-- RUSSIA'S AGGRESSION AGAINST UKRAINE HAS MADE EUROPEAN NATO MEMBERS REALIZE THAT IN SECURITY MATTERS, THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE RIDING FOR FREE, OR RATHER AT THE EXPENSE OF THE USA, IS RUNNING OUT - MAREK RABIJ IN TYGODNIK POWSZECHNY: “It is possible, therefore, that what we are currently misinterpreting as NATO's death is, in fact, its so-called Hamiltonian moment. Just as the war for independence made the representatives of the individual American states realize the necessity of forming an alliance and taking on common debt, so Russia's aggression against Ukraine has made European NATO members realize that in security matters, the opportunity to continue riding for free, or rather at the expense of the USA, is running out. In 2022, military budgets worldwide increased by 3.7 percent to $2.2 trillion, but Europe saw a jump of as much as 13 percent. The leaders were the countries located closest to Russia. Finland's military budget increased by 36 percent, Lithuania's by 27 percent, Sweden's by 12 percent, and Poland's by 11 percent.” -- SHOULD POLAND, FOLLOWING THE EXAMPLE OF SOME NATO COUNTRIES, REINTRODUCE THE CONSCRIPTION SUSPENDED 15 YEARS AGO - RABIJ CONTINUES IN TYGODNIK: “We have less trouble answering the question of whether Poland, following the example of some NATO countries, should reintroduce the conscription suspended 15 years ago. In a study conducted last autumn at the request of the War Studies Academy, as many as 60 percent of respondents replied that they do not believe that the next government would dare to introduce mandatory basic military service for all citizens. The limits of coexistence between the army and society permissible for Poles are, as the same study showed, defined by the idea of periodic military exercises for men up to 35 years of age.” -- THE ANNOUNCED CONTINUATION OF MOST PROGRAMS AND ARMS PURCHASES ANNOUNCED BY PIS IS ACTUALLY HEARTENING NEWS. POLISH POLITICS, AT LEAST ON THIS ISSUE, CAN RISE ABOVE THE CURRENT AGENDA - RABIJ FURTHER WRITES IN TYGODNIK: “In the budget for 2024, just adopted by the Sejm, 118.14 billion PLN has been allocated to defense, which is equivalent to 3.1 percent of the projected GDP. Together with funds from the extra-budgetary Armed Forces Support Fund, this will amount to nearly 159 billion PLN – and 4.2 percent of GDP. The new government has simply taken the baton from its predecessors, which most security experts have received with relief – the statements of politicians of the then opposition during the campaign suggested that the new cabinet, which would have to contend with a record deficit, might cut the defense budget. The announced continuation of most programs and arms purchases announced by PiS is indeed heartening news. Polish politics, at least on this issue, can rise above the current agenda.” https://www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/miedzy-bugiem-prawda-czy-jestesmy-bezpieczni-czy-nato-obroni-polske-185986 -- IF WE HAD THE SAME ELECTORAL SYSTEM AS IN POLAND, FIDESZ WOULD HAVE LOST NINE YEARS AGO - GERGELY KARÁCSONY, MAYOR OF BUDAPEST, IN AN INTERVIEW WITH ZIEMOWIT SZCZEREK IN KRYTYKA POLITYCZNA: “Politicians currently have very low social prestige in Hungary. Many young people are leaving Hungary. I am not saying that the opposition in Hungary is in ideal condition, but let's not forget that in the last general elections, in terms of pure numbers, the opposition received roughly the same number of votes as Fidesz. The fact that it lost is a matter of the electoral system. Let's not forget that, unlike in Poland, for example, Fidesz has a constitutional majority and has many more tools with which it can break up the opposition, using, for example, changes to the electoral law unfavorable to the unity of the opposition. If we had the same electoral system as in Poland, Fidesz would have lost nine years ago. Therefore, the weakness of the Hungarian opposition does not lie in its weakness as such, but in the lack of institutions that would ensure its functioning in state politics on fair terms.” -- ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DAMAGED THE PIS GOVERNMENT WAS, IN MY OPINION, THE ANTI-ABORTION LAW, WHICH BROUGHT CROWDS OF PEOPLE TO THE STREETS - THE MAYOR OF BUDAPEST FURTHER TELLS SZCZEREK: “Among other things, that power, which seems very stable, does not necessarily have to be so: sometimes it feels too confident and simply collapses, without being particularly prepared for defeat. One of the things that ruined the PiS government was, in my opinion, the anti-abortion law, which brought crowds of people to the streets. But the irrational anti-German policy of PiS also contributed to this, and it was pursued right in the middle of the Russian invasion.