE OF STATING COUNTRIES IN THE FACE OF THE CORONACRISIS - WRITES IN TEOLOGIA POLITYCZNA: “The issue probably lies in deciding what it truly means to be a gambler in politics. Are you one only when you engage in insane gambling surrounded by prudent players, wanting to beat them and thus prove the senselessness of their rational adherence to principles? This is what Southern Mediterranean countries have been doing in the Union for years, and the current crisis is nothing new here. But what happens when a gambler enters a political casino where only gamblers are seated? What then becomes of political prudence? An attempt to stick to principles against the whole deranged world? Or perhaps rather a wave of the hand at principles and a leap into gambling, since among gamblers, a cautious understudy is doomed to lose from the start.” -- IF SUCH A PLAN AS THE CURRENT ONE HAD BEEN REVEALED IN THE 90S, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED AS "FINIS POLONIAE" - CONTINUES ROKITA: “If a similar government plan had been revealed in the 1990s, or even in the previous decade, it would have been loudly announced as 'finis Poloniae.' Economists would have cried out in unison, regardless of their scientific orientation. The media would have wept over the fate that befell our country. And Europe, the International Monetary Fund, and global financiers would have rumbled so loudly that panic would have erupted in Poland about what would happen to us next... That the government would have had to fall overnight – that is just a simple consequence of everything that would have happened. And please do not imagine that this description of events, which (thank God) never occurred, contains any feuilletonistic exaggeration or intellectual exaltation. I know what I'm talking about, because not only did I live through those times, but I was also actively involved in politics back then.” -- OTHERS BEHAVE EVEN WORSE REGARDING DEBT, AND EVEN BERLIN HAS ANNOUNCED AT LEAST PARTIAL CAPITULATION - CONTINUES ROKITA: “Here, of course, it must be added that the impunity of the Polish government's actions stems from its external environment. Simply put, others behave even worse in this regard, and even Berlin, after years of struggle, has agreed to joint European debt, announcing at least partial capitulation. And the budgetary extravagance of the Mediterranean South, which has always hated the Teutonic idea of financial discipline, has exceeded all human comprehension. Relative to national income, France's debt will reach 110% this year, Spain's 115%, and Italy's 160%. It is worth remembering that the legal rules of the Maastricht Treaty, which are still theoretically in force in the Union, allow for a safe maximum of 60%. In principle, this one case should settle for a moderately prudent person the question of what the so-called 'European law' and all the tribunals guarding it are truly worth. But this is a digression, we are not talking about that now.” -- POLAND MAKES AN IMPRESSION OF PRUDENT SAVINGS WORLDWIDE - CONTINUES ROKITA: “For us, it is important that in such a European context, Poland adding only one virtual budget every two years makes an impression of prudent savings worldwide. This is precisely where the wall of misunderstanding surrounding the old Professor Balcerowicz, who is Don Quixotically fighting for his former principles, comes from. As well as external expressions of approval for the state of Polish finances coming from international financial institutions, or so-called 'rating agencies,' which consistently give Poland excellent business ratings.” https://teologiapolityczna.pl/jan-rokita-przypowiastka-o-politycznym-hazardziscie-felieton -- THE PRIME MINISTER WILL REDEEM HIS MISTAKES IF HE CAN GUIDE POLAND THROUGH THE CRISIS, HISTORY IS SAYING TO HIM: I'M CHECKING - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI in RZ: “A fundamental question arises: will the prime minister merely observe how other countries are dealing with the second wave, or will he devise a way to build a dam that, if it doesn't stop the wave, will significantly slow it down without ruining the economy? The prime minister faces a huge challenge. The summer period will certainly weigh on him, a period that the state could have used better to prepare, but first it was preoccupied with concocting further electoral promises to help Andrzej Duda, and then various ministries fell into a slumber because their heads did not know if they would be 'reconstructed.' His statements about the end of the pandemic, that there is no need to be afraid anymore, will also weigh on him. But if the prime minister can guide us through this crisis, he