-- CIVIC COALITION SUBMITS PROJECT TO DISCIPLINE THE GOVERNMENT, DWORCZYK ON TEMPORARY HOSPITAL READINESS BY END OF WEEK, ULTIMATELY 1000 BEDS - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/10/19/ -- MORAWIECKI YIELDED TO GOWIN, NO CONTRIBUTION FEE FOR "WORK FOR HIRE" CONTRACTS - LESZEK KOSTRZEWSKI IN GW: "Morawiecki has finally yielded to Gowin. The concession is to discard the idea of contribution fees for 'work for hire' contracts. However, the Prime Minister does not intend to withdraw from the provisions in one of the anti-crisis shields stipulating that from January 2021, employers will have to register 'work for hire' contracts with ZUS (Social Insurance Institution). This is intended to allow ZUS officials greater control in companies and to check whether there were grounds for signing such contracts. If not, the entrepreneur will have to pay back contributions." -- GOWIN WILL NOT YIELD TO SOLIDARNOŚĆ, NEGOTIATING WITH OPZZ - KOSTRZEWSKI CONTINUES: "Gowin does not intend to yield to Solidarność. Instead, he wants to align more closely with another trade union confederation - OPZZ. And to gain its support for the changes being introduced. As early as next Wednesday, representatives of the Ministry of Development, Labour and Technology are scheduled to meet with a delegation from OPZZ to discuss the details of changes in labor law, including civil law contracts. The alliance may work because OPZZ, unlike Solidarność, is willing to compromise here." https://wyborcza.biz/biznes/7,159911,26410421,tylko-u-nas-zmiany-w-oskladkowaniu-umow-zlecen-porozumienie.html -- GOVERNMENT IS SETTING UP THE FIRST FIELD HOSPITAL - SYLWESTER RUSZKIEWICZ IN WP: "The hospital will initially have 500 beds. Ultimately, significantly more. The installation of the first beds began on Saturday. KPRM (Chancellery of the Prime Minister) chief Michał Dworczyk is responsible for the hospital's construction. - This is part of our strategy. When stationary hospitals start running out of beds, field hospitals will be activated. The Material Reserves Agency has over 80,000 beds. These will be successively transferred to newly opened field hospitals - a person from the Prime Minister's Chancellery told WP. A decision on building more field hospitals is expected in the coming days. Unofficially - they will be launched in several voivodeships, including Małopolska." https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/koronawirus-rzad-buduje-szpital-polowy-bedzie-gotowy-w-tym-tygodniu-6566078552156832a -- GOVERNMENT IS HIDING INDOLENCE BUT DESERVES TIME, LET'S WAIT A FEW WEEKS - ANDRZEJ STANKIEWICZ IN ONEȚ: "Yes, it's obvious that the government is reacting nervously and introducing drastic restrictions, trying to fix its mistakes and hide its indolence. After all, the authorities have not prepared any plan for half a year in case the situation deteriorates. In the summer, PiS politicians were reconstructing the government, breaking up the coalition, and then patching it up – that's what consumed them. But realizing this, I believe the government deserves time. The current high rates of detected infections are a reflection of a dozen or so days ago, when infections were occurring – there were no restrictions then, and the coronavirus was raging. So, let's wait another dozen or so days before criticizing the new rules, to see if what the government is doing brings relief or not. In this matter, we should all keep our fingers crossed for Mateusz Morawiecki's cabinet. There is no other force that can protect us from COVID-19 until a vaccine or cure is invented. If the prime minister and his team fail, PiS may pay for it politically. But we and our loved ones will pay with our health and lives." https://wiadomosci.onet.pl/tylko-w-onecie/newsletter-onetu-andrzej-stankiewicz-dajmy-rzadowi-troche-czasu/xd5xgpb -- FORGET THE STALE GIERTYCH AFFAIRES, HISTORY WILL JUDGE YOU, AND IT MAY BE A DRAMATIC JUDGMENT - BOGUSŁAW CHRABOTA IN RZ: "I truly don't know what the rulers of Poland have in mind. Do they think seriously about the upcoming 'criterion for state survival'? Or are they still playing politics? I believe most of them are serious people. So, to them I say: get to work bravely. Forget the stale affairs with Giertych at the center and fight the pandemic. History will judge you. And soon. And it may be a dramatic judgment." https://www.rp.pl/Komentarze/201019371-Boguslaw-Chrabota-Historia-rozliczy-was-z-pandemii.html -- PIS NO LONGER APPLAUDS MEDICAL PERSONNEL - JACEK NIZINKIEWICZ IN RZ: "PiS no longer applauds medical personnel. It attacks the 'heroes in white' for a lack of commitment in the