-- CIVIC COALITION 33.5%, LAW AND JUSTICE 29%, THIRD WAY 14%, THE LEFT 8.5%, CONFEDERATION 7.5% - OPINIA24 POLL FOR EUROPEAN ELECTIONS FOR MORE IN COMMON CONDUCTED BY OPINIA24 PUBLISHED BY RZECZPOSPOLITA. https://www.rp.pl/polityka/art39889631-sondaz-przed-wyborami-do-pe-kto-wygrywa-w-polskich-eurowyborach -- KACZYŃSKI ACHIEVED WHAT SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE. POLES ARE STARTING TO TURN AWAY FROM THE EU. IN WHICH DIRECTION? WELL, ONE CAN ONLY TURN FROM THE WEST TO THE EAST. THAT IS WHY THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS ARE SUCH A BIG PROBLEM FOR LAW AND JUSTICE - BOGUSŁAW CHRABOTA IN RZECZPOSPOLITA: “Jarosław Kaczyński too often and irresponsibly wielded the argument of Euroscepticism. He supposedly argued for 'a Europe of fatherlands,' a formula for the Union alternative to deeper federalization. But people understood it differently. The constant spitting of PiS members at Brussels, Germans, and the West has fostered distrust and a growing distance from the idea of integration. Kaczyński has achieved what seemed impossible. Poles are beginning to turn away from the Union. In which direction? Well, one can only turn from the West towards the East. That is why the European elections pose such a significant problem for Law and Justice. The cited poll shows that the party of the chairman will lose miserably to the Civic Coalition by a margin of 29% to 33.5%. But even that will be a mild punishment. I think the defeat will be even greater.” https://www.rp.pl/opinie-polityczno-spoleczne/art39886981-boguslaw-chrabota-problem-kaczynskiego-z-wyborami-do-europarlamentu -- AMERICA HAS HAD ENOUGH. RUSSIA HAS NOT SEEN SUCH SANCTIONS - JĘDRZEJ BIELECKI IN RZECZPOSPOLITA: “On Friday, the Joe Biden administration will announce a new package of unprecedented sanctions – announced US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. He did not provide details, but experts expect a blow that Moscow has not yet experienced. (...) Including Beijing in the restrictions is an exceptionally serious step. It assumes that Xi Jinping will not respond with restrictions, which would trigger a trade war in an American election year.” https://www.rp.pl/polityka/art39888291-ameryka-ma-dosc-takich-sankcji-rosja-nie-widziala -- WILL POLITICIANS HAVE ENOUGH MORAL STRENGTH TO RESPOND APPROPRIATELY? WILL THEY BE AFRAID OF THEIR OWN VOTERS? ANTI-WAR PROTESTS WILL SURELY ERUPT: DON'T PROVOKE RUSSIA! - MICHAŁ FISZER ON TYGODNIK POLITYKA'S WEBSITE: “It would be much more difficult if there were an armed raid on one of the NATO countries, probably one of the Baltic states, with the withdrawal of troops (Russian, private military company, or some bizarre 'legion') to their own territory. Because what then? Was there aggression or not? Yes, without a doubt. But is it continuing? No. In principle, a retaliatory, warning strike near the border using aviation or cruise missiles should follow. A clear and distinct signal that if it happens again, Russia will face a strong and decisive response. That's what the doctrine says, but what will politicians do? Will they have enough moral strength to respond appropriately? Will they be afraid of their own voters? After all, anti-war protests will surely erupt: don't provoke Russia! Diplomacy, talks! No violence! Because, as we know, Europe does not like violence.” https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/swiat/2246495,1,729-dzien-wojny-jak-rosja-moze-sprowokowac-zachod-i-dlaczego-tak-smialo-sobie-z-nami-poczyna.read -- DOES A FARMER WHO ATTACHED A SOVIET FLAG TO HIS TRACTOR AND CALLED FOR PUTIN'S HELP ACTUALLY WANT TO LIVE IN RUSSIA? - BARTOSZ T. WIELIŃSKI IN GAZETA WYBORCZA: “I also hear that there are increasing concerns in Poland that Russia could attack Poland. Nearly half of the population considers this a real possibility. Only 10% of