-- AFTER IRAN'S ATTACK ON ISRAEL. A MAJOR WAR, FOR NOW, WILL NOT HAPPEN - JERZY HASZCZYŃSKI IN RZ: "Tehran, by organizing a mass attack with drones and missiles, has brought about the realization of Benjamin Netanyahu's dream: Israel has the full support of the West. It has landed in the camp of good, and Iran, along with Hamas and Russia, has firmly stuck itself in the camp of evil. (...) Israel can now carry out its retaliation, likely on Iranian territory. Then, another response from Iran could be expected. But all of this doesn't have to happen. If everything remains within the bounds of a spectacle, there will be no major war." https://www.rp.pl/opinie-polityczno-spoleczne/art40161341-jerzy-haszczynski-po-iranskim-ataku-na-izrael-wielkiej-wojny-na-razie-nie-bedzie -- I WAS MORE ABOUT BRIDGING THEM, WHICH IS WHY I CAN COMMUNICATE WITH MANY PEOPLE, ALTHOUGH IT DOESN'T GIVE ME THE SAME PLEASURE WITH EVERYONE - ALEKSANDER KWAŚNIEWSKI IN CONVERSATION WITH KRZYSZTOF BIENKIEWICZ ON INTERIA: "I'm not on first-name terms with Jarosław Kaczyński, but I was with Lech Kaczyński. Donald Tusk and I use first names, but I'm a bit of an old-school politician. I never exploited divisions. I was more about bridging them, which is why I can communicate with many people, although it doesn't give me the same pleasure with everyone. -- I DIVIDE PEOPLE IN POLITICS INTO A MODERATE AND AN EXTREMIST GROUP. EXTREMISTS, INCIDENTALLY, OFTEN SURPRISE, BECAUSE YOU CAN OFTEN FIND A RIGHT-WING EXTREMIST WHO, AFTER SOME YEARS, WILL SIDE WITH THE LEFT-WING EXTREME, AND VICE VERSA - KWAŚNIEWSKI CONTINUES ON INTERIA: "I believe that when evaluating politics, too much attention is paid to the ideological factor. This one is left-wing, that one is right-wing. Of course, it's not without significance, but firstly, views change, and secondly, I would draw attention to the psychological difference. I divide people in politics into a moderate and an extremist group. Extremists, incidentally, often surprise, because you can often find a right-wing extremist who, after some years, will side with the left-wing extreme, and vice versa." -- WELL, THAT'S NOT TRUE. COMPROMISE IS NOT A SIGN OF WEAKNESS. COMPROMISE IS VERY OFTEN A SIGN OF WISDOM - SAYS KWAŚNIEWSKI TO INTERIA: "Yes, but psychology is at play there, the need to be on the edge. I, by nature, belong to moderate people. And what does moderation mean? It means not falling into extreme attitudes, being ready for dialogue, accepting other people's arguments. In my opinion, moderation is needed, just as compromise is needed. We have started to reject compromise because it is associated with a rotten compromise or weakness. Well, that's not true. Compromise is not a sign of weakness. Compromise is very often a sign of wisdom. It means we can discuss and reach an agreement. And we must, in this world where there are already 8 billion of us, and will be even more, reach an agreement and limit ourselves. We must step aside, we must find contact with the other person and give them space too. If everyone believes that only I deserve that space, it will end in complete disaster. Moderation is a very desirable trait. Similarly, compromise is an important, positive value. However, I will note here that one must distinguish compromise from conformism, on the principle of 'I'll let it go for peace's sake.' https://sport.interia.pl/inne/news-nigdy-nie-eksploatowalem-podzialow-bylem-od-ich-zasypywania-,nId,7446829 -- MASTALEREK: THIS RESULT IS THE SAME AS SIX MONTHS AGO IN THE PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS, BUT THE SITUATION HAS CHANGED - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2024/04/15/ -- IF THE SITUATION FROM THE LOCAL ELECTIONS REPEATS ITSELF IN JUNE, THE FUTURE OF THE ENTIRE LEFT-WING BLOCK WILL BE QUESTIONABLE - MICHAŁ KOLANKO IN RZ: "When Donald Tusk announced at a press conference that there was no question of a regional assembly coalition