-- POLICE RELEASE ALL VIDEO DOCUMENTATION FROM THE OT OekraINE INTERVENTION: https://x.com/Policja_KSP/status/1704235072893690181?s=20 -- FIRST POLITICAL DAY WITH SUCH A PLAN: MORAWIECKI'S BUSES AND TUSKOBUS START, TWO REGIONAL CONVENTIONS WITH KACZYŃSKI, TRZASKOWSKI IN ZDUŃSKA WOLA, DUDA STILL IN THE USA, KAMIŃSKI AND BŁASZCZAK ON SECURITY, KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ IN LOWER SILESIA: https://300polityka.pl/live/2023/09/20/pierwszy-polityczny-dzien-z-takim-planem-o-swicie-konferencja-morawieckiego-i-start-busa-pozniej-start-tuskobusa-dwie-wojewodzkie-konwencje-z-kaczynskim-trzaskowski-w-zdunskiej-woli-duda-dalej-w/ -- TUSKOBUS HITS THE ROAD ACROSS POLAND. "WE MUST TRY TO REACH EVERYONE WITHOUT EXCEPTION WITH THE TRUTH, OPEN DEBATE, AND OPEN MEETINGS," 10 MILLION LEAFLETS – MORAWIECKI ANNOUNCES THE START OF A NEW PIS CAMPAIGN - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2023/09/20/ -- TODAY, PRESIDENT ZELENSKY - DEFENDING POLISH FARMERS - INDIRECTLY CALLS US ALLIES OF RUSSIA. THIS IS SIMPLY UNBELIEVABLE - MARCIN MAKOWSKI: “We gave tanks, provided airports, sent all types of weaponry, and accepted millions of refugees, providing them with social assistance. We have been with Ukraine since day one of the war. And today, President Zelensky – in defense of Polish farmers – indirectly calls us allies of Russia. This is simply unbelievable.” https://x.com/makowski_m/status/1704217927535169729?s=20 -- I WANTED TO WRITE SOMETHING ABOUT ZELENSKY'S WORDS. I EVEN TRIED THREE TIMES. BUT IT'S A SHAME TO WASTE MY BREATH - PATRYK SŁOWIK: https://x.com/PatrykSlowik/status/1704234245013516469?s=20 -- OUR POLL INDICATES THAT A CERTAIN GROUP OF THE OPPOSITION ELECTORATE IS IN A SPECIFIC POLITICAL SEMI-SLUMBER: THEY MIGHT WANT PIS TO LOSE POWER, BUT THEY AREN'T INSISTENT ON IT - MARIUSZ JANICKI IN TODAY'S EDITION OF TYGODNIK POLITYKA: “The anti-PiS electorate – as our survey shows in several points – is significantly less cohesive, more capricious, easier to discourage, and prone to depression. The majority may maintain composure, but around a dozen percent in various matters drift away, unsure, without an opinion, swayed by moods and situations. We once wrote that the possibility of 'Hungarianization' of Polish society seemed unbelievable, due to the country's different situation, history, and collective experiences. But now, it's not so certain.” -- IN THIS BROADER PICTURE, PIS HAS THE ADVANTAGE, ALBEIT IN ITS OWN STYLE, BY CAPITALIZING ON INDIFFERENCE - FURTHERMORE, FROM THE FIRST DEPUTY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF TYGODNIK POLITYKA: “This is an interesting and telling result. One might think there would be an obvious advantage for those who have noticed what PiS has done to the Constitutional Tribunal, the prosecutor's office, the judiciary, public media, etc. However, respondents who believe that nothing has changed in this regard during PiS's second term or that democracy is even flourishing, total 48 percent, and those stating 'difficult to say' – 55 percent. In this broader picture, PiS has the advantage, albeit in its own style, by exploiting indifference, lack of opinion, and disinterest in the topic.” -- 66 PERCENT OF PEOPLE IN POLAND BELIEVE THAT THEIR SITUATION IMPROVED UNDER PIS OR AT LEAST DID NOT WORSEN. THEREFORE, THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT ECONOMIC POTENTIAL FOR REBELLION, RATHER FOR INERTIA - FURTHERMORE, JANICKI: “In the second question, we were interested in how Poles perceive their own economic level of life after 2015 compared to earlier times. The poll indicates that 38 percent believe this level has improved, 31 percent that it has worsened, and 28 percent have noticed no change. With these results, one must consider that eight years have passed, and with growing, cumulative GDP growth, the standard of living for the entire society has been steadily increasing for years. Life is better than eight years ago, just as eight years ago life was on average more prosperous than ten years prior. However, the poll also yields this message: 66 percent of people in Poland believe that their situation either improved under PiS or at least did not worsen. Therefore, there is no significant economic potential for rebellion, but rather for inertia, maintaining the status quo, on the principle of: we'll see what happens next, as long as it doesn't get worse, we'll wait for convincing ideas.” -- A SINGLE LIST COULD NOT SUCCEED BECAUSE, ACCORDING TO A LARGE PART OF THE ANTI-PIS ELECTORATE, KACZYŃSKI IS AS BRUTAL AS TUSK. EIGHT YEARS WAS NOT ENOUGH TO EXPLAIN WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT - STILL JANICKI: “An important issue, also in the context of the ongoing election campaign, is responsibility for the brutalization of political life and hate speech. We chose two main formations for this 'duel'. Who contributes more to these phenomena: PiS and Kaczyński, or Civic Platform and Tusk? The responses show considerable