-- EWA WANAT, OUTSTANDING JOURNALIST, REPORTER, LONG-TIME EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF RADIO TOK FM, HAS DIED IN BERLIN https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,30505599,zmarla-dziennikarka-i-pisarka-ewa-wanat-miala-61-lat.html -- EU COMMISSIONER FOR BUDGET AND ADMINISTRATION JOHANNES HAHN TOLD REUTERS THAT THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION WILL FIND A WAY TO MAKE 111 BILLION EURO FROM EU FUNDS AVAILABLE TO POLAND - TOMASZ BIELECKI IN GW: “Some of our interlocutors in Brussels expect that the new Polish government may very quickly, perhaps even this week, submit the first application for KPO payments, which would put pressure on both President Andrzej Duda and Ursula von der Leyen. On Wednesday evening, EU Commissioner for Budget and Administration Johannes Hahn told Reuters that the European Commission will find a way to make 111 billion euros from EU funds (KPO and Cohesion Fund) available to Poland.” -- TUSK MAY TRY TO TEST THE COMMISSION ON THE SCOPE AND FORM OF URGENT JUDICIAL CHANGES FOR KPO PURPOSES - BIELECKI CONTINUES: “Poland still does not meet the rule of law conditions for KPO payouts (apart from the 5.1 billion euro advance from the REPowerEU chapter approved last week), which should essentially be implemented by law (here, the problem is a potential presidential veto), although Tusk may simultaneously try to test the Commission on the scope and form of urgent judicial changes for KPO purposes. Submitting a KPO payment application now would trigger a cycle of deadlines – up to two months for the Commission's assessment, up to six months for possible supplementary reforms – under threat of forfeiture of the money. And allowing such a loss would be politically toxic both for Brussels and, likely, for Duda.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75399,30505682,czego-spodziewac-sie-po-szczycie-ue-rozmowy-tuska-o-kpo-w-kuluarach.html -- POLITICAL, NOT LEGISLATIVE GUARANTEES WILL BE ENOUGH FOR BRUSSELS TO UNBLOCK BILLIONS FROM KPO - TOMASZ PIETRYGA IN RZ: “It seems that Tusk will get his way, as the European Commission has begun to perceive Poland differently, seeing an ally and a credible figure in the former head of the European Council. The Prime Minister will gain access to the funds by declaring that he will initiate the process of restoring the independence of the justice system in Poland. Fulfilling this declaration will fall to Professor Adam Bodnar, the new Minister of Justice, for whom Tusk has foreseen a special role.” https://www.rp.pl/opinie-prawne/art39565921-tomasz-pietryga-donaldowi-tuskowi-wolno-wiecej-kpo-dostanie-bez-kamieni-milowych -- LEADERS OF THE NEW RULING CAMP WILL HAVE TO SEEK COMPROMISES WITHIN THE COALITION, WHICH WILL CERTAINLY TEACH THEM CONSENSUS THINKING ABOUT SOCIETY - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: “Therefore, the fact that the government will be a coalition of liberals, centrists, moderate conservatives, and left-wing progressives can be an opportunity from this point of view. The leaders of the new ruling camp will have to seek compromises within the coalition, which will certainly teach them consensus thinking about society. 11.5 million Poles voted for a change in how politics is conducted, not for replacing Jarosław Kaczyński's polarization with Donald Tusk's polarization.” https://www.rp.pl/komentarze/art39566681-michal-szuldrzynski-jakie-wartosci-beda-przyswiecac-rzadowi-donalda-tuska -- CZARZASTY: I WILL NOT SAY A BAD WORD ABOUT PRESIDENT DUDA REGARDING THE FUTURE, BECAUSE WE MUST BUILD IT TOGETHER - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2023/12/14/ -- DUDA DECIDED TO ADAPT TO THE NEW STYLE OF POLISH POLITICS. HE DRESSED HIS LITANY OF CLAIMS, THREATS, AND DEMANDS TOWARDS DONALD TUSK'S GOVERNMENT IN AN EXCEPTIONALLY ELEGANT FORM THIS TIME - WITOLD GŁOWACKI IN OKO.PRESS: “And after the swearing-in of the ministers, he delivered a skillfully prepared speech. Even very skillfully prepared – because although it was maintained in a rather elegant, conciliatory tone, it was literally peppered with veiled threats and demands directed at the new government. Therefore, it is not worth being fooled by the presidential speech's pompous form alone.” -- THE PRESIDENT QUITE CLEARLY ANNOUNCED THAT HE WOULD RATHER NOT AGREE TO AT LEAST SOME OF THE REFORMS PROPOSED BY THE TUSK GOVERNMENT - GŁOWACKI CONTINUES IN OKO.PRESS: “There was also a passage in Duda's speech that could be unequivocally interpreted as an announcement to preserve the changes introduced in Poland by PiS. 