-- SUNDAY MARKS THE 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PARLIAMENTARY VICTORY OF PiS IN 2015. -- KRZYSZTOF PIESIEWICZ AND ROMUALD SZEREMIETIEW TURN 75 TOMORROW. -- KOSINIAK APPEALS TO THE PRIME MINISTER TO SUSPEND THE PUBLICATION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL TRIBUNAL'S RULING UNTIL THE END OF THE PANDEMIC AND TO CALL A REFERENDUM; AGAIN 13 THOUSAND INFECTIONS, THE PRESIDENT IS AMONG THE INFECTED, TRZASKOWSKI AT A DEMONSTRATION - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2020/10/24/ -- WOMEN ATTACK KACZYNSKI - SE'S FRONT PAGE. -- THE PRESIDENT'S INFECTION WAS DISCOVERED DURING ROUTINE TESTS AS HE HAD NO SYMPTOMS - ANDRZEJ STANKIEWICZ ON ONET: “Andrzej Duda has coronavirus. — It's not that the president had symptoms of the disease, yet he organized meetings and made visits, endangering others. Andrzej Duda had no idea he might be sick because he had no symptoms, explains a close associate of the president in an interview with Onet. — We tested the president before his trip to Ukraine, where he was from October 11-13. We conducted a routine test 3-4 days after his return. It was the same this time. We tested the president before his recent visit to Estonia, and now we did a test after his return — a close associate of the president tells us. — It's not that the president had symptoms of the disease, yet he organized meetings and made visits, endangering others. When the president met with Iga Świątek or visited the National Stadium, he had no idea he might be sick because he had no symptoms.” https://www.onet.pl/informacje/onetwiadomosci/koronawirus-prezydent-andrzej-duda-zakazony-covid-19/3ypeh61,79cfc278 -- NEW POLITICAL TENSIONS HAVE SHIFTED ELSEWHERE THAN THEY WERE IN 2015, TUSK IS LIKE A DINOSAUR TODAY - JAROSŁAW KUISZ IN AN INTERVIEW WITH PIOTR WITWICKI ON POLSAT NEWS: “Covid-19 has become a catalyst for certain processes. Most people haven't realized it yet, but new political tensions have shifted completely elsewhere than they were in 2015. Issues that were previously on the margins are now at the forefront of politics. This requires taking a stand on new matters. Citizens must ask themselves: 'Who represents me on this issue?' Politicians, on the other hand, must decide whether their old loyalties still hold, or if the new problem signifies a new political landscape. Let's give a concrete example. In 2020, some voters on the right are willing to discuss that animal rights should be respected. This was not a topic that united the United Right. The lines of division from 2015 are a thing of the past. Donald Tusk today gives the impression of a dinosaur.” -- THE WEAKNESS OF THE OPPOSITION IS A SEPARATE ISSUE, AS THE TOPIC IS LYING ON THE STREET - KUISZ CONTINUES: “We'll see for how long. Trust ratings for PiS politicians are falling. The weakness of the opposition is, of course, a separate issue, but the topic is lying on the street. A skillful politician would seize it, as new divisions are evident that could tear parties apart. I emphasize that the abolition of the abortion compromise is also a new topic. Bolesław Piecha said he was not happy about it. He is a PiS MP.” -- THE UNITED RIGHT WAS BUILT ON A PROGRAM THAT NO LONGER HAS ANYTHING IN COMMON WITH WHAT 2020 BRINGS - KUISZ CONTINUES: “And there is no program for such a situation. This virus, on top of that, disregards all political constructs. That's probably why the United Right has started to creak so much. It was built on a program that has nothing to do with the topics that the year 2020 brings. It is evident that new political divisions will be built on something different than before.” https://tygodnik.polsatnews.pl/news/2020-10-24/jaroslaw-kuisz-to-koniec-postkomunistycznego-liberalizmu/ -- LACK OF LEGAL BASIS FOR IMPOSING RESTRICTIONS ON GATHERINGS - EWA SIEDLECKA: “The fact that the Tribunal considered this case during a raging pandemic is probably not a coincidence. There is an ongoing discussion about whether its ruling is legal. But is the ban on gatherings legal? The ban is based on a regulation of the Council of Ministers 'on establishing specific restrictions, obligations, and prohibitions in connection with the occurrence of an epidemic state.' The regulation, in turn, is based on the act 'on preventing and combating infections and infectious diseases in humans.' Specifically, on a provision that allows for various restrictions to be imposed on individuals who are ill or suspected of being ill. Thus, the ban on gatherings is similar to the mask mandate: there is no legal basis for imposing these restrictions on everyone.” https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/kraj/1976328,1,zakaz-zgromadzen-powyzej-5-osob-czy-mozna-demonstrowac-ws-wyroku-tk.read -- LGBT IS THE NEW RELIGION OF WESTERN ELITES, LGBT RIGHTS HAVE BECOME A MEASURE OF BEING A WESTERN COUNTRY, POLISH CONSERVATIVES WILL BE UNDER GIGANTIC PRESSURE - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: “In this sense, the fight for the 'situation of LGBT communities' is becoming the new religion of Western elites. Do you want to join the West? Then join the fight for LGBT rights in Poland. Representatives of countries like Albania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Ukraine, and even Venezuela have understood this perfectly, signing a letter from ambassadors appealing for tolerance towards the LGBT community in Poland. This puts the conservative camp (truly conservative, not the traditionalist fanatics shouting about 'faggots' and 'Sodomites') in a difficult position. In recent years, 'LGBT rights' have become a measure of being a Western country. After