with the Left, he not only showed her what he thought politics looked like today. He also caused the Left to lose some of its seriousness. Because can we talk about the image of a serious party whose politicians mostly learned about such a fundamental matter as an electoral alliance from the Prime Minister's press conference? Lack of seriousness in politics is fatal, and in the long term, it can reduce the Left to a part of Civic Platform." https://www.rp.pl/opinie-polityczno-spoleczne/art40161451-michal-kolanko-lewica-musi-szukac-swojej-wlasnej-drogi -- THIS TIME THERE WAS NO BONUS, WHICH MAY MEAN THAT SUPPORT FOR THE COALITION IN THE LONGER TERM WILL RATHER DECREASE THAN INCREASE - WITOLD GADOMSKI IN GW: "The landscape after the April battle thus appears almost identical to the one after the October battle. However, reality is more complicated when we consider dynamics. A grouping or coalition of groupings that wins elections generally receives a bonus from voters in subsequent elections, if they occur in the near future. This time there was no bonus, which may mean that support for the coalition will rather decrease than increase in the longer term." -- TUSK, DON'T POSTPONE DIFFICULT DECISIONS - WITOLD GADOMSKI CONTINUES IN GW: "But to maintain support at a level that allows for success in four years, the government must begin to solve problems that, even if not perceived by voters today, will become an increasing trouble for Poland and thus will weigh on the results of future elections. There are many such problems. I will list three as examples. Poland's defensive efficiency Energy transformation The state of public finances." -- I AM ASTOUNDED THAT THE PRIME MINISTER DOES NOT ANNOUNCE IT IN ANY OF HIS SPEECHES, HE DOESN'T EVEN MENTION THAT WE ARE HEADING STRAIGHT FOR A WALL AND IF WE DON'T CHANGE COURSE, A COLLISION WILL OCCUR - GADOMSKI CONTINUES IN GW: "I am astounded that the Prime Minister does not announce it in any of his speeches, he doesn't even mention that we are heading straight for a wall and if we don't change course, a collision will occur – public debt thresholds will be exceeded, and speculators buying Polish debt will demand increasingly higher interest rates. It is impossible to stabilize Polish public finances without undertaking actions that are unpleasant for some voters – cutting certain public expenditures or (a worse variant) raising taxes. For now, the government has ideas for new expenditures." https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,30885506,tusku-nie-odkladaj-trudnych-decyzji-na-pozniej.html -- "GRANDMA'S BENEFIT" WITH AN IMPORTANT CAVEAT. THIS WAS NOT SAID BEFORE THE ELECTIONS - MIKOŁAJ FIDZIŃSKI ON GAZETA.PL: "On the one hand, the project adds more money to parents and fulfills the pre-election promises of Civic Platform. On the other hand... not entirely. Controversies are raised, among other things, by what will happen to the Family Care Capital benefit, which is PLN 500 per month for two years or PLN 1,000 for one year for each second and subsequent child aged 12-35 months. Before the elections, Civic Platform communicated: the Family Care Capital will be maintained. Many people (including myself) interpreted these announcements unequivocally: if parents return to work, they will be entitled to both the "grandma's benefit" (PLN 1,500 per month) and the Family Care Capital (PLN 500/1,000 per month). I'm not delving into whether this is good, too much, or if the budget can afford it, etc. It's about the declaration itself: the "grandma's benefit" was supposed to be in addition to the Family Care Capital, not instead of it." https://next.gazeta.pl/next/7,151003,30881475,babciowe-z-wazna-gwiazdka-tego-przed-wyborami-nie-powiedziano.html -- THREE-QUARTERS OF THOSE SURVEYED BY IPSOS FOR OKO.PRESS BELIEVE THAT DECISIONS ABOUT HOMEWORK SHOULD BE LEFT "AT THE BOTTOM": TO THE TEACHERS THEMSELVES (37% OF RESPONSES) OR TO THE SCHOOLS, WHICH