symmetry. Here, 31 percent of the poll respondents hold PiS more responsible, and 26 percent hold Platforma; 37 percent believe that responsibility falls on both sides equally, including – importantly – as many as 60 percent of Third Way voters and 47 percent of Left voters. A single list could not succeed because, according to a large part of the anti-PiS electorate, Kaczyński is as brutal as Tusk. Eight years was not enough to explain what this is all about.” https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/kraj/2227928,1,wielki-sondaz-polityki-jak-polacy-oceniaja-8-lat-rzadow-pis-czy-wyniki-daja-nadzieje.read -- THE PROBLEM WITH THE YOUTH IS THE YOUTH. YOU ARE THE ONES WHO WANT CONFEDERATION GOVERNMENT - SEBASTIAN OGÓREK IN GW: “Perhaps I should quote a few facts about the younger generation from this study. If you, the youth, were choosing a government today, Sławomir Mentzen would be the Prime Minister, not the Minister of Finance. Nearly one in three surveyed new voters want to vote for Konfederacja. Even more, 36 percent of respondents, are at least considering choosing this anti-Ukrainian, anti-women team, with candidates who say they are racists, that 5G is a satanic invention, and that the world is ruled by a secret society. On top of that, another 29 percent of you say you have no opinion on which party to choose.” https://wyborcza.biz/biznes/7,179195,30206352,problemem-mlodych-sa-mlodzi-to-wy-chcecie-rzadow-konfederacji.html -- IPSOS POLL SHOWS YOUNGER PEOPLE'S RELUCTANCE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MAIN BATTLE BETWEEN KO AND PIS - PIOTR PACEWICZ IN OKO.PRESS: “As many as 51 percent of twenty-somethings and 56 percent of thirty-somethings cited 'no one to vote for' as their reason for not voting. It is interesting that the oldest individuals rarely chose this answer: 18 percent of sixty-somethings and 12 percent of seventy-somethings. This means that seniors, even if they don't vote, know who they could vote for – we assume that two-thirds of them would vote for PiS and one-third for KO, as their peers who declare their intention to vote do. Alienation from politics among the elderly is shallower than among the young, who, even realizing it would be worthwhile or necessary to vote, do not see politicians they could trust.” -- THE STUDY LEADS TO THE GENERAL CONCLUSION THAT POLISH POLITICS IS DISCONNECTING FROM YOUNGER POLES, OR – AS SOME PREFER – THE YOUNG SEE NO PLACE FOR THEMSELVES IN IT - FURTHERMORE, PIOTR PACEWICZ IN OKO.PRESS: “This is not solely a Polish phenomenon; we have already cited the suggestive analysis by Pew Research Center on voter turnout in American elections from 1964-2020, as well as data from the 2021 Bundestag elections. Both here and there, voter turnout in younger age groups was lower than in older ones. Generally, across the EU, distrust (75 percent) dominates over trust (21 percent) towards political parties, and the situation is similar regarding attitudes towards parliament (56 percent distrust vs. 36 percent trust). In Poland, trust in parliament is record-low (26 percent), with distrust reaching 69 percent. Younger people in Europe and Poland declare even less trust than older people. There is no room here to analyze the cultural reasons for young people moving away from traditional politics; we will only draw attention to an additional discouraging factor, namely the fact that the political class consists of generally older people, which increases the sense of otherness among younger voters. The 9th term Polish Sejm is among the five oldest in the EU.” https://oko.press/wybory-nie-dla-mlodych-grozny-wynik-sondazu-ipsos -- CIVIC COALITION PRESENTED ITS 100 PROGRAM POINTS. THE RESULT WAS NEITHER FISH NOR FOWL, BUT SOMETHING LIKE A DRILL – SAYS MAGDALENA BIEJAT IN AN INTERVIEW WITH KATARZYNA PRZYBORSKA IN KRYTYKA POLITYCZNA: “Civic Coalition presented its 100 program points, which look as if they activated a lottery machine and pulled some postulates from the Left, some from the Third Way, some from Konfederacja, and threw them into a large bag labeled '100 Specifics.' The result was neither fish nor fowl, but something like a drill.” -- THE DRAMA OF THIS CAMPAIGN IS THE FACT THAT BOTH LAW AND JUSTICE AND, UNFORTUNATELY, CIVIC COALITION HAVE DECIDED TO PLAY ON XENOPHOBIC SENTIMENTS AND SCARE PEOPLE WITH MIGRANTS - FURTHERMORE, BIEJAT WITH PRZYBORSKA IN KP: “We believe that the drama of this campaign is the fact that both Law and Justice and, unfortunately, Civic Coalition have decided to exploit xenophobic sentiments and scare people with migrants. This is to justify border closures, violence on the Polish-Belarusian border, and the lack of a migration policy, which we desperately need today. The facts are that we need workers from abroad because our economy simply requires it. Poland lacks labor, and will continue to lack it; these people will contribute to our economic development, they will pay contributions to our social security and pensions. But