-- "THE TIME FOR FOOTBALL WILL COME. WE CAN TALK ABOUT BALLET" "JKB. JAN KRZYSZTOF BIELECKI" – A FRAGMENT OF MACIEJ GŁOGOWSKI'S BOOK FOR 300POLITYKA: https://300polityka.pl/news/2024/03/23/na-pilke-przyjdzie-czas-mozemy-pomowic-o-balecie-jkb-jan-krzysztof-bielecki-fragment-ksiazki-macieja-glogowskiego/ -- SATURDAY'S POLITICAL AGENDA: CIVIC COALITION IN OLSZTYN, THIRD WAY IN BIAŁYSTOK, LAW AND JUSTICE IN RADZYŃ PODLASKI - 300LIVE. -- TRZASKOWSKI: WE NEED TO CLEAN UP AFTER LAW AND JUSTICE, BUT POLES TODAY WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOLVING CONCRETE PROBLEMS - THE LAST WEEKEND OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CAMPAIGN ON 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2024/03/23/ -- WE MAY ALREADY BE TIRED OF ALL INVESTIGATIVE COMMITTEES - PIOTR ZAREMBA IN RZ: “It's hard to say whether the investigation into the Pegasus affair will result in repercussions for Law and Justice politicians. It's possible that all three parliamentary investigative committees will be met with audience indifference. After all, how much longer can we get excited about secondary figures interrogating politicians who have already lost power?” -- ONE COULD EASILY CONFUSE THE TWO IN RALLY SPEECHES. HOWEVER, A COMMITTEE IS COMPELLED TO REACH STRICT LEGAL CONCLUSIONS. FOR NOW, THERE ARE NO MAJOR PROSPECTS OF UNCOVERING CORRUPTION MECHANISMS - PIOTR ZAREMBA FURTHER WRITES IN RZ: “The committee is dealing with the so-called visa affair and is trying to get through the corrupt network hidden within the Law and Justice-controlled Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This does not change the fact that its chairman, Michał Szczerba from Civic Coalition, was forced to speak about hundreds of cases of sold visas at the first meeting. However, one could easily confuse the two in rally speeches. A committee, on the other hand, is compelled to reach strict legal conclusions. For now, there are no major prospects of uncovering corruption mechanisms. It remains for the quickly bored public to catch the details. Apparently, Law and Justice spokesperson, MP Rafał Bochenek, asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for work visas for people to work on his farm. We don't even know if this is true; one official testified as such. But even if it were true, the affair shrinks to the size of a journalistic anecdote.” -- JAN ROKITA, THE STAR OF THE RYWIN AFFAIR COMMITTEE, WAS THE MOST EFFECTIVE INVESTIGATOR IN THE 20-YEAR HISTORY OF PARLIAMENTARY INVESTIGATIONS. AND HE ACHIEVED HIS GOALS WITHOUT RESORTING TO AGGRESSIVE TIRADES AND LECTURES - ZAREMBA CONTINUES IN RZ: “The personal factor also comes into play. Jan Rokita, the star of the Rywin affair committee, was the most effective investigator in the 20-year history of parliamentary investigations. And he achieved his goals without resorting to aggressive tirades and lectures. MPs Zembaczyński or Tomasz Trela from The Left lack such talents. At the same time, they seem unable to hide their human complexes. One could sense in this – apart from the intention of total war with Law and Justice recommended by their leaders – the bewilderment of secondary politicians who found themselves grappling with a tiger by the whiskers. The more they wanted to demonstrate their power, the more their helplessness became apparent.” -- IT'S POSSIBLE THAT LAW AND JUSTICE CROSSED THE LINE. BUT THEY ARE BEING SO OSTENTATIOUSLY TRODDEN INTO THE GROUND TODAY THAT NEITHER THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT NOR TODAY'S OPPOSITION WILL LEARN ANY LASTING LESSON FROM THIS HISTORY - ZAREMBA'S CONCLUSION: “Can a politician even be wiretapped? If so, under what conditions, according to what procedures? It's possible that Law and Justice crossed the line here. But they are being so ostentatiously trodden into the ground today that neither the current government nor today's opposition will learn any lasting lesson from this history.” https://www.rp.pl/plus-minus/art40038451-piotr-zaremba-mozemy-miec-juz-dosc-wszelkich-komisji-sledczych -- TUSK'S GOVERNMENT IS NOT YET A SYMBOL OF CALMING THE SITUATION IN POLAND, BUT A SYMBOL OF FURTHER CONFLICT, PERHAPS EVEN MORE RADICALIZED. THIS DOESN'T PAY OFF FOR TUSK IN THE LONG RUN, BECAUSE THE MOST IMPORTANT PROMISE IS TO DELIVER PEACE AND QUIET TO POLES AFTER EIGHT YEARS OF KACZYŃSKI'S RULE - CEZARY MICHALSKI IN INTERIA: “To a certain