will redeem these and other mistakes. It seems that it is precisely to him that history is saying today: I'm checking. And it is in all our interests that Mateusz Morawiecki can pass this exam successfully.” https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/310119967-Szuldrzynski-Historia-mowi-dzis-sprawdzam.html -- THE GOVERNMENT ONLY DEMOBILIZED - ZUZANNA DĄBROWSKA in RZ: “For seven months, doctors, epidemiologists, and virologists have been repeating to us ad nauseam that the second wave of the pandemic will come in the autumn. The government did nothing in this regard, apart from undertaking broad demobilizing actions. And today, it is clearly surprised that the coronavirus has re-entered our lives with force. It's as if someone convinced fans that no one would pass anymore because the race was over, and then ran away screaming at the sight of speeding cyclists.” https://www.rp.pl/Analizy/310119938-Dabrowska-Polski-tour-de-koronawirus.html -- GRODZKI ALLOWS VOICES TO THOSE ACCUSED OF ANIMAL CRUELTY, WE ARE PREPARING A SERIES OF AMENDMENTS, INCLUDING EXTENDING THE VACATIO LEGIS - MICHAŁ MOSKAL on TV REPUBLIKA: “In the context of the bill's proceedings in the Sejm – the way Marshal Grodzki organizes discussions around this bill is scandalous. He allows voices to those accused of animal cruelty. (…) We are preparing a series of amendments – for example, on compensation, technical and legislative issues, numbering, the issue of ritual slaughter, there will be an extension of the vacatio legis.” -- MOSKAL ON ARDANOWSKI: “Ardanowski, as a member of PiS, was suspended due to his actions. There was a fundamental inconsistency in his actions, but Ardanowski also clearly didn't do his homework; he didn't read the provisions of the law we are proposing.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/521521-moskal-ardanowski-nie-odrobil-pracy-domowej -- WOJTEK THE BEAR FROM ANDERS' ARMY IS HARMFUL HUMANIZATION? - JACEK LIZINIEWICZ in NIEZALEZNA: “When someone talks about harmful humanization, it reminds me of the story of Wojtek the Bear. This brave animal was with Anders' soldiers at the front and developed a special bond with Poland. This is perfectly shown in Maria Dłużewska's film 'A Beer for the Bear!'. I am moved every time by the scene where the soldiers recount how they visited Wojtek in the zoo in Edinburgh after the war. How after years they jumped over the fence to treat the bear to a cigarette and wrestle with their old pal. According to witnesses, Wojtek's ears would perk up whenever he heard Polish among the crowd. Did Anders' soldiers let themselves be blinded by Marxism? Did Corporal Wojtek fight for Hitler? I don't think so. It's just that some people, in defense of their business, are willing to do anything. Even to tarnish what is noble.” https://niezalezna.pl/357075-czy-mis-wojtek-walczyl-za-hitlera -- ATTACKS ON CZARNEK ARE A TEST OF WHETHER THE UNITED RIGHT IS STILL AUTONOMOUS AND CAPABLE OF DEFENDING ITS PERSONNEL CHOICES AND WHETHER IT IS RESISTANT TO MEDIA MANIPULATIONS - MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI: “But the attacks on Professor Czarnek are a test of whether the United Right is still autonomous, whether it can still defend its personnel choices, whether it is resistant to media manipulations. The pilgrimages of United Right politicians in recent months to media outlets most hostile to this formation, engaging in internal factional squabbles there and financing these media to an incredible extent, may have created the impression for some that this is already a different stage.” -- IN THE HOPE THAT THE LIE WILL STICK, ACCORDING TO THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE OF III RP MEDIA - KARNOWSKI ON ACCUSATIONS AGAINST CZARNEK: “In a short time since his appointment, he has already become an advocate of beating children (nonsense, he quoted various views), a Holocaust denier (nonsense, he protested against 'artistic' work attempting to attribute responsibility for a German state crime to Poles), and also a spreader of the virus in hospitals (nonsense, not enough time has passed for such a course of events). There isn't an hour that one of the tabloid portals or one of the numerous German media for Poles doesn't add fuel to the fire. All in the hope that one of the lies will stick, all according to the fundamental principle of III RP media: strength and scale of attack decide, not truth.