-- Prime Minister Hanna Suchocka turns 78 today. -- WHO GOVERNS US – CONVERSATION WITH PRIME MINISTER HANNA SUCHOCKA ON WIRTUALNA POLSKA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yL0RSDcQzFQ -- 43 YEARS AGO, the first issue of “Tygodnik Solidarność” was published. https://www.tysol.pl/a5962-3-kwietnia-1981-roku-ukazal-sie-pierwszy-numer-Tygodnika-Solidarnosc -- TUSK TO NETANYAHU AND THE ISRAELI AMBASSADOR: THE TRAGIC ATTACK ON VOLUNTEERS AND YOUR REACTION INCUR UNDERSTANDABLE ANGER - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2024/04/03 -- THE PSL – ALTHOUGH OFFICIALLY UNDECIDED – IS ALMOST AGREED WITH THE CIVIC COALITION – DOMINIKA WIELOWIEYSKA IN GW: “The key is the configuration in which the October 15 Coalition will contest the European elections. Tusk proposed a joint start with the PSL in this race because both parties are part of the European People's Party (EPP), and strong Polish representation in this faction gives us significant room for maneuver in the European Union. According to my information, the PSL – despite not having officially made a decision – is already almost agreed with the Civic Coalition. Internal polls indicate that combined forces could give such an alliance a few more seats.” -- THE HIGHEST RATINGS CURRENTLY BELONG TO FOREIGN MINISTER RADOSŁAW SIKORSKI AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE ADAM BODNAR - CONTINUES WIELOWIEYSKA: “The highest ratings currently belong to Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski and Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar. Tusk is not revealing his plans at all, so all speculation regarding a reconstruction should be approached with caution. As for ministers from Third Way or The Left, coalition agreements are needed here. However, the reasons for changes in ministerial cabinets can be very diverse. Minister of Agriculture Czesław Siekierski from the PSL, mentioned in this context, reportedly wants to leave himself because his conflict with Deputy Minister Michał Kołodziejczak is escalating. This concerns the appointment of specific positions, for example, within KRUS.” -- IF TRZASKOWSKI DOES NOT WIN THE WARSAW MAYORAL ELECTION IN THE FIRST ROUND, IT MAY TURN OUT THAT SIKORSKI WILL PROPOSE THE IDEA OF PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES – WIELOWIEYSKA FURTHER WRITES IN GW: “Speculation about the presidential election is also buzzing within the coalition. Theoretically, the candidate for the Civic Coalition is supposed to be Rafał Trzaskowski, but if he doesn't win the Warsaw mayoral election in the first round, it may turn out that Sikorski will propose the idea of presidential primaries and want to compete with Trzaskowski himself. Sikorski is on a roll, becoming increasingly popular, so he counts on winning such primaries. Trzaskowski has been fearing such a scenario for a long time; his people predicted two years ago that Sikorski had not given up his presidential ambitions.” -- IT IS HEARD THAT TUSK HIMSELF IS CONSIDERING RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, PAINTING A VISION OF THE PRIME MINISTERSHIP FOR KOSINIAK-KAMYSZ – CLAIMS WIELOWIEYSKA: “In turn, within the Third Way, one can hear that Tusk himself is considering running for President of the Republic of Poland, and is already preparing the ground for this maneuver, and if the polls favor him, he will run. What's more, he will cause a split in the Third Way, painting a vision of the prime ministership for the leader of the PSL, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. This, in turn, would mean that the PSL would support the Civic Coalition candidate in the presidential election. 'Kosiniak-Kamysz believes that he will become prime minister because of this, and that's a fantasy,' complain people in Poland 2050.” https://wyborcza.pl/magazyn/7,124059,30851601,wielowieyska-w-otoczeniu-premiera-trwa-ostra-rywalizacja-tylko.html -- THE REGIONAL ASSEMBLY RESULTS WILL DETERMINE THE CONDITIONS OF POLITICAL GAMES FOR THE NEXT YEAR – MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: “The results of the local government elections could revolutionize the Polish political scene. The victory of one of the largest parties and the results of the others will determine the balance of power a year before the next elections.” -- FOR THE LAW AND JUSTICE PARTY, THE SIGNAL THAT RUMORS OF ITS DEMISE WERE EXAGGERATED IS MORE IMPORTANT – CONTINUES SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: “PiS is playing for the highest stakes. It knows that a point victory over the Civic Coalition in the regional assembly elections is theoretically possible – although increasingly less so – which would be an important achievement. Relinquishing power is less important here – PiS has too little coalition capacity to maintain power in the voivodeships. The signal that rumors of the party's demise were exaggerated is more important.” https://www.rp.pl/komentarze/art40098891-michal-szuldrzynski-wybory-samorzadowe-2024-wynik-sejmikowy-zdecyduje-o-warunkach-politycznej-gry-na-nastepny-rok -- OCTOBER IN APRIL – JERZY BACZYŃSKI AND MARIUSZ JANICKI IN TYGODNIK POLITYKA: “Maintaining the political determination of democratic voters will prove crucial. It is about confirming the October decision in April.” -- IF THE LAW AND JUSTICE PARTY WINS AGAIN, AT THE REGIONAL ASSEMBLY LEVEL, THE DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION WILL CERTAINLY