-- SAWICKI: I EXPECT A DEEPER GOVERNMENT RESHUFFLE SOON AFTER THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2024/05/13 -- AS MANY AS 61% SUPPORT CPK - SURVEY FOR WYDARZENIA POLSATU: “According to the latest IBRiS poll for Polsat's "Wydarzenia," as many as 61.1% of Poles support the construction of CPK. Only 21.4% of respondents are against the venture. Among supporters, the largest group are voters for Law and Justice (62%), but a portion of the ruling coalition's voters are also "for it." The Central Communication Port enjoys the greatest support among voters of the Third Way. As many as 65% of the party's supporters are in favor of completing the investment. The project enjoys slightly less support among voters of Civic Coalition and The Left. Among Donald Tusk's party supporters, 45% are in favor of the construction, and around 30% of The Left.” https://next.gazeta.pl/next/7,151003,30958716,cpk-zyskuje-zwolennikow-na-tak-sa-polacy-i-czesc-koalicji.html -- CENTRAL COMMUNICATION PORT: PIS NOSTALGIC FOR GIERK, THE LEFT TOO - WITOLD GADOMSKI IN GW: “The Left also likes CPK because it favors large state investments, considering them "developmental." It is less interested in their efficiency and justification. The right says: "good because it's Polish," and the left: "good because it's state-owned." When an investment is both Polish and state-owned, the left and right are equally pleased with it.” -- IT TURNS OUT THAT 35 YEARS AFTER THE FALL OF THE PRL AND 44 YEARS AFTER THE DEPARTURE OF EDWARD GIEREK'S TEAM, A LARGE PART OF THE POLISH POLITICAL CLASS THINKS ABOUT MAJOR INVESTMENTS JUST LIKE THE FORMER PZPR SECRETARY - GADOMSKI FURTHER: “It turns out that 35 years after the fall of the PRL and 44 years after the departure of Edward Gierek's team, a large part of the Polish political class thinks about major investments just like the former First Secretary of the PZPR. Or perhaps the supporters of the Central Communication Port, which according to President Duda will be a "treasure" and "one of the most important investments that Poland is realizing in the first half of the 21st century," are guided not by the spirit of Edward Gierek, but by a much more powerful dictator?” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,30962529,centralny-port-komunikacyjny-pis-teskni-za-gierkiem-lewica.html -- SINCE THE GOVERNMENT MINISTERS, WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO RESTORE THE RULE OF LAW, DEMOCRACY, AND WHATEVER ELSE IN POLAND, CAN LEAVE THEIR UNFINISHED WORK AND PACK THEIR BAGS, WHY SHOULDN'T I SAY THAT THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTIONS IN POLAND'S MODERN HISTORY? - AGNIESZKA WIŚNIEWSKA IN KRYTYKA POLITYCZNA: “If the government ministers, who were supposed to restore the rule of law, democracy, and whatever else in Poland, can leave their unfinished work and pack their bags, meaning run in the European Parliament elections to go to Brussels, then why shouldn't I say that the European Parliament elections are the most important elections in Poland's modern history, and I will certainly vote in them, and then go for a barbecue on my plot and ignore them?” -- IN THE FUTURE, WE MAY ACHIEVE A BALANCE WHEREBY POLITICIANS' LIES WILL NOT FUEL CITIZENS' LIES - WIŚNIEWSKA FURTHER: “Since even the Green candidate said on Friday morning on Radio Tok FM that the Green Deal needs to be improved, clinging to politicians' words seems naive. So let's not cling to people's declarations that they will turn out in large numbers to vote. However, I urge everyone to choose a walk to the polling station on June 9th. And in the future, we may achieve a balance where politicians' lies do not fuel citizens' lies, but rather we stop lying to each other altogether.” https://krytykapolityczna.pl/swiat/ue/80-proc-polek-i-polakow-gotowych-zaglosowac-w-eurowyborach-wow/ -- DONALD TUSK: PUSH-BACK OF HUMANITARIANISM. PEOPLE HAVE DISAPPEARED FROM THE BORDER WITH BELARUS, ONLY WAR REMAINS, THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS GAME - MAGDALENA CHRZCZONOWICZ IN OKO.PRESS: “In