extent, Kaczyński's tactic of widening the field of conflict succeeded. After the turmoil in the media, after the turmoil in the prosecution, with ongoing turmoil in the courts, and with turmoil beginning in diplomacy... Tusk's government is not yet a symbol of calming the situation in Poland, but a symbol of further conflict, perhaps even more radicalized. This doesn't pay off for Tusk in the long run, because he is now governing, and of all the election promises he should have 'delivered', the most important is the promise to deliver peace and quiet to Poles after eight years of Kaczyński's rule.” -- WOULD ANY OF THEM (OR THEIR SUCCESSORS) EVER TRY TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF POLISH POLITICS, WHICH IS CURRENTLY LEADING OUR COUNTRY TO THE ABYSS, AND WOULD THE WORLD PUNISH THEM FOR THIS ONE GOOD DEED? - MICHALSKI CONTINUES: “And finally, the last question, perhaps the most important: would Polish post-citizens, who have learned to play in a post-political circus, still be capable of understanding more classic, safer for the state, more complex politics? Would the media, which are skilled at reporting events from the gladiatorial arena, still be able to rebuild the competence to analyze more classic politics? The problem is not (as the most banal 'symetrists' repeat) the presence of Kaczyński and Tusk. These exceptionally capable politicians simply went in the direction the world was heading. If any of them (or their successors) were to even try to change the direction of Polish politics, which is currently leading our country to the abyss, would the world punish them for this one good deed?” https://wydarzenia.interia.pl/felietony/news-karykatura-systemu-dwupartyjnego,nId,7406108 -- DONALD TUSK'S CAMPAIGN PROMISES AMOUNT TO AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF CONTINUING THE LINE: FIRST POLITICAL GAMES, THEN POSSIBLY BREAD. FOR NOW, POLLS SEEM TO CONFIRM THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SUCH A LINE - PIOTR ZAREMBA IN INTERIA. -- FURTHER HEARINGS, PURGES, AND POSSIBLY VERDICTS WILL INTEGRATE THE NEW COALITION AND OCCUPY SOCIETY ENOUGH SO THAT IT DOES NOT ASK TOO MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT SOCIO-ECONOMIC REALITIES - ZAREMBA CONTINUES: “In the era of building socialism in Poland, class struggle was supposed to intensify the more advanced socialism became. Tusk promises more of the same. Further hearings, purges, and perhaps verdicts, will integrate the new coalition and occupy society enough so that it does not ask too many questions about socio-economic realities. Ideological wars are supposed to serve a similar role, although here, given the incomplete unity of the coalition itself, it is a bit more difficult.” https://wydarzenia.interia.pl/felietony/news-donald-tusk-objasnia-po-100-dniach-nie-dalismy-wiele-ludziom,nId,7406136 -- LUCRATIVE POSITION FOR THE DIRECTOR OF MINISTER LESZCZYNA'S OFFICE. SHE WILL NEGOTIATE WITH BIG PHARMA - JUDYTA WATOŁA IN GW: “Agnieszka Sanojca, director of Minister Izabela Leszczyna's office, and previously spokesperson for the hospital in Częstochowa, has become a member of the Economic Committee. The committee negotiates drug prices with corporations, yet Sanojca is a marketing specialist and has never dealt with medicines. (...) All these issues require committee members to have knowledge of reimbursement regulations, which drugs are already covered by reimbursement, how innovative a drug is that is to be placed on the list, and what its cost-effectiveness is, i.e., how its effectiveness relates to the price proposed by the company.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,30823955,intratne-zajecie-dla-dyrektorki-biura-minister-leszczyny-bedzie.html -- THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE DECISION TO PULL OUT A WISDOM TOOTH AND THE DECISION ABOUT ABORTION. AND FORTUNATELY SO - WRITES MARCIN MATCZAK IN GW: “One of the participants in the abortion debate on Channel Zero stated that an abortion procedure is safer than pulling out a wisdom tooth. I will not debate whether this statement is medically accurate, as I have no knowledge in this matter. Nor will I debate the appropriateness of comparing someone/something that can become a fully-fledged human being to a decayed tooth that obstructs jaw formation. However, it seems that while male participation is currently essential in conception (even if