-- GRABIEC: WE ARE YIELDING TO THE IDEAS OF OUR PARTNERS, COALITION ALLIES. THEREFORE, THERE WILL NOT BE FULL REPRESENTATION HERE, SUCH AS THE MARSHAL OF THE SEJM FROM THE CIVIC PLATFORM OR THE CIVIC COALITION AND THREE DEPUTY MARSHALS, OR SUCH A GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE – 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2023/10/31 -- ACCORDING TO OUR SOURCES, THE STRONGEST CANDIDATE FOR MARSHAL OF THE SEJM IS SZYMON HOŁOWNIA - IWONA SZPALA AND JUSTYNA DOBROSZ-ORACZ IN GAZETA WYBORCZA: “Leaders are still finalizing the division of influence in the presidia of the Sejm and Senate and the shape of the future government. According to our sources, the strongest candidate for Marshal of the Sejm is Szymon Hołownia. Last week, a new name emerged: Włodzimierz Czarzasty, one of the leaders of the Left, put himself forward. – During the leaders' talks, Mr. Czarzasty reaffirmed his candidacy. This does not change the fact that the main game is being played between Civic Platform and Third Way, Kosiniak-Kamysz and Hołownia are sticking together there – we hear from our contact. (...) There is also a compromise idea: introducing a rotating Marshal in the Sejm.” -- KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ FOR DEFENCE MINISTER, THEN PRIME MINISTER? - CONTINUES GW AUTHORS: “According to the opinion of our sources, Third Way has set a high bar for negotiations. And Hołownia as Marshal of the Sejm is not the end of this group's ambitions: they proposed that Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz become the sole Deputy Prime Minister alongside Tusk. The leader of the agrarian party would also be assigned the Ministry of National Defence. – Indeed, such a concept exists – we heard in Third Way. – We want our leader to be Prime Minister in the future – explain the agrarian party members.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,30355494,opozycja-negocjuje-przyszly-rzad-wsrod-opcji-rotacyjny-marszalek.html -- PIS POLITICIAN TOMASZ PORĘBA IS NOT ONLY BUYING LUXURY APARTMENTS IN CROATIA – HE ALSO INVESTED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS IN PLOTS OF LAND IN WARMIA AND PODKARPACIE. IN A SINGLE YEAR, HE AND HIS WIFE SPENT OVER TWO MILLION ON REAL ESTATE – ABOUT 600 THOUSAND PLN MORE THAN HE OFFICIALLY EARNED - DANIEL FLIS ON OKO.PRESS. -- PORĘBA'S DECLARATIONS THEREFORE LACK 142,000 EURO TO COVER REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS. THAT'S ABOUT 600,000 PLN – CLAIMS FLIS ON OKO. https://oko.press/tomasz-poreba-europosel-pis-dzialki-nieruchomosci -- DESPITE EIGHT YEARS IN POWER, PIS COULD NOT SHED THE HABIT OF THROWING INSULTS AT ITS OPPONENTS AND AS A RESULT, IT FOUND ITSELF IN OPPOSITION – PROF. JAROSŁAW FLIS IN TYGODNIK POWSZECHNY IN AN INTERVIEW WITH MAREK KĘSKRAWIEC: “In politics, there is always a dilemma about the weapon to fight with. Whether with filth or with sweet treats. PiS adopted the wrong strategy. Throwing filth is rather a weapon of the opposition, and the ruling party distributes the sweet treats. Despite eight years in power, PiS could not shed the habit of throwing insults at its opponents and as a result, it found itself in a place where it is more natural, in opposition. Voters do not elect rulers to pretend to be in opposition.” -- FROM THE LAST ELECTIONS, ONE CLEAR CONCLUSION CAN BE DRAWN: ALMOST ALL NEW VOTERS WENT TOWARDS THE OPPOSITION – SAYS FLIS TO KĘSKRAWIEC IN TP: “The bond with the existing electorate in small municipalities has been maintained, but it has been balanced by votes for the opposition, which have significantly increased. This brings us back to turnout. The base has expanded, so the same numbers for PiS have a smaller effect. Both now and in the elections four years ago, PiS gained 3.1 million votes in rural areas. The opposition, concentrated in the Senate bloc, obtained 2.1 million votes in 2019, meaning the ruling party defeated the opposition 3:2 at the time. Now, however, support for the opposition has increased in small municipalities to 2.8 million, so the result is only 10:9 in favor of PiS. Meanwhile, in medium-sized municipalities, four years ago the Senate bloc won 10:9 against PiS, and now it won 3:2. These numbers have shaped up interestingly. From the last elections, one clear conclusion can be drawn: almost all new voters went towards the opposition.” -- TURNOUT WAS BUILT DIFFERENTLY, THROUGH DIVERSITY, A LARGER NUMBER OF CANDIDATES, INTERNAL COMPETITION ON THE LISTS – CONTINUES FLIS: “To summarize: we don't know what a single list would have brought, but we know that the stories claiming that if there were three lists, the opposition would lose – turned out to be untrue. To win, the supposedly necessary ‘tie’ in polls between a unified opposition bloc and PiS, said to be needed to create a snowball effect and mobilize voters, was not required. Turnout was built differently, through diversity, a larger number of candidates, and internal competition on the lists. As a result, polarization decreased: four years ago, 71% of people voted for PiS and PO, now 66%.” -- THE PARTY GOT DRUNK ON POWER, THEN WOKE UP WITH A SEVERE