respondents believe that Ukraine will win and will not have to make concessions. How to reconcile this with the fact that anti-Ukrainian sentiment is on the rise due to the farmers' protest? Is the chaos on the roads translating into chaos in people's minds? Russian propaganda watches and goes wild with joy. And I wonder if a person who attached a Soviet flag to a tractor and called for Putin's help would actually want to live under the Russian yoke, in a country where the slightest sign of disobedience can lead to the gulag.” -- I HEAR THAT IN POLAND WE ARE TIRED OF THE WAR THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THE SECOND YEAR. SERIOUSLY, TIRED? OF WHAT? STARING AT A MONITOR AND READING INCREASINGLY RARE INFORMATION ABOUT THE COURSE OF THE FIGHTING? - WIELIŃSKI CONTINUES: “I hear that in Poland we are tired of the war that has been going on for the second year. Seriously, tired? Of what? Staring at a monitor and reading increasingly rare information about the course of the fighting? If anyone has the right to be tired, it's the Ukrainians. If they complain, it's about the ingratitude of the West, which is ceasing to help because politicians are using their fight in internal political disputes. This isn't just about Trump, who through his people in Congress is blocking aid to Ukraine. In Germany, for months, SPD politicians have been blocking the dispatch of cruise missiles to Ukrainians. The eagerness with which Hungary blocks aid to Ukraine confirms the thesis that Prime Minister Orbán is an agent of Russia.” -- IN ESSENCE, THE MATTER COMES DOWN TO THE FACT THAT UKRAINIANS ARE DYING IN BATTLE SO THAT POLISH OR GERMAN SOLDIERS DO NOT HAVE TO - WIELIŃSKI'S CONCLUSION: “In essence, the matter comes down to the fact that Ukrainians are dying in battle so that Polish or German soldiers do not have to. If they lose, Putin will go further West; Russian missiles will no longer fall on Kharkiv or Kyiv, but on Krakow and Warsaw. From Kaliningrad or Brest, they will arrive in a few minutes at most. Polls show that we have understood this threat. When will we stop being tired?” https://wyborcza.pl/magazyn/7,124059,30727776,pamietacie-jak-dzielilismy-sie-z-ukraincami-zywnoscia-pieniedzmi.html -- ZANDBERG: CIVIC PLATFORM WAS FORCED BY VOTER PRESSURE TO CHANGE ITS STANCE ON ABORTION. A SIMILAR STORY MAY AWAIT POLAND 2050 - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2024/02/23/ -- KACZYŃSKI HAD TO ANNOUNCE THAT HE WOULD RUN FOR ANOTHER TERM AS PIS CHAIRMAN TO STOP THE PARTY'S DISINTEGRATION PROCESS - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZECZPOSPOLITA: “Kaczyński therefore had to announce that he was not going anywhere, that he wanted to run for another term as chairman at the upcoming congress, even if he doesn't feel like it at all. But he has to do it to stop the process of party disintegration and regain control of the party. The catch is that if PiS's results in the upcoming local and European elections are very weak, these processes will only accelerate, and Kaczyński's position will weaken even further.” https://www.rp.pl/komentarze/art39886071-michal-szuldrzynski-nie-chcem-ale-muszem-czyli-jak-kaczynski-probuje-odzyskac-kontrole-nad-pis -- EVEN THE BEST CANDIDATE, WHO WILL TAKE OVER KANIA'S POSITION WITHOUT A COMPETITION, BASED ON AN ARBITRARY DECISION, WILL JOIN THE PROCESS OF DESTROYING THE INDEPENDENCE AND CREDIBILITY OF THE PRESS - WOJCIECH CZUCHNOWSKI IN GAZETA WYBORCZA: “Even the best candidate, who will take over Kania's position without a competition, based on an arbitrary decision, will join the process of destroying the independence and credibility of the press. Only an open competition gives the mandate to introduce changes in the difficult and delicate matter of the media, which has already been so strained over the last eight years. If nothing changes here, the media will never regain the trust that is so necessary for them to perform their basic role. Polska Press is an important example. Transparent and open competitions should be the rule when filling positions in the authorities and supervisory boards of state-owned companies.