remotely), the creation of a piece of tissue covered with enamel occurs without his involvement. Unless, of course, one believes in creationism, but even then it can be assumed that God was a woman (because who knows that she wasn't). Ultimately, there is a difference between the decision to pull out a wisdom tooth and the decision about abortion. And fortunately so.” https://wyborcza.pl/magazyn/7,124059,30810158,marcin-matczak-jest-roznica-miedzy-decyzja-o-wyrwaniu-osemki.html -- IMPATIENCE IN LAW AND JUSTICE DUE TO PUBLIC AIRING OF DIRTY LAUNDRY. "IT HASN'T HELPED ANYONE IN THE FINAL STRETCH OF THE CAMPAIGN" - AGATA KONDZIŃSKA IN GW: “Now, within Law and Justice, there is dissatisfaction with public quarrels before the local government elections. A Law and Justice MP: – Such factional fights in the final stretch of the campaign have never helped anyone. We have a hybrid war, every party that has governed for eight years needs to reorganize itself in opposition. And on top of that, there are the emotions leading up to the local government and European Parliament elections.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,30819932,w-pis-zniecierpliwienie-publicznym-praniem-brudow-w-koncowce.html -- NEW LEFT COULD HAVE ENTERED THE GOVERNMENT DESPITE A TRULY WEAK ELECTION RESULT. NOW IT HAS A MASS OF POSITIONS TO FILL, BUT WHAT SUBSTANTIVE MATTERS HAS IT ACHIEVED? - ROBERT KWIATKOWSKI IN A CONVERSATION WITH ELIZA OLCZYK IN RZ: “New Left is weakening before our eyes. Kosiniak-Kamysz and Hołownia achieved success, thanks to which New Left could enter the government despite a truly weak election result. Now it has a mass of positions to fill, but what substantive matters has it achieved?” -- THE LEFT IS SUPPORTED BY ONLY 24% OF LEFT-WING VOTERS. THEREFORE, THE LEFT IN POLAND IS DOING WELL BECAUSE IT IS GOVERNING, AND ITS ELECTORATE IS GROWING. THE PROBLEMS ARE WITH FORMATIONS THAT CALL THEMSELVES THE LEFT - KWIATKOWSKI TELLS OLCZYK: “The Left in Poland is doing very well, because the number of people who identify as left-wing and center-left is greater than a few years ago, especially among the younger generation. Today, almost 30% of Poles declare themselves as left-wing. The point is that many commentators, when talking about the Left, mean the groupings gathered in the Left club. Meanwhile, for left-wing voters, Civic Coalition is roughly what PiS is for right-wing voters. 45% of voters identifying as left-wing vote for Civic Coalition, just as 48% of voters identifying as right-wing choose PiS. Therefore, Civic Coalition is a left-wing formation. Meanwhile, the Left is supported by only 24% of left-wing voters. Therefore, the Left in Poland is doing well because it is governing, and its electorate is growing. The problems are with formations that call themselves the Left.” https://www.rp.pl/plus-minus/art40040471-robert-kwiatkowski-lewica-zdradzila-wyborcow-i-czlonkow-partii -- IT WOULD BE GOOD TO KNOW WHO WILL BE COMPETING FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE NEXT YEAR – A PLEASANT AND RATHER HARMLESS LIBERAL, OR A CYNICAL MANIPULATOR CAPABLE OF PLAYING ANY ROLE HIS AUDIENCE EXPECTS - PIOTR WÓJCIK IN KRYTYKA POLITYCZNA: “Unfortunately, Mr. Hołownia appeared in the now-famous pre-election 'debate' on TVP, who had barbed wire and rubber bullets prepared for immigrants. 'No one will force us [Poland] to accept refugees or migrants against our will, the only problem is that we are accepting them. And it's not Brussels sending them to us, but Nowogrodzka,' he warned. And further: 'Poland's border must be inviolable and sacred. Today, borders are protected not only by brick but also by electronics. Mr. Kaczyński should answer us not only the question of what to do to have fewer Syrians in Poland, but what to do to finally have more Poles here.' It is unbelievable that this statement went virtually unnoticed. After all, the leader of the supposedly progressive and open Poland 2050 opposed not only accepting immigrants but even refugees, conflating them with ordinary workers from abroad, brought to Poland during the Law and Justice government. He also demanded a reduction in the number of representatives of a specific nationality in Poland and their replacement with some new Poles. He only refrained from wearing a brown shirt because it would not have looked good on television.