fight against coronavirus and blames them for the authorities' negligence." https://www.rp.pl/Analizy/201019368-Jacek-Nizinkiewicz-Jesienna-fala-pandemii-zaskoczyla-rzadzacych.html -- GOVERNMENT IS FIGHTING INFORMATION ANARCHY IT HAS FALLEN INTO - ZUZANNA DĄBROWSKA IN RZ: "And this is just a tiny fragment of this propagandistic mess. One only needs to recall Jarosław Kaczyński's behavior during the government's swearing-in ceremony. And the lack of voice from President Andrzej Duda, who cannot tell the public anything about the pandemic. All of this has consequences: irresponsible behavior of citizens, but also – gradually – weaker ratings for the government. And the government sees this. Thus, a decision was made at the end of the week to introduce discipline: a narrow group of people from the very top is to speak about the pandemic. This is intended to prevent information anarchy." https://www.rp.pl/Analizy/201019364-Zuzanna-Dabrowska-Premier-zastepuje-rzecznika-rzadu.html -- THE COURT IS PUSHING AGGRESSORS TOWARDS THE NEXT STEP - JACEK KARNOWSKI ON THE KRAUZE SON CASE: "Growing tolerance is evident. I will ask the courts directly: is the goal for someone to be killed? Those who decided that a brutal beating of a journalist performing his duties does not even warrant pre-trial detention must be aware that they are pushing the aggressors to the next step. This may not be a distant prospect. Many powerful circles are capable of doing a great deal to silence, to intimidate the institution that ensures pluralism in the sea of III RP propaganda." -- IN GDAŃSK, A SCENE LIKE FROM MARIO PUZO'S MAFIA STORIES - KARNOWSKI CONTINUES: "At one time, representatives of the Gdańsk establishment took offense at the use of the term 'little Sicily' to describe the pathological arrangements in Gdańsk. Today, however, we have a scene straight out of Mario Puzo's novel: the son of a businessman, known as the 'Prince of the Tricity,' brutally attacks a journalist, consciously uses full physical force, the police sluggishly search for the perpetrator, and when they find him, the court settles for safeguards more suited to someone suspected of stealing a bicycle." https://wpolityce.pl/spoleczenstwo/522496-czy-sadom-chodzi-o-to-by-wreszcie-ktos-z-tvp-zginal -- TO AVOID THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO IS IN OUR HANDS - MICHAŁ RACHOŃ IN NIEZALEŻNA: "An inevitable consequence of this state of affairs will not only be a reduction in the capacity to care for other patients suffering from other illnesses, but also a gradual decline in our economic parameters. This must result in increased unemployment or the collapse of enterprises. Preventing such a scenario is solely in our hands. Politicians will not put on masks for us, they will not change our way of thinking and behavior in everyday situations. It is precisely in moments of threat, such as this, that our social maturity is tested, and whether we can once again bear one another's burdens. It is worth remembering this when you meet people who argue that boycotting masks is a sign of love for freedom. It is not. It is an example of irresponsibility. Or simply selfishness, stupidity, and disregard for the health and lives of others." https://m.niezalezna.pl/358519-maseczki-nosmy-jedni-brzemiona-drugich -- THERE WILL BE NO VIOLATION OF SUMMIT AGREEMENTS AND THE RULE OF LAW MUST BE LINKED TO EU FINANCIAL INTERESTS - ANNA SŁOJEWSKA IN RZ: "According to our information, Poland has not yet clearly defined its position. It supports Orbán but doesn't say exactly which provisions it objects to. The draft regulation is also criticized by countries friendly to the rule of law, as well as MEPs who, in turn, want stricter provisions, i.e., taking away money for mere breaches of the rule of law and a much easier procedure for deciding on sanctions (the so-called reverse majority). EP negotiators promise to hurry and are ready to find a compromise by the end of October. It will likely be a bit closer to their expectations than the current version, but it will certainly not be a violation of the July summit agreements. Therefore, breaches of the rule of law must be linked to EU financial interests, and voting must be by majority." https://www.rp.pl/Fundusze-Europejskie/310189948-Unijny-budzet-do-konca-miesiaca.html -- LOSS OF EVEN PART OF EU FUNDS WILL CAUSE A REACTION MUCH GREATER THAN FARMERS' PROTESTS - WITOLD GADOMSKI IN GW: "If Poland, as a result of Kaczyński's game, loses even part of the allocated EU funds, in the context of an increasingly severe epidemiological and economic crisis, it will cause a significant reaction from