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/521374-ataki-na-profesora-czarnka-to-test-dla-zjednoczonej-prawicy -- BORISSOV REALIZED THAT LOYALTY TO EUROPEAN LEADERS ENSURES HIM IMPUNITY - LEADER OF THE BULGARIAN OPPOSITION CHRISTO IVANOV IN AN INTERVIEW WITH MAGDALENA CEDRO in DGP: “To be honest, I didn't have high expectations. I saw how Borissov built strong support among the leaders of the European People's Party (EPP) over the years. This is a completely different situation than with Kaczyński and Orban. They, unlike Borissov, have ideology. Both question European elites, and although I disagree with their views, their electorate supports them. Borissov, on the other hand, has no views; he simply realized that loyalty to European leaders ensures him impunity in the EU. That is why he secretly engages in corrupt practices, while outwardly manifesting artificial pro-Europeanism. Even before Kaczyński and Orban came to power, he dismantled the judiciary and restricted media freedom. However, he managed to hide all this under the rug because he had good relations with Merkel. I am convinced that Borissov is worse than what you have in Poland and what is happening in Hungary. European institutions and elites, however, are slowly starting to open their eyes to the situation in Bulgaria, as evidenced by the resolution adopted in the European Parliament. This is happening perhaps much slower than Bulgarians expected, but we are hearing positive signals.” -- I WAS EMBARRASSED BY TUSK'S BEHAVIOR - CONTINUES THE LEADER OF THE BULGARIAN OPPOSITION ON TUSK'S AND THE EPP'S CONDUCT: “I have great respect for Mr. Tusk, and I must say I was embarrassed. Someone who comes from Poland, from Central Europe, knows well how difficult it is to fight populism, corruption, a new form of authoritarianism, and Russian influence. To keep Borissov in his team and retain his votes in the European Parliament, he met with him and said things that – I am convinced – he knows are not true. He is aware that Bulgaria has not progressed in any positive sense; at best, it has begun to regress. Since joining the EU, Romania's GDP has grown by 14 percentage points more than Bulgaria's. Bulgaria remains the poorest and most corrupt country in the EU. It's a shame, simply a shame!” https://wiadomosci.dziennik.pl/polityka/artykuly/7845825,donald-tusk-christo-iwanow-bulgaria-opozycja-protesty.html -- RAFAŁ WOŚ ON THE ERA OF COPPER - writes in DGP: “Reorienting economies towards green technologies, shifting the automotive industry to electric cars, developing 5G networks, and the associated growth of the big data and artificial intelligence sectors. All these processes have one common denominator. It is a metal of a characteristic red color. Copper. A crucial raw material for the development of new technologies. The authors of the report recall that the copper boom has been ongoing for decades. This is partly because the latest solar panels and wind turbines require a dozen or so times more copper than previous generations. Electric motors use four times more of the red metal than internal combustion engines. Even before the outbreak of the pandemic, demand for copper was growing rapidly. And now it will increase even further, as this element finds many applications in the medical sector, which has become a key industry for the entire economy.” https://serwisy.gazetaprawna.pl/nowe-technologie/artykuly/1492982,nadchodzi-era-miedzi.html -- THE POPE ANGERED EVERYONE - PIOTR TRUDNOWSKI in KLUB JAGIELLOŃSKI: “Pope Francis, with his new encyclical titled Fratelli tutti (On Fraternity and Social Friendship), angered everyone. Firstly, he angered the right wing by reminding us that our attitude towards immigrants is largely a measure of our Christianity. Secondly, the Pope also alienated free-marketeers by stating that private property is, of course, important, but it is only a secondary right to the so-called common destination of goods. Thirdly, many people on the left may react with irritation to Francis's statement that the argument of exclusion and minorities is often cynically used today to achieve a political goal.” -- FRANCIS REPEATEDLY REFERENCES THE TEACHING OF JOHN PAUL II - CONTINUES TRUDNOWSKI: “Right-wing commentators criticize the Pope's new encyclical. The emotion that Francis is breaking with the teaching of John Paul II often appears. The Polish Pope stated directly that the market is good, and here, they argue, comes some communist from South America and will offer us some socialist propaganda. It seems to me that all of this is a great oversimplification […] Pope Francis repeatedly quotes John Paul II, commenting in a similar vein on many problems of the contemporary world that JPII also dealt with.” https://klubjagiellonski.pl/2020/10/10/franciszek-to-nie-komunista-chcacy-zniszczyc-dorobek-jana-pawla-ii-video/ -- BIRTHDAYS: Piotr Legutko, Cezary Olejniczak, Robert Wardzała.