HANGOVER AND NOW FACES A CHOICE: DOUBLE DOWN AND CONTINUE DRINKING IN RESENTMENT – OR SOBER UP – SAYS FLIS TO KĘSKRAWIEC IN TYGODNIK: “The party got drunk on power, then woke up with a severe hangover and now faces a choice: double down and continue drinking in resentment – or sober up. However, sobriety shows, among other things, that PiS has lost 40 seats in the Sejm, and Zbigniew Ziobro, whose removal has been debated so many times, still has 18 MPs and can form his own club. Just as large as Confederation, which gained 7%! These problems are, of course, more numerous. We will soon witness Mateusz Morawiecki’s forced laughter, trying to cobble together a government. Or worse, Jarosław Kaczyński himself, who could be maliciously appointed by the president for all his humiliations.” https://www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/wszystkie-bledy-pis-czy-partia-kaczynskiego-przetrwa -- IN THE FACE OF PIS'S SCANDRELS, OUR DEMOCRATIC SINS MAY SEEM TRIVIAL. HOWEVER, WHAT WE DO WITH THEM WILL DETERMINE WHETHER THE NEW DEMOCRACY WILL LAST LONGER - MAREK BEYLIN IN GAZETA WYBORCZA: “If we want to stabilize our regained democracy, we must hold to account not only PiS, but also the flaws and lack of imagination of the Third Polish Republic, so that in some time Pisists or a formation similar to them do not return to power. So that it does not happen as in 2015, when the democratic Third Polish Republic offered Jarosław Kaczyński its head on a platter. The flaws of the Third Polish Republic were numerous and responsibility for them should not be placed solely on politicians. The media and many commentators who mistook the weaknesses of that democracy for its natural or necessary attributes also perpetuated them.” -- A KIND OF SOCIAL DARWINISM PERSISTED THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE THIRD POLISH REPUBLIC – CONTINUES BEYLIN IN GW: “A kind of social Darwinism persisted throughout the entire Third Polish Republic. It manifested most acutely in the neglect of the social state by a large part of the elite and in the conviction that the weaker, who for various reasons did not fit into the emerging capitalism, had forged their own miserable fate. Therefore, they should not expect that the beneficiaries of the new times will share the fruits of their hard work with the failures or the lazy.” -- THE STATE CHOSE THE ROLE OF A SLEEPY ARBITER: WHOEVER WAS ABLE TO EXERT PRESSURE AND WAKE UP THE RULERS, COULD COUNT ON SOME CONSIDERATION – CONTINUES BEYLIN: “Democracy for the strong also meant that less audible and organized groups had no way to assert their rights. The state chose the role of a sleepy arbiter: whoever was able to exert pressure and wake up the rulers could count on some consideration; those who did not succeed remained beyond the horizon of power. And not only the economically weaker failed; women and the younger generations also fell victim to democracy for the strong in the Third Polish Republic.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,30355501,nasze-demokratyczne-grzechy-glowne.html -- IN ESSENCE, THE CURRENTLY GOVERNING FORMATION HAS JUST BEGUN THE GAME FOR A RETURN TO POWER IN 2027. AND REGARDLESS OF WHO ITS LEADER WILL BE THEN – PRZEMYSŁAW SZUBARTOWICZ ON INTERIA: “PiS is bidding farewell to power, but on its own terms. There will be no – as some opposition visionaries want – tanks in the streets, a sudden state of emergency, a senior marshal blocking debates, playing with the budget law, or other authoritarian stratagems. Jarosław Kaczyński knows very well that if he wanted to challenge the unambiguous election result in any way today, he would lose more than he has actually lost. Perhaps if the difference between the government and the opposition had been smaller, a miracle at the ballot box would have been probable. There will also be no excessive courtesy, because the fumes of living hatred hang over Polish polarization, and they will only thicken. In essence, the currently governing formation has just begun the game for a return to power in 2027. And regardless of who its leader will be then.” -- BENJAMIN NETANYAHU PROVED THIS IN ISRAEL, WHO TRIUMPHANTLY RETURNED TO GOVERN WHEN IT TURNED OUT THAT THE PROGRAMMATICALLY AND IDEOLOGICALLY INCONSISTENT ANTI-BIBI BLOC THERE WAS UNABLE TO CONDUCT EFFECTIVE POLITICS – CONTINUES SZUBARTOWICZ: “There is method in this shamelessness. All the socio-technical maneuvers of PiS members today are aimed at creating the impression that the loss of power is not due to genuine social opposition, but to a contrived plot by three diametrically different formations whose cooperation is hanging by a thread. For the next four years, every stumble of the new government will be blown out of proportion, and every minor disagreement will be presented as a deep rift making governance impossible. If anyone thinks that Kaczyński's potential retirement, the alleged leadership aspirations of the president described by the press, or internal personnel settlements within PiS are all that the right-wing, now moving into opposition, is capable of today, then they certainly do not know what