this also means we must understand that they will most likely stay here, and have a plan on how not to repeat the mistakes of other European countries. If we don't want what's happening in France to happen in Poland, we must stop pretending the issue doesn't exist.” -- VOTERS CAN TODAY CHOOSE WHAT THE NEXT GOVERNMENT WILL FOCUS ON, AND THERE IS PROBABLY NO BETTER DEFINITION OF DEMOCRACY - FURTHERMORE, BIEJAT WITH PRZYBORSKA: “Voters don't read programs, but voters want to know what they can count on after the elections. And of course, Civic Coalition is currently the strongest party on the opposition side and will co-create the government. However, what direction this government will take, what its priorities will be, will be decided not by Civic Coalition, but by the strength of its coalition partners. Therefore, you should vote for the Left if workers' rights are important to you. And if you think entrepreneurs should be valued more, then by all means, there's the Third Way, which focuses on them. Voters can today choose what the next government will focus on, and there is probably no better definition of democracy.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/biejat-nie-wystarczy-wrocic-do-porzadku-ktory-byl-przed-pis/ -- I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LIVE CONVERSATION AFTER "WIADOMOŚCI" ON TVP WITH DONALD TUSK. THE PO LEADER SHOULD ACCEPT SUCH AN INVITATION IF IT APPEARS - JACEK NIZINKIEWICZ IN RZ: “I would like to see a live conversation after 'Wiadomości' on TVP with Donald Tusk. The PO leader should accept such an invitation if it appears. Similarly, other politicians should, because they are not speaking to the hosts, but to the viewers, who should be informed, not misinformed. Boycotting TVP would only support PiS propaganda. And that is a mistake. Some opposition politicians do go to TVP, but often poorly prepared individuals, from the second or third tier, are invited. Every viewer, voter, Pole should be respected by politicians, and whether they reach them with their message is up to them. It is important that Poland is not subordinated to one party and one narrative, because we have lived in such a system for too many decades.” https://www.rp.pl/publicystyka/art39131401-jacek-nizinkiewicz-dlaczego-donald-tusk-postanowil-ze-politycy-po-wroca-do-tvp -- IF PLATFORMA IS ALLEGEDLY DOING SO WELL, THEN WHY THE NERVOUSNESS? - JACEK KARNOWSKI: “If Platforma is allegedly doing so well, then why the nervousness? Why was Donald Tusk unable to answer Michał Rachoń's simple, substantive, politely posed question about relations with Moscow and Berlin? Why did Kołodziejczak seek physical confrontation, and Andrzej Rozenek resort to threats?” -- PO RETURNS TO TVP BECAUSE IT UNDERSTANDS THAT TVN IS A LIBERAL-LEFT BUBBLE - FURTHERMORE, KARNOWSKI: “Finally, why is Platforma returning to Polish Television programs, as Tusk announced, if it was supposedly doing so well during the boycott? The answer is obvious: it is returning because it has realized that TVP reaches ordinary Poles, while TVN is increasingly a liberal-left bubble.” -- THE MORAL UPRISINGS OF THE OPPOSITION AND ITS MEDIA HAVE A REACH OF AT MOST A FEW DAYS, EVEN IF THEY ARE PARTICULARLY SUCCESSFUL - FURTHERMORE, KARNOWSKI: “Today, we can say: the invented, virtually manufactured out of nowhere 'visa affair,' allegedly the 'biggest affair of the 21st century,' did not break the backbone of the Law and Justice campaign. A certain group of United Right voters did indeed withdraw to 'undecided' positions, but the latest readings indicate that they have already begun to return. The moral uprisings of the opposition and its media have a reach of at most a few days, even if they are particularly successful. Later, as always, the truth comes to light, and the falsehood of the accusations becomes obvious.” -- TUSK HAS NOT BUILT A WAVE - KARNOWSKI'S CONCLUSION: “Tusk has not built a wave that was supposed to sweep the government away unequivocally. He is left with reserves and the hope that PiS will not manage to secure an independent majority, which in turn would open the field for various tricks and maneuvers like: 'Gentlemen, let's count the votes!' He expected much more.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/663195-skoro-platformie-idzie-ponoc-tak-dobrze-to-skad-te-nerwy -- AFD THE SECOND STRONGEST POLITICAL FORCE IN GERMANY: Alternative for Germany is strengthening its position on the German political scene. According to the latest results of the "Trendbarometer" poll for German stations RTL and ntv, the right-wing party can count on 22 percent support and has seen a one-percentage-point increase compared to last week. Only the CDU/CSU union is rated higher with 27 percent. https://wydarzenia.interia.pl/zagranica/news-afd-druga-najsilniejsza-sila-polityczna-w-niemczech-sa-nowe-,nId,7035585 -- BIRTHDAYS: Krzysztof Sobolewski, Jacek Soska, Agata Buzek, Marcin Anaszewicz, Grzegorz Kurczuk, Jarosław Zieliński, Paweł Lisicki.