Tusk's statements, migration has become merely a tool of war, not a process in which people fleeing war, poverty, climate change, as well as those seeking work, participate. And they will participate, because no barrier will stop migration. In this way, the Polish prime minister "pushes out" humanitarianism from the border discussion. He also pushes out people – even from the debate itself. This is a very dangerous game – it is not only an action against European values, but also the incitement of xenophobic sentiments and excellent ground for future social conflicts.” https://oko.press/donald-tusk-push-back-humanitaryzmu-z-granicy-z-bialorusia-znikneli-ludzie-zostala-tylko-wojna -- I FEAR THAT IN POLAND – DEPENDING ON WHICH WAY THE POLITICAL WIND OF HISTORY BLOWS – SURVEILLANCE OR INVESTIGATION OF JUDGES BY THE SERVICES MAY GO IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. WE HAVE NEITHER GUARANTEES NOR GROUNDS TO TRUST POLITICAL REGULATIONS - IGOR TULEYA IN CONVERSATION WITH DOROTA ROMAN IN GW: “Currently, judges have access to this type of information ex officio. We do not go through any procedures, we are generally not checked by the services. Perhaps this should be changed if we lived in a country where democracy has been rooted for many years. I fear that in Poland – depending on which way the political wind of history blows – surveillance or investigation of judges by the services may go in the wrong direction. We have neither guarantees nor grounds to trust political regulations, which in the future, if power in Poland falls into the hands of anti-democratic groups, will mean the surveillance of judges again.” -- THE CUTTING OF TIES BY THE FORMER AUTHORITIES AND POLITICAL MASTERS FROM THE FORMER JUDGE IS CAUSED BY SPECIFIC FEARS; SOME TRACES AND MATERIALS OF HIS ANTI-DEMOCRATIC AND ANTI-POLISH ACTIVITIES HAVE REMAINED IN THE COUNTRY - TULEYA FURTHER IN GW: “It is pathetic, but I believe the public does not buy their lies and hypocrisy. The disassociation of the former authorities and political masters from the former judge is caused by specific fears. I don't know if Szmydt had to leave for Belarus quickly, or if he planned it earlier, but I believe that some traces and materials of his anti-democratic and anti-Polish activities have remained in the country. If only those secured for the investigation in the "hater" affair. I think there will be many more important documents and procedural evidence there. Things that we will probably all find out about in some time.” -- THE COURTS HAVE NEVER FUNCTIONED WELL, BUT OVER THE LAST EIGHT YEARS WE HAVE SEEN A TOTAL COLLAPSE OF THE JUDICIARY - TULEYA FURTHER STATES: “I lack words for it. It's a black picture. The courts have never functioned well, but over the last eight years, we have seen a total collapse of the judiciary. Court proceedings have been extended by a few months. Minister Bodnar has now appointed a codification commission, working on creating good regulations that will lift the courts out of this collapse within a year, or two at most.” -- I BELIEVE THAT THE NEO-JUDGES SHOULD NOT BE JUDGES AT ALL. THESE INDIVIDUALS LACK TWO FUNDAMENTAL QUALITIES THAT A JUDGE APPOINTED ACCORDING TO THE REGULATIONS MUST POSSESS - TULEYA TELLS DOROTA ROMAN: “I am an ordinary judge of a common court, and my private opinion on the matter of the neo-KRS (National Council of the Judiciary) differs from the stance of the Iustitia Association, to which I belong. I believe that neo-judges should not be judges at all. These individuals lack two fundamental qualities that a judge appointed according to the regulations must possess. They do not know the law, meaning the rulings of the Supreme Court, administrative courts, and European courts that question judges appointed with the help of the new KRS, and yet they participated in competitions, being lawyers aware that it is an illegal body. Or, even worse, they lack a quality that a judge should have, namely an impeccable character.” -- I HAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE REVOLUTION HAS SIMPLY BEEN