-- "WE SHOULD DO THIS AS THE ENTIRE LEFT CLUB." ZANDBERG ON THE REACTION TO RISING ENERGY PRICES - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2024/06/25 -- FOR NOW, POLITICS IS IN A STALEMATE BEFORE THE STORM, AND THE FEAR OF LIBERALS FAVORS CONFEDERATION - PRZEMYSŁAW SZUBARTOWICZ IN INTERIA: “It is precisely the fear of liberals, who are afraid of their own shadow, do not defend their political agenda, and are unable to resist the blackmail of left-wing and right-wing extremes, that is one of the main reasons for the success of the populist right in the West. In Poland, no one has yet drawn conclusions from this.” -- PROGRESSIVE TRZASKOWSKI WOULD MAKE THE FADING LEFT FORMATION MEAN NOTHING, AND CENTRIST SIKORSKI WOULD LEAVE NO ROOM FOR THE THIRD WAY IN THE FUTURE - SZUBARTOWICZ CONTINUES: “However, the election of both the Mayor of Warsaw and the head of the Foreign Ministry would mean that all parties forming the ruling coalition would have to field their own candidates, if only to appear to differ and save their existence. For progressive Trzaskowski would make the fading left formation mean nothing, and centrist Sikorski would leave no room for the Third Way in the future.” https://wydarzenia.interia.pl/felietony/news-marazm-przed-burza,nId,7594028 -- THE GOVERNMENT MUST PLUG THE MULTI-BILLION HOLE IN THE NFZ. WILL CONTRIBUTIONS OR TAXES INCREASE? - PIOTR SKWIROWSKI IN RZ: “– Subsidies don't grow on trees, they have to come from somewhere. Either from increased contributions or from taxes. A discussion about better efficiency of healthcare spending is necessary. The hole was generated primarily by rising salaries – adds the President of IFP.” https://www.rp.pl/budzet-i-podatki/art40698331-rzad-musi-zasypac-wielomiliardowa-dziure-w-nfz-wzrosna-skladki-czy-podatki -- AT ONE TIME, PIS WON ELECTIONS BECAUSE IT PROMISED POLES EVERYTHING GOOD, AND WITH ITS GOVERNANCE, IT WANTED TO SHOW THAT THE STATE CAN BEAR THE COSTS OF ALL CATASTROPHES AND CRISES. IT SEEMS THAT POLITICIANS OF THE DEMOCRATIC COALITION HAVE LARGELY ADOPTED THE SAME METHOD - ANNA CIEŚLAK-WRÓBLEWSKA IN RZ: “For example, a hole in the pension system can be plugged by raising the retirement age; this is essentially even the only way. A gap in the healthcare system can be filled by making the health contribution realistic – meaning increasing it – and so on. But in Poland, we have an almost constant election campaign. At one time, PiS won elections because it promised Poles everything good, and with its governance, it wanted to show that the state can bear the costs of all catastrophes and crises. It seems that politicians of the democratic coalition have largely adopted the same method. This policy may quickly turn out to be short-sighted.” https://www.rp.pl/opinie-ekonomiczne/art40695881-anna-cieslak-wroblewska-dziura-w-finansowaniu-zdrowia-ja-tez-politycy-sprobuja-przemilczec -- COALITION PARTNERS TOLD TUSK DIRECTLY THAT THEY WOULD NOT VOTE FOR HIS PROPOSAL TO REDUCE THE HEALTH CONTRIBUTION FOR ENTREPRENEURS. THE PRIME MINISTER IS THEREFORE PREPARING A NEW SOLUTION - LESZEK KOSTRZEWSKI IN GW: “The solutions proposed by the Minister of Finance regarding the health contribution mean a budget deficit of PLN 5 billion, and the proposals of Polska 2050 as much as PLN 12 billion. So, will the coalition partners abandon the reform? – We can certainly forget about raising the tax-free allowance to PLN 60,000, but the reform of the health contribution for entrepreneurs must take place in some form. Entrepreneurs would not forgive us for abandoning it – a KO politician tells us. And he assures that the Sejm will certainly not deal with any deputies' projects concerning the contribution. If the coalition partners agree, it will be a government project.” https://wyborcza.biz/biznes/7,147880,31083286,tusk-ma-nowa-propozycja-obnizki-skladki-zdrowotnej-dla-przedsiebiorcow.html -- CONFEDERATION IS THE THIRD FORCE, THE LEFT JUST ABOVE THE THRESHOLD - POLL: “Civic Coalition has a slight lead over PiS – according to a new poll for Wirtualna Polska. A competitor is growing for the parties – Confederation is back on the podium. – The question is whether it will transform from a protest party into a permanent element on the Polish political scene – comments Prof. Jarosław Flis.” -- THE ELECTION RESULTS SHOW THAT THE PRESIDENT OF PIS'S PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION IS NO LONGER A WUNDERWAFFE FOR VOTERS. - FLIS FURTHER IN WP: “– Just as it turned out that there is life without Janusz Korwin-Mikke in Confederation, it remains a question whether the younger generation in PiS will not come to a similar conclusion, but with regard to Jarosław Kaczyński. The election results show that the President of PiS's personal recommendation is no longer a wunderwaffe for voters. This is also shown by the situation in the Lesser Poland voivodeship assembly. Both voters and activists see that not everything Kaczyński invents is brilliant – adds the scientist from Jagiellonian