voters. I do not think that PiS politicians, who are currently scared of farmers representing a few percent of voters, will wait for the anger of Poles to erupt when we lose billions of euros." -- DAMAGE DIFFICULT TO REPAIR - GADOMSKI CONTINUES IN GW: "Unfortunately, an even worse scenario is possible if it turns out that the fear of the party leader's anger is stronger among PiS activists than the fear of voters' reaction. The damage that PiS governments have already done to Poland on the international stage is difficult to repair – we have lost our reputation as a stable and predictable country. If the majority of United Right politicians decide to participate with Kaczyński in this risky endeavor, there will be a crash that will permanently push Poland out of the group of Western civilized countries. In such a situation, the only way to maintain power in a country plunged into crisis will be further restrictions on democracy and freedom of speech." https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,26406645,kaczynski-pograzy-prawice-a-moze-i-cala-polske.html -- IN POLAND, THE SAME PHENOMENON AS IN THE USA TOWARDS TRUMP, BUT AMERICANS ARE LUCKY THAT IN THREE WEEKS THEY WILL BE ABLE TO CORRECT THEIR MISTAKE - RADOSŁAW SIKORSKI IN LIBERTE: "Until recently, colleagues from Donald Trump's party were seeking the president's favor, hoping for campaign assistance. Today, Trump seems to be an increasing burden for his party. And former allies prefer to distance themselves from the president – both literally and figuratively. Not for the first time, the promises of populists clash with reality, and it is reality that emerges victorious from the collision. We are observing the same phenomenon in Poland today. However, Americans are fortunate that in less than three weeks they will be able to correct their mistake." https://liberte.pl/trump-ma-powazne-problemy/ -- JOE BIDEN WILL NOT ABANDON POLAND - JĘDRZEJ BIELECKI IN RZ: "We have so far bet on Trump. However, his defeat is very real. For our country, this will not change much. After Brexit, Poland plays an even greater role for us in the Union – Americans point out. The Democrat does want to bring about the US rejoining the Paris Agreement on climate, which is an inconvenient topic for Warsaw. He also intends to rebuild the nuclear deal with Iran, which will nullify the capital that Poland has built on organizing a Middle East conference directed against Tehran. But Biden, a devout Catholic (John Paul II received him in audience four times), also wants to return to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which will strengthen Poland's well-developing economic cooperation with the USA." https://www.rp.pl/Dyplomacja/201019378-Joe-Biden-nie-porzuci-Polski.html -- THE GIERTYCH DEFENSE FRONT SHOWS THE INFLUENCE OF OLIGARCHS IN THE MEDIA - JOANNA LICHOCKA IN GPC: "The defense of Roman Giertych provides a good picture of the limits of the post-communist oligarchy's influence in the media. More voices are speaking out, headlines painting the image of a persecuted opposition lawyer and a supposed victim of PiS. Sometimes – partly due to the arrested individual himself, but also due to the invariably hysterical tone of journalists from 'Gazeta Wyborcza' or TVN – it takes on a cabaret dimension. It even seems that public opinion is watching this with curiosity not because it sympathizes with a lawyer accused of criminal offenses, but precisely because of the events resembling a farce: 'I wonder what other tricks they will pull to get out of this?' There was a defense 'à la Sawicka,' now there's 'à la Giertych.' Donald Tusk's family lawyer, a business partner of Ryszard K., and a defender of Leszek Czarnecki, he is one of the symbols of post-communist elites, a representative of their interests, and can count on them. 'Wyborcza,' TVN, PO and SLD politicians – the same cast of characters as always. These behaviors are governed by the same principle – demanding impunity, maintaining a position above the law. This is the foundation of the III RP system, and the entire anti-PiS movement, with its attempts to mobilize the streets and foreign powers, is precisely aimed at maintaining this." https://niezalezna.pl/358532-ten-sam-teatrzyk-wobronie-naszych -- IF ENTHUSIASM IS NOT VISIBLE DURING THE INAUGURATION, THERE'S NOTHING TO SUBSIDE HERE - DOMINIKA WIELOWIEYSKA IN GW: "Trzaskowski's problem is that if there's no enthusiasm visible during the inauguration, it's hard to expect it to appear later. Later, it's usually only worse because the wave of joy subsides. There's not even anything to subside here." -- IT MAY SUCCEED DESPITE