NOT CRUMBLE, BUT THE QUESTION WILL ARISE WHY KACZYŃSKI WON AGAIN – CONTINUES BACZYŃSKI AND JANICKI: “This is not just about Tusk's ambitions, but about the overall picture of Poland under the new government. If PiS wins again at the regional assembly level, the democratic revolution will certainly not falter, but the question will arise as to why Kaczyński won again, given that he is supposedly almost gone and Poles have overwhelmingly rejected populism. Of course, there are standard explanations that democrats are divided, pluralistic, that they should be treated as a whole, but it is finally time to simply defeat PiS and push them from the first place.” -- A CHANGE IN WIND DIRECTION IS NOT IMMEDIATELY PERCEPTIBLE, BUT IT CAN TRIGGER PROCESSES THAT ARE DIFFICULT TO CONTROL LATER. AND PIŚ IS FEVERISHLY LOOKING FOR SUCH A TURNING POINT – CONTINUES BACZYŃSKI AND JANICKI IN TYGODNIK POLITYKA: “If Kaczyński maintains his advantage not in one, but in three, four, or five regional assemblies, right-wing propaganda will blow this up to colossal proportions, and slogans about the 'end of Tusk,' the triumphant return of the 'pro-Polish option,' and disappointment with the 'December 13 coalition' will appear, because PiS is still a master of self-promotion, capable of squeezing everything out of nothing. Of course, there will be no immediate changes on the political scene, Tusk will remain prime minister, and the coalition will not fall apart, although the local government elections may change the internal balance of power within it. But we know how important the so-called atmosphere, underlying trends, and psychological advantage are in politics. It influences behavior, opinions, and expectations, and forecasts. A change in wind direction is not immediately noticeable, but it can trigger processes that are difficult to control later. And PiS is feverishly looking for such a turning point.” https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/kraj/2251157,1,pazdziernik-w-kwietniu -- "THE PRESIDENT DID WHAT HE HAD TO DO. BUT THE MEASURE OF SENTIMENT IS "GAZETA POLSKA." ITS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF TOMASZ SAKIEWICZ IS NOT CALLING FOR MASS PROTESTS IN DEFENSE OF SOVEREIGN POLAND ANYHOW" - AGATA KONDZIŃSKA QUOTES AN ANONYMOUS PIŚ POLITICIAN IN GW: “'The President did what he had to do. But the measure of sentiment here is "Gazeta Polska." Its editor-in-chief Tomasz Sakiewicz is not calling for mass protests in defense of Sovereign Poland anyway,' says my interlocutor. He recalls that agents searched Ziobro's house one day and his Warsaw apartment the next. 'Normally, there would already be 50 people from the "Gazeta Polska" clubs there, with flags, with banners,' he assesses. He gives other examples: 'There were no calls for protests in front of the Ministry of Justice, conference after conference.'” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,30851087,pis-na-ostatniej-prostej-kampanii-klopoty-suwerennej-polski.html -- THE RUSSIANS ARE MAINTAINING THE INITIATIVE IN THE WAR – PIOTR LEWANDOWSKI IN OKO.PRESS: “The Russians are effectively striking Ukrainian energy infrastructure. The Ukrainian 'Furious' drone is a weapon against Russian refineries. A massacre of an enemy battalion tactical group. The Ukrainian armed forces continue to implement their strategic defense plan, preventing Russia from achieving significant successes. However, President Zelensky stated in an interview published by CBS News that Ukrainian forces are not sufficiently prepared to repel the Russian offensive expected in the spring. Current Ukrainian resources are constantly being depleted due to Russian offensive actions conducted on many sections of the front, while Western aid is insufficient due to its drastic reduction by the USA.” https://oko.press/rosjanie-utrzymuja-inicjatywe-w-prowadzeniu-wojny-sytuacja-na-froncie -- IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS, THERE IS NO TOPIC OF ENSURING OUR SAFETY. THE CONSTRUCTION OF SHELTERS AND WAR-DRONE-RESISTANT INFRASTRUCTURE IS SILENT. UNBELIEVABLE! AS IF A REAL WAR WAS NOT RAGING NEXT TO US – JAROSŁAW KUISZ IN INTERIA. -- IT IS ENOUGH FOR THE RUSSIANS TO START ANOTHER LAND OFFENSIVE, AND WE WILL FEEL ITS EFFECTS IMMEDIATELY – CONTINUES KUISZ IN INTERIA: “We are observing this with concern, while at the same time, in the context of history, we are aware of the indecent comfort we are enjoying – living in peace. However, the wisdom of the ancients: 'If you want peace, prepare for war,' is reaching us far too slowly. We are acting as if our peaceful life next to the war could simply continue. This is an illusion. It is enough for the Russians to start another land offensive, and we will feel its effects immediately. In the first instance, it will be a wave of emigrants seeking safety.” -- PROPAGANDA WILL NOT DEFEND THE STATE – CONTINUES KUISZ: “The last few years have been a bitter lesson. Already after the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine, we saw verbal defenders of Polish borders who were selling visas illegally at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This is pseudo-patriotism, nothing more. We had plenty of that in the 1930s. The words turned out to be so lofty that they were empty. Propaganda did not defend the state.” https://wydarzenia.interia.pl/felietony/news-w-imie-czego-bronic-kraju,nId,7426809 -- BIRTHDAYS: Prime Minister Hanna Suchocka, Ewa Draus.