SOLD - TULEYA STATES IN GW: “After October 15th, I feared that our dreamed-of revolution would turn into a half-dreamed-one and remain on paper. But the analysis of the changes made by the current government in the area of restoring the rule of law, concerning the KRS, shows that the ending is even more banal. I have the impression that the revolution has simply been sold. And the recent actions in the Senate are a clear example of this for me. It's as if we didn't know there's a difference between judges and those appointed by the illegal KRS, i.e., neo-judges. Allowing neo-judges to potentially be seated in the National Council of the Judiciary is, in my opinion, contrary to the rulings of European courts, the Supreme Court, and common courts. And contrary to the constitution.” -- IF NECESSARY, LET'S WAIT A YEAR. PERHAPS, AS MANY INDICATIONS SUGGEST, POLES WILL ELECT A PRESIDENT FROM THE PRO-DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL CAMP. FOR THIS YEAR, THE COURTS WILL MANAGE - TULEYA TO ROMAN IN GW: “If necessary, let's wait a year. Perhaps, as many indications suggest, Poles will elect a president from the pro-democratic political camp. For this year, the courts will manage, but if we trade the rule of law, which we have spoken about for the last eight years, it is not only like spitting in the face of judges, but above all in the face of citizens who took to the streets for two PiS terms. It's terrible. And unacceptable to me.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75398,30958921,tuleya-w-zespole-ziobry-ktory-mial-sie-zajmowac-etyka-byli.html -- PIS IS PUTTING PRESSURE IN THE SEJM, THE GOVERNMENT HAS A PROBLEM WITH A POPULIST PROMISE - JAKUB SZYMCZAK IN OKO.PRESS: “PiS in the Sejm appealed to adopt their law on the tax-free allowance of PLN 60,000. A PiS MP openly admitted: This will blow up public finances. Before the elections, Civic Coalition made an extremely irresponsible promise, and now the government must deal with it.” -- IN SHORT: A FATAL IDEA - SZYMCZAK FURTHER IN OKO.PRESS: “Unfortunately, a lower income tax also means inevitably lower revenues for the state budget and local government budgets. This gap can be filled in two ways – higher other taxes or increased debt. The latter scenario is more likely. At a time when we need to increase defense spending and carry out a costly but necessary energy transformation, we would incur debt in order to leave more money in the pockets of higher earners – because, according to analyses, it is precisely such taxpayers who benefit most from a higher tax-free allowance. In short: a fatal idea.” https://oko.press/kwota-wolna-60-tys-problem-tuska-debata -- SZMYDT'S AGGRAVATING BEHAVIOR AFTER FLEEING THE COUNTRY SHOULD ALSO LEAD TO REFLECTION – IT IS EASY TO IMAGINE THAT THE INTENTION OF THE ENTIRE OPERATION WAS TO UNDERMINE GENERAL SOCIAL TRUST AND FUEL EXTREME EMOTIONS - TOMASZ SAWCZUK IN KULTURA LIBERALNA: “Szmydt's inflammatory behavior after fleeing the country should also prompt reflection – it is easy to imagine that an element of the entire operation was precisely to undermine general social trust and to fuel extreme emotions. Finally, it is worth making an important distinction. It cannot be assumed that Eastern services are not trying to influence Polish public life – in this context, examples such as the tape scandal or the leak of Dworczyk's emails are not irrelevant.” -- IF SOMEONE HAS DIFFERENT VIEWS, EVEN UNWISE AND HARMFUL ONES, IT DOES NOT IMMEDIATELY MEAN THEY SERVE A FOREIGN POWER - SAWCZUK FURTHER IN KL: “At the same time, the mutual name-calling as Russian agents ongoing on social media does not seem particularly constructive. If someone has different views, even unwise and harmful ones, it does not immediately mean they serve a foreign power – the immediate appearance of such suspicions is a script that is likely easily activated due to Polish history. Nevertheless, in politics, we really choose between more Western and Eastern orders. The liberal-democratic model of governance is more "Western," and the illiberal