-- DUDA: ON SECURITY MATTERS, I HAVE THE SAME POSITION AS THE GOVERNMENT - 300LIVE: https://300polityka.pl/live/2024/07/08/ -- CBOS: SURVEY SHOWS ALL PARTIES EXCEPT KONFEDERACJA ARE LOSING SUPPORT - GAZETA.PL: “Konfederacja takes the last place on the podium, with 14% of respondents wanting to vote for them. This is a 3 percentage point increase. If parliamentary elections were held in July, two more groups would enter the Sejm: Trzecia Droga with a result of 10%, and Lewica, supported by 8% of respondents. Both parties have lost 1 percentage point each. Meanwhile, 10% of respondents chose the answer 'difficult to say'.” https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114884,31121967,spada-poparcie-dla-ko-i-pis-rosnie-dla-konfederacji-nowy-sondaz.html -- THE PRICE FOR PREVENTING MARINE LE PEN'S RIGHT-WING POPULISM FROM REACHING POWER IN FRANCE WAS THE VICTORY OF JEAN-LUC MÉLENCHON, A LEFT-WING POPULIST WHO HATES AMERICA AND NATO AND ADMIRES PUTIN. WE HAVE NOTHING TO CELEBRATE - MICHAŁ SZUŁDRZYŃSKI IN RZ. -- MÉLENCHON IS AN ANTI-SEMITE. MOREOVER, AS AN ANTI-CAPITALIST, HE HATES AMERICA AND WAS FASCINATED BY FIDEL CASTRO - SZUŁDRZYŃSKI CONTINUES IN RZ: “The emotion that united the NUPES [Nouvelle Union populaire écologique et sociale] was support for Palestine and a dislike for Israel that crossed the borders of anti-Semitism. French intellectual Alain Finkielkraut warned a few days ago in the pages of 'Rzeczpospolita' that Melenchon is an anti-Semite. Moreover, as an anti-capitalist, he hates America and was fascinated by Fidel Castro or Hugo Chávez. The influential service Politico called him a 'charismatic dictator'. -- POWER IN FRANCE HAS NOT FALLEN INTO THE HANDS OF THE PRO-RUSSIAN LE PEN, BUT A COALITION HAS WON WHERE MÉLENCHON, EVEN MORE PRO-PUTIN, PLAYS FIRST FIDDLE - SZUŁDRZYŃSKI'S CONCLUSION: “I also don't understand why Donald Tusk considered that there was disappointment in Moscow after these elections. Power in France has not fallen into the hands of the pro-Russian Le Pen, but a coalition has won where Mélenchon, even more pro-Putin, plays first fiddle.” https://www.rp.pl/opinie-polityczno-spoleczne/art40778831-michal-szuldrzynski-macron-ratuje-skore-dopuszczajac-do-wladzy-lewicowy-prorosyjski-populizm -- THE MEDIA PROTEST WAS EVEN DUMBER THAN THE FARMERS' PROTEST, BECAUSE THE FARMERS WERE CAMPAIGNING, OR AT LEAST PRETENDING TO CAMPAIGN, FOR PUBLIC SUPPORT - TOMASZ LIS IN A NEWSLETTER: “Since there's been a lot about copyright lately, and this text is somewhat related, I honestly inform you that its title is a paraphrase of the title of a poem by Miron Białoszewski, for which the wonderful Ewa Demarczyk sang a magnificent song. A few days ago, we had one of the funniest protests of recent times, even dumber than the farmers' protest a few months ago. The media accuse politicians of wanting to kill them and turn to them for help and support. This is normal practice. When burglars enter one's home, one usually asks them for help with moving, or at least with tidying up (the latter is usually something burglars are happy to do). The media protest was even dumber than the farmers' protest because the farmers were campaigning, or at least pretending to campaign, for public support. The media, however, swiftly registering the immense skepticism with which the public received their appeal, began to attack the citizens—the audience, which seems like a decidedly unwise tactic, not to say suicidal. Our media divas began to spit on the opera audience for hissing, laughing, openly mocking, and whistling instead of admiring and applauding. Is the audience questioning the divinity and uniqueness of the divas? By what right?” -- THE MEDIA IN POLAND SINCERELY BELIEVE THEY ARE THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE. AND INDEED, THEY ARE THE CENTER. UNFORTUNATELY, EXCLUSIVELY