WOULD DEVELOP RULES FOR ASSIGNING HOMEWORK APPLICABLE IN THE INSTITUTION (35%). -- THE GOVERNMENT AND MINISTRY'S IDEA, THAT THE "CENTER" SHOULD DECIDE, WAS SUPPORTED BY ONLY 21%. SURPRISINGLY, EVEN AMONG THE CIVIC PLATFORM ELECTORATE, SUPPORT WAS LOW (23%), STATISTICALLY THE SAME AS AMONG THE LAW AND JUSTICE PARTY (21%). https://oko.press/prace-domowe-czy-to-men-powinien-decydowac-sondaz-ipsos -- THE LAW AND JUSTICE PARTY'S POLITICAL MACHINE REQUIRES RADICAL MODERNIZATION - MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI: "If this work is done, the risk of a sudden stab in the back due to some paid-for hate campaign decreases. And this is what the Law and Justice party must work on! The political machine of this formation requires radical modernization; knowledge in the area of modern internet communication needs to be accumulated and expanded; reach is built over years. PiS has great deficiencies here, and the worst thing would be if they rested on their laurels. There is still a long way to go for the Polish camp to regain Poland." -- PERHAPS WE NEED TO CREATE A COALITION PARTNER FOR OURSELVES, LIKE THEY GENERATED HOŁOWNIA? - KARNOWSKI CONTINUES: "Openness to coalition partners and new people, which only seemingly contradicts the previous point. However, political insiders know that these elections showed that there are places where Law and Justice members have achieved great success under an non-party banner, there are areas where joining social and non-governmental organizations brings very good results. In many places, before the second round, the PiS electorate is the deciding factor. We need to enter such games, bid, and take at least some influence and power. Perhaps we need to create a coalition partner for ourselves, as they generated Hołownia." https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/688534-to-byloby-dla-przyszlosci-pis-najgorsze -- SOVEREIGN POLAND IS RATHER DOOMED TO PIŚ, AND WITHIN THE PARTY, ONE CAN EVEN HEAR THE VIEW THAT IN THE LONGER TERM, THE TWO GROUPS WILL MERGE, ALBEIT THROUGH THE ABSORPTION OF SP BY PIŚ - PIOTR ŚMIŁOWICZ IN TYGODNIK POWSZECHNY: "Sovereign Poland is therefore rather doomed to PiS, and within the party, one can even hear the view that in the longer term, the two groups will merge, albeit through the absorption of SP by PiS, as was the case with Adam Bielan's Republicans. Much here depends on Zbigniew Ziobro's health. His prolonged absence and slow loss of influence may accelerate the whole process, although one can also hear in PiS that if Ziobro overcomes cancer and recovers, he may want to capitalize on the sympathy towards himself and run in the presidential elections, regardless of PiS's candidate. To prevent this, PiS may want to absorb SP faster than planned. This will get rid of the problem that Ziobro and his people have been for Kaczyński's formation for years." https://www.tygodnikpowszechny.pl/wstrzasy-na-prawicy-czy-bedzie-rozwod-pis-z-suwerenna-polska-186760 -- LET'S AGREE TO LIVE WITH PIŚ. BECAUSE IT WON'T DISAPPEAR – IT HAS AND WILL HAVE VOTERS - DR HELENA CHMIELEWSKA-SZLAJFER IN CONVERSATION WITH AGNIESZKA JĘDRZEJCZYK ON OKO.PRESS: "Pluralism, not dualism. Half a year after the victory of the October 15 Coalition, this is clearly visible. There was no – and will not be – a hurricane that would sweep away PiS. This party still holds a strong position. At the same time, it is evident that at the local level, matters proceed to some extent independently of political affiliations. This is about specifics, infrastructure, quality of life, public services – which truly makes the question "who won the local elections centrally" nonsensical. Reducing politics to who won makes it seem understandable but simultaneously trivializes it. If we start treating the exercise of power not as a royal decree but as a service to others, then it becomes less important who won, but how this elected group cooperates to achieve