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/swiat/ue/burmistrz-budapesztu-czego-wegierska-opozycja-moze-nauczyc-sie-z-kleski-pis/ -- DUDA ANNOUNCES HE WILL "SAVE" KAMIŃSKI AND WĄSIK WITH A PARDON. MASTALEREK DENIES - GW: “Andrzej Duda announced in an interview for "Super Express" that he would pardon Mariusz Kamiński and Maciej Wąsik if that was the only way he could "save" them. A moment later, Marcin Mastalerek, head of the presidential cabinet, denied this information.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,30616655,duda-zapowiada-ze-bedzie-ratowac-kaminskiego-i-wasika-ulaskawieniem.html -- I WILL DO IT, FULLY AWARE OF THE TRAGEDY OF THIS SITUATION. ALSO FOR THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC. FULLY AWARE - PAD IN AN INTERVIEW WITH SE: “Today, Mariusz Kamiński is in a very difficult health situation, he is on a hunger strike. Maciej Wąsik is also on a hunger strike. I would like this to be stopped. If it can only be stopped by me pardoning them again, simply to save them, then I will do it - President Duda announced in an interview with SE. - I will do it, fully aware of the tragedy of this situation. Also for the office of the President of the Republic. Fully aware:.” https://polityka.se.pl/wiadomosci/prezydent-duda-o-mocno-o-ulaskawieniu-kaminskiego-i-wasika-ulaskawie-zeby-ich-ratowac-brutalna-sila-przeciw-prawu-aa-vJFx-Er2X-qhxA.html -- THE RHETORIC OF ACCUSING EACH OTHER OF TREASON AGAINST FOREIGN COUNTRIES, WHICH UNNECESSARILY FURTHER DIVIDES AN ALREADY HIGHLY DIVIDED SOCIETY, MUST END - ARTUR BARTKIEWICZ IN RZ: “In foreign policy, on security issues, we should all have one goal: to fight on every possible front for continued Western support for Ukraine, and at the same time to support all initiatives, as well as to initiate new ones in terms of increasing Europe's military potential. This should primarily concern increasing production capabilities in weapons and ammunition. We must put an end to the rhetoric of accusing each other of treason against foreign countries, which unnecessarily further divides an already highly divided society. In the face of the threat from the East, there is no division between PiS and KO. For everyone, the clock is ticking just as ominously.” https://www.rp.pl/komentarze/art39721511-artur-bartkiewicz-o-czym-rzadzacy-polska-i-polacy-nie-moga-zapomniec-ze-wschodu-nadciagaja-czarne-chmury -- SROKA INSTEAD OF KLUZIK-ROSTKOWSKA? - WOJCIECH CZUCHNOWSKI IN GW: “If Sroka's candidacy fails, then – besides Bosacki – Trela and Kluzik-Rostkowska could also compete for the head of the commission. Their competencies and their 'opposition card in the fight against PiS' are not questioned by anyone. In the previous term's Sejm, Kluzik-Rostkowska headed a parliamentary team that investigated abuses by special services. 'Wyborcza's' interlocutors also point out that Kluzik-Rostkowska, as a woman, would break the 'not very good trend' of filling key positions with men.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,30615479,komisja-ds-pegasusa-w-ogniu-sporow.html -- THE CURRENT PRIME MINISTER IS PRIMARILY A SERVANT OF INSTITUTIONALIZED LIBERALISM, OF WHICH THE EUROPEAN UNION IS AN EMBODIMENT, NOT A REPRESENTATIVE OF GERMAN INTERESTS, AS JAROSŁAW KACZYŃSKI INCORRECTLY CLAIMS - WRITES LECH MAŻEWSKI IN RZ: “Prime Minister Tusk is primarily a servant of institutionalized liberalism, which is currently embodied by the EU, although it is also strongly articulated on both ocean coasts of the USA (in the states of New England and California), not a representative of German interests, as the PiS leader persistently and incorrectly claims. The actions taken at the end of December and the beginning of January are an expression of this system's offensive in our public life. This would have significant consequences for the shape of the political system in Poland.” https://www.rp.pl/publicystyka/art39724821-lech-mazewski-liberalizm-wedlug-donalda-tuska -- THE ELEMENTARY LOGIC AND TRANSPARENCY OF THE TAX SYSTEM MUST BE RESTORED, OBVIOUSLY WITHOUT RUINING STATE REVENUES - KRZYSZTOF A. KOWALCZYK IN RZ: “PiS is gone, but the 'fruits' of its activity remain. It is difficult to expect young people to experiment with their own companies and realize crazy ideas when even experienced managers and accountants were unable to estimate how much and what kind of taxes they would pay to the state at the end of the day due to the politicians' madness. Today, there is a chance that the new team will clean up this Augean stable. It is not only a chance, but a duty. The elementary logic and transparency of the tax system must be restored, of course, without ruining state revenues. Does it sound like a mission impossible? Certainly. And it will certainly take time. But it is necessary if we want Poland – as since 1989 – to be driven by the spirit of entrepreneurship.” https://www.rp.pl/opinie-ekonomiczne/art39724881-krzysztof-a-kowalczyk-pis-odszedl-ale-owoce-jego-dzialalnosci-zostaly -- COSTLY DECISION OF THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE - RZ on the front page about the invoicing system. -- PRICE HIKES WITHOUT ELATION - GW on the front page about teachers.