'I believe that Polish affairs are in very good condition today,' the president said. 'I would like us to maintain at least the current level where things are going well or very well.' The president therefore quite clearly announced that he would rather not agree to at least some of the reforms proposed by Donald Tusk's government.” -- REGARDING THE THREAT FROM RUSSIA AND THE ISSUE OF SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE, ANDRZEJ DUDA HAS SO FAR ACTED CONSISTENTLY WITH POLISH REASON OF STATE - GŁOWACKI AGAIN IN OKO.PRESS: “It is also possible that this cooperation will be possible in the face of the greatest security challenges currently facing Poland. Because regarding the threat from Russia and the issue of support for Ukraine, Andrzej Duda has so far acted consistently with Polish reason of state.” https://oko.press/rzad-tuska-nie-bedzie-mial-z-duda-lekko -- BETWEEN BEAUTIFUL WORDS, ANDRZEJ DUDA AND DONALD TUSK ANNOUNCED A SHARP CLASH - JACEK GĄDEK IN GAZETA.PL: “Even during the election campaign, the president was de facto preparing for the prospect that Donald Tusk would take power. Duda forced Law and Justice to pass a law granting the head of state powers in EU policy, including appointments to EU positions, developing positions for summits, and representing the state at them. 'This will be a field of confrontation. The president will certainly refer to this law, wanting to influence EU policy, and Donald Tusk may simply ignore it,' predicts our interlocutor from the Presidential Chancellery.” https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,30504946,miedzy-pieknymi-slowami-andrzej-duda-i-donald-tusk-zapowiedzieli.html -- THE GOVERNMENT FORMED BY THE FOUR-PARTY COALITION IS ASTOUNDINGLY WEAK. A VERY DEEP RECONSTRUCTION WILL BE NEEDED SOON ENOUGH - JACEK KARNOWSKI: “This is just the beginning of the beginning, the picture is not yet fully clear. But the first outlines are already visible, and one can already put forward the thesis that the government formed by the four-party coalition is astoundingly weak. (...) Therefore, I put forward the thesis: if this government is to last for years, not months, a very deep reconstruction will be necessary. And Prime Minister Tusk probably also knows that he won't get far with this team.” -- KARNOWSKI PRAISES KOSINIAK: “The appointment of Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz as Minister of National Defence is relatively good. We don't know how much money he will get, but he declares that he takes his tasks seriously. That's something to start with.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/674402-rzad-ktory-zlozyla-czworkoalicja-jest-zdumiewajaco-slaby -- ZBIGNIEW ZIOBRO'S HEALTH STATUS HAS POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES. PATRYK JAKI WILL TEMPORARILY LEAD THE PARTY - JACEK GĄDEK IN GAZETA.PL: “Zbigniew Ziobro's very serious health problems have forced a change in his party – Suwerenna Polska (Sovereign Poland). Patryk Jaki has taken over the duties of party leader. The decision to have the Member of the European Parliament temporarily take over the leadership of the party was made by the former Minister of Justice and communicated to party activists, Gazeta.pl has learned.” https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,30505140,stan-zdrowia-zbigniewa-ziobry-ma-polityczne-skutki-patryk-jaki.html -- LESZCZYNA WANTS TO KEEP THE CURRENT DEPUTY MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR MEDICINES IN OFFICE - JUDYTA WATOŁA IN GW: “Leszczyna has managed to meet with the head of the National Health Fund, Filip Nowak, the president of the Supreme Medical Council, Łukasz Jankowski, and Maciej Miłkowski, who has been deputy minister since 2018 and has been responsible for drug policy for the past four years. Leszczyna wants to keep him in office. She reportedly stated directly that 'she has no one to replace him with at the moment.' Miłkowski, in fact, does not hide that he would be willing to remain in the ministry.