OF THEIR OWN WORLD - TOMASZ LIS CONTINUES: “The media's consternation was genuine and not feigned. It stemmed from the fact that the media in Poland sincerely believe they are the center of the universe. And indeed, they are the center. Unfortunately, exclusively of their own world. Thursday's confrontation was just another episode in the undeclared war between the media and citizens. This time, the public's reaction to the protest was highly allergic because the organizers of the protest were appealing for support from those whom they have ostentatiously disdained for years, whom they despise, whom they hold in contempt, whom they slander and insult. People see and know that the media ignore them and have a great time in their own company, without the participation of the rabble they despise, so when the opportunity arose, they gave the media the 'Kozakiewicz gesture,' or worse, the middle finger. The media's response was as always—outrage, sulking, tantrums, and grimaces.” https://x.com/CezaryKucharski/status/1809895476650496204 -- A MANIFESTATION OF SHORT-SIGHTED GREED THAT WILL BACKFIRE ON THE MEDIA - ANDRZEJ RZOŃCA ON TWITTER: “Comparing the lack of agreement for media to be funded by BigTech with the sum they demand, if an office supports their demands, to PiS's attempt to subordinate the media, I consider it a manifestation of short-sighted greed that will backfire on the media.” -- GIVING ANY OFFICE THE POWER TO DECIDE WHETHER THE AMOUNTS DEMANDED BY THE MEDIA FROM BIGTECH ARE JUSTIFIED WILL MAKE THE MEDIA EVEN MORE DEPENDENT ON THE RULING PARTY - RZOŃCA CONTINUES: “Giving any office the power to decide whether the amounts demanded by the media from BigTech are justified will make the media even more dependent on the rulers, who can already influence them through advertisements (or lack thereof) from State Treasury companies.” -- REGULATIONS INTRODUCED SHOULD NOT ALLOW FOR NEGATIVE REGULATORY ARBITRAGE. GENERALLY, THEY SHOULD BE INTRODUCED NO EARLIER AND BE NO STRICTER THAN ELSEWHERE - PROF. RZOŃCA CONTINUES: “Poland should create a positive climate around itself and attract investments, including from BigTech. The regulations it introduces should not allow for negative regulatory arbitrage. Generally, they should be introduced no earlier and be no stricter than elsewhere.” https://x.com/andrzej_rzonca/status/1809910249731584112 -- THE OLD IS RETURNING IN A NEW GUISE. WHY HAS DONALD TUSK'S GOVERNMENT STOPPED LISTENING TO CITIZENS? - IRENEUSZ KRZEMIŃSKI IN RZ: “We still do not know what vision for Polish schools, science, or healthcare the new government has. And what about political corruption in the management of State Treasury companies? Finally, we do not know if politicians intend to inform citizens about their plans, listen to their voice, and find out what citizens themselves desire.” -- WHY ARE CERTAIN PEOPLE NOW OCCUPYING KEY POSITIONS BASED ON PARTY RECOMMENDATIONS, AS CAN BE SEEN? - KRZEMIŃSKI CONTINUES IN RZ: “It is worth remembering that this is one of the most significant problems, also politically – namely, the way power is exercised by elected representatives. Several years ago, the Economic Council to Prime Minister Donald Tusk proposed a solution based on the best-rated Norwegian project. The system created by the Norwegians does not exclude politicians, but makes them merely one of the organizers of the process of selecting managers of national assets. We can return to this and other ideas and propose a project or projects so that citizens can have their say again. But nothing like that is happening…” https://www.rp.pl/opinie-polityczno-spoleczne/art40775441-ireneusz-krzeminski-po-nowemu-idzie-stare-dlaczego-rzad-donalda-tuska-przestal-sluchac-obywateli -- BIRTHDAYS: Mirosława Stachowiak-Różecka, Mirosław Drzewiecki, Stanisław Koziej, Jerzy Kopaczewski, Paweł Pudłowski.