post-politics and the hunger for power are. Benjamin Netanyahu proved this in Israel, who triumphantly returned to governing when it turned out that the programmatically and ideologically inconsistent anti-Bibi bloc there was unable to conduct effective politics. This is a memento for Donald Tusk.” https://wydarzenia.interia.pl/felietony/news-toporna-gra-pozorow,nId,7118477 -- THE OPPOSITION VERY MUCH NEEDS TIME FOR REFLECTION. IT NEEDS TO COOL DOWN. MR. PRESIDENT, PLEASE USE ALL MEANS FOR THIS PURPOSE – JACEK KARNOWSKI: “The most outrageous are the ideas of undermining the fundamental principles of the rule of law by declaring some laws invalid, resorting to legal journalism of European courts, and ignoring procedures. These are extremely dangerous attitudes, but also politically barren. If the opposition listens to these whispers, it will soon regret it. (...) It is the opposition that needs time for reflection. The opposition needs to cool down – for its own good, and above all for the good of the state. It must understand that if it cobbles together a government, it will be a government based on the framework of a specific system, not some 'revolutionary committee.' Mr. President, you should use all possible means to give the opposition valuable weeks, perhaps even months, to establish contact with reality. This is the national interest at the current moment.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/668905-opozycja-bardzo-potrzebuje-czasu-na-refleksje-musi-ochlonac -- RULE OF LAW SERIOUSLY, OR WITH A WINK – TOMASZ PIETRYGA IN RZ: “If this happens, the red lines set by EU commissioners for Poland will suddenly cease to be red lines. Similarly, the judgments of the CJEU, which have shaped the legal reality over the Vistula in recent years, and for which Polish taxpayers have had to pay millions in fines. Lowering the standard would call into question Brussels' sincerity regarding Polish rule of law. Was it a genuine concern for the rule of law, or perhaps a tough and calculating policy that could easily be used to chastise a disliked government. And now, when the opponent has lost, one can depart from principles.” https://www.rp.pl/opinie-prawne/art39338001-tomasz-pietryga-praworzadnosc-na-serio-czy-z-przymruzeniem-oka -- THE CIVIC COALITION WILL SOON HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPLEMENT ITS AMBITIOUS ECONOMIC PROGRAM – PIOTR WÓJCIK IN KRYTYKA POLITYCZNA: “The Civic Coalition will soon have the opportunity to implement its ambitious economic program. It consists of: restoring privileges for entrepreneurs, tax cuts, new preferences for entrepreneurs, tax cuts, and state subsidies for them. The small parliamentary club of the Left, consisting of only 25 deputies (I don't count Litewka, as we know nothing about his views on the economy), will not be able to block most of these ideas and will at best be able to exclaim 'noooo' spectacularly.” -- HURRICANE IZABELA IS APPROACHING POLAND – CONTINUES WÓJCIK IN KRYTYKA: “So, Hurricane Izabela is approaching Poland. But there's no need to despair. People sometimes manage to survive the worst natural disasters, as long as they prepare for them well. To make things easier, I have compiled my own list of the 10 stupidest economic statements made by people associated with Civic Coalition, so that everyone can get a general idea of what might await us.” -- WHY DO WE ONLY HAVE THE CHOICE BETWEEN A TODAY'S AND AGGRESSIVE SECT AND A CLIQUE GUARDING THE INTERESTS OF THE POWERFUL? I DON'T WANT THIS ANYMORE! – CONCLUSION BY WÓJCIK IN KRYTYKA: “It's incredible that just eight years ago, Izabela Leszczyna was able to give a truly sensible interview, and today she spouts such nonsense that it makes your hair stand on end. As it turns out, two terms of PiS have spoiled not only PiS, but also Civic Platform. And it wasn't particularly successful even in 2015. Why do we only have the choice between a today's and aggressive sect and a clique guarding the interests of the powerful? I don't want this anymore!” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/10-cytatow-o-ekonomii-ktore-padly-z-ust-ludzi-z-ko/ -- PERHAPS IT'S TIME TO REMOVE THE BARRICADES FROM IN FRONT OF THE SEJM? - AGNIESZKA WIŚNIEWSKA IN KRYTYKA POLITYCZNA: “Now it's time to finally remove the barricades. And not only because they are a symbol of the previous government isolating itself from the people, but also a reminder of the dozens, perhaps even a hundred, protests that took place here over eight years. No, it's not that protests won't happen now. A change of government doesn't mean that everything this new government will do will automatically please everyone. I guarantee it won't. But perhaps now, when we come to the Sejm to demand acceleration of work on some laws or protest against the decisions of the new government, we will be met not by a fence, but by politicians ready to listen to us.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/moze-czas-usunac-barierki-spod-sejmu/ -- BIRTHDAYS: Marcin Tyrna, Tadeusz Sobolewski, Tadeusz Aziewicz, Paweł Krzykowski, WEDNESDAY: Konrad Piasecki, Grzegorz Tobiszowski, Andrzej Romanek.