University.” -- IN POLAND, THE LEFT IS AN ELITE PARTY – FLIS TELLS WP: “– In Poland, the Left is an elite party. I will give an example: in the district with the highest unemployment in the country, Szydłowiec county, even Confederation had half the support of the Left – emphasizes the sociologist.” https://wiadomosci.wp.pl/ko-przebija-pis-w-nowym-sondazu-tusk-moze-przewage-przehulac-7042003798571776a -- WE ARE FACING A FUNDAMENTAL CHOICE: EITHER WE START COMBATING RACISM QUICKLY, OR RACISM AND RACISTS WILL GOVERN OUR LIVES AND POLITICS - MAREK BEYLIN IN GW: “Therefore, it's time for an alarm! Instead of imitating racists out of fear of them, we must combat racism. The government should start this fight with anti-racist education in schools, services, and offices. Because if we do nothing about it, the racist wave will spread everywhere. It will deprive us of a safe homeland, and the ruling democrats of power.” -- SO, I AM AMAZED BY THE OPPORTUNISTIC BLINDNESS OF THE RULING DEMOCRATS, WHO BELIEVE THAT BOTH THEY AND SOCIETY WILL PASS THROUGH THE PHASE OF RACISM WITHOUT COLLECTIVE HARM - BEYLIN FURTHER IN GW: “So, I am amazed by the opportunistic blindness of the ruling democrats, who believe that both they and society will pass through the phase of racism without collective harm. As if we were immune to it. But we are not; we have strong racist traditions and habits, often resulting in aggression towards non-white people. The opportunistic racism of the rulers only strengthens such attitudes.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75968,31088789,dosc-rasizmu-czas-na-alarm.html -- ALTHOUGH MORALLY DISGUSTING, FROM A CYNICAL POLITICAL POINT OF VIEW, IT MAY SIMPLY PROVE EFFECTIVE - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ: “And that PiS does this by invoking racist stereotypes? Although morally disgusting, from a cynical political point of view, it may simply prove effective. This is a mechanism that was visible during Donald Trump's presidency. When Trump attacked migrants, liberal media criticized him for using racist associations. But for many ordinary Americans, these accusations were just proof that Trump was one of them, defending the interests of white residents of post-industrial metropolises.” -- ATTACKING THE POLITICAL OPPONENT'S DIGNITY IS ALSO A POLITICAL GAIN - SZUŁDRZYŃSKI CONTINUES: “And again, although one can call this populism, PiS can only gain by fueling anti-immigrant fears. Because attacking the political opponent's credibility is also a political gain.” https://www.rp.pl/komentarze/art40693261-michal-szuldrzynski-rasizm-poplaca-dlaczego-pis-i-kaczynski-wracaja-do-migracyjnego-referendum -- RADOSŁAW SIKORSKI'S SUICIDE. CLOSING THE BORDER WOULD CONDEMN BELARUSIANS TO A GULAG - RUSŁAN SZOSZYN IN RZ: “The government is considering closing border crossings on the border with Belarus. This would be an image-damaging mistake. Ideas must be sought that will force Alexander Lukashenko's regime to make concessions, but will not harm ordinary people. The dictator does not care about their fate.” https://www.rp.pl/komentarze/art40692781-ruslan-szoszyn-samoboj-radoslawa-sikorskiego-zamkniecie-granicy-skazaloby-bialorusinow-na-lagier -- ŻULCZYK DEFENDS RYMKIEWICZ FROM NOWACKA. AND HE IS RIGHT - WOJCIECH SZOT IN GW: “What was demanded of the new Ministry of National Education was to abandon the path paved by Nowacka's predecessor, Przemysław Czarnek. A path full of contempt and treating the reading list as retaliation. Retaliation – let's add – completely devoid of sense. Both creators – Dukaj and Rymkiewicz – although presenting a conservative viewpoint, are outstanding authors whose works say a lot about Poland and Poles.” https://wyborcza.pl/7,75517,31087007,zulczyk-broni-rymkiewicza-przed-nowacka-i-ma-racje.html -- PACEWICZ AT OKO.PRESS WILL BE REPLACED BY THE DUO CHRZCZONOWICZ AND DANIELEWSKI: Changes at OKO.press: Piotr Pacewicz is replaced as editor-in-chief by Magdalena Chrzczonowicz and Michał Danielewski. Pacewicz remains chairman of the OKO Foundation. https://oko.press/aksamitna-rewolucja-w-oko-press -- THE BEST PART IS THAT THE SAME MEDIA, LIKE MICHNIK'S NEWSPAPER, WHICH CHEERED FOR TUSK INTRODUCING AN ILLEGAL LIQUIDATOR, CALL MR. FICO'S MOVE "ORBANIZATION OF THE MEDIA" - MICHAŁ KARNOWSKI: “Mr. Tusk has demolished the rule of law, and it has paid off for him for now. Others will follow this path because the temptation will be irresistible. It turned out that in 2023, it pays to be a destroyer of democracy and the rule of law. The best part is that the same media, like Michnik's newspaper, which cheered for Tusk introducing an illegal liquidator, call Mr. Fico's move 'Orbanization of the media' and are generally very outraged.” https://wpolityce.pl/polityka/696646-tuskowe-media-kpia-czy-o-droge-pytaja -- 9 years ago, Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska was elected Marshal of the Sejm. -- BIRTHDAYS: Wojciech Mojzesowicz, Róża Szułdrzyńska, Janina Sonik, Andrzej Aumiller, Piotr Tomański.