the fight against colonialism, racism, and the fight for women's equality, the focus will now be on issues related to the fate of sexual minorities. Polish conservatives will therefore be under gigantic pressure. They will have to constantly explain that basing themselves on Christian values in social life does not necessarily mean hatred, homophobia, or discrimination.” https://www.rp.pl/Plus-Minus/310239992-Michal--Szuldrzynski-Nowa-wiara-w-LGBT.html?cid -- CARING FOR THE WEAK IS ALSO PRO-LIFE, THE COMPROMISE HAS CRUMBLED CYNICALLY - DURING THE PANDEMIC - SISTER MAŁGORZATA CHMIELEWSKA ON FB: “I am against the killing of unborn children, including disabled ones. As you know, I am raising a disabled adopted son myself. However, there are situations where the choice must be left to the conscience of the mother-parents. One cannot be forced into heroism. The fight for life must begin with supporting those who have to bear the burden of such a difficult life. Then the choice of life will be easier. The fate of disabled people and families with disabled children is indifferent to the majority of society and the rulers. The strike in the Sejm showed this. The silence of Church leaders, who should have long pointed to the evangelical path in politics - the weakest first! - also shows this. Heaps of hate comments under posts from people asking for help in treating their children: 'If you gave birth to a cripple, that's your problem.' This summarizes these hate comments. The Tribunal's ruling is not care, it's a political ploy. That's how I assess it. If the government changes, abortion will be on demand. Caring for the elderly, adult disabled people, children not only disabled but from difficult backgrounds, mentally ill, cancer patients - this is also pro-life activity. Here, as a state, we are failing. The fragile compromise has just crumbled. Cynically - during the pandemic. That's it in a nutshell. I am sad. Another war and divisions when the enemy - the virus - is sitting in our homes.” https://www.facebook.com/Chleb.Zycia/ -- PiS ARE LIKE CONMEN BUILDING A HOUSING ESTATE IN A FOREST BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC - PAWEŁ BRAVO IN TYGODNIK POWSZECHNY ONLINE: “Did Jarosław Kaczyński behave like one of those conmen who, using special regulations imposed by epidemic conditions, build a hotel on a forest plot under the pretext that it will be a quarantine facility? How does the elimination of the last vestiges of the abortion compromise from Polish legislation relate to the fight against the pandemic? Alongside the discussion of moral and legal arguments, alongside the question of whether the body that issued a ruling yesterday (incontrovertible, unless the Constitution is changed) is a legitimate tribunal, not an imitation established in violation of the law, alongside these fundamental questions and against the backdrop of a colossal wave of anger that does not engage in subtle analyses in its street manifestations – the question, seemingly only about political technology, arises: why now?” -- THIS IS WHAT THE POLISH VERSION OF ILLIBERAL DEMOCRACY CONSISTS OF - BRAVO CONTINUES: “In this sense, the seemingly technical question of timing becomes paramount – because the answer shows exactly what the Polish version of illiberal democracy consists of. And how dangerous the rule of one man ultimately proves to be, even if he can, at certain moments, be the architect of truly beneficial changes. Another political conclusion is that it will be harder to remain in a state of mental laziness, which until now allowed PiS to be called a de facto left-wing party. But these are considerations entirely secondary to the fact that it has been harder to be a woman in Poland since yesterday.” https://www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/to-nie-jest-przykrywka-165364 -- INSTEAD OF A SERIOUS CONVERSATION AND SOCIAL CONSENSUS ON HOW TO BUILD A SOCIETY WHERE SUCH BIRTHS CAN BE RISKS, THERE WILL BE TERROR AND THE ALLEGED TRIUMPH OF CATHOLIC TEACHING - ZUZANNA RADZIK IN TP: “Now, however, the nightmare in which our Polish 'abortion minimum' is being abolished will become a reality – with the imminent publication of the Constitutional Tribunal's ruling. This will be done without respect for and without listening to women, against public opinion, through coercion and political deception. Many of us will no longer risk trying to conceive a desired pregnancy due to the risks associated with age or genetic predispositions, from which there will be no escape. Instead of a serious conversation and social consensus on how to build a society where such births can be risked, there will be terror, coercion, and the alleged triumph of Catholic teaching.” https://www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/ciezary-ponad-miare-165367 -- BEING PRO-LIFE IS MORE THAN LEGAL PROHIBITIONS - KAROLINA OLEJAK AT THE JAGELLONIAN CLUB: “There are few topics as sensitive in public discussion as the one concerning changes to abortion law. This is because each of the three premises that previously allowed for it was an unequivocally dramatic situation. All possible arguments that both sides can make in defense of their positions have probably already been made in the debate. We can therefore either dig in our heels in well-known positions, or consider what can be done so that people facing such difficult decisions never make them based on external circumstances – such as their financial situation and social pressure.” -- HOŁOWNIA'S SENSIBLE POSTULATE - OLEJAK CONTINUES: “A sensible support in this situation was the postulate that appeared in Szymon Hołownia's