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,30505569,nowa-minister-zdrowia-witana-solo-chcialaby-zostawic-jednego.html -- I ASK TODAY ALL THOSE WHO FOR YEARS HAVE BEEN TERRIFYING US WITH THE "PIS REGIME", WHO HAVE BEEN SPREADING THESE LIES AROUND THE WORLD: ARE YOU NOT ASHAMED? - MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI: “I watched this series of changes of guard all day, conducted elegantly, normally, democratically, waiting for someone to say 'sorry' to Poles and the world. Because for a long time, there was supposed to be a regime here, authoritarian rule, which would never give up power, which would send troops into the streets if it lost, including, allegedly, 'party troops' – the Territorial Defence Force. I ask today all those who for years have been terrifying Poles with these absurdities, spreading these lies around the world: aren't you ashamed? Do you understand how basely you played? How you insulted Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński, a democratic politician? Do you realize the damage you have done to the Homeland? But also to the citizens of those countries where regimes truly reign. You have devalued, spoiled very important words.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/674397-pytam-straszacych-pisowskim-rezimem-nie-wstyd-wam -- IT IS NO WONDER THAT KACZYŃSKI, APPARENTLY UNSURE OF HIS POSITION, HAS NOW ORDERED HIS PARTY TO DELVE EVEN DEEPER THAN BEFORE INTO OLD SUPERSTITIONS - RAFAŁ KALUKIN IN TYGODNIK POLITYKA: “Abandoning the superstitions of the past stage, however, requires a comprehensive change of leadership, starting with the main leader. It is no wonder that Kaczyński, apparently unsure of his position, has now ordered his party to delve even deeper than before into old superstitions. About what has always been, i.e., German machinations, the evil Tusk, the impending end of true democracy and the collapse of freedom of speech. All this so that PiS's defeat in the elections appears as a heroic defeat of patriots, once again betrayed at dawn and crushed by a foreign onslaught. No one in the background should even think that perhaps there should be some sobering up, a realistic attempt to draw conclusions from the defeat. This could provoke uncomfortable questions about the leader's responsibility.” -- AFTER ALL, THE RIGHT-WING LOST THE ELECTIONS ALSO BECAUSE IT EXHAUSTED SOCIETY WITH CLUMSY PROPAGANDA - KALUKIN CONTINUES: “All these propaganda songs have already been thoroughly exploited; for the average viewer, they are mainly associated with the embarrassing TVP ticker. And yet, the right-wing lost the elections also because it exhausted society with clumsy propaganda and by constantly pressing the narrative accelerator during every crisis. Moving to the opposition now turns out to be the biggest possible crisis. The foot will not be taken off the gas for a moment.” https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/kraj/2238350,1,pis-nie-ma-nowego-paliwa-kaczynski-zabezpiecza-juz-tylko-swoja-pozycje-ale-nogi-z-gazu-nie-zdejma -- ABORTION, CIVIL UNIONS, DEFINITION OF RAPE – A TEST OF CREDIBILITY FOR DONALD TUSK'S GOVERNMENT - KATARZYNA SKRZYDŁOWSKA-KALUKIN IN KULTURA LIBERALNA: “If you are a government that promised that these social issues would become the most urgent after coming to power, then by delaying them, you lose credibility like Uśmiechnięta Polska (Smiling Poland). Since the government is still smiling, let it let people live. Accountability for rule of law violations is important, but so are human rights.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2023/12/14/skrzydlowska-kalukin-w-czwartek-aborcja-zwiazki-partnerskie-definicja-gwaltu-test-wiarygodnosci-dla-rzadu-donalda-tuska/ -- BIRTHDAYS: Joanna Kluzik-Rostkowska, Beata Lubecka, Michał Szczerba, Adam Kądziela, Natalia Czartoryska.