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,30728336,rozenek-za-kanie-w-polska-press-to-niekoniecznie-dobry-pomysl.html -- THE GREEN DEAL: TODAY FARMERS ARE PROTESTING, TOMORROW IT COULD BE THE AVERAGE JOE - DOMINIKA MACIEJASZ AND IRENEUSZ SUDAK IN GAZETA WYBORCZA: “Soon, we may see banners of residents on the streets of European cities. Public opinion in Poland, but also in other European countries, is increasingly concerned about the financial consequences that the Green Deal will bring to their wallets. There is a lack of communication with the public, information campaigns, and awareness. Instead of a language of benefits, a language of fear and losses is starting to dominate. Other campaigns are entering this space, such as the 'light bulb campaign' carried out by state-owned companies, which argued that the increase in electricity prices was the fault of the European Union.” https://wyborcza.biz/biznes/7,177151,30729866,zielony-lad-dzis-protestuja-rolnicy-jutro-to-moze-byc-przecietny.html -- I GOT CARRIED AWAY AND IN MY COMMENTARY FERVOR I USE ABBREVIATIONS. REPREHENSIBLE ONES - JACEK FEDOROWICZ IN A CONVERSATION WITH GRZEGORZ WYSOCKI ON GAZETA.PL: “I believe that Kaczyński lost, and that they lost – and here I can list a whole constellation of names, but it is dangerous that about a third of the nation is still susceptible. These are people who do not like democracy and who would prefer to have a Führer telling them what to do and feeding them in return. (...) and I deliberately reach for these analogies because there will always be some new little Stalin or little Hitler who will gain a following. (...) I got carried away and in my commentary fervor I use abbreviations. Reprehensible ones.” -- NONE OF THE PIS SUPPORTERS REMAINED IN OUR CIRCLE OF FRIENDS, BECAUSE IF SOMEONE WERE STILL A CONVINCED SUPPORTER OF KACZYŃSKI HALF A YEAR AGO, IT WOULD REFLECT SO BADLY ON THEM THAT SIMPLY NO, IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME - JACEK FEDOROWICZ CONTINUES TO WYSOCKI: “None of the PiS supporters remained in our circle of friends. (...) In my opinion, absolutely not, because if someone half a year ago were still a convinced supporter of Kaczyński, it would reflect so badly on them that simply no, it is impossible for me. Because how can you talk knowing that you can only discuss the weather or TV series? Although we are talking about our closest company. Because I don't think everyone has to have the same views as me. They can have completely different ones. But I don't have to be friends with them. There is a nation of millions of compatriots living in the country who think differently, feel differently, believe in different things. I accept that, and when the opportunity arises, I try to persuade them. But closer relationships are something more, and here the barrier is difficult to overcome.” -- KACZYŃSKI HAS CONTRIVED IT SO THAT IF HE DESTROYS THE EU AND GOES UNDER PUTIN'S WING, PUTIN WILL PROTECT HIM - FEDOROWICZ TELLS WYSOCKI: “Halt the country's degeneration! For God's sake, Kaczyński was leading us rapidly to the East. Kaczyński has contrived it so that if he destroys the EU and goes under Putin's wing, Putin will protect him. And that is why he openly played for Poland's subordination to Russia. And suddenly it's over, it has ended. And that is enough for me. Do you now know why I am so happy?” https://weekend.gazeta.pl/weekend/7,177333,30716975,hanka-i-jacek-fedorowiczowie-nie-przyjaznimy-sie-z-pisowcami.html ​ -- BIRTHDAYS: Paweł Graś (60), Anna Bogucka-Skowrońska (turning 82), Radosław Sikorski (61).