election program. During the campaign, the presidential candidate proposed to regulate and increase access to personal assistant services for people with diagnosed disabilities. As part of support for parents who care for seriously ill family members, he also proposed respite care for individuals who give up paid employment to help their loved one. This should, according to the proposal, amount to at least 336 hours per year.” -- CLEANSING CONSCIENCES WITH THE TRIBUNAL'S RULING - OLEJAK CONTINUES: “Changing the law alone is not enough. If we are to seriously talk about acting pro-life, and not just cleanse our consciences with the Tribunal's ruling, we should thoroughly examine the reasons why women decide to have abortions. The discussion about changes in this matter is not just any dispute. At its center should always be the human being and their well-being. We should remember this in the coming days, which will undoubtedly be marked by painful discussions.” https://klubjagiellonski.pl/2020/10/23/bycie-pro-life-to-znacznie-wiecej-niz-prawne-zakazy/ -- THIS IS FURTHER TERRORIZING THE ENTIRE SOCIETY BY A SHRILL MINORITY - JACEK KARNOWSKI: “Not only on the issue of the sanctity of life, a shrill, vulgar minority – in essence, a small minority – is trying to terrorize the entire society. (...) It raises various banners depending on its needs, but it always acts to stun the rest, to silence them. Whether it's about the current verdict of the Tribunal, or about privileges for sexual minorities, or about state reforms. The techniques are known: aggression, provocations, contempt for Christianity, for tradition, for everything that is not revolution. They want to crush our foundations, they want to celebrate anti-values.” -- MARCH OF MILLIONS FOR LIFE AFTER THE PANDEMIC - KARNOWSKI CONTINUES: “We have a pandemic, demonstrations cannot and should not be organized, but preparations can be made. And organizations mentioned above should undertake them. They should prepare, for example, for May, when the threat will be smaller. They should do everything to show both Poland and the world that support for the sanctity of life is truly powerful in Poland. This is also to thank the courageous judges of the Tribunal. Ladies and gentlemen, this must be done. A march of a million for life. Or perhaps a march of millions. Since – as life defenders claimed – this was the most urgent of urgent matters, crucial, casting a shadow over the entire rule of the United Right, then we must not lack determination now.” https://wpolityce.pl/spoleczenstwo/523418-gdy-minie-pandemia-obroncy-zycia-musza-wyjsc-na-ulice -- TOMASZ TERLIKOWSKI - LEGISLATORS AND THE TRIBUNAL ARE STILL GOING IN THE SAME DIRECTION - he writes in Niezależna: “What happened in the Constitutional Tribunal is another step on the path of deep civilizational change that Poland has been on since 1993. We are alone on this path, or perhaps it should be said more strongly – we are on it by ourselves, but this does not change the fact that since that moment, Polish legislators (with the exception of 1996, when the left introduced abortion for social reasons) and the Constitutional Tribunal have been moving in the same direction – protecting human life. In 2020, we took another step and abandoned the discrimination against disabled people, which was eugenic abortion. To all who were involved in this, I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart, in the old Polish way, bowing my cap to the ground. This applies to both the judges and the 120 MPs (special thanks are due to Bartłomiej Wróblewski and Piotr Uściński), as well as all those who have worked for such a change over the years. And now comes the difficult task of supporting this decision with programs of assistance for families with disabled children and psychological programs for parents of children with lethal defects. I am happy and grateful that these changes have already been announced.” https://niezalezna.pl/359699-dziekuje-wam -- THIS HELL WILL RETURN TO YOU FASTER THAN YOU EXPECT - MICHAŁ SUTOWSKI IN KRYTYKA POLITYCZNA: “You probably calculated that if not now, then when. That tens of thousands of people won't take to the streets this time, in metropolises and in small towns – because that's what you fear the most, or at least your Gnome (this is an allusion to Szpotański's play, which was about Gomułka). Fortunately for you, there is the pandemic. It's simple: many will be afraid of the virus, and others of fines; and you and your media will quickly turn those who are not afraid into virus spreaders. In short: little risk, and how much fun for that percentage of voters you're so worried about. But there are still forces in this country that will remind you of this. And they will organize themselves. For mutual help and for telling the city and the world what kind of scumbags you are. And I think you will lose this matter. On the street, if not today, then in a year. Abroad. At the ballot box. Because of the dignity that, against the will of the overwhelming majority of society, you have just taken away from half of it. By refusing to acknowledge that this half consists of suffering beings and, at the same time, moral subjects, i.e., simply People. You don't need karma or metaphysics; social psychology and an elementary sense of decency among millions are enough. You have just prepared hell for women. But it will return. Faster than you expect.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/felietony/michal-sutowski/zakaz-aborcji-polska-komentarz/ -- BIRTHDAYS: Józef Lassota, SUNDAY: Krzysztof Piesiewicz, Romuald Szeremietiew, Stanisław Kalemba, Maria Naimska.