-- THE FUNERAL OF EWA WANAT WILL TAKE PLACE TODAY, MONDAY, JANUARY 29TH, AT 12:15 PM AT THE MIŁOSTOWO CEMETERY IN POZNAŃ. Following a meeting at the funeral home on the Warsaw street side, the ashes of the deceased journalist will be escorted to the Forest of Remembrance. https://poznan.wyborcza.pl/poznan/7,36001,30637448,ewa-wanat-wrocila-na-zawsze-do-poznania-dzis-pogrzeb-zmarlej.html -- RECORD PLN 175 MILLION ON WOŚP ACCOUNT, AND IT'S STILL NOT THE END: https://oko.press/na-zywo/dzien-na-zywo-najwazniejsze-informacje/175-mln-32-final-wosp -- IF THIS SUPPORT IS NOT PROVIDED, PUTIN WILL START A MAJOR OFFENSIVE IN THE SUMMER AND EVENTS WILL UNFOLD THAT WILL ROUSE US FROM OUR PEACEFUL SLUMBER - PAWEŁ KOWAL FOR PIOTR ŚMIŁOWICZ IN GAZETA.PL: “However, the war situation in Ukraine is not currently favorable, as admitted more or less openly by key Polish politicians. Paweł Kowal confirms this, among others. - Until December, I believed that the lack of an American decision on the financial package was solely an element of internal political games in the USA. But now is the time to sound the alarm. Because if this support is not provided, Putin will launch a major offensive in the summer, and events will unfold that will rouse us from our peaceful slumber. It could be an extremely unfavorable time for Europe – Kowal says in an interview with jedennewsdziennie.pl”. https://jedennewsdziennie.pl/article/166 -- 49 PERCENT OF POLES APPROVE OF CHANGES IN PUBLIC MEDIA - POLLSTER FOR SE: In a survey commissioned by "Super Express," Poles were asked how they rated the recent changes made in public media. 49% of respondents rated them positively. 35% rated them negatively, while 16% answered "difficult to say." The survey was conducted on January 13-14 among 1048 adults. https://polityka.se.pl/wiadomosci/po-przejeciu-wladzy-ministrowie-rzadu-tuska-przejda-do-europarlamentu-tak-polacy-ocenili-dokonane-przez-nich-zmiany-w-mediach-aa-9NoB-95xg-TaJW.html -- SIEMONIAK ON WHAT WILL REPLACE CBA: SPECIAL ANTI-CORRUPTION STRUCTURE WITHIN THE POLICE, STRENGTHENING THE ANTI-CORRUPTION UNIT IN ABW, ASSET DECLARATIONS TO THE TREASURY - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2024/01/29 -- HOLDING PIS ACCOUNTABLE PROVES POPULAR. AND THE RIGHT-WING IS IN SHOCK - TOMASZ SAWCZUK IN KULTURA LIBERALNA: “So now Tusk is testing an alternative approach. Previously, the right-wing assumed that in the event of an excessive political attack, the liberals would not retaliate, as it would be inconsistent with their apolitical discussions, which never lead to anything. Now, the new authorities have decided that the right-wing deserves no special treatment and that it is fully responsible for its statements and actions – that Andrzej Duda should not be treated as a dignified king, and Jarosław Kaczyński as a sacred cow. And it turned out that Poles do not miss right-wing thuggery at all. And the right-wing is in shock.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2024/01/29/sawczuk-rozliczanie-pis-u-okazuje-sie-popularne-a-prawica-jest-w-szoku/ -- DEPOLITICIZING THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF THE JUDICIARY WITHOUT TOUCHING NEOSUPERVISORS. WILL DUDA SWALLOW BODNAR'S LAW - ŁUKASZ WOŹNICKI IN GW: “The coming law – according to the project's creators – will restore constitutionality to the regulations on the composition of the KRS, eliminate the negative consequences of the flawed solution in effect since 2018, and also execute the rulings of the CJEU and ECHR, ensuring the independence of the KRS. However, it only concerns the council, not resolving the problem of neo-judges and rulings issued with their participation.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,30610285,odpolitycznienie-krs-bez-tykania-neosedziow-czy-duda-przelknie.html -- PERHAPS GERMANY SHOULDN'T REMIND US ABOUT THIS - ANNA SŁOJEWSKA IN RZ: “We know that German Christian democracy, from which Ursula von der Leyen comes, does not deny Germany's difficult past. But – as the example shows – they would like the discourse on the Holocaust to be less German and more universal. It is understandable, in the context of the growing antisemitism today, to emphasize that Jews died in various places and at the hands of various nationalities. However, perhaps it is precisely Germany that should not remind us of this.” https://www.rp.pl/komentarze/art39752851-anna-slojewska-spot-komisji-europejskiej-o-holokauscie-czyli-uniwersalna-zaglada-w-oczach-niemcow -- SOLORZ WOKE UP AND APPEALS TO THE MEDIA TO STOP AGGRESSION. MR. ZYGMUNT, WHERE WERE YOU DURING EIGHT YEARS OF PIS RULE? - LESZEK KOSTRZEWSKI AND PIOTR MIĄCZYŃSKI IN GW: “Solorz's appeal is most noble, worthy of praise, and deserves the attention of every independent journalist who values accuracy and objectivity. However, we have a question, Mr. Zygmunt. Why did you not issue such an appeal during the last eight years of PiS rule? Did you not see acts of aggression from the media then? Did you not see how public media, controlled by PiS officials, directly participated in public life solely on one side of the party barricade, insulting, violating personal rights, sometimes with tragic consequences, such as the death of the President of Gdańsk, Paweł Adamowicz.” https://wyborcza.biz/biznes/7,177151,30637383,solorz-obudzil-sie-i-apeluje-do-mediow-o-zaprzestanie-agresji.html -- SOLORZ'S WORDS, CARRYING THE WEIGHT OF AN ETHICAL POSTULATE, SEEM TO CLOSE A CERTAIN EMBARRASSING CHAPTER IN THE RECENT HISTORY OF POLISH MEDIA - BOGUSŁAW CHRABOTA IN RZ: “And the last point. Zygmunt Solorz's words, carrying the weight of an ethical postulate, seem to close a certain embarrassing chapter in the recent history of Polish media en masse, but they resonate particularly importantly within the journalistic circle of the outlets controlled by Solorz. Here they truly matter and here they will certainly become an obligatory course of action. It is possible that they will also be important as a point of reference for the competition.” https://www.rp.pl/komentarze/art39750591-boguslaw-chrabota-wlasciciel-polsatu-apeluje-o-obnizenie-poziomu-medialnych-emocji -- CRISIS IN TALKS BETWEEN THE LEFT, RAZEM PARTY, ACTIVISTS, AND POLSKA 2050 - ARKADIUSZ GRUSZCZYŃSKI AND MICHAŁ WOJTCZUK IN GW: “In an interview with "Wyborcza," Anna Maria Żukowska uses different wording: according to her, talks with urban movements have not been broken off, but rather "suspended." – Because we are waiting for the results of opinion polls – the MP states. Our information suggests that future coalition partners want to check in which configuration they can fight for the best result – not only in terms of the presidential race, but also for seats in the city council. (...) Jan Mencwel from MJN denies information about the end of talks with other political forces. But the scope for agreement is narrowing: the Razem party and activists will definitely not join the alliance of the Left with Civic Coalition.” https://warszawa.wyborcza.pl/warszawa/7,54420,30633690,koalicji-lewicy-partii-razem-aktywistow-i-polski-2050-nie.html -- KACZYŃSKI LIKE A BROKEN RECORD. WILL HE SURVIVE FURTHER DEFEATS? - BOGUSŁAW CHRABOTA IN RZ: “If its emotional level does not decrease and party structures endure it, it might yield some profits in the presidential campaign. However, the party might not reach them with its current leadership, and even that doesn't guarantee success for the still anonymous candidate of Nowogrodzka for president. Jarosław Kaczyński, guided by political instinct, is going all in. And we don't entirely know whether the leader controls his formation's political narrative or is merely its passive hostage.” https://www.rp.pl/komentarze/art39752441-boguslaw-chrabota-jaroslaw-kaczynski-jak-zdarta-plyta-czy-przetrwa-kolejne-porazki -- THE GENEROSITY OF ELITES IS TRULY MOVING - KASIA BIELECKA IN GW: “Leszek Balcerowicz donated his old bicycle to the WOŚP auction. Joanna Przetakiewicz, in turn, surprised with a sudden concern for the state of our lungs, and Janusz Palikot wanted to do a good deed and promote his alcoholic business. The generosity of the elites is truly moving.” -- ALL THE MORE DIFFICULT FOR ME TO WATCH HOW CELEBRITIES AND PUBLIC FIGURES HAVE TURNED THE EVENT INTO AN ELEMENT OF PECULIAR PR - BIELECKA FURTHER IN GW: “And I know what I'm talking about, because I was also a WOŚP volunteer and saw how pensioners came with specially saved cash to get a heart and enjoy being part of the great orchestra. Knowing this, it is all the more difficult for me to watch how celebrities and public figures have turned the event into an element of peculiar PR.” https://wyborcza.biz/biznes/7,179195,30639232,celebrycki-wdowi-grosz-czyli-jak-celebryci-robia-sobie-na-wospie.html -- WOŚP IS TOO PRECIOUS TO BE CRUSHED BY CRITICISM. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULDN'T TALK ABOUT WHETHER CHARITY SHOULDN'T EVOLVE AS POLISH SOCIETY CHANGES - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: “Perhaps it is worth considering how to move forward. How to multiply the good that WOŚP brings. Perhaps it's time to stop limiting ourselves to raising money for noble causes, but also to start teaching society what cannot be bought. To teach the aforementioned children, who treat the red heart as a wonderful treasure, about caring for elderly neighbors, for lonely people. To teach them to support single mothers, people struggling with illness or other suffering, with conversation or other intangible help.” https://www.rp.pl/komentarze/art39752891-michal-szuldrzynski-dlaczego-trzeba-bronic-wosp-i-dlaczego-warto-tez-pomyslec-jak-unowoczesnic-dobroczynnosc -- WOŚP, THE BORDER GUARD, AND LIBERAL REALPOLITIK AND THE NEW NATIONAL CONSENSUS - PAULINA SIEGIEŃ IN KRYTYKA POLITYCZNA: “A new, post-election narrative has been brewing, or perhaps has already emerged, around the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border for several weeks. It is liberal realpolitik and a new national consensus. Within this narrative, the joint auction of WOŚP and the Border Guard, whose item was participation in a patrol along the fence, is entirely consistent. (...) The change of commanders is enough, the rest should be patted on the back and thanked for their dedicated service. This is not the time to look into dubious procedures, oral orders, and the widespread tolerance for violence at the border. Instead, it's better to powder the image of the services, especially the border guard. A WOŚP and BG collaboration? Why not? Participating in a patrol along the fence on the border with Belarus sounds like a bullseye. After all, everything has fallen into place, national consensus prevails, humanitarian distortions have been averted. The entire nation is building its border, we thank the activists.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/wosp-ft-straz-graniczna-caly-narod-buduje-swoja-granice/ -- IT'S BEST TO CONDUCT BUSINESS QUIETLY AND PRIVATELY, AS IT'S BETTER NOT TO INCUR THE WRATH OF POLITICIANS FROM ANY SIDE. WHERE THEN IS THE PLACE FOR CABARET AND JOKES ABOUT SASIN - ROBERT GÓRSKI ON POLSAT IN AN INTERVIEW WITH ANDRZEJ KULASKI IN GW: “We would have to establish completely new terms of cooperation, but even then after a longer period of rest from each other. In general, I think that times for satire on television are not the best, we have truly formidable opponents. One of them is big business, and private television is part of it. And it is best to conduct business quietly and privately, as it is better not to incur the wrath of politicians from any side. Where then is the place for cabaret and jokes about Sasin. There is also political correctness, which led me to end my cooperation with TVN 24; it also limits our possibilities. Perhaps we will return to TVP when the legal situation there normalizes? We'll see. Every day brings new information.” -- I THINK THERE ARE MANY SENSIBLE PEOPLE AND THOSE WHO DO NOT LIKE TO RAISE THEIR VOICES, BUT SIMPLY WANT TO LIVE NORMALLY IN A PEACEFUL COUNTRY. AND THIS MASS ULTIMATELY DECIDES THE ELECTION RESULT AND THAT WE ARE STILL ABLE TO LIVE WITHOUT BLOODSHED - GÓRSKI FURTHER IN GW: “One might get the impression that the nation is divided into two tribes. But I think there are many sensible people and those who do not like to raise their voices, but simply want to live normally in a peaceful country. And this mass ultimately decides the election result and that we are still able to live without bloodshed. I always address my message to such people, because I feel like one of them, not succumbing to extremism and the desire to exterminate those who are not like us. Having their electoral preferences. Not condemning the other side wholesale, but trying to understand it.” -- THE PRESIDENT IS THE MAIN ARTIST ON THIS [CABARET] STAGE - GÓRSKI FURTHER: “Not for the time being. Not for the next two years, because that's how much time is left until the end of the term of our president, who is very active and is the main artist on this stage.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,90535,30631005,robert-gorski-czasy-dla-satyry-w-telewizji-nie-sa-najlepsze.html -- BIRTHDAYS: Olga Tokarczuk turns 62, Kazimierz Działocha, Jan Pospieszalski, Robert Bogdański, Sylwia Spurek, Jarosław Kuźniar.