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/dr-szymon-mr-holownia/ -- WE PASSED EACH OTHER IN THE SECRETARIAT, AND THIS MAN WAS IN EXCELLENT SPIRITS. HE SAID HE HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION WITH DONALD. "WHAT DID YOU AGREE ON?" I ASK. "THE PRIME MINISTER JUST TOLD ME I WON'T BE A MINISTER - PIOTR ŚMIŁOWICZ QUOTES SE. KWIATKOWSKI'S STORY ABOUT TUSK: “Krzysztof Kwiatkowski: – I will never forget a conversation with one of the ministers in 2011. I myself was the head of the Ministry of Justice, which was not appointed to the next government after the elections. Before me, someone in the same situation was leaving a conversation with Tusk – he had just found out he wouldn't be a minister. We passed each other in the secretariat, and this man was in excellent spirits. He said he had a great conversation with Donald. 'What did you agree on?' I ask. 'The Prime Minister just told me I won't be a minister.' This ability to build a personal, close relationship is indeed exceptional in him. Even when he conveys difficult information to the interlocutor, he does so in a way that does not arouse bad emotions.” -- MANY POLITICIANS CONFIRM THAT TUSK FIRST STIRS UP CONFLICT BETWEEN THE THIRD WAY AND THE LEFT, AND THEN ARRIVES ON A WHITE HORSE AS A MEDIATOR - PIOTR ŚMIŁOWICZ CONTINUES IN TYGODNIK POWSZECHNY: “Many politicians confirm that Tusk first stirs up conflict between the Third Way and the Left, and then arrives on a white horse as a mediator. This was the case with the abortion dispute – after the Left's offensive and Hołownia's action of withholding bills, he reprimanded Hołownia on one hand, and on the other, during a meeting of the Civic Platform's National Council, he presented an interpretation of the regulations, which doctors were obliged to adhere to, thus overshadowing the Left's efforts.” https://www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/sto-dni-rzadu-30-lat-polityki-jak-sie-zmienial-donald-tusk-186536 -- DONALD TUSK IS COMBATING ANDRZEJ DUDA LIKE HE ONCE COMBATED LECH KACZYŃSKI - ANDRZEJ GAJCY IN ONE+: “For 100 days, a regular political war has been ongoing between the government and the president, which is increasingly harming the state, leading it towards legal and decision-making paralysis. Instead of cohabitation of the two most important centers of executive power, we have a real impasse. Andrzej Duda does not sign laws, automatically sending them to the Constitutional Tribunal, and Donald Tusk is doing everything to marginalize the position of the head of state. This is similar to what he did during his first term as prime minister, when he conducted a similar political operation against then-President Lech Kaczyński.” https://www.onet.pl/informacje/onetwiadomosci/zla-krew-i-osobista-wrogosc-jak-donald-tusk-i-andrzej-duda-walcza-ze-soba/ye8fsxb,79cfc278 -- I ALSO DID NOT STAND IN TRAFFIC IN THE INTEREST OF THE MAJORITY OF POLISH FARMERS – UNLESS THEIR DEMANDS ARE DIFFERENT FROM THOSE EXPRESSED BY PROTEST ORGANIZERS, WHO REPRESENT THE MOST ACTIVE INDUSTRY LOBBY - KATARZYNA SKRZYDŁOWSKA-KALUKIN IN KULTURA LIBERALNA: “The question returns, in whose interest did I stand in traffic. Not in my own, I know that, because I prefer healthier food, I am for raising animals in good conditions (if it's impossible to raise them at all), I am against farming animals for fur. From further points, it follows that I also did not stand in traffic in the interest of the majority of Polish farmers – unless their demands are different from those expressed by protest organizers, who represent the most active industry lobby. According to data presented in the ISP report, about 30 percent of farmers declare that they are unable to support themselves and their families solely from farming. But are the Green Deal and grain from Ukraine truly responsible for these problems? What Jerzy Plewa and Andrzej Gantner from the Polish Federation of Food Producers, and Edwin Bendyk, president of the Batorego Foundation, said is more convincing – that it is cheap Russian grain that floods the European market and lowers prices.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2024/03/22/skrzydlowska-kalukin-protesty-rolnikow-nie-w-moim-imieniu/ -- BIRTHDAYS: Piotr Zaremba, Hanna Zdanowska, Aleksander Bobko, Ferdynand Rymarz, Ireneusz Niewiarowski. SUNDAY: Zbigniew Konwiński, Marek Wójcik, Wojciech Przybylski, Maciej Giertych, Barbara Tuge-Erecińska, Filip Łobodziński, Jakub Bojan.