A GLOOMY START - WIELOWIEYSKA'S CONCLUSION: "So perhaps it's good for the opposition that Trzaskowski is trying to build something new, free from the burdens that PO carries. Perhaps this will be the basis for opposition consensus, because much indicates that such a divided anti-PiS camp has little chance of defeating PiS in elections. And no one is gaining a significant advantage on this side of the barricade. Perhaps the Movement will attract young people, for whom it will be an opportunity for civic and political activity without the blockages that usually appear in ossified party apparatuses. The matter is open, and everything is in the hands of Trzaskowski and his local government allies, who even before the parliamentary elections wanted to create a similar movement under the auspices of Donald Tusk, but Tusk withdrew. Perhaps they will succeed under Trzaskowski's leadership despite a rather gloomy start." https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,26406873,smetny-start-trzaskowskiego-inauguracja-jego-ruchu-malo-kto.html -- PARALLEL STRUCTURES ARE TO ADDRESS THE SHORTCOMINGS OF PLATFORMY – TOMASZ SAWCZUK IN KULTURA LIBERALNA: "However, it seems to be the same kind of anti-politics, based on the idea that party politics can be fixed from the outside, without participating in it. Instead of strengthening Platformy's analytical capabilities and professionalizing the party, parallel structures are being built to address the original's shortcomings. Except the original doesn't get better because of it. Perhaps many people, especially on the opposition side, have a sentiment for politics where conflict disappears and everyone magically starts working together. However, the real goal of democratic politics should not be the elimination of conflict – democratic politics does not exist without pluralism, and therefore without conflict – but the creation of conditions for conflict that guarantee the protection of minority rights and the peaceful transfer of power between parties." -- PERHAPS A DECENT CIVIC INITIATIVE WILL EMERGE, LIKE THE LINCOLN PROJECT - SAWCZUK CONTINUES: "Therefore, one can say that if the promises of the new movement's leader are fulfilled, then based on Wspólna Polska (Common Poland), a decent civic initiative could emerge, perhaps in the style of the American Lincoln Project – an initiative of Republican opponents of Donald Trump, which criticizes the current US president's achievements in effective and well-funded campaign clips. For this to happen, Wspólna Polska would have to decide on a concrete and truly professionalized model of operation – not to deal with everything and nothing at the same time, both in politics and outside of politics. Then political parties will see it as less of a threat, which will result in better cooperation, and people involved in the project will know well what goals they are setting for themselves." https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2020/10/19/wspolna-polska-trzaskowski-nowa-solidarnosc-komentarz/ -- TRZASKOWSKI DID NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF IMMIGRANTS - JACEK KARNOWSKI: "A broad overview of problems, contexts, and grievances. But he did not mention one important issue, even though it coincided symbolically with the inauguration of his movement. I am referring to the murder in France, where Islamists cruelly murdered a history teacher who showed his students caricatures of Muhammad during a lesson. It is a shame that Trzaskowski did not address this particular event in any way. He should have, if only because during the PO-PSL governments he strongly supported the acceptance of Muslim immigrants. It was he who announced that our country would accept 5,000 refugees. Of course, these 5,000 would not have created problems like in France, but back then, in 2015, it was clear that this was just the beginning, that once the immigrant relocation channel was opened, it would not be closed. Perhaps Trzaskowski has changed his mind on this matter? Perhaps. But if so, it is worth telling Poles about it when creating a new movement. Especially if the crime in France reminds us that the consequences of a mistake in this area are painful. Otherwise, one can still suspect that the people of Platforma speak discreetly in silence about their most important goals and intentions – not only in the context of immigration policy." https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/522545-trzaskowski-zbyl-milczeniem-wazna-sprawe-a-nie-powinien -- 19 years ago, Leszek Miller became Prime Minister. -- BIRTHDAYS: Stanisław Gądecki, Beata Mazurek, Robert Lubański.