or autocratic model is more from beyond the eastern border. This is a real political choice that we make with our own strength.” https://kulturaliberalna.pl/2024/05/13/sawczuk-szmydt-niewygodny-dla-pis-u/ -- UNEXPECTED CHANGE OF POSITIONS. TUSK IS BUILDING A WALL ON THE BORDER, KACZYŃSKI WANTS TO BE IN THE EU - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: “The largest ruling party and the largest opposition party made powerful political volte-faces this weekend. The surprising change in the positions of PO and PiS stems from the change of roles between the governing party and the opposition after the October 15th elections. (...) I think Tusk knew perfectly well what we were dealing with at the time, but he was the leader of the opposition, and the fence on the border was built by the then government. Kaczyński knew perfectly well what the Green Deal was. But then he was the leader of the ruling party, and today he is the leader of the opposition. Back then, the negotiated Green Deal was a success; today, it can be declared the main enemy. After October 15th, Tusk and Kaczyński swapped roles, and this entails a change in their positions. And it's hard to get outraged by that. The question is whether voters will find this credible.” https://www.rp.pl/komentarze/art40336101-michal-szuldrzynski-nieoczekiwana-zmiana-miejsc-tusk-buduje-mur-na-granicy-kaczynski-chce-byc-w-ue -- STOPPING NATIONALISM AND POPULISM - THAT IS THE STAKE IN THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS - STEFAN NIESIOŁOWSKI IN GW: “A victory for nationalism in these elections would mean the incapacitation, paralysis, or even liquidation of the Union as a significant political force. The overthrow of freedom and democracy, a return to authoritarianism. The abandonment of aid for Ukraine, the triumph of Putin. Such is the stake of the European elections. In Poland, the October 15th Coalition stands in the way of nationalism and the re-transformation of Europe into a breeding ground for wars and conflicts, which it largely was until the realization of the great plan of the founding fathers of the European Union after World War II. Meanwhile, for nationalists, only seizing power and reaping personal and group benefits from it matters, freedom to rob the state in all areas. We experienced this during the eight years of the PiS regime. The Poland that Kaczyński is trying to set on fire again is needed by him roughly in the same way that a host is needed by a tapeworm.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,30962510,powstrzymac-nacjonalizm-i-populizm-oto-stawka-eurowyborow.html -- REPORTER LOSES TRACK AND SWEARS ON A LIVE BROADCAST IN NOWA PANORAMA TVP: “At 12, the services said that the level was elevated, that the concentration level was elevated. That there isn't..., f***, sorry. That there are no harmful substances in the air, and at 6 pm, the fire department said that groundwater is not threatened by the firefighting operation or the fire.” https://kultura.gazeta.pl/kultura/7,127222,30964761,wpadka-w-panoramie.html – "19.30" MAKES ME SO BORED THAT I USUALLY SWITCH TO TVN24 BY 19:31, WHY SHOULD I ENDURE IT – DOROTA WELLMAN: “Dorota Wellman appeared on Agnieszka Woźniak-Starak and Gabi Drzewiecka's podcast, "Trójkąt." The topic of conversation included changes in public media. The TVN star sharply criticized what can be seen on the new TVP channels. She admitted that watching programs of the public broadcaster "tires" her. https://rozrywka.dorzeczy.pl/show-biznes/585804/dorota-wellman-uderza-w-nowa-tvp-ostra-krytyka-stacji.html -- MONIKA OLEJNIK ON HER FIGHT WITH BREAST CANCER AND AN APPEAL TO GET TESTED: “CancerIsNotaSentence In one of the almost sunny months of 2024, I heard the diagnosis – breast cancer. Then I spent one weekend in the hospital. After the surgery, I'm better, I'm taking on new challenges.” https://www.plotek.pl/plotek/7,154063,30964557,monika-olejnik-ma-nowotwor.html -- BIRTHDAYS: Justyna Kopińska, Hanna Foltyn-Kubicka, Grzegorz Sztolcman, Marek Wikiński, Małgorzata Okońska-Zaremba, Adam Hofman.