its set goals." -- THE MOST PRONOUNCED IN THIS REGARD IS WEST POMERANIA, WHERE APPROXIMATELY 60% OF VOTES GO TO LIBERAL-LEFT CANDIDATES. EVEN IN PODKARPACIE, CONSERVATIVE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEADERS REPRESENT ONLY HALF - DR HELENA CHMIELEWSKA-SZLAJFER CONTINUES ON OKO: "Regions are diverse, and in none of them does one option have a complete advantage over the others. West Pomerania is the most distinct in this regard, where about 60% of votes go to liberal-left candidates. Even in Podkarpackie, conservative local government leaders represent only half – the other half is governed by centrist, liberal, and left-wing leaders. In Greater Poland, the center prevails (about 40%), but in Lesser Poland and Lublin Voivodeship too!" https://oko.press/samorzad-polaryzacja-reforma -- THE UNIVERSAL ADOPTION OF THE LAW ON LEGAL ABORTION WOULD HAVE VERY GOOD POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES - TOMASZ SAWCZUK IN KULTURA LIBERALNA: "The universal adoption of the law on legal abortion would have very good political consequences. Firstly, it would close the issue at the political level – the deeply polarizing issue that ignites passions and consumes time but does not lead to a solution would be removed from the political arena. Especially in the current situation, endless political conflicts over abortion are truly serving no purpose; instead, they divert attention from the most important strategic issues of the state, such as security and energy, which we should be focusing on first. Secondly, such a solution takes into account the sensitivities of all sides. A law that recognizes a woman's right to decide on pregnancy does not end disputes and is not exclusionary towards the values and emotions of citizens, regardless of their views – it does not predetermine the number of abortions; if no woman wants to have an abortion, the number will be zero." https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2024/04/15/sawczuk-kobieta-czy-panstwo-w-kwestii-prawa-o-aborcji-istnieje-sensowne-rozwiazanie/ -- THE FADING GREEN OF DONALD TUSK'S GOVERNMENT'S ECOLOGICAL AGENDA - DANIEL PETRYCZKIEWICZ IN KRYTYKA POLITYCZNA: "Donald Tusk's government went into the parliamentary elections with an ambitious green agenda – yet it doesn't even control the newly appointed director of State Forests, where a moratorium on logging in the Bieszczady Mountains may have been violated." -- FROM THE INCREASINGLY LESS GREEN DECLARATIONS OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND GOVERNMENT TO REAL SYSTEMIC CHANGE, THERE IS MORE THAN JUST A FEW FELLINGS AHEAD - PETRYCZKIEWICZ CONTINUES IN KRYTYKA: "There is still a long way to go to the announced protection of 20% of Polish forests and real social control over the State Forests institution. The announced actions give hope for developing solutions that are good for nature and people, but they cannot lull us into a false sense of security. From the increasingly less green declarations of the Prime Minister and the government to real systemic change, there is more than just a few fellings ahead." https://krytykapolityczna.pl/kraj/blaknaca-zielen-ekologicznej-agendy-rzadu-tuska/ -- POLISH BUSINESS NEEDS A CENTRAL COMMUNICATION PORT. ITS CREATION WILL EQUALIZE THE OPPORTUNITIES OF POLISH ENTREPRENEURS COMPARED TO THEIR INTERNATIONAL COMPETITORS" - BELIEVES ONE OF POLISH MILLIONAIRES AND MAKES A CONCRETE DECLARATION - GAZETA.PL: "Krzysztof Domarecki, founder and main shareholder of Selena Group, posted a video on Linkedin where he argues that the construction of CPK is essential for Poland. - The world is ready for a new, transcontinental airport in Poland - says Domarecki, among other things." https://next.gazeta.pl/next/7,151003,30886489,polski-milioner-nie-owija-w-bawelne-ws-cpk-i-deklaruje-pierwsze.html -- BIRTHDAYS: Beata Szydło, Krzysztof Szczerski, Michał Kobosko, Agnieszka Woźniak-Starak, Michał Kolanko.